Out Of The Friend Zone Page 7

  "Yeah, but that was all before I got to experience how good it feels to kiss you. Now I never want to stop."

  "I'll give you that one. It does feel pretty good to kiss you. But I still think it's not going to kill us to wait until later," Brynn said, then leaned her lips down for another lip lock. The tingle spread through her body, all the way down to her toes. She had never experienced so much pleasure from just a kiss. It made her wonder how sex would be with him. Her nipples were hardening, the moisture between her legs was growing, and knew that she had to stop before they did something they both would regret.

  She broke the kiss, breathless. "I think you better go now before the kids walk in on something more than a kiss."

  Chandler took a deep breath. "I think you're right. I need to calm myself down before I see Willow and my mom," he told her, then chuckled. "Well, that did it. All I had to do was say 'my mom', and my erection vanished."

  Brynn laughed with him. "Now I know the secret to turning you off, huh?"

  "Don't use it on me, please."

  "Definitely not!"

  "But I still better head home," he said reluctantly. "I'll see you later tonight. I'll get Willow ready for bed, then bring her over. Then you and I can spend some time getting to know your hot tub."

  Chandler kept turning around and looking at her as he made his way through their backyards. Brynn laughed and waved each time, finally turning and walking into her own back door. She sat on the couch and turned on the TV to wait for Barrett to come home from the beach. Jeter took the opportunity to jump onto the couch and cuddle up with Brynn while they waited.

  "Jeter, you're getting too big to be a lap dog. You're only six months old, and you're already forty-five pounds. I think we have a problem here, you big bruiser," she said, as she stroked the dog's head and back. "But you're a good boy and Barrett loves you to death. I even like you a little."

  The dog turned to look at her and she smiled at him. "And I really like Chandler a lot," she confessed to the dog.

  Jeter looked completely bored with her revelation.

  "Mom! I'm home!" Barrett called as he walked through the front door. Jeter jumped down and ran to greet Barrett. "Hey, buddy, did you miss me?"

  Jeter licked Barrett's face, making him laugh. Barrett rolled onto the floor, and Jeter got even more excited, jumping on him and licking him. Barrett giggled uncontrollably as he played with the boxer.

  "Hey, save some of those kisses for your mom, Cole!"

  Barrett looked up at his mom, and smiled even more. He got up from the floor and ran over to her. She knelt down and opened her arms to him, and when he reached her, they threw their arms around each other.

  "Hi Mom," he said. "Willow and I went to the beach today, and it was so cool!"

  "So, tell me about the beach. Did you bring me back any shells? Did you build any sand castles?" She stood up and took his hand, leading him over to the couch, where they sat and talked.

  "Mrs. Tiller is so cool. She gave us buckets and shovels and stuff, and helped us make a castle with a moat and everything. Then she showed us how to make a turtle sculpture in the sand. We had to knock it all down though, because some guy was running down the beach and stepped in our moat and hurt his ankle. But it was cool while it was up. Mrs. Tiller took some pictures of me and Brynn by the castle and turtle, and she promised she'd give me some pictures. Can we go back to the beach sometime, Mom? We could take Willow and her dad."

  "We sure can. I'm sure Willow and her dad would love to go with us sometime."

  "Good, because I like them," Barrett said, and hopped off the couch. "Can I go to my room and play for a little while?"

  "Sure, if that's what you want to do."

  Barrett smiled and headed to the stairs to his room. "Come on, Jeter, let's go play," he called to his dog to follow him. Barrett and Jeter disappeared into his room as Brynn watched them from the couch.

  Half an hour later, it sounded too quiet upstairs, so Brynn went up to check on Barrett. When she looked in the door, she saw Barrett and Jeter cuddled up on the bed, sound asleep. She smiled at how cute they looked, then covered them up with a blanket and left the room.

  Later that night, Barrett was running around the house full of energy. She knew that she had let him nap too long when he got back from the beach. It was now nine at night, and he didn't show any signs of being sleepy. Brynn wondered how Chandler was faring at his house, so she decided to give him a call.

