The Do-Over Read online

  “Stay for the weekend.”

  “Kyle, I only brought one set of clothes, and besides, I need to work.”

  He ran his hands through his hair, hoping he didn’t sound desperate. “We’ll go to your place and pick up clothes and your laptop. You can work here, right?”

  She considered it for a moment and shrugged. “I guess.”

  He broke out into a huge grin. “Great, then, it’s settled. Let’s have some fun too.”

  “What did you have in mind, Captain Kyle?” Lanie asked, arching her eyebrows.

  “You’re a naughty girl. We’ll definitely fork, but what do you want to do? We’ll go wherever you want today.”

  She was thoughtful for a moment. “Anywhere I want?”

  “I’ll go anywhere with you.” Kyle hadn’t meant the statement to come out so intensely, but Lanie didn’t seem to notice.

  “Umm…there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” she said, biting her lower lip.

  “Another guy?”

  “Yep, he’s very handsome.”

  “Handsome, eh?”

  “Yeah, but he has some intimacy issues,” she said, displaying her playful smile.

  “That can be a bear. Some guys just can’t get over stuff.” Kyle chuckled.

  “Actually, he’s a gorilla…a five-hundred-pound gorilla.”

  Kyle cocked his eyebrow.

  An hour later, he was holding Lanie’s hand at the zoo and staring at a five-hundred-pound gorilla. So Lanie had been completely literal.

  “Kyle, this is my friend, Mr. Coco.”

  “You’ll excuse me if I don’t shake his hand.”

  “Yes, like I said, he has intimacy issues.”

  The gorilla actually moved toward them. Kyle thought he was looking at Lanie pretty intensely. Was it possible he recognized her? “Do you come to see him often?”

  “Usually once a week. He’s lonely too since he doesn’t have a mate.”

  “Because he’s such a player?”

  She laughed. “Because it’s difficult to find mates.”

  “Lanie, I think Mr. Coco is giving me a dirty look.” Kyle moved closer to Lanie. Sure enough, the gorilla pushed his head toward the steel bars that separated them.

  “Don’t be silly.”

  “I think he’s jealous.”

  “No, he doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body,” she replied.

  “Oh, I think he does. Let’s try something.” He pulled Lanie close to him and kissed her, actually dipping her in front of the cage. Lanie pushed him off her, uncomfortable with the public display of affection.

  “Jeez, Kyle, there are kids here, for God’s sake.” Then she stopped talking. In fact, everyone stopped in their tracks because Mr. Coco was swinging wildly, beating his large hands against the ground and running about like a crazy…well, gorilla.

  Lanie’s mouth dropped open. “He’s never done this.”

  “Come on, sweetheart. Mr. Coco and I aren’t going to be friends anytime soon. I’m afraid this King Kong might kidnap you, and that’s a thought I just can’t handle.”

  Lanie let Kyle lead her away, waving good-bye to Mr. Coco. They spent the afternoon at the zoo, going to each exhibit, holding hands, eating hot dogs, and generally enjoying each other’s company. On the way to her apartment, Kyle stopped at the grocery store. He picked up items for dinner. He wanted to grill out for Lanie, and he also needed to buy ice cream

  That night she worked on her laptop while he stood on the balcony grilling burgers. They both looked up at each other casually, finding the other already staring back. Kyle set down a plate in front of her. “Enough work. We have to eat now. You’ll need your strength for later.”

  They ate and chatted until they were both stuffed. Lanie was wearing his shirt again and a pair of shorts. It was a simple outfit, but it turned him on like she was wearing expensive lingerie.

  “What would you rate me?” she asked.

  He almost choked on his beer. “What?”

  “Well, you’ve been with so many girls. I know I’m not great, but since we’re friends first, I feel you’ll give me an honest opinion.”

  “Lanie, I’m not going to grade you.”

  “Come on, Kyle. I want to know, and you can be totally truthful with me. I know you guys do it in your locker-room talk.”

  “You must have watched a lot of teen angst movies,” Kyle said, picking up her plate.

