Page 16 of Drive Me Wild (Drive Me #2)

SIXTEEN

JOSIE

I’ve had more collective orgasms in the past few weeks than I have had in my entire life. And I have a seventy-two-year-old Frenchman named Claude to thank.

Seriously.

After our guided tour of Le Mans ended, my walking buddy and I grabbed coffee together. I ended up telling him everything, and I mean everything . I never thought I’d say the word “friends with benefits” or “casual sex” to a stranger, especially a man of his age, but my mouth ran like a train with an endless supply of fuel and broken brakes.

And he had rather solid advice for a man who’s older than my favorite vintage wine. He said the best way to discover myself is to listen to my instincts. If my gut is telling me to explore casual sex with my best friend, then I should simply go with the flow. Give myself permission to go after what I want.

And right in this moment? I’m not worrying and I’m damn happy.

For the second time this week, I wake up to Theo’s naked body pressed against mine. His arm and leg are thrown over me like he’s a koala bear, his hard-on resting snugly against my thigh. His lips are parted slightly, nostrils flaring as he breathes deeply. I’m overheated but give myself a few more minutes to enjoy the cuddling before slinking out from beneath him. Theo stirs slightly as I leave my bed, but he’s a deep sleeper, so he doesn’t wake up.

I should probably nudge him awake to let him know I’m leaving, but he looks so sweet and peaceful. Deciding to leave him be, I quietly slip out my front door and head to SoHo to meet my mum. We have a standing Saturday breakfast date, excluding the weekends I’m at a Grand Prix. We’re making our way through an extensive Eater-approved list of the best brunch spots in the city. This morning we’re meeting at a new cafe that’s been getting rave reviews.

The smell of coffee beans and freshly-baked pastries greet me as I step into the trendy space. I do a quick scan to double-check that my mum’s not here before grabbing a table for two next to the counter stacked with chrome espresso machines. My penchant for timeliness did not come from my mum. She’s an Aquarius who runs perpetually behind schedule and my Scorpio status explains my need to be punctual.

I order the highly recommended—at least by Instagram—mocha caramel latte and mindlessly scroll through my Pinterest home feed, impatiently awaiting my mum’s arrival, when a text from my houseguest pops up.

Theo Walker

Did you leave me in your flat without saying goodbye? Is this some sort of weird reverse friends with benefits psychology? Are you playing mind games with me?

Josie Bancroft

Lol. Didn’t want to interrupt your sweet dreams! Also, haven’t you learned by now that I’m horrible at games?

Theo Walker

That’s not true. You’re an expert at some games. I’m getting hard just thinking about how well you played with me last night.

I wish I was between your thighs right now, listening to you moan my name like it’s your favorite song.

His sexually charged words send a familiar warmth from my cheeks to the growing heat between my legs. Theo may love being the center of attention outside of the bedroom, but inside it? He’s more than happy to let me be in the spotlight. It’s like nothing matters but my pleasure. Some of the things he’s done with his tongue and hips can only be perfected through lots of practice—and I’m trying not to think about where all his experience comes from in comparison to mine. Sex with Theo could inspire nine hundred R&B songs.

“Darling!” the familiar sound of my mum’s voice rings out. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was horrible. I hope you weren’t waiting on me for too long.”

My phone clatters to the table as if I’ve been caught red-handed. I quickly slide it into my back pocket before greeting my mum. With shoulder-length blonde hair, soulful brown eyes, and an easy smile, my mum and I could easily pass for blood relatives. Well, that, and our impressive twin ability to chatter away for hours.

Before I know it, a server’s delivering my full English breakfast and my mum’s smoked salmon avocado toast.

“So,” my mum says, drawing out the “o” so the word seems to last for minutes. “You never told me what you thought of it.”

I stare at her blankly. “Thought of what?”

“The vibrator I sent you,” she exclaims, not bothering to lower her voice. “The one that stimulates both the?—”

“Yup,” I say loudly to cut her off. “Got it, Mum.”

The newest vibrator she sent to me has more parts than I know what to do with. The note she wrote with it said, “ I hope this helps you vibe with your body .” I wish I was kidding. I added it to my ever-growing bin of “toys” she’s sent me. I’ve told her I’m fine with the trusty vibrator I’ve had since uni, but it falls on deaf ears.

“The most important step in sexual pleasure is knowing your own body,” she reminds me. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Josephine.”

I sink so far into the chair that my upper back hits the seat. Check, please!

“Can we not talk about this right now, Mum? I’d rather not discuss orgasms over an omelet, thank you very much.”

“Sex is just as much a part of people’s daily routine as eating, darling,” she reminds me. “And now that you’re single, it’s a great time to really focus on your own needs and desires.”

“I know, Mum.” I sigh, already aware where this conversation is heading. “Communicate to your partner what you like, don’t rush foreplay, visit your OB/GYN regularly, experiment with different positions to enhance pleasure.”

I’ve heard it all before. Who needs the religious Ten Commandments when you have the Ten Commandments to Come?

She raises her perfectly sculpted brows. “Are you practicing what I preach?”

