His Brother's Bride

And keep begging until there would finally be enough.

His hand cupped her breast and Laurel almost passed out with the intensity of her desire for him, her need to have him all over her. In her. Knowing her as intimately as it was possible for one human to know another. And to still want her even then.

“You are so beautiful....”

His words penetrated the hazy fog that cocooned her, striking a chord that wasn’t right. She’d heard those words before—many times—while making love.

Laurel had only had one lover in her life, one man who’d touched her this way. Who’d said those words to her.

And it hadn’t been Scott.

With a sob, she wrenched away from him, horrified by what she’d done.

“I’m so sorry,” she choked, tears bursting forth. She’d just come on to her lover’s little brother.

One glance at Scott was all it took to make her shame complete. His eyes were wide, his mouth pinched. He must have thought he was looking at a woman he didn’t know at all.

“I think you better go,” she said, amazed she could get the words out clearly.

He left without a single word, and wrenching sobs exploded from Laurel’s chest.

What had she done? God in heaven, what had she just done?

* * *

“SCOTT?”

Lying in his briefs, the covers pulled halfway up his thighs, Scott held the hotel phone to his ear.

“Yeah?”

He’d known who was calling the second he’d heard the ring.

“Did I wake you?”

“No.” He’d been lying in the dark for more than an hour, wondering how to repair the damage he’d done.

“I can’t sleep, either.”

Even now, in spite of the mess they were in, Laurel’s voice brought him peace.

“I...”

“You...”

They both started at once.

“Go ahead,” he said. He had no idea what he’d been about to say.

“I feel terrible about what happened.”

“I know.”

“The thing is, I need you, Scott.”

He swallowed. Those weren’t the words he’d expected to hear.

“These past days, I’ve found something I’d forgotten I had, something I can’t bear to lose again. You’re the best friend I have in the world. You’re my history.”