  “I’m partial to John Hughes’s films, I guess.”

  “The Breakfast Club. Let me guess. You identified with Ally Sheedy’s character, didn’t you?”

  “Yep, and you…you were definitely Judd Nelson.”

  “Oh hell no. I was Emilio Estevez, for sure.”

  “Why? Because you were the jock?”

  “Well, I definitely wasn’t the druggie.”

  “You’re Judd Nelson, but not because I think you were a druggie. You represent the bad boy.” Kyle wasn’t sure how to take her assessment. It was true, but he didn’t like that she thought it so much. “Now stop avoiding my question, Captain Kyle. Rate me. How will I improve if I don’t know?”

  “Baby, there’s no rating you.”

  She pouted, crossing her arms. “Okay fine. Then at least tell me where I can improve.”

  He shook his head. “This conversation’s trouble. I know how girls think.”

  “But you said so yourself. I’m not like other girls.”

  “Yeah, I’m not about to test that.” He brought out a double Popsicle, broke it in half, and handed one side to Lanie.

  “Popsicles, the poor man’s ice cream,” she replied.

  Kyle laughed. “Relax. I got ice cream too. So you really want to know?”

  She nodded anxiously. Kyle sucked on his Popsicle, assessing her eagerness, wondering if he should tell her she was the best sex he’d ever had. She would never believe him anyway, so instead, he told her where to improve as she’d asked. “You can get ahead if you give better head. Got me?”

  “Ah, okay. What would you suggest?”

  He stared at her mouth as it moved up and down the frozen treat. “Want to practice?”

  She gave him a cynical look. “I’m eating my dessert right now.”

  “Okay, practice on that. See how deep you can go.”

  She looked at the sweet treat in her hand and back at him. “I’ll choke.”

  “I know CPR. Don’t worry. I won’t let you. Pretend it’s me. I’ll be able to direct you better if I’m not the test subject.”

  She shrugged and inserted the Popsicle in her mouth.

  “Wait,” he said, knocking it out of her hand.

  “Why did you do that?”

  He took the discarded Popsicle and ran to the kitchen. He retrieved a new one that wasn’t broken in halves. “If you’re going to pretend it’s me, we should be more realistic,” he said, unwrapping it for her. “At least in terms of girth. The length…well, you’ll have to use your imagination.”

  “Um…grape,” she replied and licked the edge.

  He sat down and rested his chin on his hands to watch her. She licked it a few times and then shocked him by taking a small bite off the top. She gave him an amused smile. Kyle shook his head. “You are a cruel, cruel woman.”

  “So the whole thing is better?”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

  “Any other advice?”

  “Well…it’ll aid the process if you swallow the aftermath…but that’s for the advanced course. Right now, we’re still working on prerequisites. Now hurry up before it melts.”

  She licked her lips lusciously, nodding at him. She took the Popsicle in her mouth again, but deeper, letting her lips wrap around it. There was something incredibly erotic about it. She brought it in and out of her mouth, slowly, seductively, laying her head back in the chair, causing her curls to fall back. He felt himself go hard at the sight. She stared at him and responded to his expression by increasing her movements. She slurped, and Kyle had to readjust himself. Then she
moaned, and Kyle shifted uncomfortably. She held the Popsicle hovering outside of her mouth, letting a small drip form. Kyle watched with rapt attention as it rolled down the length of the frozen treat, hitting the tip of her tongue. He couldn’t stand anymore. He ran around to her side of the table and pulled the Popsicle away from her before depositing it into an empty glass.

  “Hey, I wasn’t done.” He ignored her, gathering her up from the chair into his arms.

  “I’ll get you another. Oh, baby, please do that to me now, please, please, please, please…not the biting part, but everything else, okay?”

