by Jess Dee
“Hardly.”
“Not hardly. You need to order a double portion of waffles tonight. Pack a bit of meat on your bones.”
The thought of the waffles—hands down the most delicious item on any menu in Sydney, and the reason Liv loved coming back to Chelsea’s so regularly—made her stomach churn. Food was not high on her agenda. She didn’t think she could stomach much of anything solid. “I’ll make sure and keep that in mind when I’m ordering.”
“Know what I’d like to order tonight?”
She eyed him with suspicion. “Do I want to know?”
“You. Served up on a single platter, hold the sides.”
Liv bit back a smirk of amusement and rolled her eyes. “You don’t honestly use that line to pick up women?”
James didn’t answer.
“Oh, God. You do.” She cringed. “You need a better line. Fast.”
“Never thought I’d say that, Liv. Usually I prefer a…much larger portion, but I suspect you’d satisfy every one of my taste buds.”
The devil had the cheek to lick his lips.
Devil? Horny bastard, more like it.
“Put your tongue away,” she warned. “You’ve got more of a chance of taking a bite out of Zoey than me.” Zoey was another member of the Dinner Club and the faithful wife of the seventh member, Theo. “Just so we’re clear on that.”
“I have no interest in biting Zoey. You, on the other hand, I’d like to suck, lick, nibble and bite—from head to toe. I’d savor every inch.”
“FYI? Friends don’t speak like that to other friends.”
“I adore you, Liv. You’re a great friend. Always have been.” His eyes danced. “But friendship is about the last thing on my mind.”
“I understand.” Liv took a good, long sip of gin and tonic. The icy drink slid down her throat and settled in a warm pool in her stomach. Food might not be a high priority, but Liv suspected she’d make her way through a fair number of G&Ts before the evening was through. “Your mind’s too full of rugby to think about anything else.” It always was, and his unapologetic passion for the game was part of what made James so endearing.
He smirked at her. “Haven’t thought about the sport since I stepped into your room.”
That was surprising. He lived, breathed and slept rugby. “You should never have stepped into my room.”
“Maybe. But you know what I noticed that was interesting?”
“Besides my breasts?” Which, based on how much time he’d spent staring at them, he’d found fascinating.
“Your breasts aren’t interesting.” His pupils dilated, turning his brown eyes the color of dark chocolate. “They’re fucking hot. But yeah, besides your breasts.”
“Tell me.” Before he could, she quickly added, “And try saying it without making reference to any other of my body parts.”
He grinned at her. A mischievous grin, the likes of which she’d never seen aimed at her. Not from James, anyway. In that grin, she saw what made him so attractive to other women. James was a good-looking guy—tall, built, and he walked with a confident swagger that drew female gazes from across the room. But it was none of those features that sent a dart of awareness through her. Neither was it the thick, light brown hair, or his sensuous, full lips—lips that Olivia had only just noticed were sensuous and full.
It was his smile. There was something intensely sexual about it. Magnetic, even. Against her better judgment, she found herself grinning back.
God, it felt good to smile for a change. These last few weeks hadn’t given her very much reason to smile. For that alone, she could have kissed James.
“The most interesting thing about the entire encounter—body parts aside—was the fact that not once, in all the time I spent in your room, did you attempt to cover up.”
Olivia blinked.
“You didn’t wrap your arms around your body or grab the towel off the bed, like most women would.”
She blinked again, and her face grew hot. He was right.
“You just stood there, all naked and delicious-looking, making me harder and hornier by the second.” He shifted in his seat. “I’m still hard and horny.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure there’s something you can take for that. We’ll ask Dr. Zoey when she gets here. I bet she’ll have just the right treatment for you.”
“I already know the perfect cure, and believe me, Zoey is not the woman I want treating me for this particular ailment.”
“Knowing what your cure would be, it’s probably a good thing you don’t ask Zoey. Theo wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“You’re avoiding my question.”
“What question?”
“The one about your not making any attempt to cover up.”
“That was a question? I thought you were just commenting on something you’d found interesting.” And yes, she was avoiding it, seeing as she had no way of responding.
“I did find it interesting. I still do. And I’m pretty sure when I’m home tonight and lying on my bed, tending to this erection, I’ll find it intensely interesting all over again.”
“Oh, God.” She stared at him, appalled. “You didn’t suggest what I think you just suggested.”
He looked back at her with hooded eyes, the sexy grin back in place. “What do you think I suggested?”
“You’re going to jerk off to thoughts of me naked?” Okay, maybe she wasn’t really appalled. Maybe she was a little amused and a little…something else as well.
Exactly what else, she wasn’t sure, but something else.
“Not if you’re there with me when I’m lying in bed. Preferably naked.”
“I’m not going home with you. I’m not going to bed with you, and I’m not getting naked with you.”
“Yet when you were naked with me, you never tried to cover up.”
“We’re back to this?”
“You never answered my question.”
“You never asked a question. Haven’t we been through this?”
“You stayed naked. You let me see every inch of your body.”
“I didn’t let you do any such thing. You took the liberty of scrutinizing it all of your own free will.”
