by Tawny Weber
Zane tore his eyes off her face long enough to glance at it, then had to look again.
“Is that glittering?”
“Mmm, edible glitter in the frosting. I think it adds a little something special.” Her eyes not leaving his, she swept her tongue over her finger, licking off half the frosting and sending a shaft of heat through Zane’s body so hard and fast that his jeans almost ripped.
“Want to taste?”
Instead of letting him lick her finger, though, she gave him her mouth. Soft, wet and tempting, her lips teased, her teeth scraped. The kiss went from playful to incendiary in a sweep of her tongue.
Then, way too soon, she pulled away, leaving behind the tempting flavor of vanilla and a little something special.
“Was that to hold me until drinks?” he asked, his hands rubbing circles over the soft fabric covering her hips.
“It’s just something to keep in mind. You know, in case you meet anyone or hear anything that makes you tempted to skip out on our date.”
“What I might hear?” He grinned. “You have a rep I should know about?”
“You’re one to talk about reps.” Vivian laughed, the sound both sexy and sweet at the same time. “It’d take me a lifetime to even work up to a tenth of your reputation, Mr. Bad Boy Bennett.”
“Good point. So what am I going to hear?”
Her gaze narrowed, those big brown eyes intense as she studied his face. But instead of answering, she shook her head.
“Just keep that kiss in mind,” she suggested.
As if there was any chance he’d forget.
“What’re you doing later?” he asked, keeping his voice low. No point in making it easy for the Kewpie doll to stir up gossip.
“Later, when?”
“Later, after we meet for drinks.”
A smile curved those full lips. It was a tempting sort of a smile that sent a hot shot of desire straight though his body. God, he couldn’t remember ever flashing so hot, so fast, for a woman before.
“I have some chocolate to replace,” she said, running her tongue over her bottom lip, then lifting one arched brow. “You remember the chocolate from last night?”
“In vivid detail, as a matter of fact. I even dreamed about a few of those chocolates.”
“Actually—” she leaned in closer so her words were a breath of air over his skin “—a few of those chocolate designs were based on my very own lingerie.”
He thought of the various odes to sexy underthings he’d seen the night before. Oh, yeah. Even hotter.
“How about I help you with that? Since it’s my fault your other batch was ruined.” This might be the first time he’d ever used chocolate as a ploy to get a woman naked.
“Are you any good?”
“Babe, you have no idea.” Zane’s smile turned wicked. “I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
Zane wanted to show her here and now just how satisfied she’d be, but he could hear the clock ticking behind him.
“Tonight,” he promised, heading for the exit with the chocolate cupcake in hand. Oh, yeah. One hand on the door, he glanced back. “Just one question.”
She hitched herself onto the desk, one leg crossed over the other so her skirt fluttered at her thighs as she swung her foot.
“Only one?”
His eyes locked on those legs, Zane wondered if he could actually feel his brain cells dying from lust overload.
“Just one.” He pulled his gaze up to her face, appreciating the sassy smile playing over those vivid red lips. “What’s your name?”
Her laugh filled the room as sweetly as the sugar already scenting the air.
“Vivian.”
Zane knew he’d never slept with a Vivian before, but he did a quick memory check anyway. Because there was something so damned familiar about her.
“Nice to meet you, Vivian.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Zane.” The words were a husky purr that suited silk sheets and candlelight.
His grin flashed.
“Believe me, it will be.”
He’d make sure of it.
“Oh, Zane?”
He looked over his shoulder.
“One more thing.” She swiped up another scoop of frosting, then delicately licked the glittery white confection off her finger. His blood zoomed south so fast, Zane was surprised he didn’t black out. He grabbed hold of the door frame, just in case.
“Anything,” he said. “Especially if it includes frosting.”
“It might.” Vivian smiled, one foot swinging to and fro, each pass making her skirt flutter and showing that sexy hint of thigh. “Of course, you have to show up to find out. With that in mind—” she put her finger in her mouth again, sucking the frosting clean off, and Zane had to remind himself to breathe “—I dare you to show up this evening—no matter what you might hear about me.”
“What?” He shook his head to clear the lust fog. “Why?”
“Oh, I have my reasons,” she promised. “If you take the dare, you’ll find out what they are.”
“I never say no to a dare.” Zane aimed a finger her way. “You’re on.”
“I can’t wait.” With that, Vivian dipped her spatula into the stainless-steel bowl, spread a thick layer of white glitter over the first tier of cake, then looked up with a flutter of her lashes. “Maybe later you’ll be saying that again.”
* * *
YOU’RE ON.
Those words played out in Zane’s head like a soundtrack to a very enticing reel of images. What did she have in mind? Oh, he’d clued in to the sexual innuendo just fine.
“Hi.”
But there was more going on.
“Zane?
He might serve in EOD instead of Intelligence, but he was trained well enough in cryptology to recognize a hidden message when he heard it. Now he just had to decipher the meaning.
“Have you slipped into a coma? Or did you forget why you knocked on my door?”
