What You Need(57)
His earnestness caught me off guard, because I didn’t expect it.
“Okay. Show me this monster house. And feel free to give me all the details you can remember, because I love hearing history.” I had little history in my own life—most I tried to forget—so I wanted to believe in happy family vibes like generations of Lunds coming here for holidays and summer vacations.
Brady took my hand and started the tour. “A lot of cabins in Minnesota are by lakes. But since the Lund mansion is right on Lake Minnetonka, my grandfather wanted their cabin to be secluded in the woods.”
The deep cadence of his voice soothed me as much as the comforting presence of his palm pressed against the small of my back.
*
Brady
We’d ended up in the kitchen after the tour. I hoped that Mary had left some prepared meals in the fridge. If not, Lennox and I might starve.
As Lennox sat down, I pulled out two bottles of beer from the fridge and handed her one.
“So what’s the plan for tonight?”
“What makes you think I’ve got a plan?”
“Because you’re you.” Lennox’s gaze dropped to the bandage on my forearm. “Any problems with the tattoo?”
“It itches like crazy.”
“Part of the healing process. Wait until the skin starts to peel. That’s pretty gross.”
Awkward silence lingered after that.
In a burst of inspiration, I said, “Truth or dare.”
Lennox considered me a moment before she said, “Truth.”
“When was your last relationship?”
“Four years ago.”
“Why’d it end?”
“He wanted to get married and I kept saying no. So he slept with a coworker, to make me jealous or to make me see how perfect we were together. But all it did was make me mad. That’s when I left Omaha and applied for school here.” She swigged from her beer and said, “Truth or dare.”
“Truth.”
“The last person you had sex with.”
“Tiffany somebody.”
“A one-nighter with no last names, huh?”
“It was after my buddy’s wedding. She was the bride’s cousin. She didn’t bother to learn my last name either. I think at one point when we were going at it she even called me Brody.”
She laughed. “Ouch. I once had a guy call me Linux.”
“Like the operating system?”
“Yeah. I didn’t correct him because I was impressed he knew what Linux was.” She shook her head. “There was a time when my criteria for a hook-up was dumb and pretty.”
“How ironic—I had the same criteria at one time too.”
“When did that change for you?”
“Who says it’s changed?” I shot back.
“Ooh. Is my skin red after that burn?”
“No. Jesus. I didn’t mean you. I meant that in general terms.”
“Did you ever sleep with that Persia chick?”
That startled me. I hadn’t seen her in years. “Where’d you hear her name?”
“She introduced herself to me at Flurry last weekend.”
I tipped my bottle up and drank. “What stunning life insight did she share with you?” And why didn’t you mention it before tonight?
“Just that I was a ho-bag who was not good enough for you. That you’d bang me and move on like you’d done with everyone else. And she had your parents’ approval to be the future Mrs. Lund so she’s waiting for you to get your fill of skanks before you settle down with a real classy woman like her.”
I laughed. “No, I never slept with her. She’ll be waiting a long time for that marriage proposal.”
“Well, I didn’t want her to continue to pine away for you, so I told her you were lousy in bed anyway and she shouldn’t waste her time.”
“Seriously?”
She smirked. “You tell me. Did I tell her that?”
“No. But I’ll bet your sweet ass that you got the best of her.”
“Ding ding ding. Give the man a prize.” She lifted her bottle and I touched it with mine. “Your turn.”
“Truth or dare.”
“Dare.”
I figured she wouldn’t be able to resist the dare for long. I patted the counter. “You sit up here and let me stand between your legs for the rest of the game.”
“Easy peasy.” She hopped up on the counter and widened her knees, making room for me.
I stepped in and ran my hand up her thigh. “You want to keep going?”
“Of course, since it’s my turn. Truth or dare.”
“Truth.”
Lennox’s gaze encompassed my face. “Tell me, in explicit detail, what would’ve happened between us if I’d gone home with you last night.”