James lifted his Toohey’s New and took a slow sip. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
It was only after he’d replaced the beer on the table that he fixed his hooded gaze back on her face. “I’d like to take the liberty of scrutinizing your body again. From a little bit closer next time.”
“There isn’t going to be a next time.”
“Why didn’t you cover up, pretty one?” James seemed to have slipped into using that new nickname easily enough.
“It never occurred to me.” She’d been so absorbed in thoughts about work and so shocked to find him in her room, the idea hadn’t crossed her mind.
“You had an aroused, adult man in your room, and it never occurred to you to pick up a towel?”
“It would have been a little pointless. You’d already seen everything there was to see.”
“Not everything.”
“You took your sweet time looking me up and down. You saw whatever there was to see.”
His grin was naughty, sexy and irresistible, and it left Liv flailing.
James was flirting. Full-on, one-hundred-percent flirting. Feeding her line after line, and she’d be damned if she wasn’t eating the attention up.
“I never got a look at your ass,” he said. “But it’s okay. Nothing we can’t correct. Just come home with me after dinner, and I’ll make sure to look my fill.”
“I’m not coming home with you.”
“No worries. I’ll come home with you. That way you can get naked in the comfort of your own room.”
“I plan to do just that.”
James looked up to the ceiling. “Thank you, God, for answering every one of my prayers.”
“Hold off on your thanks. I’m going home alone.”
He let a couple of seconds pass before
he spoke again. This time there was no hint of the sexy grin or the mischief that had lit his face, but his eyes were still hooded, and his voice was husky. “I think you liked it.”
Just like she’d responded to his smile, she responded to the sensual tone. Her belly clenched in a way it never had when James spoke to her. “Liked what?”
“Having me in your room, watching you.”
“Yeah. Definitely. Because that’s just like me. You know how much I love spectator sports.”
“I think you liked it so much you consciously chose not to cover up.”
Olivia leaned forward. “I think you’re delirious.” Or maybe she’d been delirious earlier?
“Know what gave you away?”
She shook her head but couldn’t look away. It was like that husky voice had hypnotized her.
“Your nipples.”
“My…nipples?” Was she seriously discussing them with James?
“Yeah, pretty one. Your nipples.” His gaze dropped to the body parts in question. “I got a real good look at those little dusky pink buds on your incredibly hot breasts.”
“If I was sitting any closer, I’d kick you in the shin.”
“They tightened. Got all pointy and hard—while I watched.”
Olivia had been well aware of how the tips of her breasts had beaded and firmed, and how goose bumps had covered her skin—while he watched. “Did it ever occur to you that your being in the room had nothing to do with my nipple stand?”
His gaze was still pinned to her chest. “Never.”
“That’s because you’re thinking with your dick, not your head.”
“Hard to think at all when you’re staring at a hot pair of tits.”
“Not hot. Cold.”
“Huh?”
“It was cold, you big lug. It’s winter. You spent so long in my room, my uncovered skin reacted to the temperature.”
“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Not for a second.”
“My, my, James Elliot. What a large ego you have.”
“Are you cold now?”
“Now? Not even a bit.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “I rest my case.”
“What case?”
“Your nipples were hard because you enjoyed having me admire them.”
Whoa! His husky tone just sent a shiver down her spine.
“And,” James went on, “your nipples are every bit as hard now as they were earlier in your room.” He finally raised his gaze to grin that sexy, mischievous grin at her. “See? Proof positive that you enjoy me looking.”
Stunned speechless, Olivia stared at him.
Beneath her bra, her nipples had indeed tightened into hard beads. They poked at the lace of her black lingerie. “Y-you can see that?”
His gaze was back on her chest. “I can’t look away.”
“Forget it, Jimmy. It’s not gonna happen.”
“What’s not gonna happen?”
“You and me. Not tonight. Not ever. Friends don’t hook up with friends—no matter how hard their nipples might be.”
“Nipples aren’t the only hard body part here.”
“I haven’t forgotten my little jar of arsenic.”
“I haven’t forgotten an inch of your naked body.”
“It’s not gonna happen. I have way too much on my mind at the moment.” Talk about an understatement.
“Want to chat about it?”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Get naked for me again, pretty one. I’ll make you forget whatever’s on your mind.”
“As if you could.” Just like that, the strain and stress of the last two weeks seeped back into Olivia’s muscles, and the weight of the tension pulled at her shoulders. She wilted in her seat.
James sat upright. “Liv?” His tone changed. Gone was the smoky seduction. In its place sat James, her good friend. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
She shook her head.
“Talking might help.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry.” Nothing he could help her with anyway, so there was no point bringing him down too.
His eyes filled with concern. “Is this nothing the reason you’ve lost weight you can’t afford to lose?”
Olivia chewed on her lip. The idea of sharing her problems with someone she trusted was appealing, but she just didn’t know how. Besides, Dinner Club wasn’t the place to discuss how huge a screw-up her life had become.
“Hey.” James scooted over to sit closer to her. Close enough to take her hand in his. “You know I’m here if you need me, right?”