“Every one of them.” My mouth suddenly goes dry, a betraying flush taking over my cheeks. Oh fuck . “I mean, I’m practicing every one of them that applies to me, so the, uh… the one about learning about my body. Studying that one a lot. Soon enough, I’ll have a master’s degree in it. Don’t know if I should add that to my resume or not. May be kind of awkward, if you know what I mean. Marketing manager by day, sexual goddess by night. Yep, yep, yep. You know what they say, practice makes perfect.”

A time machine would nice right about now. Or some arsenic. I’d even take a guillotine.

My mum takes a sip of her chai tea latte. Whereas my dad’s reactions are exaggerated and honest, my mum can appear diplomatic and neutral at just about anything. She’s seen it all in her sessions with clients, so not much can get her to break her cool, calm, and collected demeanor.

“What’s his name?”

“Whose name?”

“ His name. The guy you’re seeing.”

Shit . “Why do you assume I’m seeing someone?”

A smile shapes her rose-pink lips. “Besides the way you were grinning at your phone when I walked in? I’d say your gift of gab and the way you’re flushing are dead giveaways.”

Slathering my toast in jam, I avoid eye contact like she’s Medusa. “Okay, well, it’s not a big deal. We’re not seeing one another. It’s casual.”

“There’s nothing wrong with casual sex, honey,” she says. “It’s definitely… not like you, but that doesn’t mean it’s not something you can enjoy. You may discover a lot about yourself through it. Explore things you may not in a more serious relationship.”

“Exactly!” I nod vehemently. “That’s what Claude was getting at, too.”

“Is Claude the name of the young man?”

“Claude’s seventy-two, and we are definitely not sleeping together. Theo’s more than age-appropriate, Mum, don’t worry. I mean, he’s few years older than me, obviously, but he’s not in his seventies. God, can you imagine?”

My mum bows her head slightly, a worried frown creasing her Botox-free forehead. “You’re sleeping with Theo?”

Oh my God. Is there a muzzle available on the menu?

“Yes,” I admit, crossing my arms over my chest. “Can you stop looking at me like that ?”

Rather than smooth out her expression to “nonjudgmental and understanding,” the corners of her mouth droop down further. She’s turned from sex therapist to mum-mode.

“I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions regarding my body,” I continue, a frown of my own forming. “That’s what you always taught me, right?”

“Of course.” She gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “But sleeping with Theo isn’t casual, darling. It’s complicated.”

“No, it’s quite simple, actually,” I argue, my voice getting defensive. “We’re still friends. We’re just friends who happen to have sex occasionally.”

Besides the sex that makes my toes curl and vision blurry, our friendship has remained the same. We laugh at one another as often as we laugh with one another, and we can talk about everything, anything, and nothing. We just also give into the insane chemistry and temptation now.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt,” my mum says cautiously. “Casual sex is only casual if you’re not emotionally invested in the person. Theo’s one of your closest friends, and you already care deeply for him. Adding intimacy will unequivocally change things. It’s an emotional war zone, and you’ve had no formal training.”

“I’m not jumping into a relationship,” I explain. “Theo’s not looking for anything serious either, so we’re on the same page. It’s the ideal situation. We’re making casual cool, not complicated.”

Put that on a bumper sticker.

My mum sets her mug down on the table. Twin lines seem to have carved themselves between her brows as she studies me. “You love deeply, Josephine, and it’s one of the things I admire most about you, but are you sure you’re going to be able to separate the sex from the friendship? The feelings from the friendship? Or are you going to convince yourself everything’s fine when it’s not?”

And she’s back to therapist-mode.

“I meant it when I said I’m focusing on myself.” I fidget with the gold chain around my neck. “And I appreciate the fact that you’re looking out for me, but I need you to just trust that you raised me to make smart decisions. And if it turns out I’m wrong, well, then that’s my problem.”

My mum nods resolutely. “You’re right. I just… Well, I hope you’re at least being safe and using protect?—”

I don’t need this speech again. Nope. No, thank you.

“Mum,” I groan, cringing both inwardly and outwardly. “Please. I do not need another sex talk, thank you very much. I’m pretty sure I can recite it better than you at this point.”

She lets out a low laugh, the sound melodious. Picking up her mug once again, she takes a long sip. “Fine, fine. Tell me about work.”

“There’s not much to tell,” I admit with a shrug. “Work is work.”

“Sounds rather boring, darling.”

I fiddle with the handle of my coffee mug, running my fingers against the smooth ceramic. “No, it’s okay. It’s just the same as always. Remember how I told you that Lucas mentioned some freelancing work?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“He texted me the other day, asking if I was still interested, and I said yes. Can’t hurt to at least hear what it is, right?”

“I think that’s a brilliant idea, darling. There are too many wonderful possibilities in life to keep doing the same thing if it’s not making you the best version of yourself.”

“Did you read that quote on Pinterest?”

“No, I just happen to be rather great at giving advice.” She grins and flips her hair over her shoulder. “Speaking of which, have you heard of the podcast Dating and Dildos? Someone from their team reached out about having me on as a guest.”

Oh dear God.

I immediately motion to our server. Screw coffee, I need a mimosa without the orange juice.