Zane blinked the pretty brunette into focus. From the expression on her face, she wasn’t used to being ignored. With good reason. There was nothing ignorable about Quinn Oswald.
With that in mind, Zane focused on the matter at hand. Winning the challenge.
“Hello, Quinn.” He dug down for his most charming smile. “I brought you a cupcake.”
6
ZANE COULDN’T STOP thinking about Vivian.
She’d stayed front and center in his mind during his chat over coffee and a cupcake with Quinn. She’d lurked in the background during his visit with his mom—which was pretty damned polite, since the thoughts he was having were totally unsuited to have around mothers. And here she was, still filling his head as he headed for the reunion registration.
He’d never obsessed over a woman before. Why would he when there were so many more out there to get to know? But there was something about Vivian that intrigued the hell out of him.
Could be the siren’s smile of hers, with those full inviting lips and hint of an overbite? Or the invitation in her sloe eyes? Or the body? Oh, yeah, that body was worth a few million obsessive thoughts. But as gorgeous as the package was, his head was filled just as often with the memory of her laughter, the way her eyes lit up. Her clever quips and the comfortable ease she seemed to have with the sexier side of life. And then there was the frosting.
He parked his Harley in the visitors’ lot of the high school and sat there for a moment, paying tribute to that frosting.
Or maybe it was her dare. What was up with that? He puzzled over that as he strode across the high school courtyard, following the hand-lettered signs to the auditorium.
“Yo, Bennett.”
Zane lifted a hand to r
eturn the greeting, but didn’t slow his stride.
“Hi, Zane.”
The petite redhead required a quick flip through his mental files.
“Hey, Stacey.” Reluctantly slowing his pace, he waited for the vivacious former cheerleader captain to join him. “How’s it going?”
In their three-minute chat, she managed to touch his cheek, his ear, his shoulder, arm and chest. Time to say goodbye, he decided when her fingers drifted south.
“Better go,” he excused, tilting his head toward the reunion signs. “I’ve got to get registered, find my brother, that kind of thing.”
“Give me a call while you’re here.” She leaned into him, her breasts echoing the invitation. “We can do a little reminiscing of our own.”
With a smile and a noncommittal grunt, he disentangled himself and continued toward the auditorium. Invites like that weren’t rare on these visits home. But his lack of interest was.
He wasn’t interested in a quickie, just a good time or a fast, pants-around-the-ankles ride down memory lane.
Zane’s feet stopped so fast, he almost face planted it into the side of the building.
What the hell was going on?
Sure, he wanted to see Vivian again. Yeah, to his recollection she was the hottest woman he’d ever met. And yeah, the sexual explosion potential was intense.
But that was no reason to obsess.
Not to the point of losing interest in other women.
That was just crazy.
He had to get Vivian out of his head.
He had to keep this on the down low.
At least until he’d figured out what she was up to, and what was going on between them. And, yeah, most likely after that, too.
Because if there was one thing his buddies were, it was a pain in the ass when it came to trying to ferret out information and use it.
Zane put his game face on. Anything less would be fodder for the idiot brigade. And while most of the hometown gang were pretty lame at digging up deets, Xander was the king.
Zane stopped inside the doors, rocked back on his heels and looked around.
Huh.
Talk about distractions.
Maybe those sayings about time were true. The place did look smaller than it had back in school. Probably because the three dozen people milling around were adults instead of teens. Or it could be the big-ass float in the middle of the basketball court shaped like a panther wearing a sailor cap.
“What the hell is that?” he asked when he’d made his way around the float to where his friends were gathered.
“Reunion float,” Lenny said, his tone pure duh. “For the parade.”
“Parade?” Zane exchanged appalled looks with his brother. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Mike nodded. “We’re honoring you guys, remember?”
“With a stuffed cat?” Xander choked out.
“What’s a parade without a float?”
“A...”
“Parade?” Zane finished in the same tone he’d use if Mike said they’d be straddling IEDs down Main Street.
“Yep. Most of the members of the marching band are back for the reunion and five of the eight baton twirlers.” Mike continued his parade playbook, listing names of their graduating class who’d be revisiting their former glory. Zane stopped listening after the cheerleaders.
“Seriously...” Zane dropped into the chair next to his brother and shook his head.
“I say we sneak back in here tonight,” Xander said, leaning toward Zane, his voice low. “Dismantle the cat and burn that freaking hat.”
“There’s still time to mount a strategic retreat.”
“You’re forgetting one thing.”
Their eyes met. Zane sighed.
At the same time, they said, “Mom.”
Ever since they got home, she’d been beaming.
She’d beamed her way through a big family dinner the night before when she’d told them that her entire book club had started reading Navy SEAL romances to celebrate her sweet boys being honored as heroes.
She’d beamed while their sister Kerri’s kids had peppered them with a million questions about the military, and hadn’t even dimmed when they’d begged for blood and gore.
She’d beamed her way through the cupcakes Zane had brought her earlier that day while talking to the reporter who’d called to ask what it was like to raise two heroes.
