Forbidden Heat

She took the small sleek phone and pressed the On button, but nothing happened. She tried again. “I think your battery needs charging.”

“Damn. Well, we’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of Jake’s charming brick two-story house. Trey opened her door and offered a hand to help her from the car, and they walked up the stone path through Jake’s bright-colored garden to his front door.

Trey rang the doorbell. The inside door opened, and Rico, naked except for a navy towel draped carelessly around his waist, glared at them through the glass of the storm door.

“Yes?”

“Uh . . . is Jake in?” Danielle asked.

“Yes. He’s in the shower right now.” He grinned wickedly. “And I’m just about to join him. I’ll tell him you came by.” With that, he shoved the door closed in their faces.

Danielle blinked, then stared at Trey. His closed expression gave nothing away.

Jake had started up with Rico again? The guy certainly was good-looking but . . . with Rico’s jealousy . . . Jake must know that it would put an end to what she and Trey and Jake had going. An end to any hope of getting back with Trey . . . at least for now.

Well, what could she expect? She had pushed this whole thing on Jake. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to be a part of it from the beginning. Maybe he feared Trey would never want to continue the relationship. Maybe seeing Rico’s continued longing for him had boosted his spirits and made him want to be with someone who wanted him . . . not someone avoiding anything deeper, like Trey.

But she had seen the change in Trey. Surely Jake had, too. If only he’d given it a bit more time.

Sadness careened through her. If Jake was seeing Rico now . . . it meant the end of their relationship. But she still wanted to be with Jake.

She mentally shook herself. What the hell was she thinking? She was doing all this so that Trey and Jake could be together. Not for herself. Of course, she enjoyed the sex with them . . . the way they made her feel wanted . . . the way they made her feel loved . . .

Oh God, had she really let this become about her? How could she expect to build a relationship when she was seeing two men at once . . . at the same time? Was she really doing this because she hoped something would develop between her and Jake? Or her and Trey?

Oh, damn, her feelings were so mixed up. Of course she’d love to be loved by either one of these special men . . . but they belonged together. She could just tell. Even if Trey denied it to himself . . .

She glanced at Trey, who had led her back to the car.

“Danielle, don’t let it bother you.”

“What?” She gazed up at him as he held her car door open.

“Jake and Rico. Don’t let it bother you. Even if he’s decided to start up with Rico again . . . which means he won’t be sharing with us . . . I still want you to keep coming around.”

He swept her into his arms and kissed her, deeply and passionately.

“I don’t want to lose you yet,” he murmured against her lips, then kissed her again.

Twelve

Danielle drew her lips from Trey’s, getting the sense that his mind was far away.

“Trey, what about you? Does it bother you that Jake might be seeing Rico again?”

“No, of course not,” he said with a little too much conviction.

“Are you sure?”

He locked gazes with her. “Why should it? I mean, he can do whatever he wants. It’s not like I have any claim to him.”

Despite his words, she could see turmoil in his brown eyes.

“I just think that . . . maybe you still have feelings for Jake. You did have something special with him. At least I thought it was special.”

Trey sighed. “That’s true, but . . . it was a long time ago.”