  "Hey, how's Willow?" Brynn asked, when Chandler picked up the phone.

  "Well, my little bundle of joy is currently a bundle of energy. I'm surprised you can't hear her from your house right now!"

  "Let me guess. She took a nap after getting home from the beach?" Brynn asked, laughing.

  "Yup. I didn't have the heart to wake her up. Same with Barrett?"

  "Yeah. I didn't have the heart either," Brynn sighed. "Hey, here's an idea. Why don't you bring Willow over. Maybe they'll wear each other out and go to sleep faster."

  "I'll be there in two minutes!" Chandler said without hesitation, and hung up the phone.

  Brynn told Barrett that Willow would be coming over. That seemed to wind him up even more, but Brynn also knew that about a half an hour later, both he and Willow would be exhausted and ready for bed.

  Two minutes after they had hung up, Willow and Chandler were at her back door. Willow ran in looking for Barrett and headed straight for the stairs. Chandler walked in wearing a pair of swim trunks and a t-shirt. He looked around to make sure the kids were upstairs, then pulled Brynn into his arms and kissed her.

  "So, are we bad parents, wishing our kids would hurry up and go to sleep so that we can have a little fun together?" Brynn whispered.

  "I don't think so. All parents need a little peace and quiet, a little time to themselves every now and then. We're no different," Chandler told her.

  "Good. I didn't want to feel any guilt tonight." Brynn let out a sigh of relief, glad that Chandler felt so sure about it.

  After the kids calmed down, Brynn went up and told them both it was time for bed. She tucked them in and said goodnight, then headed for her own bedroom. Once inside, she went to her drawers and found her red string bikini. She changed into it, then put a t-shirt on as a cover-up. Before heading back downstairs, Brynn stopped outside Barrett's door to make sure the kids were finally asleep.

  She continued back downstairs to find that Chandler was already outside, taking the cover off the hot tub and getting it warmed up. She stood at the door and silently watched him for a minute. He had taken his t-shirt off, so she watched the muscles in his back ripple as he removed the cover. His shoulders were so broad and toned, and his back went into a 'V' at his waist. He had the perfect shape, and the perfect muscle tone. He was tanned a light golden brown, to perfection.

  He was startled when he turned around and saw her watching him. "Hey, the kids asleep?"

  "Yeah, finally. You want some wine or beer?"

  "I'll have whatever you're having." She nodded and walked back into the house. He watched as she walked. All he could see were her long, slim legs peeking out from under the over-sized t-shirt, and it was enough to drive him wild.

  She came back out to the deck with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine. She poured the wine and left the bottle on the table next to the hot tub. She handed his glass to him, her eyes never leaving his. Her heart was already pounding like mad.

  He took her free hand and led her over to the hot tub. When they reached the steps, he took her glass of wine and set both his and hers on the ledge. He wanted both hands free for what he was going to do next. Chandler pulled her closer and reached for the hem of her t-shirt. The only time their eye contact was broken was when he lifted the shirt over her head.

  Brynn stood perfectly still, nervous under his gaze. Chandler allowed his eyes to wander up and down her body. What he saw made him whistle low under his breath. He put his forefinger under Brynn's chin and raised her head so that she was lookin
g into his eyes again.

  "You are so beautiful. I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep my hands off you tonight," Chandler whispered, his arousal already growing.

  "You're just saying that," Brynn said, suddenly shy.

  Chandler took her into his arms and pressed her body to his. Their hips met and she felt him poking into her. "Does it feel like I'm just saying that?"

  Brynn smiled and kissed him, feeling him growing more and more as the kiss went on. "Come on, let's get in."

  Chandler helped her into the hot tub, then climbed in himself. He took his glass of wine and handed her to her. "You know, we've only been together since this morning, and already I'm having a hard time keeping my mind off you. That bathing suit isn't helping much either."

  She smiled and ran her hand over the water as she took a sip of wine. Something had been on her mind for a while, but she just now felt the ability to put it into words. "Chandler, can I ask you a question?"

