Womanizer

His kisses were firm, yet gentle. One hand was buried in her hair while the other remained at the back of her neck.

It all seemed so unreal to Megan. She had imagined many scenarios similar to this over the last couple of months, but she had told herself it would never happen. It could never happen. Brian was wrong for her. Both Janine and Zacky had warned her that he played with women like toys, discarding them the instant he grew bored. One-night stands were as natural to him as breathing. Sex was meaningless; Brian wanted it for no other reason than to get off.

These thoughts ricocheted in Megan's mind. Red flags that were mostly ignored as his mouth moved against hers and his tongue coaxed her lips apart.

Megan's hands were on her lap, clenched into fists. Her pulse was in overdrive and the beat of her heart was so frantic that it was painful. Heat had spread from the point of contact, engulfing her and beginning to pool in her center. There was no mistaking the faint stirring of arousal low in her body.

Brian pushed, his kisses becoming more demanding. Megan met his force with her own, sending her tongue to play with his. He smiled at her show of boldness.

Megan reached up and cupped his face in her hands. His skin was smooth and warm and she traced his high, perfect cheekbones. Brian slid his hand from the back of her neck, trailing his fingertips over the bare skin above the top of her corset. Megan trembled. Needing a breath, she drew away.

She stared into his dark eyes from inches away, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breathing. Brian broke eye contact and ducked his head to her neck. Megan's eyes shut under a shudder as his lips ghosted along her neck and lower.

He nipped playfully at the soft flesh pushed up and exposed by the corset. Megan found herself leaning back slightly to give him better access, her hands tangling themselves in his jet-black hair.

Brian bared more of her breast. She gasped at the quick, sharp pain of a bite. Her desire flared even hotter. He alternated between sucking gently at the skin and nips of teeth that had her squirming and wanting so much more.

Presently, he raised his head. He smirked and shoved his mouth to hers again, readjusting her corset to its original placement.

"You've got to go in," he murmured, his lips brushing her chin.

"Why?"

"We can't do this here, Megan." He straightened and looked her full in the face. "We're in a car in the driveway of the house that your cousin and my best friend, neither of which approves of us being more than friends, share."

"Making out."

Brian grinned. "Well, yeah, but surely you can convince them we were just talking for a few more minutes."

"I can convince them we were just talking for however long we need," Megan stated.

"No, you can't. I'm going to need a lot of time with you."

The promise in his tone made her stomach quiver pleasantly.

"Don't worry," he added. "We'll finish this."

"You're making it awfully hard to leave," Megan complained.

Brian chuckled. "No, sweetheart, you're making it awfully hard." He caught her hand and guided it to his crotch. She could feel his cock straining against his jeans.

"Then why can't we--"

He silenced her with another kiss. "Go inside," he ordered once he'd ended it. "I'll see you Saturday."

"Are we betting on the game?" Megan asked as she opened her door.

"Yes," Brian replied, starting the engine. "Winner takes all."

Megan shut the door and hurried into the house. She needed a cold shower.

"Megan?" Janine called from the living room.

"What, Jani?" Megan said, hoping her voice sounded normal. She paused on the threshold of the living room but would go no farther.

"Were you out with Brian again?"

"Just for a little while. We went skating."

"Skating?"

"Yup. He sucks at it. He spent most of the night on his ass."

Janine laughed. "Nice. I'd love to have seen that."

"It was fucking hilarious." Megan hesitated. It wasn't quite the moment for her escape. She had to behave normally. "Did you and Zee have fun?"

"We had a great time," Janine said with a smile. "If I feel up to it, we're going to do it again this weekend while you and Bri are in Louisiana."

"I really hope y'all get to," Megan said sincerely. She loved seeing her cousin so happy and content. "Uh, Zee isn't in the shower, is he? I wanted to rinse off before I go to bed."

"No. He's in his studio."

"Okay. 'Night, Jani."

"Goodnight, Megan."

Megan mounted the staircase and darted into her bedroom. She shed her outfit, switched on the shower, and stepped beneath the spray.

A smile spread across her lips and there was a surge of remembered arousal when she spotted the mark Brian had left on her breast. Biting her lip, she touched the discolored area. Her thoughts turned to Saturday.

"Winner takes all."

Brian's words replayed in her head. A shiver skated down Megan's spine. She really wanted it to be Saturday.

