by Opal Carew
“So, little Tasha is going to university next year,” Trey said as he sat down on the stool beside his youngest sister.
Tasha didn’t look all that little. She was tall and slim with a well-proportioned figure, long straight dark hair, and the same warm brown eyes with gold specks that Trey had. Whether Trey saw it or not, she was definitely a young woman.
They chatted for a while, then Trey served dinner. They made plans to visit the university the next day, mostly for just a look-see, since it was a Saturday. They’d do a full tour on Monday.
After cleaning up the dishes, they all watched a movie in the living room before calling it a night.
Danielle followed Trey into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, feeling odd going in there with him while his sisters were in the house.
“So, what do you think of Suzie and Tasha?”
“They’re beautiful—and so nice.”
He stroked her cheek. “Then why do you look perplexed?”
“No, it’s just that . . . I found it weird . . .”
“What’s weird?”
“They hugged me. When they first got here. But they don’t even know me.”
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She leaned against his familiar warm chest.
“Danielle, you’re my girlfriend. That means you’re part of the family.”
Part of the family. As simple as that. She would love to be part of his family. To have many more nights like the one they’d just had. To feel like she belonged.
After changing into her nightgown, she climbed into bed beside Trey. As nice as the evening had been, as she lay there, it felt like something was missing. It took her only a moment to realize that . . . it felt strange lying in bed beside Trey without Jake.
In the morning, Danielle blinked open her eyes as bright summer sunshine washed across her face.
“Time to get up,” Trey said as he stood by the window fastening the last few buttons on his shirt.
She rolled onto her back, away from the glare, and tucked her hands behind her head.
He strolled to the bed and prowled to her side.
“Looking sexy to entice me back to bed won’t work.” He rolled over her, planting a hand on each side of her shoulders, and leaned down to kiss her, then nuzzled her neck. “Well, maybe it will work.”
Delicious tingles danced through her body and she longed to rip open her nightgown and pull him into her depths. Instead, she flattened her hands against his chest . . . his hard sculpted muscular chest . . . and pressed him away, still very conscious of the fact that his sisters were nearby.
“No, we really do need to get up,” she said.
Trey kissed her again, then rolled away. “Okay, but if you change your mind . . .”
“I know.” She grinned. “You’re ready and willing.”
She disappeared into the bathroom, the gentle caress of his lips still haunting her. She showered, pulled on a pair of jeans and a turquoise T-shirt, and headed toward the kitchen.
“Morning, Danielle.” Tasha glanced up from the magazine she was reading while sitting on the couch in the sunny living room. Hickory lay by the window in a patch of sunlight on the carpet.
“Good morning, Tasha. Did you sleep well?”
“Uh-huh. Trey and Suzie are in the kitchen making breakfast.”
Danielle nodded and pushed through the door.
“Hey, Dani. Want a coffee?” At her nod, Trey poured some coffee into one of the tall red stoneware mugs he knew she liked and handed it to her.
“May I help with something?”
“No, you just enjoy your coffee,” said Suzie. “Trey and I have this under control.”
“But—”
“Really. Trey and I work well together.”
Danielle poured a little cream in her coffee and a teaspoon of sugar, then sat at the counter and watched them. They did work well together, Trey turning the sizzling bacon, then pulling it out with tongs and placing it on a stack of paper towels to drain, while Suzie poured the beaten eggs into a frying pan, then glided a wooden spoon back and forth in the pan. The toaster popped up and Trey tossed the toast onto a plate, put a couple more slices of bread into the toaster, then buttered the fresh toast.
She sipped her coffee while she watched them move around the kitchen handling the various tasks like a real team. It probably seemed like the simplest, most ordinary day in the world to Trey and his sisters, but to Danielle, the simple pleasure of a morning breakfast with family seemed like the best thing in the entire world.
Finally, breakfast was ready, and they all sat down at the dining room table, which Tasha had set, to enjoy the hot breakfast together. The kidding and camaraderie around the table made Danielle realize just how much she’d missed by never being a part of a close group of siblings.
As they finished, Suzie said, “Is your friend Jake joining us for dinner tonight?”
“I didn’t ask him, so no. It’s just us tonight.”
Danielle noticed a hint of disappointment in Suzie’s eyes, then it quickly dissappeared. “But we could invite him,” Danielle said.
“Really?” Suzie perked up. “I mean, I haven’t seen him in years and I just thought, well, it might be nice to catch up.”
“Sure, I’ll call him and invite him along,” Trey said with a shrug.
Suzie turned her gaze to her eggs, but Danielle noticed the twinkle in her eyes. Uh-oh. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Suzie had no idea how . . . complicated . . . things were between the three of them, and she knew Trey would die if she found out.
In the short time she’d known Suzie, Danielle had begun to feel a strong attachment to her, and she didn’t like the idea of her being disappointed.
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.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close. “It’s just pretend, remember?”
“I just hope you two do.”
They walked to his gorgeous red Mustang and he opened the door for her. He settled into the driver’s seat beside her, then took her into his arms for another passionate kiss. His hands began to rove over her body. When he lightly caressed her breasts, her nipples blossomed in need. She stroked her hand down his hard chest, over his stomach. As she grazed over his growing bulge, she felt heat growing in her belly and rising through her body.
She wanted to tug out his big cock and swallow it down right now, then climb on top of him and glide it inside her.
A car engine started behind them, and reluctantly, she drew away from him.
“We really should be going. They’ll be waiting for us.”
Trey watched Jake and Danielle walk to the table where he was sitting with Suzie waiting for them. They had taken a long time to get here and Jake’s hand was resting on Danielle’s lower back as they walked together. Had they stopped for a quick intimate encounter on the way? Jealousy boiled up in him, but he realized they hadn’t taken that long getting here.
