by Raine Miller
Lauren planted her elbows on the table and rested her forehead in her palm. “I have to tell Adam.”
Shi waved a dismissive hand. “No, you don’t.”
“Yes. I do,” she said adamantly. If she didn’t she’d never be able to live with herself. “You know I do.”
“Come on, Lauren, Adam probably has his own harem of women at every airport, and probably a few flight attendants too. Monogamy is a thing of the past.”
Lauren shook her head and whispered under her breath. “And this is how my best friend tries to console me.”
“I just don’t want you to beat yourself up over this.”
“You’re wrong, you know. Adam’s not like that.”
“Look, it was an accident, an honest mistake. You thought you were crawling into bed with Adam. How can he fault you for that?”
“Garret said the same thing.”
She gave a knowing grin. “Oh did he now?”
“Yes, he did,” she shot back. At least both she and Garret realized they owed it to Adam to tell him the truth.
“So tell him then.” She shrugged, took a sip of her latte and leaned back in her chair. “He’ll understand, and if he doesn’t then maybe he wasn’t the guy for you.”
Lauren’s stomach knotted as she took a moment to think things over. What Shi didn’t understand was that Adam was the man for her. They were so good together and she was crazy about him. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I am, and it’s not like you’re going to sleep with Garret again anyway, right?”
Ripples of sensual pleasure moved through her at the memories of last night. Her pulse raced as she thought about all the delicious things Garret did with his tongue, the way his hands caressed her with unfettered hunger and need. Want ripped through her and she shivered in response. Almost violently. Then she thought about how he was there in the morning, there to share breakfast with her, walk to work with her, fulfill a deep-seated need inside her, one Adam wasn’t able to achieve, through no fault of his own.
Oh God, what was she thinking?
She shook her head to clear it and noted the strange way Shiloh was staring at her.
“What?” Lauren asked.
“Oh boy.”
“Oh boy what?”
Shi shook her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Before Lauren could press, Shi glanced at her watch and jumped up. “I’m running late. Drinks tonight?”
“No. Tonight I’m going straight home so I don’t get into any more trouble. Adam comes home tomorrow night and I need time to figure out the best way to tell him about the mix-up.” Lauren grabbed her briefcase then reached for her purse but when her hand came up empty her heart jumped into her throat.
“Oh, no.”
Shi turned back. “What?”
“My purse. I’d been in such a hurry to leave the scene of the crime this morning, I grabbed my briefcase but forgot my purse. I left it at Adam’s condo.”
Shi clicked her tongue. “Well, well. Looks like you might be getting into some trouble tonight, after all.”
Lauren bit her lip. “Maybe he won’t be there.”
“And if he is?” she asked, grinning.
“If he is, I’ll just get my purse and leave.”
“You sure that’s what you want to do?”
“Yes, positive.”
“I don’t know, Lauren. Seems to me like you’re torn between two brothers.”
Yeah, and that was the problem. She was a one-man kind of woman but feared that if she ran into Garret, a guy who was sweet, kind, gentle, and completely irresistible, her common sense would pack a bag and head south and she’d find herself breaking all the rules.
CHAPTER 5
The day passed without incident, and fortunately Lauren had been so busy with patient care she didn’t have a moment to stop and think about her salacious night with Garret or how Adam was going to take the news.
She was currently just checking on her last patient of the day. Once finished, she planned to go to Adam’s, grab her purse and make a quick escape.
Just as she jotted her last note in Mr. Johnson’s chart, a very sexy, very familiar voice sounded in the doorway. She turned, and her heart leapt at the sight of the gorgeous man smiling at her, the last man she expected to see at her workplace at the end of a very long day. But it also reminded her how much she missed Adam and how lonely she was through the week.
“When do you get off?”
Her mind put an erotic spin to his words and despite herself she felt her pussy clench with want.
She gripped the bedrail and tried for casual. “Now, my shift is over.”
“Good. Dinner is almost ready.”
“Dinner?” She crinkled her nose and stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
When the nurse came in, Lauren handed Mr. Johnson’s file over to her and tried not to concentrate on how good Garret looked leaning against the doorjamb dressed in low-slung jeans and a leather jacket looking like sex incarnate.
“I made us dinner.”
She lowered her voice as she pushed past him and stepped into the hall. “I’m not having dinner with you Garret.”
“Why not? You have to stop by to pick your purse up anyway.” He hurried his steps to catch up to her.
She walked into her office, spun around to face him and countered, “If you knew I’d left my purse then why didn’t you just bring it?”
He drove his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth like a naughty schoolboy caught in the act. “Then I’d have nothing to use to coerce you back with, now would I?”
She looked at him and his grin was so mischievous and so damn sexy, it was all she could do to stay focused. “Come on, Garret,” she said, feeling her resolve soften around the edges. “Did you really make me dinner?” Somewhere deep inside, the idea of sharing a meal with him both thrilled her and warmed her. Unless she went out with Shi for drinks she didn’t normally have companionship through the week.
His voice dropped an octave and took on a sexy undertone when he said, “Yeah, I made your favorite.”
