“Let’s not talk about Eric, he’s old news,” I say, feigning nonchalance. The humiliation of being dumped on my wedding day would haunt me forever.
It made me paranoid and I still think people talk about it. Madison assures me they don’t, and I wish I could believe her. I love the anonymity of L.A.. No one knows me in the city. Back home in Minnesota, everybody knows my story. It had even appeared in the local dailies. A celeb of sorts. The kind no one would want to be.
“I like Marvin’s friend,” Maddie says.
I follow her stare. Jason. Who else could it be? “No, you don’t. He’s an asshole.”
“A hot asshole,” Maddie quips.
The song comes to an end and Jason bends to kiss his dancing partner on the cheek. He whispers something in her ear, and she giggles. “He dips into every hole he finds if you know what I mean.”
“Mm, in that case, I’ll stay away,” Maddie says. “I like a hot sexy man who’s faithful.”
“Definitely not Jason,” I say and immediately guilt washes over me. It has been a while since I’ve seen him. Maybe he’s changed. No. Not possible. Men like Jason did not change. He loves women too much and they love him in return.
When Marvin and Ellie had whisked me back to L.A. with them and introduced me to the L.A. nightlife, Jason had come with us on most nights and disappeared as soon as we entered a club. He’d gone home with a different woman every night.
Marvin and Ellie had saved my sanity by moving me to L.A.. Offering to babysit Liam while they went on a three-day honeymoon had been easy. I was happy to do something for them after all they’d done for me.
From the corner of my eye, I see Jason’s large form approaching and I try to shrink myself into the chair. Too late.
“Why do I have a feeling you’ve been hiding from me?” he asks as he looms over our table. “Love your dress.”Flirting comes as easily to Jason as breathing.
“Thanks,” I say and hope he goes away. He makes me uncomfortable. Lusty. Whorish.
He leans toward me and his manly scents waft up to my nose. I inhale, hoping to capture some of it permanently.
“Can your friend here hold Liam? I’d like to dance with you.”
“No, thank you,” I say quickly. “I’m sure you’re not lacking for partners.”
He grins. “You’re right there but I promised Marvin and Ellie to make sure you had some fun. Call it a favor to my friends.”
My glare to Marvin and Ellie is wasted. They’re still wrapped in each other. I contemplate refusing but that will make me look childish. Instead, I shrug as if I don’t care either way. As if I don’t want those strong arms around my waist and his hard body pressing against mine. I’m trembling. I can’t dance with him. I’ll make a fool of myself in front of everyone.
“I’ll take him,” Maddie says and tries to lift Liam from my lap.
I refuse to let go.
“Remember what we said about taking risks,” Maddie hisses.
I loosen my hold and look at Jason. “Just one dance, okay?”
He grins. “Of course, what else did you have in mind? I’d be happy to oblige.”
Chapter 2
Jason
I suck in a breath as I dance with my best friend’s hot little sister. Her nipples press against my chest and it is all I can do not to snake my hands up and play with them. She feels so soft in my arms and I have to fight to keep my hands on her waist.
My cock is hardening by the second. I’m not surprised. I’ve wanted her from the first moment I saw her. Her wedding gown clung to her curves and I’d grown hot just imagining peeling off the layers of her dress. She had worn a cold, unreadable expression as she stood in front of everybody in church and explained that the groom to be would not be joining them. He changed his mind.
My jaw dropped. Not because of that coward fiancé of hers, but from her courage. She had given a little speech about how it was better that he changed his mind before they committed to each other. Her bridesmaids had flurried around her, but Brooke had remained almost serene. That was when I came up with my own secret nickname for her, Ice Queen.
Afterward, Marvin and Ellie returned to L.A. with her and I saw her every night for two weeks. I dreamed of fucking my best friend’s sister every night. I fantasized about wiping off that cool exterior with a passionate kiss. My body had ached for her and I had to distract myself by seeing as many women as I could.