  "You can always ask me anything."

  "Was Brooklyn the only woman you've ever been with?"

  Chandler was silent for a long moment. "Yeah. We got together in high school and were together until she died. I haven't been with anyone since. It's been a long, long time." He smirked a little. "What about you?"

  Brynn smiled. "Nico was my only one. But we haven't slept together in over a year. I got sick of knowing he was cheating on me, and I always worried that one day he was going to bring some disease home with him."

  "That had to be a terrible burden to live with."

  "One day I found out about another one of his escapades. I went to the doctor and had myself checked for all the STDs and AIDS. That was one of the most humiliating moments of my life, my feet up there in stirrups, the doctor and nurse acting like they needed to comfort me somehow, like something terrible had happened - and I guess it had. I mean, what wife goes for STD testing worried about what her husband might have given her?"

  Chandler thought about Brooklyn and was again thankful that he had never cheated on her. He couldn't imagine what would drive a man to cheat on a woman he loved and put her in such a dangerous situation, not to mention the emotional upheaval.

  "Since that time, I didn't let him touch me again," she said. "I was so scared waiting for the results of the tests, and that was enough to make me not want to go near him. To think that he was the one who put me through all that!"

  "I can't imagine what it was like to have to wait for those tests to come back. I'm sorry that you had to go through something like that." Chandler pulled her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.

  "Well, it's over and I've moved on. Things have been much better since!" Brynn smiled.

  "I do sincerely hope so!"

  She put her wine glass on the ledge of the hot tub. Chandler took the cue from her and put his on the edge as she turned toward him.. She wrapped his arms around her waist and straddled his lap, putting her arms around his shoulders. He smiled up at her as she kissed his forehead, then his nose, then all over his face. When she found his lips, she began kissing him with all the passion that had been building up in her for those long, long months. When she deepened the kiss he moaned into her mouth, sending little butterflies into her stomach.

  Chandler kissed her neck as one of his hands slid from her waist, up to cup one of her breasts. Brynn was the one who moaned this time, sending chills through his body. The fact that they had just acknowledged how long it had been for both of them seemed to heighten every sensation. There was so much heat and passion between them that soon they were lost in the feeling, kissing each other until they couldn't breathe, their bodies rubbing hard against each other. They were like teenagers, moving from one touch to another, driving their passion higher by teasing each other with the things they couldn't have just yet.

  Chandler managed to move the small triangle of material from Brynn's breast. He looked at her, then looked up at her eyes with a smile. Slowly, teasing her with every breath, he took her bare nipple into his mouth. Brynn threw her head back and cried out in pleasure. Chandler reached up and pressed two fingers against her mouth, reminding her to be quiet, then continued what he was doing until she begged him for more. He gladly moved to her other nipple and gave it the same treatment until she began to rock her hips back and forth against him.

  Chandler brought his lips back up to her neck and then captured her mouth again. He kissed her until she pushed him away so she could take in big gulps of air. They looked at each other with wide eyes.

  "Should we be doing this, or should we stop?" Chandler whispered.

  Chapter 10

  Brynn groaned. Should they? Shouldn't they? Her body said one thing but her mind said another. She leaned her forehead against his and took deep breaths to get her emotions and body under control. "I want this right now, I want it bad, but is this how our first time together should be? Should there be more to it than just sex and a rush of hormones?"

  "It feels so damn good," he said. "It feels so right."

  "It does..."

  Chandler cupped his hand over her cheek. "Brynn, I really like you, but maybe we should stop. Trust me, it's really hard for me to say this, but I don't think I am ready for this step."

  "Isn't that supposed to be the woman's line?" Brynn asked, laughing. She smiled and looked into his eyes. She could see the lust, but there was pain there also, a surprising amount of it. She immediately realized that her laughter sounded coarse and rude in the midst of such a moment.

  "I am so sorry. I'm not trying to mock you or anything. I've just never heard that come out of a guy's mouth before."

