Love on the Forbidden Side

by Mariah Ankenman

  She narrowed her gaze and pursed her lips. “Mmmm.”

  He took her noncommittal noise as a yes, and as the water boiled, grabbed two mugs, placing a tea bag in each.

  “So…” She gave him a mischievous grin. “Wanna play cards?”

  “No.”

  Her lower lip stuck out in a pout. An image of taking that sweet, plump lip between his teeth for a little love bite before devouring her tempting mouth rose in his mind.

  Dammit. He needed to get his head on straight.

  “Why not?”

  “Because, you cheat.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I do not.”

  “Um, yeah, you do. You play four cards in a row. That’s not how the game works.”

  “It is when you play at the Ryder house. It’s called ‘house rules’ and it’s fun.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the counter. “It’s called cheating, and it’s no fun for the person losing.”

  A coy smile turned up the corner of her mouth. She took a few steps, coming to a stop right in front of him. His body tensed with the nearness. Sweet, floral perfume wafted off her skin. Wispy tendrils of her inky black hair caught the static in the air, affixing themselves to his shirt like a dangerous anchor ready to pull him under. One delicate finger reached out, trailing down his chest. Fire lit a path along his body where she touched. Dammit, he was so sunk.

  “You afraid of losing, Liam?”

  Heat radiated off her body as she leaned closer. A few inches more and he would feel the soft press of her breasts against his chest. As much as he craved the contact, he knew it was wrong. So, why wasn’t he pushing her away? Why was he moving closer, closing the distance between them?

  Her sweet, tempting lips caught his gaze. Leaning down, he cursed himself seven ways from Sunday for being a bastard and taking what he shouldn’t. But then Julie rose up on her toes, eyes closing, the moment of no return. Friendship rules be damned, he was going to—

  A sharp whistle tore through the air, shattering the moment and bringing Liam back to his senses. He jerked back, muttering a soft curse. “Water’s ready.”

  Julie opened her eyes, spearing him with a calculating glance. “Liam, I—”

  “I better get the kettle before it all boils away.” He turned to the stove, hearing her soft sigh.

  Pouring the steaming water into the mugs, he ordered his body back under control. Damn—he almost let that get out of hand.

  Get you head in the game, man.

  “So, that’s a no on the card game?”

  He was already frustrated enough—being in such close quarters with the woman and not being able to touch her—no reason to add humiliation to his pain.

  “Yeah, that’s a no.”

  “You’re just afraid to lose to a girl.”

  He arched a brow. “What was that?”

  “I said, should we watch a movie instead then?” She smiled sweetly at him, accepting the mug he held out. “I can make some popcorn to go with this tea. We can marathon that super spy action trilogy you like so much.”

  What is she up to? He eyed her warily. “You hate that trilogy.”

  She shrugged. “No, I just said the court scenes are all wrong.”

  “It’s a movie, Jules.” He shook his head, feeling a smile tug at his lips.

  “Oh, like you don’t get all up in arms when a movie gets an FBI procedure wrong.”

  He tipped his mug to her. “Fair point. Still, we can watch something else if you want.”

  “No, it’s fine.” She blew into her mug, taking a small sip before continuing. “I’ll probably fall asleep ten minutes into the movie anyway.”

  She stretched, a yawn cracking her jaw. Weariness wrapped around her. He could see the exhaustion on her face and something else, too…worry? Why would Julie be worried? Concern crept into his mind.

  “Is everything all right?”

  She stared into her mug, and unease tingled at the base of his spine. Eye contact avoidance was a clear indication of something being withheld.

  “Of course, I’m just tired.”

  Tired his ass. Judging by the stress lines creasing her forehead he’d bet it was more than that, but he decided not to push her. “We don’t have to watch anything. You can just go to bed if you want.”

  Now, she did look at him; that beautiful, dark brown gaze focused directly on him. “It’s not even ten yet. I’d feel like an old fuddy duddy going to bed this early.”

  “But you wouldn’t feel old falling asleep on the couch watching a movie?”