And she’d beamed her way through the four phone calls that’d come in while he was there, each one checking to see if she needed a ride, an extra photographer or, hey, how about a videographer for the big event.
“Fine,” Zane muttered. “But I’m not riding on that panther.”
No way. No how. He shook his head. If he was going to ride anything, it was going to be the sexy blonde. Zane couldn’t recall a woman ever sticking in his head like Vivian was, but considering the nature of the thoughts, he couldn’t say he was sorry. He just wished he knew what the hell she meant with that dare.
“Something’s up with you,” Xander said, his narrow gaze searching. “What is it?”
Zane debated telling his brother about the sexy blonde with the erotic chocolate and creative cupcakes. He’d probably know why Vivian was so familiar. Xander knew damn near everything.
Before Zane could mention her, though, the rest of the guys arrived with a clatter of metal chairs, raucous laughter and loud greetings.
“Xander!” Zane caught the loud squeal just before he caught the curvy brunette issuing it. She landed on his lap, latched her very enthusiastic mouth on his and attempted a friendly tonsillectomy before he could pull away.
“Welcome home,” she purred, her fingers slinking their way down his chest.
Feeling like he was wrestling with a very curvy octopus, Zane disentangled himself from the woman, setting her aside with a smile.
“Nice to see you, too, Tiffany. But I’m Zane, not Xander.” He grinned when the brunette gave a loud “Oops,” then slithered over to offer the same greeting to his brother. Xander looked anything but thrilled.
“It’s not fair,” Lenny complained when she’d been sent on her way. “The two of you always got all the girls.”
“Not all the girls,” Xander muttered.
“Speaking of girls,” Kyle said, slapping a hand on both brothers’ shoulders. “Either of you made any progress with Quinn yet?”
For the briefest second, Zane thought he saw something in his brother’s eyes. Xander didn’t say anything, though, so Zane jumped in with, “It’s only been one day.”
“Since when has time been an issue?” Kyle wondered.
“You giving up?” Mike challenged.
“Right.” Zane grinned. “Like that’s going to happen. I saw Quinn earlier. Took her a cupcake, even.”
“A cupcake?” Kyle laughed. “Is she eight?”
“Fancy cupcake topped with swirls of whipped cream and one large glossy strawberry.” Zane looked around, gauging their expressions before adding, “And sprinkles. The glittery ones.”
“Whoa,” Kyle breathed with the same rapt expression he wore when he heard one of the brothers’ military stories. Impressed, fascinated and a little awestruck. “Glittery sprinkles?”
“You, my friend, are the man.” Lenny slapped him on the back.
“We should have put money on this one. It’s definitely going to get interesting,” Mike said with a regretful laugh.
That was when it hit him.
He stared at Mike’s smile and the slightly crooked twist of his lips that signified the guy thought he had the upper hand.
Shit.
Vivian was Mike’s sister. His little sister. Dating her could very well be a violation of the bro code.
Couldn’t it?<
br />
Zane couldn’t remember Mike ever voicing an objection to the thought of a friend dating his sister. Just the previous night he’d even laughed at the idea of Lenny hitting on her. But he’d issued no dire warnings or concern. Was that just because Lenny was a class-A dweeb? Or did Mike apply the idea that Vivian could take care of herself to any guy?
Suddenly the dare made perfect sense.
She’d figured he’d make the connection. She was obviously aware of the bro code. And she clearly knew him well enough to figure out the right button to push to ensure she got what she wanted.
Zane leaned back and smiled.
Damned if that didn’t make her even sexier.
* * *
OH, BOY.
At five fifty, Vivian parked her car up the street from Carvellos and flipped down the visor to check her appearance. She puffed out a nervous breath, then slicked an extra coating of Carnal Crimson, dabbing a hint of gloss on the cushioned fullness of her bottom lip to give it a sexy pout. Skimming one Glistening Midnight nail under her bottom lashes, she gave an extra hint of smudge to her liner before shaking her head so her hair fell in a silken wing over her left eye.
There. Ready for drinks and a little something extra, she decided as she slipped out of the car. She dropped her keys into her tiny black patent leather cylinder purse, tucking the chain over her shoulder as she took another long breath and, hips swaying thanks to her four-inch retro peep-toe heels, made her way down the sidewalk toward the restaurant.
As she passed the floral boutique, she checked her appearance again in the wall of windows. Her sleeveless red-and-white polka-dotted blouse had a sweetheart neckline she’d accented with an oversized beaded necklace. She’d tucked the silk into a high-waisted sailor-button pencil skirt that hit just above the knee. The look was pure vintage, sexy with class, she concluded, tugging the fabric at her hips a little to smooth out a crease.
Not only did the forties look suit her, hopefully it was different enough to keep Zane’s attention and keep him distracted enough to forget her last name. And, more important, who her brother was.
She sashayed with deceptive ease to the door of Carvellos, not breaking her stride except to nod her thanks to the older gentleman who held open the door. She could feel his eyes on her butt and considered it a good sign. She needed all the confidence she could get to continue into the bar.