She planted her hand on her hip and realized that Garret seemed to know an awful lot about her. Had Adam been talking out of turn? “Okay, so tell me, how do you know what my favorite is?”
He grabbed her coat from the hook behind her door. “I’ll tell you that over dinner.”
“Garret…”
Dark eyes moved over her face and sent ripples down her spine. “Come on. It’s dinner. Nothing else. You need to eat, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Then after dinner we’ll just hang out, watch TV or something. I’ll keep my hands to myself. I promise.”
She stared at him for a long moment, and didn’t know what to make of him.
“Please…” He grinned and added, “I’m not above begging.”
She blew a resigned breath and said, “You’re incorrigible.”
Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed. He grabbed her hand and gave a gentle tug. “Good. Then let’s go.”
As she walked through the hospital halls with him and took the elevator to the main lobby, she gave herself a moment to think things through and rationalize her actions. It was just dinner and nothing else. What could sharing a simple meal hurt?
Okay, so yes, Garret might look good enough to eat, but her thoughts weren’t going to go in that direction because she was a grown woman and she did have willpower. She could do this. She could hang out and have dinner with Garret. After all, if she wanted to remain in a relationship with Adam, she’d have to spend time with his brother sooner or later. They might as well try to get over the awkwardness of last night, sooner rather than later. Besides, he’d gone through so much trouble to prepare her favorite. Shrimp and scallop linguine wasn’t that easy of a meal to whip up. And really she had no reason to rush home. But once dinner was done she’d grab her purse and head for the train. Simple, really.
&nbs
p; Thirty minutes later, after enjoying a nice evening walk with Garret, she found herself sitting across from him, the lights in Adam’s condo low, the ambiance romantic.
Garret placed her food in front of her and her mouth watered as she looked at the plump shrimp and juicy scallops swimming in her favorite, creamy primavera sauce.
She adjusted her napkin and grabbed her fork. “This is really nice of you, Garret. And much better than the frozen dinner I was going to toss in the microwave.”
Taking a seat across from her, Garret laughed and she couldn’t help but think how enjoyable their walk was, how easy he was to be with, or how nice it was to share dinner with someone other than the channel six news broadcaster.
Over the course of the meal they talked, and she got to know Garret a little better. She learned that on weekends he was a world-class race car driver who ran on excitement and adrenaline, and during the week he liked to take things slow, which accounted for the easy, gentle way he made love to her. His lovemaking might be wonderful and tender, but truthfully it was no less potent or fulfilling than Adam’s. They both brought different aspects to the table and somewhere in the back of her mind she couldn’t help but think, separate they were still both amazing men but a combination of the two made the perfect package.
Garret also told funny childhood stories about Adam and all the trouble that always seemed to find the Wilson boys during their teen years. He was charming and humorous and as she relaxed into conversation, sharing her own stories, the night seemed to get away from them both. So much for her plan to just eat and run.
After dinner they shared a glass of wine on the sofa, while a movie played on the television, and as exhaustion pulled at her, she stretched and glanced at the window. She cringed when she thought about the cold bleak walk to the train ahead of her.
“I should go.”
Adam took her wine and put it on the table. “It’s cold and the roads are slippery. Why don’t you just stay?”
“Adam…” she warned.
He lifted his hands up, palms out. “I told you I’d keep my hands to myself and I always keep my promises.”
She angled her head and eyed him suspiciously.
He laughed. “You can take the bed.” He patted the sofa. “And I’ll sleep here.”
He leaned toward her and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. She tensed in response. But instead of pressing his mouth to hers, he grabbed the pillow from the floor and fluffed it up before tossing in onto the sofa, proving her really was a gentleman at heart.
So then why did she have a knot of disappointment swelling in her stomach? Over the course of the night, as she got to know more about him, both sharing childhood stories, he didn’t so much as even try to seduce her. She wasn’t sure why that bothered her so much. It wasn’t like she was going to sleep with him again. Then again, it wasn’t like she didn’t want to, either.
Oh boy, she was in big trouble here. She loved the excitement of her relationship with Adam, the wild way they made love and how he catered to her every need on the weekend when he was home, but couldn’t deny that she liked a quiet weekday evening topped off by soft lovemaking with his brother equally as much. A riot of emotions churned inside her and she shook her head to clear it.
“You okay?” Garret asked. He stood, reached for her hand and hauled her to her feet.
“I’m fine,” she lied as she made her way to the bedroom. Alone. “Just tired.”
“Sleep well, and when you awake, I’ll have your breakfast ready for you.”
She glanced back over her shoulder and when she caught him tidying up behind them, she wondered how she ever thought she could share a simple meal with Garret, because there was nothing simple about a guy like him.
Shiloh was right. She really was torn between two brothers.
CHAPTER 6
After a fitful sleep, it took great effort for Lauren to get her head on straight. She woke to fresh coffee and pancakes, and during easy breakfast conversation, they forged an intimate connection and she feared that her interest in Adam’s brother went deeper than just sex.