  She grinned. “Naw. This way I can blame my lack of ability to stay awake on the crappy movie.”

  He chuckled. “Whatever you say, Grandma.”

  She stuck her tongue out. Lust hit him hard at the sight of her sweet, pink appendage.

  Clearing his throat—and his mind—he motioned to the living room. “Go set up the movie. I’ll get the popcorn.”

  She shook her head, silky stands of midnight hair caressing her shoulders. “No, you made the tea. Only fair I should make the popcorn.”

  “Since when do you play fair?”

  A devilish smile curled her lips. She leaned forward, invading his personal space yet again. That damn tongue of hers came out once more, the tip running along her bottom lip.

  Hungry. That was the only way to describe the look on Julie Ryder’s face. The woman looked like she wanted to skip the popcorn and eat him instead. And damned if his body wasn’t on board with the idea. Thankfully, his brain knew better.

  She’s your best friend’s sister. Best friend’s sister. Best. Friend’s. Sister.

  Maybe if he kept repeating the mantra to himself his dick would get the message.

  Julie stopped within an inch of touching him. Liam held himself still. He wouldn’t encourage her, but no way would he back down—it wasn’t in his nature to run. Not from anyone.

  “I told you, Liam. I play by house rules, and this is my house, so my rules.”

  He stared her down. “What if someone doesn’t like your rules?”

  She shrugged. “I can be flexible. Can you?”

  No. Not on this. They weren’t talking about cards or making food. They were talking about something dangerous. Something they both wanted, but he knew he could never have. Friendship was all he could offer Julie, no matter how much more he wanted.

  “We have standard fitness tests every six months. Flexibility isn’t a requirement of the FBI.”

  Her smile faltered before she burst out laughing. “Oh, Liam. You’re hopeless. Fine, we’ll play by your rules. For now.” She winked. “Go set up the movie. I’ll get the popcorn.”

  She moved off to the pantry, and he beat a hasty retreat to the sanctity of the living room.

  For now.

  The words sounded like a threat, a very tempting one. He grabbed the remote, flipping the TV on. Scrubbing one hand down his face, he groaned. How the hell would he survive two weeks alone with this woman? He knew one thing, Ryder’s water heater would be getting zero use. For the next two weeks, there would be nothing but cold showers in his future.

  The beeping of the microwave echoed from the kitchen. Moments later, Julie came into the room with a bowl of fluffy white popcorn. She sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her.

  “Come on, FBI man. Time to get our movie on.”

  He glanced at the couch—which had never seemed small until this very moment—and the tempting woman sitting on it. A hot flush of sweat broke out all along his body.

  Oh yeah, there would be many, many cold showers for the next two weeks.

  Chapter 3

  “Julie, honey. Wake up.”

  Honey? She liked the sound of that.

  “Come on, sleepyhead.”

  She liked that less. Sleepyhead was something you said to a kid. When would this man get it through his thick, sexy skull that she was not a child?

  Because she wanted to tease him—and she really was exhausted—Julie snuggled
into the pillow. Only it wasn’t a soft couch pillow her nose currently rubbed against. Whatever she pressed against was much harder. A strong, spicy scent invaded her nostrils. She turned her face and inhaled. Yummy.

  “I’m not carrying you to bed if that’s what you’re angling for, lazybones.”

  The deep rumble of Liam’s words vibrated against her. Oh…she’d fallen asleep against him. No wonder her body was so peaceful and rested. If the pharmaceutical companies could bottle Liam’s scent they’d make a fortune in sleeping aides.

  Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. “What time is it?” Her voice came out scratchy, mouth dry from sleep.

  His pale, golden eyes stared down at her. A sexy smile curved his lips. “Close to midnight.”

  “Is the movie over?” A jaw-cracking yawn escaped her before she could stop it.

  He chuckled, the vibrations from his chest rumbling against her cheek. “Yeah, you didn’t last past the opening credits.

  And he just let her sleep, curled up against his chest?

  How interesting.