Now, I lean in and inhale the sweet lemon scent from her hair. It is intoxicating and my cock becomes rock hard and presses against her dress. Brooke is tall and our bodies align perfectly together. My breathing becomes rushed. Can she feel my cock? That is embarrassing but then again, maybe not.
It doesn’t matter if she knows just how much she makes my blood boil. After all, it will never happen for us, not if I value my friendship with Marvin. And I do. More than anything. Marvin is more than a friend. He’s a brother and I would do anything for him, just as he would for me and had.
We met in the first year of college and became friends fast. But what cemented our friendship was what happened after the call. The one that changed my life and broke me.
My whole family had been killed in a car crash. Gone, just like that. My parents and younger brothers Carl and Edward, just thirteen and eleven. One day I had a family and the next I didn’t. Darkness enveloped me and it had taken the love and support of a friend to get me out of it.
Marvin had been that friend. He’d dropped everything and gone home with me to bury my family. After that, our friendship moved to another level. No matter how much I wanted Brooke, I couldn’t have her. Marvin loved his little sister to death and if I wanted our friendship to continue, I’d steer clear of her.
I had once joked about how hot she was and he’d looked at me solemnly and said I could have her, only if I intended to marry her. Yes, I wanted her badly but marriage, hell no.
Still, I enjoy playing with her because I know how much she dislikes me. I’ve never understood why she dislikes me. She’s the only woman I know who cannot stand me. I whisper into her ear, “We’re going home together.”
She stiffens and I laugh softly. “Not to my home, though I must admit, I’d love that. I’m taking you and Liam home. Marvin’s orders.”
Her body grows slack now that there’s no threat of my taking her to my house. My heart constricts. She’s afraid of men. I wish I could show her that most of us are harmless.
That bastard Eric! Marvin had complained several times how much his sister had changed after she’d been left standing at the altar. I wish I could show Brooke how sexy she is. Worship her body. Kiss her soft creamy skin until she cried for more.
“I was also instructed to be checking on you two every morning, afternoon, and evening and any other time in between.”
That got a laugh out of her. Marvin said she rarely laughed anymore. She had a delightful, sweet laugh. A laugh I want to hear over and over again.
“You don’t have to. We’ll be just fine,” she says and turns to look at Liam still on her friend’s lap.
She’d arrived in L.A. a week earlier and I had avoided going next door to Marvin and Ellie’s house because I didn’t trust myself not to drool at the sight of her. Now for the next three days, I had no choice but to see her. After all, I’d promised my friends to ensure that Brooke and Liam were comfortable.
There was also the fact that Liam is my godson. Brooke would be seeing a lot of me in the next couple of days.
Brook wriggles in my arms and brings me back to the present. “The song’s over,” she says.
“Who cares?” Hell, I could dance with her for hours with no music.
“I do,” she says and places her palms against my chest.
I meet her gaze and freeze. Her eyes smolder with passion. Lust. She wants me! It is not one-sided. It arouses a giant need in me, and it takes every ounce of my will power to step back.
“Thank you for the dance,” she says politely, a hood over her eyes now.
Had I imagined it? No. I’m good at reading women. I have perfected the art of seducing women. The knowledge that Brooke wants me should please me. It doesn’t. It was easier to forget her when I believed she hated me.
Now I can’t help but wonder if she fantasizes about my hands gripping her ass cheeks while she wraps her long legs around my waist as I fuck her senseless. It’s going to be a long three days.
Chapter 3
Brooke
I stifle a laugh at how hard Ellie is working to hide her worry. She’s been restless all morning, repeating instructions that she’d told me just minutes earlier. I don’t blame her one bit. She’s a stay at home mom and this will be the first time that she’s going to be away from Liam since he was born.
“There’s enough labeled food in the freezer,” Ellie says, and a nervous laugh escapes her lips. “It’s enough for two weeks actually.”
With Liam perched on my hip, I close the distance between us and touch Ellie’s hand to reassure her. “We’ll be okay, I promise.”
Ellie exhales. “I know but it’s the first time I’m leaving him, and I feel so guilty. My emotions are like a yo-yo. One minute I’m ecstatic about the trip and in the next, I wonder if I’m insane to even consider it.”
