by Jess Dee
She tingled all over.
He curved his body into hers, fitting them perfectly together. His muscled chest rubbed against her aching breasts, sending sparks racing through her stomach and lower. Her arms quivered when he ran his hands down her spine and her skin prickled with awareness as his breath fanned her face.
Every inch of her friend was hard and unmistakably male. He was aroused, his erection solid against her belly. It seemed to grow with every lick of his tongue.
She was on fire, alight with need. Liquid heat pooled between her legs and she burned inside. The hypnotic warmth vanished and fire replaced it. Flames flared with every touch of his hand, every stroke of his velvety tongue.
She lost herself in his kiss.
Her hands found their way behind his neck and nestled in his thick, short hair. He deepened the kiss and she drank him in. It had been a long time since she’d been held like this, kissed like this. Daniel’s mouth brought something back to life, a part of her she’d buried a long time ago.
She’d forgotten how good it was to have a man run his hands over her body, to feel hunger rage through her veins. To ache, to throb, to want. Burning heat suffused her and settled between her legs. A wave of desire washed over her and she arched against him, flattening her breasts against his rock-hard chest. Needing to get closer, to feel every inch of his body against hers.
She wanted more. Wanted his tongue running over her skin, electrifying her body like it electrified her mouth. She wanted him to taste her hidden juices, drink from her until he slaked his thirst and hers. And then she wanted him to bury himself inside her, to ride her until she screamed his name in ecstasy. She wanted him to fuck her until their rapture was too much to bear and they came together—on a tide of infinite pleasure.
And she wanted to do it over and over and over again.
She moaned into his mouth and he responded with a soft growl and held her tighter. The rigid outline of his erection pushed against her stomach. Heat zinged through her as time stood still. The world around her ceased to exist. All she knew was this man, his invading mouth, his state of arousal. And her own.
But then he gave another low groan and pulled slowly away from her. The air between them felt chilled and she instantly missed the warmth of his mouth.
“Amy…” He took several deep breaths. “It worked.” His voice was a husky growl in her ear. “Leona’s gone. But we’re not alone.”
With that she came crashing down to earth.
She stepped back, breaking out of the circle of Daniel’s arms. They certainly were not alone. There were people all around.
She stared at him in disbelief and shock. What had she just done? What had they just done? She was so desperate to feel him pressing against her, she’d nearly done him right there on the grass. In front of all those people.
“I…uh, we…that is, I…! God, I need some space. Please excuse me.” She turned around and strode off, appalled at her behavior.
She marched onto the beach, her feet sinking into the cold sand. Stopping a few meters short of the shoreline, she struggled to get her erratic heartbeat under control.
Oh Lord, how the fuck had one innocent kiss turned so hot so quickly?
“Morgan?” She flinched when Daniel touched her shoulder. “Why did you run off like that?”
“Why do you think?” She struggled to remain calm.
“You’re upset.”
“You could say that.” I’m also turned on and frustrated.
“Don’t be. It worked. When Leona saw what was going on, she walked away.” He sounded unfazed by the incident.
Leona? Leona? She was ready to sleep with him and he was talking about Leona? “Uh, Dan? Pardon me for sounding stupid, but shouldn’t we have walked away too? Did you notice what just happened between us?”
He gave her a crooked smile, his dimples creasing in his cheeks. “Yeah. Who would have thought we could burn up the beach like that?” He plunked himself down on the dry sand, his legs bent and arms resting behind him, supporting his weight.
Amy stared down at him, astounded by his casual, careless behavior. Had she been mistaken? Was he not as blown away by their encounter as she was? There was no mistaking the fact his groin had been interested. What about the rest of him? “Don’t you think it went a bit far?”
He shrugged. “You knew the deal, Morgan. If we had any hope of convincing Leona I wasn’t interested in her, it had to go that far.”
She did know. Heck, she’d even given him permission to kiss her. Still, things got way out of hand. “Well then, did you have to make it so…intense?”
He looked up at her and grinned. “I think you had a hand in that intensity.”
Amy felt her blood creep into her cheeks. She sat down next to him, shaking her head. “You’re not in the least bit put out by any of this, are you?”
“Why should I be? I was in a predicament. You helped me out. It got a little hotter than it should have. That’s all.”
A little hotter? Hell, the grass where they stood still smoldered. “But don’t you feel uncomfortable about it? I do. I’m worried what this could do to our friendship.”
“Our friendship? You think this could affect our friendship?” Daniel laughed. “Morgan, it was a kiss, that’s all. It shouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable. If anything, you should feel proud that it worked.”
She gaped at him. He’d turned the whole situation around, making a fiery, sexy kiss into a non-issue.
She closed her mouth and took a couple of moments to think about his words. Relief trickled through her. Hell, if he could deny the intensity of the moment, so could she. Happily. She didn’t want to fuck her friend. It was a bad idea.
A slow smile spread across her face. “It really worked?”
“Yep. Leona left about a minute into the kiss.”
Time may have stood still while Daniel kissed her, but Amy was pretty sure it had lasted longer than a minute. “If she left so soon, why didn’t you stop kissing me?”