  Liam made her head spin. There were times she thought this desire she felt went both ways. Moments she would swear she saw heat in his eyes, tension in his body. But then he’d joke about her age or bring up her brother. Hot and cold described Liam Graham perfectly.

  “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

  His eyes widened, as if he just realized the intimate position they were in. Clearing his throat, he gently moved her into a sitting position on the couch before standing.

  Hello, Mr. Cold Shoulder.

  “No problem. I actually got to enjoy the movie this way.” He grinned, raising a brow. “No comments on realism from the peanut gallery.”

  And right on time, here was Mr. Playful and his warm teasing. A girl could break her neck with all this back and forth.

  “Forgive me for wanting my movies to be accurate.”

  “It’s called entertainment for a reason. Real life court rooms are boring for the most part, and you know it.”

  She did. Everyone thought her job as a public defender was all murder trials and mobsters, but that was rarely the case. Most of her days were spent going over misdemeanor cases that never saw the light of the courtroom. However, when she did have a high profile case—like Jason Kline—it wasn’t so much interesting as sad and scary. The guy threatened to kill everyone in the courtroom, and now that he had escaped, there was a very real possibility he’d make good on those threats.

  A cold dread snaked up her spine, and she rubbed her arms to ward off the chill.

  She didn’t want to think about Jason now. Her brother’s house was in a small mountain town far away from the city. If Jason showed his face here she’d know it in the span of a minute. Small towns loved to gossip, and Peak Town was no exception. She was safe here. After all, she had a big, strong, sexy FBI man staying with her.

  With that yummy thought in mind, she allowed her gaze to roam over Liam, who was currently grabbing the half-empty popcorn bowl and mugs. He walked to the kitchen to deposit the items, giving her a very nice view of his backside. She bit back a sigh. The man had one seriously fine ass. She could stare at that thing for—

  “Julie?”

  Oh shit! She glanced up. Had he caught her staring?

  “Yeah?”

  “I asked if you could turn off the TV.”

  “Oh, right. Sure.” How embarrassing. She didn’t even hear him ask the question. Although, she would have been more embarrassed if he caught her checking out his butt.

  After turning off the television, she headed out of the living room, flipping the light switch as she went. She met Liam in the hall. Her room was right next to her brother’s, where Liam was staying. She’d be sleeping just a few feet away from him.

  Did he sleep in boxers? Pajamas? Naked? Her heartbeat picked up speed, racing in her chest. Suddenly, she wasn’t so tired.

  “You need anything before bed?”

  Your delicious, naked body pressed against mine.

  She bit her tongue at the thought. It might be a bit too bold to say. She wanted him to see her as a woman, not a sex-crazed maniac.

  “This is my childhood home. Technically, you’re the guest here. I should be asking if you need anything.”

  Liam stared, golden eyes darkening. His gaze swept down her body, and she saw the infinitesimal tightening of his muscles. He took a step toward her, and for one brief moment she thought he was going to kiss her. It was there, in his eyes, that same yearning she felt every time she saw this man. Liam felt it, too. For her. He was going to—

  “No.” He sighed, a sort of resigned sadness in his gaze. “I don’t need anything, but a good night’s sleep.”

  Damn infuriating man!

  He walked past her, being very careful not to touch any part of her body. “Goodnight, Julie.”

  “Goodnight, Liam.”

  And goodnight any chance of seeing that fine backside sans pants.

  ****

  Bright rays of sunlight hit her cheek, warming Julie’s face, pulling her from a deep sleep. She rolled over, kicking the covers off her bed. Morning had always been her favorite time of day. While her coworkers dragged themselves in by the power of coffee every workday, she happily rose with the sun. There was something invigorating about sunrise. The start of a new day was so promising. Beginning fresh. Anything was possible.

  A quick glance to her bedside table revealed the time to be just past six. She wondered if Liam had woken yet. Would he be up and about? Standing at the coffee pot in his…boxers? Her mind ran wild. She’d always had a vivid imagination; it was one of the reasons she was so good in the courtroom. She could see and describe a scenario to people that had them believing they were there. And right now, she was seeing Liam, practically naked, standing in the kitchen.