“It’s only for three nights,” I point out.
“I know,” Ellie says and leans in to plant a kiss on Liam’s cheek who promptly lifts his arms to be held by his mother. “One more cuddle before your dad comes back.”She inhales Liam’s scent and then turns to me. “Don’t forget that my mom’s not far away if you need help.”
“Okay. Try and enjoy yourself,” I tell her. “You won’t get another chance until Liam is older. Plus, my services are only available now.”
Ellie rolls her eyes. “I know…I know. You’re going back to Minnesota and not coming back any time soon to big bad L.A.”
I beam. “Yes! Especially if I get that job.”I’ve applied for a head vet’s job in a zoo back home and I’m pretty positive about getting it.
We hear deep voices before the door opens. Marvin walks in followed by Jason. My heart drops to the floor and I hate myself for my reaction toward him. There must be something wrong with me. How was it possible to want a man so badly? I quickly take in the white t-shirt that accentuates his broad shoulders, tucked into a pair of jeans. My heart stutters. Why does he have to be so dang appealing?
I need a distraction. Fast. I take Liam from his mother’s arms. “Here, let me.”It’s nearly time for Liam’s morning nap and he’s becoming drowsy. He lays his head on my chest.
“All set?” Jason says as he comes to the kitchen.
The hairs at the back of my neck stiffen. I keep my eyes away from him but I’m aware of every step he takes. He stands so close I can smell his male scent.
“Oh yes, we are,” Ellie says and reaches out to pat Liam’s bald head.
“He’ll be fine honey,” Marvin says. “And I think we’d better go. With every second that goes by, the chances of you changing your mind keep increasing.”
We laugh and a flurry of hugs and kisses follow.
“Call me if you need me,” Marvin whispers in my ear and I smile. No matter how old I get, he will always treat me like a little sister. I don’t mind. It’s always been like that and my big brother makes me feel protected.
A few minutes later, the kitchen door bangs shut and it’s just the three of us. The silence is too loud. “Give me a minute. I need to take Liam to bed for his nap.” I don’t wait for a response and hurry out of the kitchen and down the corridor.
The tension in my shoulders leaves when I’m out of Jason’s sight.
I take a long time in the nursery hoping that when I come back, he’ll be gone. No luck. I find Jason on the couch leafing through a magazine. He looks up and smiles. My legs turn to jelly and I have to sit down.
“Any plans for the day?” he says in that slow way he has of speaking, his voice like a caress on bare skin.
I shake my head. “No plans. We’ll just follow Liam’s routine. What about you? No work today?”
“No way am I going to leave you and Liam alone on the first day,” he announces.
“No hot date?” I say and instantly regret it. It’s none of my business what Jason does with his time.
“Nope,” he says cheerfully. “You’re in luck.”
I remember the dirty breakfast dishes piled in the sink and jump up. I cross the open-plan space and go to the sink. I’m glad I have my back to him, and he can’t see the rise and fall of my chest.
“Let me help,” he says right behind me. I jump, startled. I didn’t hear him approach. Before I can protest, he’s at my side rinsing off the plate I’ve just scrubbed.
“So how have you been, since…?” he asks.
Heat creeps up my neck. Why does he have to bring that up? “Has anybody ever thought you some manners?”
“I don’t understand,” Jason says.
“It’s not polite to remind someone that they were left standing at the altar,” I snap.
He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. When he finally does speak, his voice is tight. “There are worse things than that.”
Is he serious? What could be worse than having everyone witness your humiliation? “Yeah, like what?”
He turns to me and hooks a wet finger under my chin. I have no choice but to turn around to face him. I cringe. His eyes are cold.
“Like losing all your family in one go,” he says and drops his hand. What’s wrong with me? I could punch myself. I’d completely forgotten about the accident that claimed his whole family. Compassion fills me along with an urge to make things right.
“I’m really sorry and you’re right, there are worse things.” That sounds unfeeling but I don’t know what else to say. I blink furiously and feel like an utter fool.
