“Did you two just drive up at the same time?” Heather asked, while the party-goers nearby listened in.
“We came together,” Luke said, placing a hand on the small of Jane’s back.
“Oh good, then Jane called you about her little problem!” Heather tossed Jane a surprised look.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Wow, my own big sister, needing a bodyguard. I don’t think you’re gonna need one at my party though, silly.” Heather shook her head and trotted away.
Jane glanced around the familiar family room, hoping Bradley would spot her with Luke before they veered off in different directions. But he was sitting across the room, deep in conversation with a guy Jane didn’t recognize. Oh well, maybe Luke would have the chance to make himself useful before the night was done.
He’d caused enough trouble for her today. The way she figured it, the least he owed her was to play eager date long enough for her to close in on Bradley.
Luke had finally left Jane’s house, fully clothed, at noon, leaving her fifteen minutes to make it to a hair appointment. Not that a hairstylist could do much for her, but she’d been six months overdue for a trim, and she’d had the gigantic split ends to prove it. Now her untamable curly hair was one inch shorter, glossy and stiff from a zillion hair products, and it draped her shoulders in a slightly more stylish fashion than usual.
She’d hoped to get a little writing done before coming to the wedding shower, but after being mock-attacked in the woods and having a naked guy in her kitchen, her muse was stubbornly on strike.
Instead, she’d torn through her closet for an hour, in a desperate attempt to find an outfit that would both get Bradley’s attention and not make her look like she was trying to get some guy’s attention.
Luke had come back by at six to pick her up, and they’d ridden to the shower in an awkward silence that only seeing someone you barely know naked could bring on.
Jane tried not to dwell too much on the unbridled sexual feelings Luke had aroused in her. She was obviously letting certain hormones affect her thought processes to a frightening degree, and she vowed to stop it. Immediately. No more ogling Luke, no more fantasies like the one she’d indulged in while getting her hair done….
Jane’s insides heated at the memory. She and Luke, alone in the woods, him chasing her down, taking her like a wild animal—
Whoa! That’s exactly what she was not supposed to be doing.
Seeing Bradley tonight would surely cure her of all this misguided lust. Not even Luke could compare to her Mr. Perfect, her soul mate, the one guy she was sure understood the validity of her relationship theories. Okay, so she’d never actually gotten to discuss them with him, but she could just tell by the way he conducted himself that he would agree with what she’d written.
This was her chance to make up for lost time. She’d let quite a few chances with Bradley slip through her fingers, and the more often it happened, the more awkward she grew around him. She was determined not to let Heather’s wedding pass by without finally telling Bradley how she felt about him.
It was almost too much to have him in the same room like this. They normally came in contact only occasionally through their mutual acquaintance with Jane’s sisters, or through Bradley’s work as manager of a restaurant Jane made a point to visit as often as she could.
Now if only she could work up the nerve to ask him out. Here she was, thirty years old, and one of her baby sisters was getting married. It was the kind of event that made a girl think about what she wanted out of life, and for Jane, she was pretty sure her want list included marriage and a family. It definitely included Bradley.
Luke had wandered over to the bar, returned with a drink and small plate of finger foods for Jane, then disappeared again. The guy who’d been sitting next to Bradley vacated his seat, and she saw her chance. She’d never forgive herself if she sat through this entire party without at least talking to him.
She took a deep breath, stood up from her chair, and prayed she could make it through a short conversation without spewing garlic dip or spilling her drink. Perhaps it would be better to leave her food behind.
“Hi, Bradley,” she said as she sat down next to him. Be still her heart, he looked heavenly in plaid flannel.
“Hey, um, Jane?”
Okay, so he’d forgotten her name. They hadn’t spoken in a few months, after all.
Think. Think of something witty to say. “Yep. Fun party, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve never been to a co-ed wedding shower before. Always wondered what went on at these things.”
“Really?”
He smiled. “No. I was just saying that.”
“Oh.”
Jane looked around, hoping to appear casual and not panicked like she felt. All around them people were laughing and talking and generally making merry.
“So…” she said.
“So…” Bradley repeated.
He glanced at his watch, then at his empty cup. “I’m getting a drink refill. Need anything?”
“Whiskey straight with a Valium chaser.”
Brad blinked at her.
“Just kidding,” Jane said, mentally kicking herself for the lame attempt at humor.
“Oh, ha ha. Nice talking to you.”
Jane chewed her lip and contemplated following him. No, that would definitely appear needy. Maybe he’d come back and sit beside her. She watched as he got another drink and went to stand with a group of guys talking sports. Apparently he wasn’t coming back.
She got the feeling someone was watching her, and when she looked over at another clump of guys in the foyer, she spotted Luke. When their eyes met, he made a move as if he was going to come over to her, but then one of the triplets appeared.
“Janie, hon?” It was Heather. “Do you think you could help the caterers out? They’re one person short, and they need someone to bring around hors d’oeuvre trays.”
