Some Like It Hot

by Brenda Jackson

  He nodded. “What type of case was it?” he asked with genuine interest.

  Sydney appreciated his response. She really liked her job, and with everyone in her family being attorneys, it was hard for anyone to want to talk shop at the end of the day. Even Rafe, who was also an attorney, used to get annoyed when she’d tell him how her day went or attempt to discuss some of her court cases, just to get another opinion.

  “It was a David versus Goliath case, a little woman going after a major corporation that dropped the ball and didn’t want to admit it. My client is a working mother of two girls, and for years she’d been tucking away money into one of these educational plans that guaranteed the money would be there when she needed it to fund her daughters’ college expenses. Well, when her daughter turned eighteen and applied to colleges, evidently some of the rules for dispersement had changed without my client being notified, which included the fact that now only certain colleges and universities fell under their umbrella. As far as I was concerned, it was an outright case of a conflict of interest, since the majority of those schools somehow benefited from the company in the long run, as well as the fact that none of the schools on that list were ones my client’s daughter wanted to attend. They made it seemed like she didn’t have a choice. As her attorney, I had to send a message out there that she did have a choice. If she had one when she took out the plan then she had one at the end, especially if their change of policy wasn’t dictated to her.”

  Tyrone nodded. While she’d been talking, he’d kept his gaze glued to her mouth. He liked the firm fullness of her lips and was turned on by the color of her lipstick. He’d never been so attracted to a woman’s mouth before. And when she stopped talking and nervously licked her lips before taking another sip of her wine, he knew that if he ever got a chance, he planned to feast on that mouth until he got his fill, then wondered if such a thing were possible. He had a feeling that across from him sat a hot-blooded woman, filled with passion of the highest degree.

  He could feel it. And he wanted it.

  Tyrone blinked when he realized that Sydney had asked him a question.

  “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” he asked.

  She smiled, and the way that smile touched her lips made heat settle in the pit of his stomach. “I asked what you’ve been doing since the weddings.”

  Nothing much, other than fantasizing about you, he wanted to say. Dreams of making love to her had been the norm for months following the wedding. He would wake up at night in a cold sweat with visions of her naked silky flesh entwining his. He could even hear her tiny cries of pleasure when they both came. He didn’t think he would ever forget his vision of her moving beneath his thrusting body. On some nights, the only thing he could do to calm himself was to get out of bed and belt out a few, slow melodic tunes on his sax, or play a soothing number or two on his piano. One night things had gotten so heated he felt the need to beat out his frustrations on his drums, but in consideration of his neighbors hadn’t done so.

  Tyrone shifted in his seat and decided to give her what he considered a watered-down version of what he’d been doing since they’d last seen each other. “Most of my time has been spent booking entertainment for Leo’s for the rest of the year. Wednesday nights will continue to be Amateur/Open-Mike Night, when we showcase new and upcoming talent, but we’ll like to continue to bring class acts on Fridays and Saturdays, when we do live entertainment.”

  Sydney nodded. One weekend before Linc’s marriage, the two of them had had dinner at Leo’s, and Smokey Robinson had made a rare appearance. It had been a wonderful show. “Sounds like you’ve been busy,” she said smiling. “Who’s running things while you’re away?”

  “Clyde Burrell. He’s the entertainment manager for the club. Normally when I’m in town we work together, and when I’m away I leave things in his capable hands.”

  “Do you get away a lot?”

  “I take extended trips two or three times a year. Any dedicated musician needs to keep his fingers on the pulse of the music industry.”

  Sydney tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth as she listened. She could imagine those same fingers keeping a pulse on something else, too. She’d studied his hands earlier while he’d been taking a sip of his wine. They were firm hands, strong and beautiful, and she believed they were capable of giving a woman all kinds of pleasure. Her heart began beating relentlessly at the thought when suddenly she was reminded of the last time she’d had pleasure. It had been the kind she had with Rafe Sutherlin, the kind that had left her still wanting.

  Suddenly she wanted to make love to Tyrone. She craved it with a desire so deep it almost took her breath away, and the way he was looking at her didn’t help matters. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it when the waiter appeared with their food.

  She sighed, thankful for the timely interruption, since she’d been tempted to act more brazen than she’d ever been with a man by asking Tyrone to make love to her tonight.

  “It was a lovely evening, Tyrone, thanks for taking me to dinner.” They stood in front of her door and she tried not to stare at him too much and too long. But when he nodded and let his gaze drift to her mouth, she knew he wanted to kiss her, that he would kiss her, and the kind of kiss he would give her needed to be done inside.

  “Would you like to come in for a while?” She didn’t include the phrase “for a drink” because she knew he would be coming in for something other than that. There was no use pretending otherwise. Curiosity between them had reached its peak, and they needed to sample this unusual, mind-blowing attraction before it got the best of them.

  “Yes, I’d like to come in for a while,” he responded in a voice that sent sensuous chills down her spine.

  Sydney knew that if she’d had the presence of mind, she would have told him good night after thanking him for dinner. But she didn’t have the presence of mind. The only thing on her mind was finding out if he tasted as good as he looked.

