A Tempting Friendship (Clover Park #10)

by Kylie Gilmore

  “Angelo,” Hailey purred, “you’re right on time. Have a seat.” She moved her white wool coat from the chair next to her that she was apparently saving for him.

  Angel sauntered over and took a seat. “Thank you.”

  Hmph. Hailey used to save Julia that seat. Unfortunately, Julia was seated across the circle from Hailey with a clear view of what would no doubt be massive amounts of flirting. Not only that, Hailey wouldn’t let them start until he arrived. No one had read the decluttering book, though most of them had bought it. Everyone had finished the second book in the Fierce trilogy, Fierce Craving, and were dying to talk about it. She couldn’t believe they wanted to discuss what was basically a female fantasy in front of a man, but maybe that was their way of flirting.

  Hailey smiled at the group as she took them all in. “So-o-o, what did we think about Fierce Craving?”

  The women all spoke at once.

  “One at a time,” Hailey said. “Let’s have a civilized discussion.”

  Angel raised his hand.

  “Oh, that’s a good idea,” Hailey said, gracing him with an adoring smile. “Raise a hand to share. Now that we have some new members, it could get really noisy in here. And I’m sure we’d all love to hear the male point of view.”

  Angel flashed a smile, provoking a female sigh from somewhere in his circle of admirers. “Happy to share it. I know on the surface the book seems to be a sexy romp designed to get you worked up and, boy, does it deliver, but let’s go a little deeper. Did anyone—”

  “I don’t think it’s that deep,” Julia scoffed. “It’s about desire.”

  “Julia, you read it?” Hailey exclaimed.

  “A bit,” Julia admitted, her cheeks burning. “I didn’t want to be completely lost.”

  Angel slid her a look before addressing the group. “Did anyone pick up on the use of light and shadow as a metaphor? The light when Mia is going about her regular life, the shadow whenever Damon’s in the scene?”

  “It’s always dark and shadowy when they make love,” Ally said. “She never knows what he—”

  “Make love,” Mad said scornfully. “Please, they’re fucking.”

  “You don’t think Damon loves Mia?” Hailey asked in a hostile tone. “Because, if you don’t, I think you completely missed the point.”

  Mad straightened out of her permanent slouch. “These books aren’t about love. They’re about our secret cravings.”

  Julia fought a full-body blush and wished she’d gotten herself a cold drink instead of hot tea.

  Charlotte’s hand shot up. “What about the bath scene? He’s so gentle, bathing her with no thought but to soothe her.”

  “Because he just fucked her brains out on the dining room table,” Mad barked. “She’s still shaking from how powerful it was.” Mad suddenly flushed bright red like she was remembering the scene. “Damn. This author’s good. I can’t wait to read Fierce Loving.”

  “That one must have love,” Hailey declared triumphantly. “It’s in the title. Right?” She turned to Angel, her pale blue eyes wide and beseeching. “They have to have a happy ending.”

  “I don’t know,” Angel replied seriously. “Mia and Damon have some major issues to work through.”

  The women launched into a long discussion about those issues—Damon’s need to possess Mia despite her powerful brother’s threats to hobble Damon’s multibillion-dollar empire. Mia’s need to keep her secrets at all costs. That got out of hand, and nobody took turns talking at all until Angel finally held up a hand, and the room quieted.

  “What do we think about the symbolism of the safe word?” Angel asked, his voice deep and smooth and shockingly erotic to Julia’s ears.

  The women tittered.

  “She never says it,” Lauren said. “How can that be symbolic?”

  “Why won’t she say it?” Angel pressed. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and the women leaned in. Except Julia, who became fixated on his mouth, greedily taking in the erotic words that rolled off his tongue like warm honey. “What does pomegranate mean to her? Why did she choose it and never say it?”

  “Because she’s hot for him,” Ally said. They all had to agree.

  “Duh,” Mad said.

  Julia said nothing, curious to hear Angel’s take on it.

  Angel dipped his head, conceding the point. “In ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate symbolizes fertility, marriage, and rebirth.”

