“Maybe she bought some self-help books,” Denny interjected. “You know, Spankings for Dummies or Bondage 101 for Beginners.”

Mark rubbed his eyes before chuckling. “I wouldn’t doubt it at all,” he admitted. “There’s something about her, though. She makes me want shit I’ve never desired before, and it’s scary as hell.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” Denny said. “You’ve been different with her from the beginning. If she were one of your usual women, then we wouldn’t even be having this discussion because you’d have already slept with her and she’d be long gone. The fact that you haven’t, even though you obviously want her, should tell you something.”

“That I’m losing it?” Mark asked ruefully. “Or maybe I’m just getting too old for the crap I’ve always favored.”

“Yeah, a bad case of arthritis and you’re out of business,” Denny snickered. “Imagine having to rub on the joint cream before you crack the whip. Talk about ruining the moment. And don’t even get me started on the smell. You remember how the grandparents’ house smelled like a mixture of mothballs and mint toothpaste?”

“This is beyond depressing.” Mark groaned. “It’s Saturday night and I’m sitting here discussing old age with my cousin. Let’s hurry up and eat so I can be asleep by nine. That’s what old bastards do, right?”

“You’re really pathetic,” Denny said sarcastically. “Might I point out that your dry spell can be measured in weeks? Plus, you have a date with a beautiful woman tomorrow night. All men should have your kind of problems.”

Mark nodded, grabbing a container of shrimp lo mein. “I am pretty amazing, aren’t I?”

Denny snorted. “Thank God. The conversation was beginning to sound like a category on Jeopardy! called ‘Things That Losers Say.’ I’m glad you’re back to your humble self again.”

They polished off their meal along with a couple of beers each while joking around. He’d never admit it to the other man, but it was one of his better Saturday nights on record. He’d been restless for a while, and when having sex with a variety of women came in second to a night with your cousin, it was definitely time for a change. He was in no way talking about settling down and buying a fucking minivan, but the possibility of trying a relationship with one woman was almost intriguing. He’d never known that before, so how could he judge whether or not it was right for him? And he couldn’t think of anyone better to fill that position than Crystal Webber. He’d already established that he wanted her around—hell, he was making an ass out of himself for her and the world at large to witness.

Tomorrow night, he would show her he could do sweet. He’d be a gentleman and attempt not to sleep with her on the first date. She would have to stop saying shit about being tied up for him to succeed, though. He’d been so hard when Declan had the come-to-Jesus talk with him, he’d been forced to keep his hands jammed in his pockets to hide the evidence. The random kinky stuff that tumbled from those plump lips drove him nuts. And the Rabbit she mentioned? He was almost certain that she wasn’t referring to a pet bunny.

His Angel was going to test all of his newfound resolve, and no amount of jerking off before the date was going to help if she didn’t lay off the sex-toy talk.

Chapter Nine

Crystal had checked her watch again before she returned to pacing the floor of her living room. Mia was late—which wasn’t unusual. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but her friend was lending her a dress for her date with Mark, and she didn’t want to find out at the last moment that it didn’t fit.

She almost jumped out of her skin when a knock sounded at the door. In the middle of her mad dash, she stubbed her toe on the carpet and ended up hopping the rest of the way. Damn, what else today?

Mia stood there, holding up a gorgeous black dress—that looked a little on the short side. “Sorry I’m late,” the other woman tossed out as she walked in. “I couldn’t find my keys. I finally checked the car and I’d left them in the ignition.” Wrinkling her nose, she added, “I’d never hear the end of that if Seth found out.” Looking Crystal up and down, she grimaced. “Um—yeah, you look . . . low-maintenance.”

Crystal started laughing at her friend’s subtle put-down. “I was waiting for you to get here with the dress. I didn’t want to mess my hair up while I was dressing.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Mia sighed. “This isn’t your finished look. I was a bit worried there for a moment. Have you showered and shaved—everything?”

Turning away before Mia could see her blush, she mumbled, “Yes, I’m all groomed.” She didn’t want to admit it, but she’d done something that she’d never dared before. She’d gone completely bare—downstairs. In the midst of her usual trim session, she’d had the crazy urge for something different. She’d mentioned trying it to her ex-husband one time, and he’d almost passed out. Then he’d gone into great detail on why it was wrong that she’d even considered it. That was Bill, though. Anytime she’d ever wanted to try anything new in the bedroom, he’d made her feel like some kind of cheap slut. Eventually, she’d just stopped trying or caring. That had been the beginning of the end of their marriage. She couldn’t imagine Mark ever belittling her for something like that. He made her want to be adventurous and step outside of her comfort zone. And unbelievably, tonight she had a chance to do just that with him. An official date—just the two of them. A shot for her at fulfilling one of her many fantasies involving him.