  She slowly unlocked the door and opened it, all the while feeling the heat of his body standing close to her. Her breathing was irregular and her breasts ached. She didn’t need anyone to tell her she was turned on to the third degree and had been all evening.

  She heard him close the door behind her and turned around expectantly. Tyrone was glancing around the room.

  “Where’s Denzel?” he asked.

  She lifted a brow. Her thoughts were focused on kissing him and his were on a dog? He evidently understood what she was thinking. “I don’t want any interruptions, Sydney.”

  Her skin suddenly felt hot when she realized what he was saying. She swallowed deeply and then answered, “It’s late. Denzel has probably turned in for the night. Not too much will wake him after that.” She couldn’t help but smile when she added, “He’s not a very good watchdog.”

  Tyrone chuckled lightly. “Maybe that’s a good thing, because I’m not sure I’d want him to watch this,” he said, reaching out, taking her hand, and pulling her toward him. He gently eased the coat off her shoulders, then did the same for his, tossing both garments across a nearby chair.

  When he met her gaze again, she felt her pulse increase its racing. As if he knew, he slid his hand up her wrist and touched the area that was beating out of control. While she watched him, he slowly lifted it to his lips and placed a kissed there.

  It took everything Sydney possessed not to swoon. The touch of his lips to her wrist was hot.

  “Do you remember the first time we met, Sydney?” he asked huskily.

  She didn’t have to rack her brain to remember that day. She and Rafe had broken up and, needing to lick her wounds, she’d shown up unexpectedly in D.C. At first it hadn’t seemed like good timing on her part since Linc had had an argument with Raven. When Raven had shown up at Linc’s apartment to make up and had seen her standing in the living room with nothing on but her slip and bra, she’d gotten the wrong idea. Needless to say, things had gotten straightened out and the three of them
, along with Raven’s two sisters and the men they loved, had met the next day at Leo’s for brunch. That Sunday she’d been introduced to Tyrone.

  “Yes, Tyrone, I remember when we first met.”

  He smiled. “And do you know the first thing that went through my mind when I saw you?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He took a step closer; so close she could feel the firm peaks of her breasts touching his shirt.

  “I had two thoughts. My first thought was that you had to be the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. And I mean that sincerely, Sydney. It’s not just another line a man would say to a woman.”

  He then placed his hands at her waist. “My second thought was that one day I wanted to taste you in every way.”

  The fire that had been smoldering in Sydney’s veins all evening suddenly escalated into a blaze. Maybe it was the fact that that same thought had gone through her mind when she’d first seen him, too. Whatever the reason, they were in a position, a very good position, to find out.

  Boldly she reached out and placed her arms around his neck. “Now you have your chance, Tyrone Hardcastle, and I have mine, since I had the same thought,” she said honestly, too far gone to play games with him.

  Sydney wasn’t all that clear as to what happened next. All she knew was that Tyrone’s mouth was slanted on hers, kissing her in a way she had never been kissed before, not even during the year she had dated Rafe. With the tip of his tongue Tyrone traced every part of the insides of her mouth before capturing her tongue with his own, mating with it and driving her wild.

  His hand shifted from her waist to her hips. Holding her body against his, she felt his erection against her middle, leaving little doubt in her mind of how much he wanted her. By the same token, she could feel the heat between her legs intensify and the firmness of the tips of her breasts against him. He was rock-solid against her, and she imagined that hardness inside of her in a way she had only dreamed about for months.

  She felt an immediate sense of loss the moment he ended the kiss, but not for long. After a deep breath of air, he was back at her mouth, kissing her relentlessly. In spite of the heat, she was shivering in his arms. Grasping his shoulders for support, she met the gentle rotation of his hips against hers, grind for grind. The musician in him had created a tempo, and the woman in her was stroking the tune he was playing.

  Tyrone was determined to give in to the desire that had been driving him mad since first meeting Sydney. Her body’s response to him was making him that much hotter. She was pure temptation, and he wanted nothing better than to take her to the nearest bedroom and get inside of her. No woman had ever made him this out of control, and he had to slow down. He forced himself to think about her brother. Their relationship dictated that he not take advantage of her. Then he thought about Ayanna. He didn’t have a sister, but he thought the world of his cousin. He would be mad as hell if any man wanted to use Ayanna’s body just to satisfy an urge. He was determined to show Sydney the same courtesy and respect, even if it killed him…and walking away tonight, turning down what she was so blatantly offering, just might.

  He reluctantly pulled his mouth away, but not before his tongue traced the wetness it had generated from around her lips. When she stretched her neck and groaned, he couldn’t resist brushing his lips against her neck, tasting her there.

  “I’d better go before we do something we’ll both regret later, Sydney,” he whispered hoarsely against her ear.

  Sydney nodded, knowing what he said was true. She appreciated and admired his willpower, because at that moment she didn’t have any. She’d never felt so out of control in her life. Never had kissing a man made her feel this way. If he’d had the mind to pick her up and take her to the nearest bedroom, she was so far gone in desire that she would have gladly participated in anything he had planned.

  “I usually don’t get this carried away,” she murmured. She didn’t want him to think of her as a loose woman, although at present she was not at all together.

