---
This had to be a dream.
She was in the arms of the love of her life, and he was pulling her closer until there was practically no space between them. His body was molded against hers now, his chest to her breasts, his hands trailing down on her waist and his mouth—
His mouth was very near her throat, almost touching, and it was glorious. It was so glorious that she couldn’t help the moan that came out of her mouth, and the succeeding whimper as she heard his rumble of approval.
Her body heated and her brain short-circuited. She felt his thumb on her lower lip, and automatically, she took it in her mouth and sucked.
He groaned, nipping her chin. His tongue came out to lick, hot and wet, and she purred in pleasure at his ministrations.
“Oh, James…”
His other hand moved under her shirt, caressing her skin and trailing up.
“This is amazing, James.”
Those hands went down again to cup her bum and squeeze, bringing her closer until she could feel him against her, hot and so hard.
Yes. Yes, please. God, yes.
“Kiss me, James.”
“Oh, I will. But I’m not James.”
The heat of all of him was giving her a possible meltdown. A brain damage. An apoplexy of the highest level, because everything was so delicious and wonderful and perhaps she should be the first to kiss him—
His words registered.
Lilah’s eyes snapped open, just in time to see his eyes glinting before he dipped in for a kiss. Her vision adjusted in the darkness, taking in his lush mouth, straight nose, jet-black hair and familiar features. Then, back to the eyes. Gray eyes.
James had golden eyes.
His hand squeezed her bottom again, and heat pooled in her belly.
Horrified, Lilah did the only thing that came by instinct.
She kicked him in the shin.
Chapter 2
The pain registered first, a sudden flash that had him cursing under his breath in very creative terms. Then there was a blaze of light as the lighting was fully turned on, and he glared at the offensive woman who had caused the pain, at the same time standing up to his full height for proper intimidation.
He saw purple wedges, ridiculously high for bare legs – though the legs themselves were creamily toned, and encased in shorts that weren’t really proper shorts at all, considering how short they were. A flat, soft tummy, showing under a hanging shirt that showcased full breasts and pert nipples, clearly visible. Pretty throat, and lush, sensuous lips, and—
Familiar green eyes glaring at him as if he was the very devil.
He’d recognize those eyes anywhere.
Horror filled him as everything clicked into place.
“You were trying to seduce my brother?”
“You were supposed to be James!” she hissed at the same time.
Lilah Jones had gotten rid of her nerdy blue glasses and her brown hair wasn’t as frizzy as it was before, but she was still as short as ever – and still with a temper that could basically have any man running for the hills. And he’d just almost kissed her. He’d definitely touched her in very improper places.
His childhood neighbor.
His almost-sister.
The pain dulled, but the horror roaring in his brain increased by a tenfold as he realized what exactly they’d been doing earlier.
“Fuck, Delilah.”
“Go do yourself,” she shot back, still glaring at him.
Yeah. She’d always had a smart mouth on her. His gaze went back to her outfit in disbelief.
“You look like a hooker.”
Her glare intensified as she came at him, breaths heaving. The action caused her chest to rise up and down, and her nipples were still clearly visible, distended in the cold and a nice shade of—
He looked up at the ceiling and immediately stopped his train of thoughts before his pants could tighten again.
Almost-sister. Sister.
Off limits.
“Can you cover yourself, please?”
He heard a squeak, then some grumbling and rustling. Then she cleared her throat.
“Done.”
Finn let his eyes shift back to her.
The breasts were now gone, covered by a couch pillow – thank goodness. Her glare was also gone – thank goodness – and was replaced by a curious expression as she stared at him openly in amazement.
“Since when did you come back, anyway?” she asked, coming closer. Apparently she’d gotten over her embarrassment. Good for her.
He mimicked her casual stance. “Tonight. Just got here from the airport.” Throat suddenly dry and badly needing a drink, Finn went to his brother’s liquor stock for guests and took out the whisky decanter. He began pouring some on a glass and offered it to her.
“Want?”
Lilah shook her head.
Finn drank it down, feeling the whisky shoot fire in his system. Feeling a lot better, he sat on the nearest surface (which happened to be the office couch) and began rubbing his shin. Lilah winced at the action.
“I’m sorry about that.”
“No worries.”
Hesitantly, she sat beside him. “What are you doing here, Finn?”
He was here because he thought his brother would be, and he could surprise the guy. Decent explanation – except he wanted to ruffle her. “I should be asking you the same question, Delilah.”
She reddened, but scoffed. “Oh, stop calling me that.”
He grinned, remembering her childhood nickname. “Fine. Frizzy-head.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“You’re changing the subject, Lilah.”
Like an expert, Lilah changed it again. “So, how was your tour?”
“It wasn’t a tour.” He regarded her quietly, taking in her face. Pretty, verging on ordinary – she’d always had big eyes even as a kid, simply emphasized by those thick glasses she had. Somehow, her face had grown enough to fit around those eyes. They’d always been her most striking feature, clear and bright with fire.
