Forbidden Heat

Well, that sure was the truth.

Trey drove his car through the dark streets to his house, then pulled into the driveway. Hickory, Trey’s cat, pranced across the front lawn and met them at the door, meowing and rubbing against his legs as he unlocked the door.

“Yeah, I get it. You want some dinner.”

Danielle petted the sleek cat, but when the door opened, Hickory raced inside straight to the kitchen.

Danielle kicked off her shoes, and Trey helped her take off her sweater, then hung it up in the front closet. Hickory trotted back into the room, mewing loudly.

“I’ll go feed Mr. Grumbles here. Why don’t you get comfortable?”

She sat down on the couch as Trey disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later, she heard the can opener, followed by Hickory’s frantic meowing. She picked up the remote control from the table and pressed the button to play music from Trey’s playlist. He had shown her yesterday how he had his entertainment computer, as he called it, set up to record from the TV, to play music, et cetera. A soft, jazzy piece, primarily piano, filled the room, and she relaxed against the cushions.

“I thought you were going to make yourself comfortable.” Trey grinned as he settled beside her. He drew her close and kissed her, his lips lingering while his hands slid from her shoulders to the front of her blouse. He released the first button, then the second. Her skin tingled as his fingertips brushed her skin, gliding over the swell of her breasts above the lace of her bra.

“Aren’t we going to wait for Jake?”

The tangy scent of his cologne and the light shadowing across his jaw proved irresistible, and she caressed his cheek, loving the bristly, masculine feel of his whiskers.

He grasped her hand and kissed it. “I should go shave.”

“No, don’t. It’s sexy.”

His eyes glinted. “You say that now, but when I kiss you . . . where I intend to kiss you . . . you might not be so happy with the reality of sandpaper against your skin.”

“Well . . .” She leaned forward and nibbled his chin, dragging her teeth along the bristles, enjoying the raspy sound. She nuzzled his neck, kissing the pulse at the base. “If you insist.”

He kissed her again, then stood up and headed down the hall. As he closed the bathroom door, Hickory trotted toward the couch.

“Hey, there. All finished with dinner?”

He mewed and leapt onto the couch, then climbed onto her leg and mewed again, staring at her with big amber eyes. She stroked his head. He flopped down on her lap, clearly settling in for a long petting session. The soft feel of his fur under her hand and the quiet rumble of his purring delighted her. Maybe she should get a cat.

The phone rang. Hickory’s ears perked up and she gazed down at him.

“That’s probably Jake.”

Eleven

The phone rang again and Danielle glanced around. One of the cordless phones sat in its charging unit beside the computer. She cuddled Hickory against her, his fur soft against her bare chest, and stroked him as she crossed the room to pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi there. Who’s this?” a woman’s voice said.

If she’d been at home, Danielle would have asked who the woman was rather than answering, but she was a guest at Trey’s, and it was natural that the caller might wonder who was answering Trey’s phone.

“This is Danielle, a friend of Trey’s. May I ask who’s calling?”

“Hi. I’m Suzie. Where’s Trey?”

“He’s busy at the moment. May I have him call you back? He’ll be only a few minutes.”

Hickory murmured, then wriggled in her arms. She set him on the floor and he bounded away.

“So how do you know Trey?” the caller asked.

“I . . . uh . . . I’m a friend of his from college.” She didn’t know who this woman was or why she should be answering her questions.