  He was literally shaking when he set her down. He unbuckled his jeans. She helped him, lowering them for him and brushing her lips against his erection. Then she pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. She peeled back his boxers, letting his erection spring forth. She held on to it as she took the tip into her mouth, tasting him. Kyle felt the heat of her breath and the coldness from the Popsicle. It was excruciating ecstasy, and like Lanie, a complete duality. He stroked her hair, watching her, completely turned on. She took him deeper and deeper until he was completely in her mouth. Kyle moaned and struggled not to thrash. “God, you’re such a fast learner,” he said, his voice choked.

  She tightened her lips around him, moving up and down, picking up speed. He knew it wouldn’t take him long to come. “Lanie, come here,” he said, reaching for her shoulders.

  She shrugged out of his grasp.

  “Lanie, if you don’t stop, I won’t be able to stop. You need to stop…now.” It came out so garbled and breathless he wondered if she understood him.

  She moved her mouth away from him. “Jeez, Kyle, will you let me finish one treat tonight?”

  He widened his eyes in shock and then smiled in awe. “That’s my naughty girl.”

  He lay back down, letting himself enjoy the pleasure Lanie was giving him. He didn’t mean to do it, but he found himself thrusting into her mouth. She actually moaned in response. He felt the vibrations and thought he would go crazy. She was sucking him like a porn star. He did it again, and she didn’t stop him or freak out. In fact, it made her go faster. He felt his release, hard and fast, and he prayed she wasn’t going to start gagging. She didn’t. Instead, she gulped audibly, and Kyle thought it was possibly the sexiest sound he’d ever heard. She got up on her knees, smiling at him and wiping her mouth before collapsing on his chest. He held her close, and she buried her head in his neck.

  She uttered a single word in his ear that made his whole body shudder. “Delicious.”

  * * * *

  They woke up early on Sunday to get the newspaper. Kyle had it delivered, but he wanted to get the first hot copies. They ate breakfast at a coffee shop. They sat on the same side of the booth again, but this time Kyle put his arm around Lanie, and they read his article together.

  “It’s really good, Kyle. I knew you would give this story the justice it deserved,” she said and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Better than Thomas Watkins?”

  “Thomas Watkins couldn’t write a menu compared to you,” Lanie replied, holding up a piece of bacon to her mouth. Kyle moved her hand to his mouth, biting on the strip she held.

  “You really have a problem letting me eat. Are you trying to say you want me to lose weight or something, mister?”

  “For the record, I love watching you eat. I like the way your mouth works. It turns me on.”

  “Hmm, when I’m eating Popsicles?”

  “Oh, especially those, but really anything.” He shook his head, trying to get the image out of his mind. They’d had sex several times, but Lanie had some sort of power to turn Kyle on with only a few words, or a turn of her hair, the pout of her lips, or any other delicious gesture.

  “It’s a very insightful article,” she said, regaining his focus.

  Kyle’s heart filled with a gratitude for the girl in his arms. He kissed her head. “Lanie, I am indebted to you. This is a career maker for me.”

  She shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure my clients were treated respectfully, and you did that. So Senator Hayes refused a quote, huh?”

  “The bastard didn’t even return my calls. His office called with a no-comment statement.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “Speaking of calls, I’ve gotten a few asking me for interviews. Since your clients aren’t doing any, I’m getting requests from some major news outlets. My paper wants the publicity. How do you feel about that?”

  She was quiet for a moment, assessing his question. “I think you should do it. The publicity will be good for the case, after all. Brad is going to do some interviews too.”

  Kyle narrowed his eyes. “Why Brad? It’s your case.”

  “Actually Brad is lead counsel now,” Lanie replied and moved away from him. He tightened his grip on her. “I reasoned with my clients that this was for the best, and I finally got them to agree.”

  “You gave him the case?”

  She sighed. “Yes, I told you, I don’t want credit for this. This is just something I have to do. Brad is better at this stuff than me. And please don’t think I gave it to him to garner favor in any other areas.”

  “I know you wouldn’t do that, but this is your case. You’re the one who’s put in all the hours and the late nights.”

  “I know they trust me, and that’s why I’m doing it. I don’t want accolades. I just want to win. So are you going on these interviews?”

  “I don’t feel comfortable acting as their mouthpiece. I report the news, not make it.”