“What I’m trying to say, Brooke, is that your fiancé was an idiot,” he says in a gentle voice.
The change is abrupt and I’m at a loss for words. One minute, he’s deadly serious and in the next, he says something nice. “Thanks.”
“Any plans for the weekend? I’d be happy to offer my services for your entertainment.”
I’m relieved by the change in topic. I grab the opportunity to have a lighter conversation. “Have you forgotten about Liam? Anyway, where’s Jessica, or is it Maggie?”
He smiles and my eyes are drawn to his mouth. How would it feel to press my lips to his full, oh so kissable mouth? I lower my gaze. I’d give anything to feel the hardness of his body against mine.
“I’m flattered that you keep track of my women. But no, there’s no one this weekend. I’m all yours.”
I dump the last plate into the rinsing water with unnecessary force, splashing his face in the process.
“Hey, what was that for?” he protests as he wipes the water from his face.
“Oops sorry, did I splash water on you?” I feign innocence and back away from the sink.
I grab a kitchen towel and dry my hands. Then strong arms go around my waist from the back. My heart pounds. One hand holds me captive and the other snakes up to my armpit. The one area where all my nerves are populated. He tickles and I scream.
“Please don’t,” I beg and bend to dislodge him from my back. He doesn’t bulge. Desperate, I twist and turn around so that we’re facing each other. As I move, something hard pressed against the front of my dress. I look up and our gazes lock. His eyes drop to my mouth and there’s no mistaking what he wants. I want it too. I want him to kiss me. My mind empties of all thoughts except how much I want to feel his mouth on mine. My lips part on their own accord and in a swift movement, Jason’s mouth crashes mine.
The kiss is everything I had imagined and more. Jolts of pleasure sizzled through my core and I press my body against his. His hard cock nestles between my legs and I moan into his mouth. I wrap my hands around his impossibly wide shoulders and run them over his back.
Big hands cup my ass cheeks and draw me even cl
oser so that I imagine I can even feel the ridges of his cock. I rock my hips and Jason moans. Warning bells go off in my brain. What am I doing? Pleasure overtakes the warnings and I’m so wrapped up in the kiss and the movements of his hand that I can’t think.
My nipples ache to be touched. As if he can read my mind, he lifts my top and grazes against my nipples. I’m going to die. I want more. He drops the cups of my bra and takes each nipple between his thumbs and forefingers, and toys with them. I squirm with desire. My body is like a sleeping giant that has been awoken. I want everything he can give me. I arch my body and grind my pussy against his rock-hard cock. It feels so huge inside his jeans.
“Please…” I don’t know what I’m begging for, but I need something more.
“Oh, Brooke, you’re so beautiful,” he murmurs as he kisses my throat and plays with my nipples.
Hearing my name said out aloud breaks the moment. I freeze. What I’m I doing? I let out a sharp cry “Oh god…” I palm his chest and push him away from me. He stumbles at the unexpected force. Jason covers his face and groans.
My heart is pounding, and I think I’m going to die of shame. Now he knows my secret. He knows how much I want him. Red hot anger sears through me. I want to lash out at someone.
“How dare you?” I hiss.
He drops his hands from his face and looks at me and narrows his eyes. “Me? You’re going to blame me for this like you were an unwilling participant?” His gaze drops to my chest. My nipples are still taut and they’re straining against my top. He looks at me. “You wanted it too, Brooke, don’t deny it. You want me to suck your nipples right now. Your panties are soaking wet for my cock.”
His words ignite a fresh fire in me. How I want to feel him inside me. But I’m not going to weaken. I can’t let him see how much I want him. I made a mistake once; I’m not going to make another.
“Get out!” I shout.
“I’m going, but don’t pretend you didn’t like it. I’m sorry I kissed you. That wasn’t my plan. But you didn’t exactly resist.”
That was the wrong thing to say. My heartbeat thrashes in my ears. I close the gap between us, curl my hand into a fist and punch his stomach.
Unexpected Heat: An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 22