He used to tease her a lot, and she gave as good as she got. It used to drive James wild to witness them bickering, but it couldn’t be helped – Lilah always tagged along like an insistent lizard, whether they went fishing or tree-climbing or whatever it was that young boys did. And when she couldn’t catch up, James waited for her.
Then adulthood happened, and college. He’d breezed by, while his brother aced everything. Lilah was still around the corner, but not that much anymore.
When the Brody brothers took over their father’s restaurant chain business years after graduating, they discovered that James had the knack for managing it perfectly – and Finn was perfectly content to sit in the sidelines, letting his brother handle everything and only taking over when needed. It was the perfect setup, because he got to cruise by and enjoy all the luxury he wanted – cars, women, all that jazz.
Then it became unbearable and boring – and so he left for Europe. There, he discovered that he had a knack himself – for creating dishes, of all things. He used this knack to help James expand the business, and Finn’s cuisines became an international sensation.
It was fun at first, until the restlessness settled in again. And so he came back home.
But back to the topic at hand.
“So what have you been up to lately, Lilah?”
Lilah shrugged. “Nothing much.” Then she brightened considerably. “I’m a bookstore owner now. Certified and tested awesomeness.”
“You still writing?”
“Of course.”
He remembered she had dreams of being a writer someday. It was no wonder she always kept a book in hand before, and would repeatedly insist that James read to her.
“Things good?”
“Of course.”
“Is James your lover?”
“Of cour—no.” Realizing her slip, Lilah narrowed her eyes at him. “But he will be.”
“And is he aware?”<
br />
She lifted her chin. “He will be.”
Ah.
“I daresay you’ll be seducing him again?”
“Of course.”
“You can’t do it,” he teased, for the heck of it. As expected, her green eyes lit on fire.
“Watch me,” she promised. Then she stood up and gave him a prim nod. “Welcome home, Finn.”
Then she left, bringing the couch pillow with her and leaving the scent of lilies lingering in the air.
Finn saluted the empty room. Welcome home, indeed.
---
That night, Lilah stared at the ceiling of her bedroom and tried to reconcile the boy she knew, the man she saw on newspapers, and the man she’d just accidentally seduced. Well, semi-seduced.
He’d been tall and lanky as a boy, and a relentless teaser. Basically the bane of her existence.
He’d looked great on newspapers, his rise to fame as a renowned chef hounded incessantly by the paparazzi – his pictures always with a smirk on his face and a glint on his eye, and his arm always around a woman or two. There were parties and lots of excitement in those pictures, the image of a man who was talented and too handsome for his own good.
Then he’d disappeared from the media for a while.
Then...he was here. In the flesh.
The newspapers didn’t do him justice, because they didn’t say how hard those muscles were going to be when touched. They also didn’t say that he’d look even more dangerous in person – tall and dark-haired, with muscles in all the right places and a face meant to stop traffic. Just like his brother – except James wasn’t the type to bite.
Finn was as infuriating as ever – and exactly the man she ought to avoid.
He was larger than life, too dangerous for any woman’s good. Too virile. Too…male.
Shaking her head at her thoughts, Lilah rolled to her side and took out her book – the one that taught her the so-called tips for catching the man of your dreams. They were images accompanying the pages, starting decently enough, then turning more and more enticing until they all but devoured the pages with their sensuality. Tingles started up her spine as she imagined doing them all with James. Only with James.
Tomorrow. She was going to seduce his socks off.
And perhaps wipe the smirk from Finn’s face as she did so.
Chapter 3
Finn leisurely sipped at the coffee in his hand and idly listened to his little cousin rambling on about some new comic book she’d discovered and wanted him to read. Seven in the morning, and he was subjected to this – and James beside him – instead of being warm and sleepy in bed, with the thought of waking up being the last thing in mind.
Preferably with a woman in his arms. And yes, waking up and sliding inside her and—
“So what do you think of the proposal?”
Without blinking, Finn promptly replied.
“I think it’s too damn early and we should all go back to bed.”
James frowned at him, those dark brows meeting in the middle. He turned serious brown eyes at Finn and opened his mouth to speak – or lecture, more like – but Finn stopped him before he could utter a single word.
“We should definitely go with the Japanese dealers and their new branch proposition. The Russians sounded too eager.”
James kept frowning at him.
“Or we can go with what you want, brother. You’re the expert.”
“You’re the chef,” James pointed out.
“You’re the president,” Finn shot back. “And you’re older. You decide.”
There was a very distinct sigh as James adjusted his glasses, directing his frown from his brother to his notes. Unfazed, Finn merely gave him a mock salute before a thought formed in his head.
"Serena?"
Their fifteen-year-old cousin, who was very busy studying the drawings of the comic pages she was reading, snapped up to attention.
"Yes?"
"Want some chocolate pancakes for breakfast?"
Serena brightened. "Do I ever!"
Breakfast, then he was out of here. Finn smirked. "I guess we have to go, bro."
Serena was already dashing for the kitchen, probably already sweet-talking their resident chef to get all ingredients ready. The kid always liked her food overloaded, for some reason.