  "Well, maybe you've never met a man who was in love with his wife before she was taken from him too early," Chandler said, his voice tinged with anger.

  "Chandler, I didn't mean to disrespect you or her. I'm sorry."

  He pushed her off his body. She floated to the other side of the hot tub. She pulled her bikini top up as she moved, suddenly feeling ashamed.

  He stood up and got out of the hot tub, reaching for a towel.

  "This was a big mistake," he said. "You were right, I wasn't ready for this."

  "We can slow down...we are slowing down!"

  He began to stalk away. "I'll talk to you later."

  "Chandler, wait! I'm sorry. You don't have to leave," Brynn pleaded.

  "Just send Willow home in the morning when she gets up. Don't bother calling first."

  "Chandler! It just took me by surprise when you said..."

  Chandler cut her off. "You know what, I don't want to hear it. I need to go." He turned and walked over to his house, slamming the back door shut when he got there.

  Brynn sat in the hot tub in shock. She wasn't sure what had just happened between her and Chandler. One minute, everything was fine, and then the next minute, he was walking off. She replayed the whole conversation in her head, trying to get everything straightened out, but nothing was clicking. She didn't mean to sound rude when she laughed. She didn't mean to belittle him, but she wondered if she somehow had.

  Brynn wiped some tears away as she stood and carefully climbed out of the hot tub. She wrapped a towel around her body and began to clean up the deck. She grabbed both glasses of wine from the edge of the hot tub and drained them into her mouth. She put the empty glasses on the table, and put the top back on the hot tub, the whole time still in a state of confusion.

  She grabbed the rest of the wine, along with the empty glasses and headed back into the house. She sat at the breakfast bar, grabbed the phone, and dialed the number of the only person she thought she could talk to about this - Nyla.

  "Ness, I really need to talk," Brynn said when Nyla answered the phone.

  "Brynn? Is that you? You sound funny."

  "Yes, it's me. I'm sorry to bother you if you're busy," Brynn said, trying to stop her crying. Instead of stopping, her tears came harder and faster.

  "No, I'm not busy. Zaiden and I were just getting ready to watch a movie. Wha
t's up? Are you crying?"

  "Yes!" Brynn sobbed, finally breaking down.

  Nyla's voice changed instantly. She became the rock-solid friend ready to deal with any situation. "Brynn honey, calm down. Talk to me, okay? Are you hurt? Is Barrett okay?"

  "We're fine. No one's hurt," Brynn choked out. She took a deep, shaky breath. "I think I just lost one of my best friends, though."

  "Oh shit," Nyla said. "Chandler? What happened?"

  Brynn spilled the story, every bit of it. She ended by telling her what happened in the hot tub, though she didn't tell her word for word what Chandler had said. It was something private between the two of them. Instead, she had just said that Chandler wasn't ready for sex, and that Brynn said it was something a woman would say.

  "That is something a woman would say," Nyla concurred.

  She told Nyla how he reacted, and left her sitting there all alone. "I am so afraid that I have lost him, not only as a potential boyfriend, but also as one of my best friends. What am I going to do Nyla?"

  Brynn took a few more swigs of the wine bottle. It was nearly empty now, and Brynn was feeling the effects of the alcohol.

  "Well, first thing you're going to have to do is stop drinking. I can hear those deep gulps you're taking, and I'm damn sure that's not water. You're going to feel even worse in the morning if you keep going. Put it down, okay?"

  Brynn put the almost-empty wine bottle on the counter and pushed it away.

  "Next, you're going to have to give Chandler a few days to be by himself, and figure out what he's really feeling for you. Give him some time to work through his emotions. You are the first woman he's taken an interest in since his wife died, so this has to be a big adjustment for him. Maybe he just got spooked at how close he was to having sex with you. Maybe he felt like he was betraying Brooklyn. Either way, you need to give him some time."

  "Giving him time is already hard and it's only been thirty minutes," she slurred.

  "I know...but you have to do this. He has to figure this out on his own."