Forbidden Heat

“No, you all go ahead to the bookstore. I’ll meet you over there later. I’d like to browse for a bit.”

“Do you want me to show you where it is?” Danielle asked.

“No, I remember. I’ve been here a bunch of times. Really, I just want to poke around at my own speed.”

“Okay, Suzie. See you later,” Trey said.

A knock sounded at Jake’s office door. He didn’t have any appointments this morning. It was probably a student wanting to ask about marks or maybe help understanding the latest essay assignment.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Suzie, Trey’s sister, popped her head in the door.

“Hi, there,” she said.

“Hi. Come on in. What are you doing here?”

Suzie stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She carried a couple of blue plastic bags he recognized from the campus stores.

“Trey thought it would be a good idea to show Tasha around campus today. Tasha is meeting with a Dr. Gemina at noon.”

S

he sat down in the guest chair facing his desk and placed the bags at her feet.

Jake nodded. “Good idea. She’ll be able to help Tasha figure out the best program for her and advise her on what courses to take. She can also suggest scholarships she might be eligible for.”

“So . . .” She smiled, looking slightly nervous. “I wanted to stop by and tell you I had a good time last night.”

Uh-oh. “Yes, it was fun. The four of us get along well together.”

“Sure . . . but I mean specifically . . . I enjoyed being with you.” She perched on the edge of the chair. “I felt that there was . . . a bit of a spark between us.” She glanced down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap, then back to him. “I don’t mean to be forward but . . . I wondered if you might like to get together for dinner one day this week . . . without Trey and Danielle, or Tasha. Just to see if there might be something worth pursuing.”

He sighed and stepped out from behind his desk, then perched on the edge, facing her.

“Suzie, I really like you. . . .”

She smiled. “Good.”

“But . . . Well, I’m seeing someone.”

She stood up and stepped toward him. “And this someone . . . is it serious?”

“Well, uh . . .”

Damn, if she only knew the truth. It would send her running at lightning speed.

She stepped a little too close and her hand brushed across his cheek. “It sounds like the jury’s still out on that. So maybe there is a chance for me.” She stared at him with her dark brown eyes. “You know, ever since I first met you, I’ve had kind of a crush on you. I’ve always wanted to explore the possibilities, but . . . there’s never been a chance. I just thought that . . .”

As she stared at him with wide eyes, his gut clenched at having to turn her down. Here she was putting her feelings on the line and . . . he hated having to do this.

“Suzie, you’re a very attractive woman and—”

Before he could finish his sentence, she leaned in and kissed him. Her soft lips caught him by surprise, and he tried to jerk back only to realize that her arms were encircled around his neck, holding him immobile.

He stood up, which only served to bring their bodies tighter together. Nooo! This couldn’t be happening. This was Trey’s sister.

“What the hell is going on here?”