  “I know. I think the two of us bring out a certain degree of lust in each other,” he said smoothly, still kissing her softly around her eyes and cheeks.

  “Why do you think we do?” she asked curiously, since he seemed to understand more of what was happening between them than she did.

  “We’re deeply attracted to each other.”

  She chuckled good-naturedly. “Tell me something I don’t know, Tyrone.”

  He grinned. “All right, when was the last time you slept with a man?”

  She lifted a brow but answered anyway. “About fifteen months ago.” Wondering where his line of questioning was going, she asked, “And when was the last time you slept with a woman?”

  He frowned as he thought about her question. When it dawned on him that he also hadn’t been with anyone since then, almost fifteen months, he decided to be as honest with her as she’d been with him. “I haven’t slept with anyone since I first met you, Sydney.”

  Sydney’s eyes widened. “Why?” she asked on a breathless sigh.

  Again he decided to tell her the truth. “Because I’d made up in my mind that you were the woman I wanted.”

  Sydney shook her head. “If it’s true that there was more than the obvious attraction between us, why didn’t you say anything to let me know you were interested?”

  He met her gaze. “Because I’d overheard Linc mention to Ayanna that the reason you showed up in D.C. unexpectedly that weekend was because of an argument you’d had with your boyfriend. For all I knew, once you returned to Memphis, the two of you worked things out and got back together.”

  “We didn’t,” she said quickly.

  He continued holding her gaze. “Yes, I know. I asked Linc about you a few months later, and although I tried asking in the way of small talk, I think he picked up on the fact that I may have been interested in you.” He smiled wryly. “So, I believe out of pity, every time he’d come into Leo’s he would tell me some tidbit or two about you and how you were doing.”

  Sydney nodded, meeting his warm gaze. “Why didn’t you make an attempt to talk to me six months later, at the rehearsal dinner?”

  “Because I still wasn’t sure if you and that guy would get back together,” he said quietly. “According to Linc, the two of you had dated for over a year, and that’s a lot of history.”

  And a lot of selfishness on Rafe’s part, she thought. She had finally seen just how inconsiderate he’d been to her. “There’s no way Rafe and I can get back together,” she said firmly.

  Tyrone’s deep voice filled her senses. “Although I pity the guy, I’m glad he’s out of the picture.”

  Sydney was stunned by the seriousness in his voice and marveled at the thought that he felt that way. But a part of her needed to know the reason. Her throat tightened with emotion when she asked, “Why?”

  He took her hand and folded it gently into his. “Because nothing has changed. I still want you.”

  “Oh.” She was speechless. She and Tyrone barely knew each other and they definitely weren’t in love. Yet from the first, something monumental and totally unexpected had taken place between them. Seemingly they had been drawn together by something irresistible that went beyond common sense…at least her own.

  “I really don’t know what to say, Tyrone,” she said softly. Even now she couldn’t take her eyes away from his.

  He reached up and skimmed his thumb against the softness of her cheek. “You don’t have to say anything. Just consider it a ‘tell me where you’re coming from’ night. And because I want you as much as I do, I won’t take advantage of the situation. We’ve waited over a year to finally put these desires out there on the table, and I think that we’d be doing each other a disservice if we rushed into anything because of overloaded hormones.”

  He smiled warmly. “You never seemed to be the kind of woman who did anything without first thinking it through.”

  Sydney nodded. Her family had often accused her of analyzing
things to death. Yet when it came to Tyrone Hardcastle, she felt wildly impulsive.

  “If we ever decide to take things further, I want to know without any doubt that you understand what the relationship will be and also what it won’t be.”

  She raised a confused brow. “Which is?”

  His hold on her hand tightened. “What it will be is sharing mindless passion by two people who are irresistibly attracted to each other. And what it won’t be is a prelude to love or to a commitment. I’m not interested in either.”

  Sydney understood what he was saying. She couldn’t remember how many men she had walked away from who’d offered her the same thing. It wasn’t in her makeup to accept so little out of a relationship, but Tyrone was making her rethink that position. Even now, she felt her resistance to his offer melt away.

  She was too confused to give him an answer about anything tonight. “You’re right. I need time to think about all of this, Tyrone.”

  He smiled into her eyes. “Take all the time you need, and if you feel you can’t handle the type of relationship I’m offering, then I understand.”

  She nodded. His tone was sincere, and she knew he meant what he said. Whatever they shared would be physical and not emotional. The big question of the hour was whether she could handle that sort of relationship with him. It seemed so detached. But then, she’d been in what she’d considered an attached relationship with Rafe, and look where it had gotten her.

  “Can I leave you with something else to think about, Sydney?”

  Tyrone’s deep, sexy voice pulled her back in and she gazed into his eyes. Her heart began pounding furiously when she saw the deep desire in his gaze. “Yes,” she said softly, and wondered why in heaven’s name she was playing with fire.

  He smiled and leaned down closer to her, and her mind suddenly cleared of everything except him. She opened her mouth under his, and again he took the time to kiss her. The intensity of his desire for her was still evident in the way he was kissing her, and she couldn’t do anything but return the passion that seemed to be uniquely his.