Jane would have laughed if anyone else had asked. But with Heather, it was just assumed that her big sister was equivalent to the hired help.
“I’ve developed an allergy to finger foods.”
Heather frowned without a single crease forming in her forehead. Jane suspected her little sis was paying regular visits to the plastic surgeon—for preventive measures, of course.
“But, how could that be?” None of the triplets had ever developed the ability to detect sarcasm.
“The allergist said it’s from overattendance of parties, probably. One too many trays of miniature wieners, and I’m scarred for life.”
“Oh, wow. I’ll see if cousin Lily can do it.”
Heather hurried off in search of their wallflower cousin, and Jane occupied herself with a plate of finger foods.
She tried to look as though she didn’t care that she was sitting alone. After a few minutes, Bradley came back and took a seat next to her again, but he was accompanied by a friend of Heather’s, some girl who’d been in the Miss Texas pageant with her, judging by her perfect proportions.
Time for a bathroom break, she decided, or maybe a speedy escape out the bathroom window. No one would know she was missing until the bartender went home and they needed someone to fill in.
Jane slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. Was she ever going to learn not to make an absolute fool of herself in front of Bradley? The answer to that question clearly seemed to be no.
She switched on the light and looked at herself in the mirror. This was not how she imagined the night going, with her huddled in the bathroom feeling sorry for herself because Bradley had forgotten her name and failed to show interest in her lackluster attempt at conversation.
Before she could even react to the sound of the door-knob turning, the bathroom door popped open and Luke stepped inside.
“Excuse me, I’m trying to get a little privacy here.”
Luke shut the door behind him and locked it. “Private enough for you now?”
“As soon as you leave, it will be.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Jane tried to move around him to get some air, but he held out his arm and pinned her against the bathroom counter.
If all her female parts hadn’t come alive with a rush of blood, she would have protested, but as it was, she just stood there, stunned to silence.
“You were panting after Bradley Stone like a lovesick puppy. Is he your idea of a real man?”
Oh God. Had she really been that obvious? Jane did a mental replay of her attempt at conversation with Bradley and realized with a sinking feeling that Luke was possibly right. Still, he didn’t have to point it out.
A sense of righteous indignation rose up and overshadowed her embarrassment. The jerk.
“Um, none of your business, and I am not a lovesick puppy.”
He suppressed a smile. “Okay, if you say so.”
Jane started to protest, but he edged closer, and she fell silent.
How could one human being generate so much heat? Jane felt as though she might spontaneously combust if she didn’t put some space between herself and Luke fast. All her pent-up longing for Bradley must have been redirected at Luke for the moment, because she had the sudden urge to grab him and kiss him senseless.
And that was not going to happen. Was it? He was so close, and she was so, so, so…horny.
Okay, she had to admit it. She, Jane Langston, author of The Sex Factor, the very woman who’d penned the words, “Take charge of your sexual desires or they will take charge of you,” was out of her mind with pent-up sexual urges.
That was the only way to explain what she did next.
“You’d better watch out for Bradley—” Luke was in the middle of saying, when she kissed him.
With her eyes closed, it didn’t matter who she was kissing—Bradley, Luke, it could be whomever she wanted it to be.
The entire world stopped spinning, the din of the party in the background died away and Jane’s pulse froze for a few moments, before she came to her senses and realized what she was doing.
But just as she was about to pull away, sputter an apology and run from the room, Luke slid his arms around her and responded with a kiss of his own, as deep and intense as his eyes. His tongue brushed past her lips and explored, took possession as she opened up to him.
She absorbed his heat as their bodies molded together. He gripped her hips and lifted her up onto the countertop, pressed himself between her legs. Jane knew in that instant that she wanted to strip her clothes off and make love to Bradley—no, Luke, no, Bradley—like a mad-woman.
Luke cupped her face in his hands and tasted her more gently, then tilted her head back into his palm and kissed her neck, her collarbone and up to her earlobe. Jane heard a shallow moan escape her lips, and in an instant Bradley—Luke!—covered her mouth with his again, silencing her.
Then he pulled away.
“I think you should stay away from Brad Stone.”
Jane snapped back to reality, and she wondered if he’d been reading her confused thoughts. “This—this—this kiss had nothing to do with Bradley.”
“I certainly hope not.” A vague smile played on his lips.
“I mean, this was purely just pent-up sexual energy getting out of control.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Sure it was.”
“I apologize,” she said, feeling ridiculous because he was still wedged between her legs, still close enough to kiss. But she had no escape route, and her insolent body wasn’t even remotely interested in putting distance between them.
Instead of taking her apology as an invitation to back off, Luke settled in closer, and heat shot up from between Jane’s legs, where their bodies met, straight to her face.
“No need,” he whispered. “I’m comfortable right here.”
Jane’s every possible sarcastic response faded into thin air.
And then someone knocked at the door. “Janie? Are you in there?” Heather said.
Luke’s gaze darted to the door, then back to Jane. “Your sister?” he asked, not making the slightest effort to lower his voice.