**********

Brian and Zacky were sitting in the living room of the house Brian had rented. It was Thursday afternoon and they were having a meeting with the rest of the band via conference call.

"I've been working on the solo in my spare time," Brian was saying to Jimmy, balancing his cigarette in a groove in the edge of the ashtray. "I figured you wanted something a little crazy and off-the-wall, like you."

The other guys chuckled.

"The two of you really need to fly out here for a couple of days," Matt commented. "We've got to get in the studio soon."

"Jani is pretty close to her due date," Zacky said. "This weekend would probably be best for me. Or really early next week."

"Early next week," Brian said immediately.

Zacky shot him an unreadable look. There was silence from the phone.

"They can fly out Sunday night," Johnny proposed. "And stay until they get their part done."

"I'm good with that," Zacky agreed. "Bri?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah. That works."

"We'll see you guys Sunday then," Matt said, and the line disconnected.

"We could have flown back tomorrow morning," Zacky said.

Brian shook his head. "I need more time to finish the solo. I want to get it recorded in its entirety while we're there."

"Bullshit. You just don't want to miss the game Saturday."

"That's definitely a bonus to hanging around until Sunday."

"Do you like football that much?" Zacky inquired. "Or is it Megan you like that much?"

"Don't start with me, Zee," Brian said warningly. "Megan is my friend."

"You're not doing your job because you're always with her."

"I'm doing my job! I've written--"

"You don't write your solos, Bri! You always go in and let what the rest of us do inspire you. If you weren't so busy staying in Alabama for Megan, you'd be in the studio, actually listening to what Jimmy has done on that song and that is how you would come up with the solo."

"I always have a rough outline, Zee. Some kind of general idea that I can build on once I'm in the studio with you guys."

"You're lying, Brian. Just admit you like her."

"So you can tell me to stay the hell away from her like you've done every since she and I became friends?"

"The two of you aren't friends."

"Then what would you call us?"

"Idiots," Zacky muttered, picking up his pack of cigarettes.

Brian lifted his cigarette to his lips. "Why?"

"She's an idiot for being attracted to you, despite your many flaws. You're an idiot for clinging so desperately to your denial and not admitting that you like her. She's an amazing girl."

"That you declared off-limits to me the second I set foot in Alabama!" Brian exclaimed. "And now, you're encouraging me?" He shook his head. "What the fuck, Zack?"

"I'm not 'encouraging' you," Zacky disputed. "I don't want you messing with her because you're only going to hurt her. Do you want to guess how you're going to hurt her?"

"Oh, I don't know. You seem to have all the answers. Why don't you share this one with me?" Brian said sarcastically.

"You're going to hurt her by doing exactly what you're doing, by doing what you always fucking do! She's falling for you, Bri. Whether she knows it yet or not, she is. Girls always do. And you would rather die than let your guard down and admit that maybe, just maybe, you're falling for her, too." Zacky paused to light a cigarette. "So...one day, she will come to you and tell you how she feels. And what are you going to do? You're going to say that you don't feel it at all. That she was nothing to you. That the two of you are just friends who happened to fuck once or twice, but it didn't mean anything."

"You're wrong," Brian said. "I would never treat her like that."

"Have you kissed her yet?"

Brian stared at Zacky, speechless for a moment. He had forgotten just how close he and Zacky were, how many girls Zacky had witnessed Brian play the game with. "Once," he lied. "It was a bet. She knew that. It didn't mean anything to either of us."

Zacky rolled his eyes. "You're doing it. I warned her, but I knew she wouldn't listen. She's stubborn and always has to make her own mistakes. You, on the other hand, should know better. And when I warned you, I thought you might actually take my words into consideration." He met Brian's gaze steadily. "I don't care why it happens. I don't even care how it happens. Just know that my promise stands: when you hurt her, I'm going to fuck you up."

Brian sighed. I'm not going to hurt her, he grumbled in his head, taking a long drag off his cigarette. Despite what Zack thinks, Megan knows the game I'm playing. She accepted the challenge. She doesn't actually believe this means anything.

But was he wrong and Zacky right? Was Megan falling for him? Did she believe it was all leading to something?

Brian got up and went to the kitchen for a beer. He couldn't help wondering if Zacky was right on all accounts. What if this is leading to something? Do I like Megan as more than friends with benefits? Am I willing to go down that road again?