He grinned and looked sheepish. “I didn’t want to. I was enjoying myself.”
“Daniel!” Amy couldn’t say anything else. She’d enjoyed herself too.
“Besides, I had to make sure she got the message. If I stopped the moment I saw her walking away, Leona would have seen it for the scam it was.”
She relaxed again. “Well then, I’m glad I could help.”
“I’m glad too. Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“No worries.” She stood, pulling him up with her. “That’s what friends are for.”
—
Daniel kept a close eye on Amy as they walked back up the beach together. With every step tension seemed to ease out of her body. At least one of them was feeling calm, because he certainly wasn’t. Shit, his balls were so tight and his dick so hard that if she so much as smiled at him, he’d come right there on the sand.
His arms ached to hold her again. He could still taste her sweet mouth, still smell her subtle perfume—and the perfume wafting up from between her legs. She was so turned on he could smell it. It played havoc with his libido. He had no doubt he’d have a hard-on for the next several hours at least.
While she’d been shocked by their embrace, he’d been blown away. She’d responded to him, come alive in his arms and it hadn’t been an act. Her touch, her kiss, her ardor had been very, very real.
He applauded his five-star performance afterward. He actually made her believe the kiss hadn’t affected him. But his casual stance belied his aroused state. He was half mad with wanting her. What he wouldn’t give to grab her again, kiss away her relief, hear her moan into his mouth, crush her breasts against his chest. Grind his hips against hers.
What he wouldn’t give to make love to her.
He understood she’d grasped his fake reaction to their kiss like a lifeline. Her relief was visible now in every feature of her beautiful face. Smiling to himself, he allowed her the temporary reprieve. It wouldn’t last long
.
As they neared the party, Daniel noted that Amy was wrapped up in her own thoughts, so she didn’t notice him scan the crowds through the dim light. She didn’t see him catch Lexi’s eye and give her a subtle thumbs-up. She was unaware of his sister’s exuberant grin, or the fact she nudged the woman standing next to her and whispered something in her ear. She did not see Leona Ramsey turn around and smile at Daniel. And she completely missed his answering wink.
Chapter Four
Daniel turned up the air conditioner in the car until the icy blast numbed the tip of his nose—not that it was hot outside. His sweltering state was solely related to the upcoming night: the opening of his exhibition and the turning point in his friendship with Amy.
After their kiss a few weeks ago, and in keeping with his original plan, Daniel had decided tonight would be the night. He was going to alter the bond between himself and Amy irrevocably. There would be no guise, no misconceptions and no trickery in place. Tonight their relationship would change. After the exhibition, things between them would never be the same.
There was a lot at stake. If the press and public hated his work, his professional reputation would be ruined. This in turn would impact his ability to raise the necessary funds required to refurbish the oncology ward.
And if Amy felt even the tiniest bit threatened by the next part of his plan, she’d bolt.
Anticipation shimmied through him as he pulled up outside her home. His breathing shallowed. The next few hours would be critical.
Amy greeted him at the front door in a dress that almost brought him to his knees. The hot black number hugged her curves and floated around her legs—and did dangerous things to her breasts. She looked incredible.
Did she have the vaguest idea of how damn sexy she was? Daniel clenched his fists by his sides and stifled his need to grab her. He took a deep, calming breath instead as he followed her inside. Bad move. Her trademark vanilla perfume assaulted his senses. God help him…he wanted her. Now. Wanted to finish what they started at Lexi’s party. Wanted to push her against the wall, shove up her skirt and bury himself deep inside her. Spend the rest of the evening ravishing her, making love to her.
“So, tonight’s the night.”
Daniel whipped his head up. “What?” How did she know what he had planned?
“It’s your big night. How are you feeling?”
Ah…she was referring to the exhibition. “A little nervous.” The show was only partly responsible for the jittery sensation in the pit of his stomach.
“A little nervous? You’re wound so tight you look ready to snap.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Would you like a drink, something to help you loosen up?”
He nodded. “Yeah, please. Scotch, straight up.”
Amy poured them each a whiskey then clinked her glass against his. “To my best friend.”
Four little words and they left him winded. Maybe because she knew how important tonight was to him. Maybe because they typified how much she cared. Whatever the case, she took his breath away.
He tried not to stare at her. Luminous green eyes watched him with concern. Full, moist lips covered in a sheer gloss curved into a troubled smile. How would she react if he leaned over and nibbled on the corner of her worried mouth?
Would her breath catch? Would she surrender her mouth to him? Would blood pulse through her veins and moisture pool between her legs? Would desire build and pound through her, like it did through him?
“I’ve never seen you like this, Dan. You seem…I don’t know. Tense doesn’t begin to describe it.”
He held his shoulders stiff, determined not to kiss her. Not yet. “I’ll be okay. You ready to go?”
“Just let me grab my wrap.” Amy walked out of the room.
Daniel followed her with his gaze and a deep longing overpowered him. The gentle sway of her hips and the seductive slit in the side of her skirt, offering a delectable view of her thigh, were so inviting he had to fight down the urge to reach out and haul her back to him.