“Yes,” she hissed under her breath.
And before she could stop him, he reached over, unlocked the door, and opened it.
4
Moments of sexual weakness need not mark the end of control over your sexuality. Just minimize the damage by renewing your resolve, closing your legs and telling him the free milk-fest has come to an end.
—Jane Langston, from her work-in-progress, Sex and Sensibility
JANE’S SISTER TOOK IN the sight of them, clutched together like lovers, and her face lost all its color. Luke had quickly noticed the condescending way the triplets treated Jane, and he figured they needed to have their attitudes adjusted. If there was one thing he disliked most about the shallow subculture Jane’s sisters, Michael and his friends were a part of, it was their belief that blond hair and big tits made a woman.
“Do you mind?” he said. “We’re a little busy here.”
“I…I’m sorry. Whoa, I mean, I thought—” Heather snapped her mouth shut. “I’ll be going now,” she said, and shut the door.
“Why did you do that?” Jane whispered.
“Why did you kiss me?”
She produced a look of innocence. “Seemed like a good idea at the time?”
“It doesn’t exactly fit with your philosophy of restraint.”
Her face flushed, and he knew he’d touched a nerve.
“I never said I was perfect, or that practicing restraint is easy—especially during times of stress. I’m under a lot of stress right now.”
Luke slid his hands up her back searching for tense muscles. “You feel pretty relaxed to me.”
She glared at him. “I store tension in my neck, okay?”
He shrugged. “Is Brad Stone the source of your stress?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she looked as if she might inflict pain on a vulnerable spot at any moment. Luke readied himself to go on the defensive.
“Are you jealous of Bradley or something?”
“No. I barely know him, but I can tell he’s an asshole.”
“I’ve known him for years, and he’s a great guy.”
Luke had met Brad at Michael and Heather’s engagement party a few months back, and he’d pegged him right away as a womanizer and a creep. He didn’t even need proof—Luke had jerk radar. Either Jane was so infatuated she couldn’t see the truth, or she was a lousy judge of character.
“What makes you think he’s so great?”
She studied him closely before answering. “He’s intelligent, handsome, sensitive, funny and he cares about helping people.”
“Which is why he works at a bar when he’s not riding around on his white horse rescuing little old ladies from muggers?”
“He manages a restaurant!”
“Which one?”
“O’Malley’s Pub and Grill,” she said grudgingly.
“Hmm.”
“And he only works there because he went into debt paying his grad school tuition and hasn’t been able to afford to return to school for his doctorate yet.”
Yeah, Miss Sexual Restraint had it bad for Brad Stone, and judging by her mile-long list of his positive attributes, she was much more attracted to some idealized version of the jerk than the actual guy. Luke decided it was his personal duty to show her what a real man could do for her.
“Let me guess—you were thinking that if he saw you here with me tonight, he might sit up and take notice.”
Jane’s cheeks formed red blotches, one on each side, and she focused her gaze on Luke’s left shoulder. “Um, something like that.”
“I feel so used,” he said, struggling to keep a straight face in light of her distress.
“You’re only interested in me to prove my relationship theories wrong. How admirable is that?”
“What makes you think that
’s the only reason I’m interested?”
Jane’s gaze met his and lingered, daring him to look away. “I’m not stupid.”
“No, you’re not. You’re intelligent and sexy as hell. An irresistible combination, in my opinion.”
Jane opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. Luke took the opportunity to demonstrate physically what she wasn’t quite believing verbally. He dipped his head down and covered her mouth with his again, pulled her closer, and kissed her for all he was worth.
She opened up to him, a soft moan escaping her throat and mingling with their kiss. Luke immediately hardened again. He hadn’t intended for them to make love right here in the bathroom, but Jane had a strange effect on his self-control. She seemed to render it nonexistent. And if she took things further on her own, there was no way he could back off.
He slid his hands down her rib cage and dipped them under the waist of her shirt. She arched toward his touch as his fingertips explored the soft, hot skin of her torso and then the rough texture of her lace bra. Her nipples were erect, and when he squeezed them gently, Jane moaned again.
He pushed her shirt up to reveal a black lace bra encasing her heavy, perfect breasts. After he’d made quick work of the bra clasp, he broke away from their kiss and dipped his head farther down to taste her bare flesh. He took one brown nipple into his mouth and heard air gush out of her lungs. She tangled her fingers in his hair and thrust her breast farther into his mouth.
If she hadn’t done that—or maybe if she hadn’t wrapped her legs around him and started grinding against his erection—Luke might have had a chance to regain his senses for a moment. Maybe just long enough to put a halt to their craziness.
Or not.
He wanted Jane with a nearly uncontrollable force. He hadn’t come into the bathroom intending to get down and dirty with her on the bathroom counter, but everything about her drove him wild. From her lush body to her quick wit to her crazy opinions, he’d lost all common sense where Jane was concerned.
What A Girl Wants (Harlequin Blaze) Page 5