  “Are you saying Mia doesn’t want those things?” Ally asked, her tone clearly astonished that someone might not want to get married and have kids.

  Angel paused. Julia lifted her gaze from his mouth to his eyes, and their gazes locked in an electric moment as he said, “Think about the way Mia surrenders to her secret desires.” Her breath caught as a traitorous heat moved from her neck to her tingling, aching breasts. “I think the safe word is another secret desire. But she won’t claim it. Why?”

  Julia’s mouth went dry. Everyone spoke at once, breaking the tension of the moment. She let out a breath and tore her gaze away from the heat in Angel’s eyes.

  “Whoa,” Carrie said, during a brief lull in the conversation. “I thought it was just about sex.”

  “Nothing is just about sex,” Angel said, looking right at Julia. That traitorous heat flooded her now, tightening low in her belly, making her ache. And the more Angel spoke about the book in graphic detail, the worse it got, because it reminded her that he was a dirty talker, comfortable saying absolutely anything. She fidgeted this way and that, but nothing could stop the throbbing. The room fell silent, and she suddenly noticed everyone staring at her.

  “Don’t look at me,” Julia said, trying for a flippant tone. “Angel’s the one who wants to talk about this like we’re in English lit.” What she wouldn’t give to be as cool as she sounded. She was sure her cheeks and neck were a bright telltale pink.

  “I like the paradox,” Dana said like the teacher she was. “Let’s talk more about the motifs found in the first two novels of this very talented author.”

  Julia felt the weight of Angel’s gaze as the conversation flowed in a rapid back and forth over the imagery, symbolism, and metaphors of Damon and Mia’s torrid affair. She decided then and there that she would not be returning for the next book club meeting when they discussed the conclusion of the trilogy, Fierce Loving. It was unnerving the way Angel kept his eyes trained on her when he spoke, like he was talking about her when he said all these erotic observations. It was awkward and uncomfortable and so-o-o freaking hot.

  Afterward, as she was putting on her jacket, she overheard Hailey invite Angel to stop by Garner’s across the street for drinks. She couldn’t help watching the exchange because Hailey was really, really pretty with long strawberry blond hair, pale blue eyes, and a stunning figure shown off in her emerald green sheath dress and heels. Julia wore her after-work clothes—a soft white sweater with black leggings. She stifled a sigh. She had no right to petty jealousy.

  But then Angel surprised her by saying, “Maybe another time. Julia and I are heading out for a drink tonight.”

  Hailey demurred sweetly, saying, “I’ll catch you next time.”

  Angel crossed to Julia’s side and held the door open for her. When they got outside, she turned to him, “Was that your nice way of telling Hailey no?”

  “Actually, I do want to get a drink with you tonight.”

  “And Hailey another night?” she blurted.

  He chuckled.

  Her cheeks flushed. “It’s Thursday night.” They usually hung out on weekends.

  “So?”

  “We usually—”

  He stopped in front of her, held her by the shoulders, and spoke directly in her ear, his voice silky. “Let’s do a little role play. It helps work out all kinds of issues and it’s fun. Call me Damon.”

  A hot shiver ran through her. He was trained for role play for his job, so she knew he’d be good at it. The only role play they’d ever done was on that “bl
ind” date, but that had been almost goofy with Angel wearing a fake mustache. She must be crazy because she was actually considering it. Damon did something for her. Big time. On the other hand, it was Angel. Her best friend. They needed to keep that relationship strong, and role-playing erotic romance would not help. She’d get caught up in it, she’d make her move, fuck his brains out, and then he’d bail. Barely speaking to her, barely looking at her, never touching her. For months, if not forever. At least that was what happened the last time they fucked. And the time before that.

  “Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her along. They stopped at the corner, waiting for a break in traffic.

  “Ang—”

  “Damon.”

  “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

  His voice dropped to a husky register. He sounded like she imagined Damon would when he said, “What’re you afraid of, Mia?”

  She went damp. That voice. If she closed her eyes, it was like the fantasy Damon came to life. Could she enjoy Angel if she was someone else? She’d dearly love to be someone else. The weight of her past, their twisted history, was too much to bear sometimes. “Okay, I’ll play but only for one drink.”