What the hell was wrong with him? Why did the thought of Jake spending time with Danielle . . . being intimate with Danielle . . . drive him crazy? After all, they’d been sharing the woman for weeks now.
Danielle sat down beside him and he breathed in the subtle herbal fragrance of her hair. He slid his arm around her and drew her close.
“Hi, sweetheart.” He kissed her, loving the feel of her soft full lips under his.
When they drew apart, he caught Suzie smiling at them. Jake’s expression, on the other hand, was unreadable.
“Suzie, would you like to dance?” Jake asked.
“I’d love to.”
Jake led Suzie to the dance floor. When he drew Suzie close to his body, his arm around her waist, a brotherly protectiveness rose in Trey. He was extremely conscious of Jake’s hand on his little sister’s lower back . . . of the way her body pressed against his . . . of the intimacy when he leaned in and murmured in her ear. Trey gritted his teeth. Maybe he should just—
“I think our role-playing is leaving Jake feeling a little left out.”
“Did you two do something about that on the way over here?” he asked a little too harshly.
She sent him a sharp questioning gaze. “No. Not really.”
But something about her tone made him think something had happened between them.
“You’re not really jealous of Jake and me, are you? Remember, I’m just pretending to be your girlfriend.”
Trey’s chest tightened. She was just pretending to be his girlfriend. Although he knew it was true, he now began to question everything. Did she have any real feelings for him? Had it just been about an exciting illicit sexual relationship with two men all along? He’d started having feelings for this woman . . . and more, he’d begun to believe she had feelings for him, too.
And what about her feelings for Jake? Would this whole relationship end up in a competition to win the girl. A competition that would end in the destruction of a friendship—more than a friendship—that had endured for almost sixteen years?
Danielle stepped out of the car in the parking lot by the campus center on Monday morning. The sun was shining but there were a few gray clouds on the horizon. She happily followed Trey and his sisters on a tour of campus, remembering her own time at Carleton Falls University. Tasha would have a great time here. She could spread her wings with confidence, knowing her older brother was close by if she needed support.
After an hour of walking around campus, they went to the campus center and stopped in the little café. After picking up their beverages at the counter, they sat down and relaxed for a few minutes.
“It’s eleven now,” Trey said, looking at his watch. He turned to Tasha. “We have a meeting with Dr. Gemina at noon. You can ask her about the different programs you might like to apply to.”
“It was great she agreed to spend time with Tasha,” Suzie said.
Trey smiled. “One of the perks of working at the university. Making great contacts to help your kid sister sort out her future.”
Tasha smiled, then took the last sip of her strawberry frappuccino. “I’d like to head to the bookstore now.”
Trey stood up, his coffee in hand. Danielle finished her tea as they walked past the other tables, and dropped her empty cup in the garbage near the door as they left the café.
“I’d like to buy another sweatshirt,” Suzie said. “The one I got last time is really comfortable, but it’s wearing out.”
“That’s here in the campus center store,” Danielle told her. “Do you want to stop there first?”
“No, you all go ahead to the bookstore. I’ll meet you over there later. I’d like to browse for a bit.”
“Do you want me to show you where it is?” Danielle asked.
“No, I remember. I’ve been here a bunch of times. Really, I just want to poke around at my own speed.”
“Okay, Suzie. See you later,” Trey said.
A knock sounded at Jake’s office door. He didn’t have any appointments this morning. It was probably a student wanting to ask about marks or maybe help understanding the latest essay assignment.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Suzie, Trey’s sister, popped her head in the door.
“Hi, there,” she said.
“Hi. Come on in. What are you doing here?”
Suzie stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She carried a couple of blue plastic bags he recognized from the campus stores.
“Trey thought it would be a good idea to show Tasha around campus today. Tasha is meeting with a Dr. Gemina at noon.”
S
he sat down in the guest chair facing his desk and placed the bags at her feet.
Jake nodded. “Good idea. She’ll be able to help Tasha figure out the best program for her and advise her on what courses to take. She can also suggest scholarships she might be eligible for.”
“So . . .” She smiled, looking slightly nervous. “I wanted to stop by and tell you I had a good time last night.”
Uh-oh. “Yes, it was fun. The four of us get along well together.”
“Sure . . . but I mean specifically . . . I enjoyed being with you.” She perched on the edge of the chair. “I felt that there was . . . a bit of a spark between us.” She glanced down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap, then back to him. “I don’t mean to be forward but . . . I wondered if you might like to get together for dinner one day this week . . . without Trey and Danielle, or Tasha. Just to see if there might be something worth pursuing.”
He sighed and stepped out from behind his desk, then perched on the edge, facing her.
“Suzie, I really like you. . . .”
She smiled. “Good.”
“But . . . Well, I’m seeing someone.”
She stood up and stepped toward him. “And this someone . . . is it serious?”
“Well, uh . . .”
Damn, if she only knew the truth. It would send her running at lightning speed.
She stepped a little too close and her hand brushed across his cheek. “It sounds like the jury’s still out on that. So maybe there is a chance for me.” She stared at him with her dark brown eyes. “You know, ever since I first met you, I’ve had kind of a crush on you. I’ve always wanted to explore the possibilities, but . . . there’s never been a chance. I just thought that . . .”
As she stared at him with wide eyes, his gut clenched at having to turn her down. Here she was putting her feelings on the line and . . . he hated having to do this.
“Suzie, you’re a very attractive woman and—”
Before he could finish his sentence, she leaned in and kissed him. Her soft lips caught him by surprise, and he tried to jerk back only to realize that her arms were encircled around his neck, holding him immobile.
