Forbidden Heat

Jake stepped into the busy restaurant and noticed Danielle and Trey sitting side by side, looking very cozy, with Suzie across from them. Suzie smiled at him brightly.

“Hello everyone.” He sat down beside Suzie as they all greeted him.

“You remember my sister Suzie,” Trey said.

“Of course.”

He’d met Suzie on a couple of occasions over the years, but they’d never spent more than a few minutes together. She wore a stylish black dress with a plunging neckline, her dark hair swept into an elegant up-do. She certainly looked a lot different than she had when Jake and Trey were in college. Back then she’d had braces and glasses and been painfully shy, her head always buried in a book.

“And where’s Tasha?” Jake asked.

“She has friends in town,” Suzie said.

“Ah.” That was answer enough. Any teenager would rather hang out with friends rather than a bunch of old people like them.

It was strange sitting across from Danielle, as she and Trey sat close together, acting like lovers—exclusive lovers—while he just watched. He longed to slide in beside Danielle and stroke her long, silky thigh, to kiss her warm, full lips . . . but tonight, she was Trey’s girlfriend.

“Jake, I was surprised to hear that you’re still single,” Suzie said as she eyed the menu. “There must be a lot of women in your life, a handsome guy like you.”

As she smiled warmly at him, then tucked some loose strands of glossy dark hair behind her ear, he got the distinct impression that shy little Suzie was flirting with him—and quite brazenly, too. Which made things damn awkward. He’d be the first to admit that his sex life was unconventional, if not downright wild, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to make a move on Trey’s little sister. Just the idea was creepy as hell.

“Actually I don’t date a lot of women.” He ever so slightly emphasized the word “women” and winked at Trey and Danielle.

Suzie didn’t seem to notice, but Trey’s gaze darted to the menu and he cleared his throat.

“I have a lot going on in my life right now,” Jake continued. “Not much time to date.”

Throughout dinner, Suzie showed great interest in Jake’s work. Trey and Danielle kept involved in the conversation, too, but Danielle

seemed a little distracted. Jake wondered if Trey was stroking her leg, or if she was stroking Trey. Jake longed to feel her hand graze his leg, then stroke over his rising bulge. . . . He was getting hot at the thought of being with her again. Wishing he could be with her right now.

When she rose to go to the ladies’ room, he wanted to excuse himself, too, and drag her into the men’s room for some dirty exciting sex in a stall. But Suzie went with her.

An awkward silence between Jake and Trey followed, which he had never experienced with Trey, and Jake was glad when Danielle and Suzie returned. The awkwardness between Trey and himself was weird, but he realized it was a natural result of the fact that Danielle’s acting as Trey’s girlfriend had changed the balance of the relationship among the three of them. Right now, Jake was an outsider. He wasn’t allowed to touch Danielle, or hold her. To kiss her. He had to treat her like his friend’s girlfriend. The problem was, it felt all too real. Jake felt like a fifth wheel, and he didn’t like it.

Man, he wished this week were over so things could get back to normal. So he could ravage Danielle within an inch of her life.

Danielle waited beside Suzie and Jake as Trey unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for her.

“Actually, I was going to ask Danielle if she could ride in my car to the club,” Jake said.

“I could ride with you,” Suzie suggested.

“Well, I wanted to get Danielle’s advice about something.”

“That’s a great idea,” said Danielle, stepping in. “I’d love to give you some advice.”

Suzie looked disappointed, but she got into Trey’s car.

“I’m parked around here,” Jake said.

Danielle followed him along the parking lot, then around the building. As soon as they turned the corner and were out of sight of Trey’s car, he dragged her into his arms and captured her lips. His mouth assaulted hers with passion, and when he finally released her, she was breathless.

“God, I’ve missed you.”

She smiled at him. “You saw me only yesterday.”

“I guess, but . . . now it feels like you really are Trey’s girlfriend and I’ll never be with you again.”