  They got to the bar, where Josh, Mad’s older brother, was on bartender duty. “Hey, beautiful,” he said to Julia with a charming smile. Heat crept into her cheeks again, unused to flirts. He was in his thirties, she figured, and it was easy to see why women found him appealing. His dark brown hair curled a bit over the collar of his flannel shirt, and some laugh lines around his warm brown eyes softened the rakish look of his scruffy jaw.

  “Hey, Josh,” Angel growled before helping her off with her jacket and setting it on an empty stool. He peeled off his jacket, and she was momentarily distracted by his masculine grace, the muscular lines of his arms, his hard chest, and flat stomach. She licked her lips.

  Josh spoke up. “What can I get ya?”

  She tore her gaze away from Angel and stared blankly at Josh.

  “I’ll have a beer, and she’ll have a sidecar,” Angel said.

  She jolted. She always had chardonnay. The sidecar was what Damon made for Mia after they hooked up. It was a sophisticated drink—cognac, triple sec, and lemon juice. Damon always tasted her after, partial to the lemon flavor that lingered on her lips. Angel’s heated gaze challenged her to break character, to break the game.

  She straightened. “Sounds delicious.”

  “I think so too,” Angel said and then whispered gruffly in her ear, “Mia.”

  Josh tapped the bar. “Got it.”

  Angel turned his body slightly, leaning his forearm on the bar top and blocking her view of Josh. “Why does your brother want to keep us apart, Mia? Is it because I knew you when you were just his little sister? Because from what I’ve seen, you’re all grown up.” He gave her a slow, appraising once-over, lingering on her mouth and breasts and continuing all the way to her toes in a way that would’ve been insulting from any other man, but instead warmed her. The Angel she knew would never give her a once-over like that.

  Angel leaned down to her ear. “You have to answer the question, Mia.”

  She blinked. Question?

  Angel spoke near her ear, the words hot against her skin. “Why does your brother want to keep us apart?”

  This seemed important. Why did her brother want to keep them apart? The secrets. But had he read that far?

  She met his eyes. “How far—”

  “All the way,” he said with a devilish grin.

  She flushed because that devilish grin was pure Angel. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could do this role-play thing. She should stop this game and explain how important their friendship was to her.

  “Angel, you know you’re my best friend—”

  His fingers covered her lips, halting the words. “Damon and Mia are not best friends.” His thumb stroked across her lower lip. The bar with its light and people and noise faded away. Heat pooled through her as he pressed on her lip, opening her mouth—

  “Here you go,” Josh said jovially, setting their drinks on the bar.

  She grabbed her drink and swallowed greedily. Angel sipped his beer, watching her with a heated gaze that her body immediately understood. Liquid heat loosened her limbs, making her long for what she couldn’t have. She tore her gaze away and took another long drink of her sidecar, feeling peculiar, like she wasn’t herself sitting here drinking this drink that was so different from her usual. The edges of Angel’s jaw blurred a little, the dark five o’clock shadow more pronounced. She found herself reaching out to stroke that stubble, reveling in the texture, rough and warm.

  “Mia,” he said gruffly, grabbing her fingers, sparking a dark desire. It was like the book suddenly came to life. And she wanted to go there. To fall into that story. Mia could enjoy a man like Damon. She wouldn’t have to think about anything serious, only surrender to what she secretly craved. Julia thought that sounded brilliant right about now.

  She flipped her hair over one shoulder, playing the coy Mia. “Who knows why my brother wants to come between us?”

  He leaned close, his eyes darkening with something raw and unfamiliar. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She turned away, her stomach fluttering. “I have no secrets,” she said softly.

  Angel’s warm hand cupped her jaw, turning her back to him. “I know you do. What’s it going to take to break down those walls?”

  She swallowed hard, the words hitting too close to home. “Maybe they’re there for a reason.”

  His fingers stroked down her throat as their gazes locked. She swallowed, her heart thumping wildly. “I don’t care if my empire turns to ashes,” he said. “I will have you completely, every dirty little secret exposed.”

