Some Like It Hot: An Erotic Romance Anthology

“Long story,” Jake said. “I’m more interested in knowing how Devlin became filthy rich.” He craned his neck so he could see around Michelle and look at the quietest member of their little group.

“I’m not filthy rich,” Devlin said and winked at Jake. “I shower daily.”

“I’m more interested in knowing how he got this hot body,” Dee Peterson said as she made her uninvited appearance at the table known. Dee ran both hands along Devlin’s shoulders, down his biceps and over his chest. The cut of the man’s muscles was apparent even under his well-tailored clothes, and Michelle suddenly wanted to kick Dee’s feet from under her for getting to examine his hard body before Michelle did.

Devlin caught Dee’s hands before they reached his flat stomach. “I discovered my most innovative ideas come to me when I’m hot and sweaty. So I work out. A lot.”

“There’s more than one way to get hot and sweaty,” Jake said, elbowing Michelle in the ribs. “Isn’t that right, Michelle?”

Michelle stiffened and glanced at Devlin out of the corner of her eye, hoping to gage his reaction. His brows drew together in an unpleasant scowl. “I… uh… wouldn’t know,” she said, suddenly wanting to take a page out of Sedric’s book and strangle Jake.

Dee’s twenty-member entourage surrounded the table like a bunch of hyenas—cackling at everything and looking for prey. Their prey happened to be the two world-renowned men at the table. Sedric handled the expanding crowd like a pro, but Devlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat and avoided rapid fire questions by producing noncommittal grunts and the occasional shake of his head. Michelle was glad that some of the boy she remembered remained in the man and that he was still shy. He had plenty of self-confidence when interacting one-on-one, but by the way he clutched at the fabric of his black pants, he wasn’t comfortable in a crowd. Or maybe it was just this crowd that unsettled him. It just annoyed her.

Michelle leaned close to Devlin’s ear. “It’s a little warm in here, don’t you think?”

He caught her eye and his arm circled her back. “I only came to see you,” he said. “Do you want to get out of here?”

She was too busy reeling over his admission of interest to answer his question.

Chapter Five

Devlin didn’t wait for Michelle’s response. He stood from his chair, took her hand and helped her rise gracefully to her feet. When she continued to hold his hand, his pulse rate skyrocketed. He couldn’t remember the last time holding hands had addled his thoughts.

“Excuse us,” he said to the nearest barricading body. He had a pathological need to get out of this place. These people brought back so many memories of being bullied in high school. He’d thought he was over it, but those old feelings of terror had resurfaced as soon as their table had been surrounded. He must have been surrounded one too many times in the boy’s locker room. His gaze kept wandering to the door of that locker room, which didn’t help his oscillation between anger and fear. He didn’t come here to relive high school. He’d come to see Michelle. And he had not anticipated this visceral reaction to his past at all. He hadn’t even thought much about his experiences in high school until he’d opened the lurid purple envelope containing the silver foiled invitation to this reunion.

“That’s my girl you’ve got there, Devzits,” a deep voice said.

Devlin looked up into the sneering face of Wayne Bridges. He cringed, but not out of fear. Wayne had gotten a bit doughy around the middle and Devlin would very much like to punch the smirk off of his blotchy face.

“Hello, Wayne,” Michelle said. She gave him the once over and shook her head. “Good-bye, Wayne.” She pushed through the crowd, tugging Devlin after her.

When they were free of the press of bodies, he released her hand so he could rest his palm against her lower back and direct her toward the exit. It hadn’t escaped Devlin that she had just rebuked Wayne Bridges and was leaving with him, not with her high school boyfriend, but Devlin refused to gloat. Outwardly.

“Leaving so soon?” Claudia Bennett said from the reception table as they passed. “I didn’t get to catch up with you yet, Devlin McAllister.”

“I just need some air,” Michelle explained.

Devlin held the door for her. They walked down a short hallway to a second set of double doors and then they were free of his emotional prison. He sucked a deep breath of warm evening air and closed his eyes to clear his thoughts.

“You, okay?” Michelle asked.

He opened his eyes to look down into her concerned face. This was not how he’d wanted this evening to go. He’d wanted her to see the confident man he’d become, not the embarrassing remnants of the terrified boy he’d once been.

