“We’re not involved.” Ming found her voice.
“We’re friends,” Jason said. “We look out for each other.”
“I disagree,” Max declared, slapping Jason on the back. “I think you’ve finally realized that your best friend is the best thing that ever happened to you.” He glanced around to see if the others agreed with him. “About time, too.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jason was making no attempt to laugh off his friend’s ribbing.
Ming flinched at Jason’s resolute expression. If he’d considered moving beyond friendship, Max would be the one he’d confide in. With Jason’s adamant denial, Ming had to face the fact that she was an idiot to hope that Jason might one day realize they belonged together.
“Oh!”
All eyes turned to Emma, who’d bent over, her hand pressed to her round belly.
“Are you okay?” Nathan put his arm around her waist. “Was it a contraction?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Emma clutched his arm. “Maybe you’d better take me home.”
To Ming’s delight everyone’s focus had shifted to Emma. What might or might not be going on between Ming and Jason was immediately forgotten. As Nathan opened the passenger door for Emma, she looked straight at Ming and winked. Restraining a grin, Ming wondered how many times Emma had used the baby in such a fashion.
“Alone at last,” Jason said, drawing her attention back to him. “And the night is still young.”
Ming shivered beneath his intense scrutiny. “What did you have in mind?”
“I was thinking maybe you could show me your dancing skills in private.”
“Funny. I was thinking maybe you could give me a demonstration of the techniques you picked up from your strippers tonight.”
“Exotic dancers,” he corrected, opening the passenger door on his car so she could get in. “And I didn’t pick up anything because I wasn’t anywhere near their dancing.”
The last of her tension melted away. “I don’t believe you,” she teased, keeping her relief hidden. She leaned against his chest and peered up at him from beneath her lashes. “Not so long ago you wouldn’t have missed that kind of action.”
“Not so long ago I didn’t have all the woman I could handle waiting for me at home.”
“Except I wasn’t waiting for you.” Lifting up on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his and then dropped into the passenger seat.
“No, you were out on the town breaking hearts.”
The door shut before her retort reached Jason’s ears. Was he really annoyed with her for dancing with someone? Joy flared and died. She was reading too much into it.
“So, where are we heading?” Jason turned out of the marina parking lot and got them headed toward the bridge off the island.
“You may take me home. After all that heartbreaking, my feet are sore.” She tried to smile, but her heart hurt too much. “Besides, Muffin is home alone.”
“Where’s Lily?”
“Supposedly she’s out of town this weekend.”
“Why supposedly?”
“Because I drove past Evan’s house and her car was in the driveway.”
“You drove past Evan’s house?” Jason shifted his gaze off the road long enough for her to glimpse his alarm. “Are you sure that was a good idea?”
She bristled at his disapproving tone. “I was curious if my sister had lied to me.”
“You were curious.” He echoed her words doubtfully. “Not bothered that they’re together?”
“No.”
“Because you two were engaged not that long ago and now he’s dating your sister.”
“Why do you keep bringing that up?” Her escalating annoyance came through loud and clear. She’d known Jason too long not to recognize when he was picking a fight.
“I want you to be honest with yourself so this doesn’t blow up between you and your sister in the future.”
“You don’t think I’m being honest with myself?”
“Your sister is dating the man who broke off your engagement two weeks before the wedding. I think you’re trying too hard to be okay with it.”
He took her hand and she was both soothed and frustrated by his touch. No matter what else was happening between them, Jason was her best friend. He knew her better than anyone. Sometimes better than she knew herself. But the warm press of his fingers reminded her that while he could act like a bossy boyfriend, she came up against his defenses every time she started to play girlfriend.
“Right now I’ve got my hands full with you.” Ming wasn’t exaggerating on that score. “Can we talk about something else? Please?”
The last thing she wanted was to argue with him when her hopes for the evening required them to be in perfect accord.
“Sure.” Even though he agreed, she could tell he wasn’t happy about dropping the subject. “What’s on your mind?”
“I have the house to myself until late Sunday if you want to hang out.”
“That sounds like an invitation to sleep over.”
She made a sandwich of his hand and hers and ignored the anxious flutter in her stomach.
“Maybe it is.” Flirting with Jason was fun and dangerous. It was easy to lose track of reality and venture into that tricky romantic place best avoided if she wanted their friendship to remain uncomplicated.
Or maybe she was too far gone for things to ever be the same between them again.
The part of her that wanted them to be more than just friends was growing stronger every day. It was a crazy hope, but she couldn’t stop the longing any more than Jason could get past his reluctance to fall in love.
“Ming…”
She heard the wariness in his voice and held up her hand. They hadn’t spent a single night together this whole week. That had been a mutual decision based on practicality. Neither of them wanted Evan to pop over late one night and find her at Jason’s house. Plus, Lily had been in Houston all week and would have noticed if Ming had stayed out all night.
But she was dying to spend the night snuggled in his arms. And the craving had nothing to do with making a baby.
“Forget I said anything.” Her breath leaked out in a long, slow sigh. “This past week has been fun. But you and I both know I’m past my prime fertility cycle. It makes no sense for us to keep getting together when I’m either pregnant or I’m too late in my cycle to try.”
“Wait. Is that what this week has been about?” He sounded put out. “You’re just using me to make a baby?”
Startled, she opened her mouth to deny his claim and realized he was trying to restore their conversation to a lighter note by teasing her. “And a few weeks from now we’ll see if you’ve succeeded.” She faked a yawn. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
Jason nodded and turned the topic to the bachelorette party. Ming jumped on board, glad to leave behind the tricky path they’d been treading.
By the time he turned the car into her driveway, she’d manhandled her fledgling daydreams about turning their casual sex into something more. She was prepared to say good-night and head alone to her door.
“Call me tomorrow,” he told her. “I’ve got to go shopping for Max and Rachel’s wedding present.”
“You haven’t done that yet?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to offer to do it for me.”
Robbed of a dreamy night in Jason’s arms and the pleasure of waking up with him in the morning, Ming let her irritation shine. “You said no about going in on a gift together, so you’re on your own.”
“Please come shopping with me.” He put on his most appealing smile. “You know I’m hopeless when it comes to department stores.”
How could she say no when she’d already agreed to help him before they’d started sleeping together. It wasn’t fair to treat him differently just because she felt differently toward him.
“What time tomorrow?”
“Eleven? I want to be home to watch the Oilers at three.”
“Fine,” she grumbled.
With disappointment of her own weighing her down, she plodded up the stairs and let herself into her house. Muffin met her in the foyer. She danced around on her back legs, wringing a small smile from Ming’s stiff lips.
“I’ll take you out back in a second.” She waited by the front door long enough to see Jason’s headlights retreating down her driveway, then headed toward the French doors that led from her great room to the pool deck.
While the Yorkie investigated the bushes at the back of her property, Ming sat down on a lounge chair and sought the tranquility often gained by sitting beside her turquoise kidney-shaped pool. She revisited her earlier statement to Jason. It made no sense for them to rendezvous each afternoon and have the best sex ever if all they were trying to do was make a baby. Only, if she was completely honest with herself, she’d admit that a baby isn’t all she wanted from Jason.
Her body ached with unfulfilled desire. Her soul longed to find the rhythm of Jason’s heart beating in time with hers. From the beginning she’d been right to worry that getting intimate with her best friend was going to lead her into trouble. But temptation could be avoided for only so long when all you’ve ever wanted gets presented to you on a silver platter. She would just have to learn to live with the consequences.