  Adrenaline surged through her.

  He leaned down to her ear. “Do you trust me, Mia?”

  She opened her mouth and nothing came out.

  She grabbed her drink with a shaking hand. She had no idea Angel was such a good actor, but she’d really gotten caught up in it. Like she really was Mia, fighting a losing battle against desire and what she most had to keep hidden. As if he was a dominating billionaire businessman instead of her safe best friend.

  Angel gazed at her for a moment. She held her breath, unable to look away. Then he took the drink from her hand, set it on the bar, and gripped her hair in his fist, pulling her close. She was so shocked at how well he remembered the story, the first kiss in chapter one, that she let out a tiny squeak. And then his mouth crashed over hers, hard and rough, his tongue thrusting inside. Her brain shut down as molten heat traveled to dark places that throbbed and ached. His possession was long and thorough. Her surrender glorious.

  He broke the kiss, his hand loosening in her hair. “I love the taste of lemon.” Oh, God, had he memorized the book? That was what Damon said after the bath when he made the sidecar for Mia and told her to drink. The following scene in the bedroom was so explosive, she’d nearly gotten off right in front of all those women at the book club. How far would Angel go?

  “H-how much—” she started.

  “All of it,” he returned with no trace of a smile.

  She licked her lips, unsure if he meant he’d memorized all of the erotic scenes or that he wanted to act them all out. She flushed as he gazed at her mouth. She felt strangely out of body, both herself and not herself, with Angel and with Damon. She slid off the barstool, her knees weak.

  She gripped the bar for a moment. “I need the restroom.”

  She made her way unsteadily around the bar to the narrow hallway that led to the restrooms and slipped into the ladies’ room. It was a small two-stall bathroom, and there was a woman at the sink, applying lipstick. She smiled politely at the woman before dashing into a stall. She felt light-headed, like Angel had drugged her. No, he wouldn’t do that. She was imagining things because it was so shocking how good an actor he was. How real it all felt.

  They had to stop. She said s
he’d play the game for just one drink. They’d had their drink, it had been fun, and now they had to go back to being Angel and Julia.

  She heard the other woman leave. Julia went to the sink and washed her hands, the simple task refocusing her mind. Relax. You just had too much to drink too fast. Back to reality you go. She grabbed a paper towel, dried off, and blew out a breath before exiting into the dimly lit hallway.

  Someone grabbed her shoulder from behind and then she was pinned, the breath leaving her body in a whoosh as her back hit the wall. It was Angel, but not Angel, the dark possessive look in his eyes, half in shadow, igniting her. Her purse dropped limply from her hand as he pinned her wrists to her sides.

  “Mia,” he growled as his head slowly lowered toward hers.

  It suddenly felt like Angel. Damon never went slow. “We have to—” The word stop died on her lips as he gripped her hair suddenly, filling her with desire as Damon returned.

  “You don’t get to tell me no. You get a safe word. Taradiddle.”

  She normally would’ve laughed at the absurd word, but there was too much Angel/Damon too close for that.

  “Say it,” he said, his lips brushing her ear, giving her a hot shiver, “and this all stops.”

  She couldn’t say that absurd word. He met her eyes with a hot look of triumph before claiming her mouth with a kiss that was every bit as rough as Damon’s would have been. He pinned her wrists back against the wall and pressed his body fully against hers, sealing his mouth to hers. She surrendered with a soft moan, opening for him, silently urging him on. She needed this; she didn’t care how wrong it was. She needed him to be the aggressor so she wouldn’t feel the shame of bringing all this on herself. His mouth moved to her jaw, his stubble scraping against her deliciously, before he moved to her ear, where he spoke in a harsh command. “Go into a stall, take off your panties, and wait for me.”

  She throbbed at the words even as her brain slammed on the brakes. Whoa. Wait. This was a public bathroom. Though Damon and Mia did enjoy a public fucking…no! This wasn’t fiction! What if someone found them? The word came to her. “Ta-ta—”