  “That’s fine, but I would be happy if you went.”

  “We’ll see,” he said, taking her hand and kissing the fingertips. Kyle realized that the dread in the pit of his stomach wasn’t from the thought of doing these interviews. He was having a difficult time with the idea of being away from her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kyle brought over a pizza and a couple of beers on Monday night. Lanie stuck to soda, claiming she was going back to her sober ways again. Brad and Cassie were out to dinner, so they had the place to themselves. The idea made Kyle very happy, but unfortunately, Lanie had to work for a while. He sat in the bed next to her, booked his airline tickets for the interviews he’d agreed to, and caught up on his e-mail. It felt very comfortable to share a normal evening with her. Now that she was no longer a virgin, the pressure was off for both of them.

  “Why don’t you drink?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t like the taste.” Kyle cocked his eyebrow.

  “You were slamming it down the other night,” Kyle commented, putting his laptop away.

  “I can drink. I just choose not to.”

  Kyle decided it was better to leave it alone. There was so much about Lanie that was a mystery, and she obviously did not want to talk about it.

  They sat on her bed and watched the game. Kyle held his arm out, and Lanie leaned her head against his chest. She seemed to fit in that position so perfectly. She regaled him with some statistical information. Kyle knew she was a fan, but he was surprised how well-informed she was. He had gone out with girls who were self-proclaimed sports junkies only to find out they didn’t know a tight end from a quarterback.

  “Have you ever been to a game?” he asked her.

  “No, I never got a chance,” she said, snuggling in his arms.

  “We should go.”

  “That would be fun. I’ve loved football since I was a kid.”

  “Did you watch it with your dad?” Kyle regretted the question as soon as she tensed up in his arms.

  “No,” she said quietly as if she was afraid to elaborate. Kyle wanted to ask more, but he kept his curiosity in check. A commercial came on showing couples swing dancing in a fifties-type diner. “I wish I could do that.”

  He realized she was changing the subject, and he let her. “You don’t know how to dance?”

  “Nope, that’s one of the reasons I hate this party on Thursday. They hire a big band, and there’s dancing.�
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  “And you don’t like it?”

  “Oh no, I love the music they play. I just wish I could participate.”

  “Well, let’s take care of that,” Kyle said, standing up from the bed and reaching for her hand.

  “What?”

  “Dance with me,” he said, bowing down and extending his hand.

  “Now?”

  “It’s not exactly something we need to make reservations for. Come on, I’ll teach you.”

  “I don’t know about this. We don’t have a lot of room.”

  Kyle impatiently sighed. “We have enough. Now pick a song.

  “Any song?”

  “Yes, we’ll do a slow and a fast dance, so you get perspective on both.”

  She grinned, jumped off her bed, and reached for her iPod. Two seconds later, the soulful voice of Bill Medley filled the room as “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” came on.

  “Oh, God,” Kyle groaned, falling back on Lanie’s bed. “I should have known you’d pick this.”

  Lanie crawled on top of him to kiss him. “Please, you said any song. Have you even seen this movie?”

  “Not in its entirety, but I know every scene by heart.” Lanie stared at him, confused, waiting for an explanation. “This movie played in my living room for an entire summer on repeat. Rachael and my mom watched it so much they broke the tape.”

  Lanie laughed, nuzzling Kyle’s neck. God, she knows exactly how to get what she wants, he thought.

  “I knew I felt a kinship with your sister for a reason. Come on, Captain Kyle. Are you not able to dance to this?”

  Kyle grasped her hair and brought her lips to his. He kissed her softly before releasing her. “I’m no Patrick Swayze, but I can dance to this.”

  “Good. Now you’ve procrastinated so much I have to start the song over.” She shrugged out of his arms to reset it.

  Kyle took her hands in his, and she yelped when he pulled her close. “Just feel it. Don’t think too much.”

  Kyle spun her around effortlessly, not as well as Johnny Castle of course, but not bad. Lanie tried to keep step, but she kept giggling like a nervous schoolgirl.