From the corner of the door, he saw James' new additional secretary passing by - a gorgeous creature with the longest legs he'd seen in a while. He could already imagine her greeting him sweetly, and perhaps more. It didn't hurt to go see what lay there.
Perhaps those long legs could wrap around his hips in time.
Interest perked, Finn stood up, ready to go.
James opened his mouth, ready to lecture.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Lilah breezed in with a tray of what smelled like blueberry muffins in her hand and wearing...a dress. All thoughts of the secretary vanished as he stared at her outfit in amazement.
There was no other word to describe what she was wearing except that...well, it was an abomination. Neon-colored and very pink, it flared at the bottom with polka dot designs - which would have been okay if she hadn't paired it with blindingly shiny silver wedges.
Lilah ignored Finn and gave James a very sweet smile.
Dear God. She was anything but sweet.
Oblivious to her outfit, James gave her a pleasant smile back. "Hello, Lilah. Nice to see you back."
She blushed. The reaction brought a lovely tint to her cheeks as she demurely looked at James. Then those green eyes whipped in his direction and a frown marred her face as she saw him remain in the room.
"Don't you have somewhere to be, Finn?"
"Nope."
Her frown deepened. It was exactly the same frown she'd always given him since they were kids, when he basically disagreed with everything she'd uttered. Oh, but she'd always been fun to tease. With a slow, wide grin, he deliberately sat back down.
"I saw Serena downstairs. She's waiting for you."
"She'll be fine distracting the cook."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep."
He could practically hear her grinding her teeth, but she kept her calm and determinedly faced James. She started chatting about this new book she'd read that she thought he'd like, and promised him he'd...expect more. James nodded and said that was nice.
She crossed her legs, showing off more exposed skin and angling her butt. A flash of his hands on that ass – and its unexpected plumpness – had Finn almost choking into his coffee.
James' eyes did not even stray.
She spritzed quickly on her neck, and he already knew what the scent would be. Then she sidled closer and looked over James' shoulder at what he was doing, craning her neck to the exact spot she'd spritzed on.
"That is...fascinating."
Another choke, as Finn tried to disguise his laugh.
Lilah glared at him. Then she pulled out her next weapon.
"James...would you like to try my muffins?"
Jesus. Finn hadn't been this amused in a long time.
"I would definitely like to try your…muffins," he replied in his brother's stead – as innocently as he could, of course.
She glared at him again. Then she reluctantly handed him one, and practically tried to force-feed James. It was a testament to his brother’s polite nature that he merely blinked when he bit on the muffin that had the texture of rock, and choked only once.
Frantically, Lilah got water from the water station and rushed it over to them – only to stumble on her wedges and spill the water on James’ lap.
“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry.”
His brother merely smiled, mesmerizing Lilah enough to have her freeze and stare. Dear God. She was really hooked, wasn’t she?
“It’s no problem, Lilah. It was an accident.”
“Pretty klutzy,” Finn commented offhandedly, trying to chew his own bitten-off muffin. Yep. Rock.
The day went on. It was an hour of Fin
n trying not to laugh as Lilah kept up with her disastrous seduction plan.
And James remained completely oblivious.
---
It was disastrous. So disastrous that Lilah wanted to bury her head in the sand and never come out. Or repeatedly bang her head against the wall until said incident was forgotten. By everyone.
Preferably by James.
A shadow stood in her view, obviously with no intention of going away soon. As the love of her life has already left the office to go to some important meeting, said shadow could only to one person.
“Go away.”
There was silence, but the shadow was still there. The silence was then broken by a heavy sigh, as the shadow disappeared and the couch dipped beside her.
Lilah, who had her head buried in her palms, turned in Finn’s direction and glowered.
Finn merely gazed at her thoughtfully.
“You really like my brother, huh?”
“None of your business,” she muttered.
“What if I make it my business?”
“You can’t,” she snapped.
“Well, at least let me give my opinion.”
“You’re going to give it whether I say yes or no.”
Finn grinned – a sight that had her catching her breath before she realized he was trying to turn on the charm like he did with all his so-called women. It was probably the smile of a man who tempted you to join his side – and you were sinning before you realized it.
Idiot, arrogant playboy.
“Fine. Tell me your opinion.”
Those long, muscled legs stretched beneath his pants, almost as if he was settling in comfortably. Then he listed them down, voice calm and precise. Oh, but he was brutal.
Her dress was an abomination (his words).
Her shoes were horrible.
She baked terribly.
She flirted like a teenager with weird words.
Her temper was the death of her.
She obviously needed help.
Lilah raised a brow. “And I assume you think you’re the kind of help I need?”
Confidently, Finn inclined his head, a shock of black hair falling on his forehead. “Of course.”
“And what kind of help are you planning to offer, exactly?”
If he said he was going to seduce her or something to that effect, she was going to sock him so hard. Lilah was about to say so, but he surprised her by leaning forward from his relaxed position on the couch and regarding her with a serious gaze. It was the first time that he’d leveled her that kind of look, and it shut her up.
MC Romance: Gravel A Motorcycle Bad Boy Obsession (Untamed Rider Forbidden Temptation Book 1) Page 22