“Yeah, Jimmy. I know, thanks. I’ll be all right.”
“G’day, g’day,” a voice boomed from behind Olivia.
“Greg.” James shot the eighth club member a smile, but didn’t release Liv’s hand. “G’day, mate.”
“Hey, Greg.”
“Liv.” Greg kissed her cheek, rounded the table, clapped James on the back and took a seat next to him. Following on his heels were Theo and Zoey, and as soon as they’d said their hellos and taken their seats side by side, Levi, Spencer and Ava joined them.
Zoey’s gaze homed straight in on James’s and Olivia’s hands. “Anyone care to tell me what’s been going on since last time we saw you all?”
“Sure,” Ava volunteered, her eyes dancing with delight. “Let’s see. My unexpected life as a single woman continues on as usual. No change there. Greg got his hair cut.” She threw a smile his way. “It looks good, by the way. Super duper trendy.” Next, she pointed to the two men who’d been sitting at the bar. “Spence and Levi finally had sex, and we’re all just thrilled for them. James discovered Liv has boobs, now he can’t stop staring at her chest. And Liv threatened to sprinkle poison on James’s dinner tonight.” She paused. “Any questions?”
Chapter Two
Chaos erupted. Everyone spoke at the same time. Questions and gasps of disbelief echoed through the room, and in the mayhem James lost Liv’s hand—which he was not at all happy about.
It was only when Chelsea, the restaurant owner, arrived with a tray of drinks that everyone finally shut up.
After she handed Greg his customary Black Label whiskey and poured Theo and Zoey a glass of red wine each before setting the bottle in front them, she looked at Ava with a smile. “Did I hear you say Spencer and Levi finally had sex?”
Ava grinned back at her. “You did indeed.”
“So I suppose congratulations are in order?”
“I suppose they are. What do you think?” Ava asked her.
“I think… Hmmm, I think the next time Levi and Spencer have sex, I’d like to be there to watch.”
Greg patted the restaurant owner’s hand. “I’m sorry, Chelsea. If Spence and Levi are sleeping together, this might mean you don’t get any more marriage proposals from Levi.”
Levi had made it a habit to ask Chelsea to marry him at least once during dinner—every dinner.
“Oh, it might,” Chelsea agreed. “Then again, we never know with Levi, do we?”
“Wait,” Zoey interrupted. “Av, did you say Spence and Levi finally had sex, or did you say they finally had sex with each other?”
“Good question, Zo.” Ava nodded her approval. “How about we ask them?”
And with that, three pairs of eyes turned to Spencer and two pairs turned to Levi. Chelsea smiled a secret smile, and James let his gaze drift across the table, back to Olivia. Her expression mirrored four others. Eyes wide, mouth open, eagerly waiting to see what happened next.
“Spencer, Levi,” Zoey addressed them. “We’d all like to know, did the two of you finally have sex with each other?”
“We’ve known it was on the cards for a while now,” Greg intoned. “So don’t feel at all shy to mention if you’ve come out of the closet.”
Although concern for Olivia and the stress she seemed determined to keep to herself worried him, James had to chuckle at
the questions. No one would ever mistake Levi and Spence for a gay couple. Both men loved women. Spence favored long-term monogamous relationships, while Levi enjoyed one-night stands as often as possible.
Levi curled his mouth in amusement. “Well, let’s see. If Spence was in the room with me while I was making love, and he was making love too—on the same bed, at the same time—would that equate to having sex with each other?”
Olivia’s eyes widened even further. “Dear Lord. You slept together.”
“Fucking hell.” Greg shook his head. “Levi and Spence naked in the same bed? I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Zoey gasped. “Levi and Spence naked in the same bed? I think I just had a mini orgasm.”
“Nice, Zo,” Theo murmured as he tugged her hair affectionately. “Do we need to talk about this in private?”
“No,” Zoey told him. “But the way I feel at this exact second, I wouldn’t mind doing other things in private.”
“I think you’re all missing the most important question here,” Chelsea said. She’d tucked the drinks tray under her arm.
“And that is?” James asked.
Chelsea shot a level look first at Levi and then at Spencer. “Was the sex any good?”
Spencer grinned at her. “Best. Sex. Ever.”
“And it keeps getting better,” Levi added.
“I agree,” Chelsea said, and smiled at both of them. “It gets better every time.”
It took a couple of seconds to make sense of her words, but when he did, James’s jaw dropped.
So did Olivia’s.
Ava clapped in delight.
Chelsea looked at Zoey. “If you think the idea of Levi and Spence in bed and naked together is hot, you should try making love to both of them at the same time.” She winked. “There’s nothing mini about that. I promise.”
And once again chaos erupted.
Long moments were spent oohing and aahing about the newest romantic development in the group of friends, and everyone gave their hearty endorsement to Levi, Spencer and Chelsea’s relationship.
Then Levi changed the subject. “So Jimmy, mate, you discovered Liv has breasts?”
“I did,” James answered. “Pleasant surprise, I might add.”
“Pleasant for you too, Liv?” Levi asked with a teasing smile.