“Of course. It’s just a bit stuffy in there.”

She studied his face for a moment and then lifted a hand to touch his jaw. “Your life must have been hell in high school.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” he said. “I survived.”

“We were all so mean to you.”

“You weren’t mean to me, Michelle. Unlike your friends, you were actually nice to me when they weren’t looking. Which is probably why it hurt so bad when you laughed me out of the cafeteria when I asked you to prom.” In retrospect, he should have never asked her in front of Dee and the rest of the cheer squad. “I was sitting there at the reject table picking over my lunch and watching you—as I always did. Did you know I watched you?”

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her belly. “I was too full of myself to notice anything, Devlin.”

“I still remember it all. It had been raining all morning, but the sun found a break in the clouds and filtered through the window blinds. The golden rays danced upon the auburn highlights in your hair.” He touched the silky strands that had so enchanted him. She looked up at him—her gaze meeting his and sending his blood coursing through his veins. “I was completely under your spell. I just got up, walked up to you and blurted, Will you go to prom with me? I still remember the stunned look on your face. For one blissful second, I thought you were going to say, yes, and then Dee said, The nerve of certain ugly people. And then all I remember is you laughing and saying, Why would I go to the prom with you? I swear I heard my heart shatter even over the laughter of every person in that cafeteria.”

Michelle wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. He held her—gently at first and then his infatuation got the better of him and he pressed her firmly into his chest. Her warm breath against his throat, the sweet smell of her hair, and the feel of her curves against his body all drove him to distraction. Michelle was in his arms at last.

“I’m really sorry for hurting you,” she whispered.

“You can make it up to me,” he said, unable to resist touching his lips to her silky hair.

Her body stiffened slightly in his arms. “How?”

“Say yes, this time.”

She pulled away and tilted her head to hold his gaze.

“Michelle?” he said. “Will you go to prom with me?”

She smiled devilishly. “No,” she said and his breath caught as his aching heart threatened to strangle him. “Prom is for losers. But I will go out with you. As long as it’s not here.”

“Ashamed that your friends will see us together?”

She shook her head and slid her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. “Ashamed that I ever called them friends.”

She rose up on tiptoes and tugged him closer.

“Now are you going to kiss me or do I have to take advantage of you?” she asked, lashes concealing her remarkable blue eyes as she stared at his lips.

He curved them into a half smile. “You have to wait.”

“Don’t you know you should never keep a lady waiting?” a deep voice said from behind them.

Michelle’s body went taut. “Jake,” she said in a breathless whisper.

“Do you have a thing for that guy or something?” Devlin asked, though he was pretty sure they’d once been lovers.

“Had,” she said. “God, I had it so bad for him. You have no idea.”

“Had?” Jake touched her bare shoulder.

“Probably still do,” she admitted with a hard shudder.

“You know I would never keep you waiting,” Jake said and slipped the strap of her red dress from her shoulder. Jake held Devlin’s gaze as he dropped a kiss on her newly exposed skin. It wasn’t so much of a challenge as it was an invitation. Devlin wasn’t sure what to make of this guy. Or why every time Jake touched Michelle, it made Devlin’s dick stir with added interest.

“Well, hello there,” Michelle said, shifting her hip against the throbbing flesh in Devlin’s pants.

“Sorry,” he said, flustered by his lack of tact and the direction of his thoughts. As soon as Jake had arrived, his fantasies had drifted from slowly romancing Michelle to ripping off her dress and fucking her brains out.

When Devlin tried to move away so he could get his erection under control, she grabbed his ass to keep him pressed against her.

“Jake makes me think dirty thoughts,” she said. “Makes me crave sex.”

“It’s a gift,” Jake whispered, pressing another kiss to her shoulder.

Devlin wasn’t sure if he should tell this guy to take a hike or sing his praises. “If you want me to leave you two alone—”

Michelle pressed a finger to Devlin’s lips and shook her head. “I want you, Devlin. Maybe just for a night. Maybe for something more. I don’t know if this attraction between us will go anywhere. All I know is I can’t deny I want you.”

“What about me?” Jake said.

“I was hoping you’d join us,” she said and lifted her hand to stroke his tattooed neck.

“You know I’m up for that.” Jake shifted behind her, probably rubbing his junk against her ass, and her eyelids fluttered.