Wright with Benefits

“It’s being unloaded now. I had to recruit Jordan Wright to deliver, but yeah, it’s here.”

Cézanne arched her eyebrows. “Jordan Wright, huh?”

Cézanne had been there that first night I met Jordan. When I’d looked at him across a crowded bar and said if I had a type, it’d be him. I’d been right—and so damn wrong.

“Yeah. Serendipity,” I muttered. “He was there for a meeting, and we got the wine in his truck. Anyway, my car died, and I don’t have jumper cables. I assume you do.”

She crossed her arms and smirked. “And you…drove over here in Jordan’s truck?”

“Did you want your wine or what?”

“Uh-huh,” she said, grinning at me in a you can’t fool me way.

“Stop,” I groaned.

“I’m over here, dealing with your friend Bryan, and you get Jordan Wright.”

I rolled my eyes. “Again, Bryan is not my friend.”

“If you say so.” She tucked the clipboard under her arm. “Come on. Of course I have jumper cables. Who do you think I am?”

“Cézanne, the goddess of organization.”

“Precisely.”

Once we acquired the cables from Cézanne’s car, she insisted on carrying them over to Jordan. He’d just finished unloading the truck. He hopped down out of the bed, landing at our feet. He slammed the tailgate closed and smiled that charismatic smile that got him anything he ever wanted. Even me.

“Hey, Cézanne,” he said amicably. “You’re our savior tonight.”

She shot me a look. She certainly hadn’t missed the use of the word our. I hadn’t missed it either. Not just my savior…but his, too?

“Sure am.” She passed him the cables. “I like saving Wrights. Always good to have a favor owed.”

He shook his head. “I help Annie out and somehow end up owing everyone else favors.”

“Well, you owe Annie enough to never be out of her debt.”

My cheeks colored at the comment. Even in the dim light, the blush against my freckled cheeks was obvious. “Thanks, Cézanne. You’re a lifesaver. Now, go kick ass at this party.”

She squeezed my hand, recognizing the dismissal. I loved her to death. But anything that didn’t come out of her mouth was surely written all over her face. If she liked you, you knew it. If she didn’t, you sure as hell knew that too. If she thought you were an idiot, like poor Bryan, good luck ever feeling like anything else in her presence. And for Jordan Wright, well, if he hadn’t known that he owed me before, he did now.

He held up the cables, his eyes lighting as they caught mine and held. “Shall we?”

I swallowed. It was probably safer to wait until after the party and take the cables with Cézanne. To keep Jordan Wright owing me favors forever. To never let him have the chance to clear what was between us. But that car ride had released a valve. What could it hurt, driving back with him?

Three years ago, I’d said that he was my type, if I’d ever had one. And that hadn’t changed a bit. Because that damn smile still did me in.

“Let’s do it.”

5

Jordan

“Okay, try it now,” I called to Annie.

She sat in her car and turned the key, kicking the ignition into place. The car revved to life. A slow rumble and then a roar. I sighed with relief. With the day she’d been having, she needed this small victory. The last thing I’d wanted was for the battery to be dead. I didn’t think my luck would have lasted against her rage.

Annie’s whoop of delight was loud enough to be heard a few blocks over. She jumped out of the car, leaving the cables and conflict forgotten.

“It works!” she cried, doing a little dance. “Thank fuck!”

I laughed at her enthusiasm. At the chance to see this Annie up close and personal. It’d been so long.

“Come dance with me, Jordan,” she said, still twirling in place.

I shook my head at her.

“I know you know how to move.”

With a laugh, I ducked under the cables and stepped closer to her. I grabbed her hand mid-spin and twirled her in a circle and back to me. She giggled and took my other hand, pushing and pulling us closer together and then apart. She tipped her head back as I twirled her around again in a circle.

It didn’t matter that we were in the pitch-black in an empty parking lot with no music. Annie was just too happy that something had finally gone right to even consider stopping. And I didn’t want this to end either.

I spun her out to arm’s length and then rolled her back in, cocooning her in my embrace before dipping her. She looked up at me. All bright green eyes and teasing smile. For a moment, I thought about bridging that distance between us. All I wanted to do was capture those perfect pink lips. And for a split second, something in her eyes flashed a challenge, daring me to do it.