  A rush of heat crashed over her. So what the hell am I still doing in bed?

  Jumping up, she threw her silk robe on over her nightshirt as naughty scenes played out in her mind. Things involving her and Liam and losing what little clothes they had. She enjoyed exercise first thing in the morning—and there were certainly a lot of exercise options two people could engage in playing through her mind right now. She believed the proper name was sexercise.

  A giggle escaped as she made her way down the hall to the kitchen. The smile on her lips, however, died the moment she stepped onto the chilly tile floor. No half-naked Liam, or clothed one for that matter. The kitchen was empty.

  So much for sexercise.

  Berating herself for her outlandish fantasies, Julie made her way over to the coffee pot. She may be a morning person, but she enjoyed a cup of joe to start the day same as the next person. Maybe the smell of roasting java beans would wake Sleeping Beauty. Wait, you didn’t call men beautiful, even if it was true.

  Liam did have the most beautiful eyes. A light caramel brown that appeared gold in the right light. Hair so blond it was almost white should have looked ridiculous, but on him, it was amazing and natural. He told her he once dyed it brown because the kids at school kept teasing him. His mother cried for a week, and he’d never done it again. Julie didn’t blame Mrs. Graham. Liam’s hair was amazing. Then there was his toned physique. Years of work in law enforcement had given the man the body of a Greek God. Adonis would envy Liam’s broad shoulders and lean cut muscles.

  So, even if he was beautiful by the very definition of the word, he probably wouldn’t like the descriptor. Sexy might be better…delicious, tempting, scrumptious. Yes! That’s it, Sleeping Scrumptious.

  “Is there a reason you’re up at such an ungodly hour on your vacation?”

  “Eeek!” She jumped, whirling around to find a sleepy looking Liam—sadly, fully dressed in pajama pants and a white T-shirt. He yawned, jaw going wide, and scratched at the pale stubble lining his chin.

  “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  He glanced at the five feet of space in between them, a smile lighting up his handsome face. “Pretty sure
there was no sneaking. You just can’t seem to pay attention to anything lately. Got something on your mind, Jules?”

  Yes. A lot. A crazy killer who just escaped and vowed to kill her and everyone involved with his trial. Her brother just eloped without telling her or giving her a chance to come along, and to top it all off, she had to spend the next two week under the same roof as a man who made her crazy with lust, but kept throwing hot and cold signals her way enough to give her whiplash. It would make any girl a little absentminded.

  “I just wasn’t expecting you up this early.”

  He snorted. “Yeah, well, the smell of coffee woke me. Not all of us have enough youthful energy to get up at the butt crack of dawn.”

  There he went with the age jokes again. Fine, if that’s how he wanted it, two could play this game.

  “I apologize for waking you. I know how much you old folks need your sleep.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  Oooooh, don’t like it when the tables are turned do you, Mr. FBI man? Too bad if he didn’t like it. Like she said last night, she played to win.

  “Coffee?” she asked sweetly, holding out a cup.

  Liam crossed the distance between them. When he accepted the mug from her hand, she noticed a slight wince when he lifted his right arm.

  Huh, what’s that all about?

  She’d ask, but with his morning mood she doubted he’d give her a straight answer. Yeah right, like he’d give an answer in any mood. Sharing intimate details of his life with her was not Liam’s forte.

  He blew across the top of his mug before taking a sip. “So, what’s on your agenda for today?”

  She doctored up her own coffee with a little cream and sugar. How Liam could drink it black, she had no idea. All that bitter taste turned her stomach. After taking a sip of the sweet concoction she sighed and leaned against the counter. “I thought I’d take Wind Chaser out for a ride.” At his confused glance she clarified, “My brother’s horse.”

  He grimaced. “That beast of a thing?”

  “She’s not a beast. Well, okay, technically she is, but she’s also a beautiful animal.”

  A shudder rippled his shoulders. “She’s huge and could kill you with one well-placed kick."