After they cleared the dishes, Garret walked her to the hospital. Determined to put her feelings for him out of her mind, and berating herself for actually feeling them in the first place, she buried herself in her work. At the end of her busy day, Lauren rushed home, needing to get her thoughts together before she met up with Adam, who would likely be calling her any minute now. God, just thinking about him had her heart racing and her mind spinning. She cared a great deal about Adam, loved him really, and she was determined to make things right between them.
She would make things right between them.
She stepped off the train, hurried down the sidewalk and rushed inside her condo, needing to jump in the shower to wash away her workday, but when she moved through the threshold, and the enticing aroma of spicy cologne fragranced the air and stirred her libido she instantly knew someone was inside.
And she knew exactly who that someone was.
With hurried steps she turned the corner and found Adam in the living room waiting for her. Overwhelmed by his rugged good looks, short dark hair and chocolate eyes, her glanced raced over him, pausing briefly around the vicinity of his belt when she saw how happy he was to see her. Looking sexy as hell, he was dressed in jeans and buttoned shirt, flowers in his hand, an open bottle of champagne on the coffee table. Intense eyes brimming with raw need and desire met hers and elicited a shiver from deep within. God, he looked like he wanted to eat her alive.
With predatory movements, he came toward her, his grin sexy, full of want. Her heart leapt, and at the same time her body moistened and her pussy clenched. God, she missed him terribly. She struggled with her guilt as she looked at him, her stomach churning because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.
When she took the flowers, smelled them, then carefully placed them on the sofa table beside her, he reached for her and they exchanged a long heated look.
“I’ve missed you, baby,” he said.
A tremor raced through her as the heat in his voice warmed her chilled body. “I’ve missed you too,” she managed to get out as her heart fluttered and every fiber of her being ached to be with him.
As he pulled her into his arms and crushed her against him her knees wobbled and her chest tightened with emotion. God, she really did love him, which made what she had to say all that much harder.
“Adam,” she rushed out, feeling breathless, worried.
His pressed his finger to her lips. “No. There’s no time for talking because there are things I need to do to you first. Things I’ve been dreaming about all week.”
“But–”
He swallowed her protest with a hard kiss, a kiss so powerful and demanding it rendered her senseless, the sensual overload making her forget what it was she wanted to say.
“I mean it. No talking.” Her toes curled as he pulled her scrubs from her waist and peeled her shirt over her head. “I want you naked. Then I’m going to fuck you.” He roughly ran the pad of his thumb over her mouth. “I’m going to start here.” His hand trailed lower until he cupped her moist pussy through her scrubs. “Then here.” His eyes darkened, as he slid a hand around her waist and stroked her ass. “Then I’m going to finish here.”
A shiver wracked Lauren’s body with the memories of the last time he took her like that, and she let loose a heated moan as he gave a detailed itinerary of what he was going to do to her this time. Right now she was too far gone to talk, too lost in the haze of lust to think of anything except what he wanted to do to her body.
He stepped back and his eyes dripped with promise as his glance raced over her lacy bra and quivering abdomen. In a voice full of dark desire, he ordered, “Now finish undressing for me, then I want to watch while you shower.”
Passion rose in her and Lauren’s entire body quaked with excitement as Adam’s intense gaze took in her every movement as she stripped. She removed her bra and whe
n she freed her full breasts and lightly stroked her nipples, his deep growl of approval cut through the silence. Using slow movements intended to tease, she wiggled her hips as she slid her scrubs down her legs, then she toyed with her lace panties before removing them and kicking them away.
Adam followed her down the hall and into the bathroom, where she adjusted the spray and stepped over the side of the tub. Still fully dressed he stared at her through the open glass shower pane, and his voyeuristic tendencies secretly thrilled her. She loved the naughty, playful side of him, and really, really wanted to please him and give him what he’d been missing all week.
Trying to keep her focus, Lauren grabbed her body wash and generously lathered her skin. She paid extra attention to her breasts, pulling on her nipples and squeezing them together. She moaned in sensual bliss as she stimulated herself and taunted Adam.
She heard a rustling sound outside the shower and glanced at the man she loved, a man who was currently unbuttoning his shirt. She saw the sparkle in his eye and knew he was up to no good. She quaked in anticipation, her body craving him with an intensity that rocked her world and derailed her ability to think with any clarity.
“Touch your pussy for me,” he said, his voice a soft command.
Her sex fluttered at the thought of masturbating while he watched. Lauren’s hands left her breasts and skimmed her curves as they trailed downward. Turning her body to give him a better look, she lifted one leg and placed it on the edge of the tub.
With soapy fingers, she widened her lips, stretching them open so he could glimpse the pink skin and hard clit that was in dire need of his attention.
“Rub yourself.”
He removed his shirt and pants as she ran her finger over her clit, preparing herself for him. He tore off his shorts and his thick cock, so hard and ready had her blood burning with need as it jutted free.
“Harder,” he growled.
She pressed against her clit, roughly running her fingers over it like he demanded. A moment later he slid open the shower door and climbed in with her. He pulled her to him and she ached, deep between her legs, hungering for more than just his touch.