He downed his scotch in one mouthful and prayed the alcohol would burn away his feverish hunger for her. The drink didn’t make a difference. His body was in overdrive. The only heat that could touch him now was that of Amy pressed up against him.
Tonight he would hold her in his arms again. And the heat of their desire would sear them both.
—
Daniel held the gallery door open and Amy walked into the cavernous room, its walls lined with his beautifully framed photographs. A huge color picture of a group of doctors holding up champagne glasses hung on the wall opposite the door. The caption underneath it read All in Good Health. The blurb below welcomed guests to the exhibition.
“A posed picture,” she noted. “Not your usual work.”
“Yeah well, it was appropriate for the purpose of this exhibition. The rest of the pictures are more natural.” Daniel paused then added, “If you can call photographs of sick kids natural.”
Amy was worried. He’d been quieter than usual in the car. Distracted. Now his voice was strained. Nervous tension radiated out of every pore.
She touched his shoulder. “Would you like to take a few minutes before you have to face the crowds?”
He gave her a tight smile and shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”
“I know you will. More than that, the exhibition’s going to be a huge success. Just wait and see.”
He looked at her with a tenderness that softened the stress lines around his eyes. “How is it you always seem to know the right thing to say?”
She shrugged. “How is it you always seem to know the right picture to take?” She could have said something more, perhaps wished him luck, but there were times when words just weren’t necessary between them. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
Since their encounter on the beach, she was careful to keep their interactions touch-free. But Daniel needed her and she could hardly refuse him a little physical support.
She reached up to wipe the lipstick off his face and he trapped her hand against his cheek, holding it there. His eyes filled with an intensity she couldn’t read and her heart began an unsteady pounding in her chest.
Something was different between them. The air was charged in a way it had never been before and Daniel’s touch, once casual and friendly, now seemed…heated.
Amy wanted to say something, but any further conversation was cut off as a woman swooped down on them. “Daniel! You’re here,” she boomed. “Come with me. There are so many people waiting to meet you. I’ve organized a mini press conference to start in ten minutes.”
He gave Amy a helpless look as Valerie Carnell, the gallery owner, whisked him away into the crowd. Amy waved him off with an encouraging smile, hoping he’d relax as the evening wore on. She hoped she’d relax too. All this nervous energy between the two of them made her jumpy.
She accepted a glass of wine from a passing waiter, took a few large sips and when she felt a little more in control, turned to the photographs. It was time to see what had affected Daniel so much over the past few months.
The pictures were remarkable. Daniel had managed to capture the feel of the ward with uncanny accuracy. He’d brought the clinic to life. Amy was transported. The gallery dissolved away and she found herself standing in the middle of the hospital, watching the bustling activity taking place before her eyes.
She saw nurses tending to their sick patients. The care they lavished on the children was so powerful, Amy felt an inexplicable need to try and help. Couldn’t she soothe away that small boy’s pain, ease the teenage girl’s hacking cough?
Her heart twisted as she watched a mother sitting by her son’s side, holding his hand while he slept. A book lay forgotten in her lap as she stared down at him, her face haunted.
From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a doctor on duty. His shoulders sagged and he looked downright exhausted. She could almost smell the coffee that steamed from h
is polystyrene cup, misting his glasses.
For the first time, Amy had a real idea of how Daniel must have felt when his sister was a patient on this very ward. She blinked rapidly, forcing her tears away. God, what the young Daniel must have gone through. The fear, the dread he must have lived with. No wonder he hated speaking about that year. No wonder the memories were hitting him so hard now.
She had a sudden compulsive need to find her friend, to throw her arms around him and comfort him. To take away the pain. Make the hurt disappear. Though she searched the room, there was no sign of him. He was probably busy with the press interviews.
With no other choice, she finished looking at the photos and smiled at the last one. A picture of a little boy and his father leaving the hospital. A huge grin and a bunch of balloons spoke of happy outcomes.
“Aren’t they incredible?” a voice from behind her asked.
“Unbelievable.” She turned around to find Daniel’s mother, Molly, and his sister, Sarah. “Hello there.” She was genuinely happy to see them. “Lord, you must be proud,” she enthused, excited to have someone to rave to about the exhibition.
“Oh believe me, I am,” Molly said. “I’ve been telling everyone I pass that the photographer is my son.” She didn’t look the least bit embarrassed.
Sarah cringed. “Believe her. She’s been telling everyone!”
Amy grinned. “I know what you mean. I’ve had this mad need to nudge people and tell them Daniel’s my best friend. Isn’t he the most brilliant photographer ever?”
“Undoubtedly.” Molly smiled indulgently.
“And without bragging, this is his best work yet,” Sarah added.
Amy realized that despite the laughter, being at the exhibition couldn’t have been easy for Daniel’s family. “It must be tough on you both, seeing these pictures, reliving it all.”
Sarah shrugged. “Not as tough as it’s been on Daniel. He really struggled with this shoot. I dealt with my illness a long time ago. Daniel never did. He just accepted I was okay, and moved on. I think that now, for the first time, he’s realizing how precarious the whole situation was, and it’s taking its toll on him.”