Forbidden Heat

As she lay in her bed, hot and sweaty—and alone—she felt empty. Her immediate need had been sated, but she longed to be lying in a man’s arms. Cherished. And loved.

The next morning, Danielle went for a swim in the hotel pool, then took a leisurely stroll before having a late breakfast. She returned to her room and relaxed for a while before showering.

She stood in front of the mirror and dried her hair with the hotel hair dryer. It took quite a while to get the mass of long wavy auburn hair dry. Then she put on her makeup.

Who would be there this evening? Trey and Jake, of course. And it would be nice to see Harmony again, though Danielle knew they’d get very little time to talk, if any, since as the bride, Harmony would be busy talking to all the guests over the evening. A quick hello and a “how are you doing” would probably be about it.

She returned to the bedroom and donned her pink bra and panty set, then her panty hose. As she pulled on her standard aqua party dress, she wondered if she should have bought something new. Different. She swished her long auburn curls over her shoulder, and examined her reflection. Something sexy.

But no one here had seen this dress, and it was perfectly fine, with its lace trim across the top of the bodice and the swishy knee-length skirt. It was great for dancing . . . if anyone asked her to dance.

Like Trey or Jake. At the reception, she might get a chance to dance with them and maybe flirt a little . . . and that could lead to . . .

Nothing. What the heck was wrong with her? They didn’t get involved with women.

Still, she’d like to look her best tonight. There would be other men there, too. Ones who did like women. And after the hormone rush from last night’s fantasies of Trey and Jake, she thought it would be great if she could hook up with someone tonight. A real man rather than an imaginary one.

If only she knew how to do that.

Oh, damn, why didn’t I bring something sexy to wear?

Danielle smoothed her skirt, eyeing the simple round neckline and the shape that did nothing to show off her figure, despite the belted waist. She remembered the lovely dress boutique around the corner from the hotel with the stunning black dress in the window.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. 2:20 P.M.

Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now.

She ran a brush through her hair one more time, then pulled her light knit wrap around her shoulders and picked up her evening bag. A few minutes later, she stepped from the elevator to the bustling hotel lobby. She walked toward the front door, intending to ask the doorman to find her a cab.

“Well, hello, stranger.”

Danielle glanced around at the familiar male voice. There stood Cole Grant, with his black, wavy hair skimming his collar, and a glint in his charcoal gray eyes.

She smiled warmly. “Cole. How nice to see you.”

“Is that all I get? How about a hug?”

She opened her arms and hugged him, a little rigid at first, but melting into the warmth of his friendly embrace. She and Cole and Harmony had spent a lot of time together in their first year of college, becoming the closest thing to friends Danielle had ever known. But she had been there only one year before she’d transferred to Northeastern University in Boston, and over ten more years had passed since then. She was surprised that Cole even remembered her.

He grinned, then released her. “You are as gorgeous as ever.”

The doorman opened the door as they approached, and she stepped outside into the warm June sunshine, Cole behind her.

“You want to share a cab to the wedding?” asked Cole.

“That would be nice.”

Cole gestured to the doorman, and within a few moments a cab pulled up in front of th

em and Cole opened the door. Danielle slid into the backseat and Cole settled in beside her. He told the driver the name of the church, and then the car pulled into the early-afternoon traffic.

“So it’s nice that Harmony’s getting married. Have you met the groom?” Danielle asked.

“Yes, I’ve met Aiden, and he’s a great guy. Perfect for her. I’m sure he’ll make her very happy.”

“And what about you? Is there someone special in your life?”

He stared out the window wistfully. “No, not yet, but I haven’t given up on finding the perfect woman yet. How about you?”