Things That Go Bump In the Night 2004

by Ashleigh Raine

  While his mouth traced along the neckline of her sweater, his hands skimmed down her sides, coming to rest on the slopes of her breasts. He cradled and caressed, his fingertips lightly brushing over her erect nipples. She cried out as a shaft of desire shot from her nipples to deep inside her body. Liquid heat filled her, making her feel like she was being boiled alive.

  There was still too much clothing separating them. Jill sat up and pulled the sweater over her head. Arden nodded his approval then lowered his head to her breast. Through the thin fabric of her leotard, his warm mouth suckled, his teeth tugging on the nub of flesh. His other hand slid down her abdomen, stopping when his fingers hit the zipper of her jeans. She whimpered, pushing up against his hands and mouth and body. “Arden…” she moaned, tossing her head back and forth.

  There was a rustle in the bushes to her right. Visions of rapists, murderers, and other creepy things from the late night news filled her mind. Could it be the wind? No, the wind had died down. And Arden hadn’t noticed anything—was she imagining it? She blinked, trying to focus in the dark.

  Glowing lion eyes blinked back at her. Before she could draw breath to scream, a lion jumped back into the brush.

  “Oh my God!” Jill scrambled out from underneath Arden, yanking on his arm, trying to pull him with her.

  “Jill? What’s wrong?”

  She pointed a shaking hand in the direction the lion had disappeared. But had it even existed in the first place? It had been so quick…

  He lifted her to standing, his arms surrounding her protectively. Arden’s concerned face filled her vision. “Jill? What did you see? What’s wrong? Was someone there?”

  Trying to come to grips with what she’d just seen—or thought she’d seen—Jill looked back into the bushes. Nothing was there. “A lion…I swear I just saw a lion. It was watching us…” She shook her head. “I must be seeing things…”

  “We should go just in case,” he said.

  “Yeah.” Jill swallowed hard, her eyes still trained on the last location of the lion her mind had most probably fabricated. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Jill.” Grabbing her discarded sweater, Arden tore her away from the cliff and all the fiery passion they’d shared there. She threw one last glance behind her. No lion. Just the undisturbed beauty of coastline.

  Arriving back at Silver Twilight, Arden parked next to her car. “You going to be okay?” he asked as they dismounted.

  “Yes. I’m okay now. More ticked off at myself than anything. A lion? I mean, what was I thinking?” She sighed. “I’m sorry it ended that way—”

  “Shhh…” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Can I see you tomorrow night? To avoid lions, we’ll take it inside this time. My house? Dinner?”

  “You cook?”

  “And clean.” He winked.

  “Then I’ll definitely be there.” She smiled, relieved that he wasn’t taking tonight as a blow off. “I get off work at five. I’m all yours after that.”

  He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, then handed her a business card. She traced her finger over the embossed lettering. “Griffin Designs—Arden Griffin—Owner” and a phone number beneath it.

  “Call me in the morning and I’ll give you directions to my place.” As though sealing the deal, he placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her so sweetly, her knees weakened. His other hand trailed down, resting on her hip. “I’ll see you then.”

  Chapter Four

  Jill’s stomach fluttered excitedly as she drove toward Arden’s place. Today had felt insufferably long and even though she’d been remarkably busy, the day had dragged by. Especially after she’d spoken with Arden. All she’d wanted to do was close her shop and spend the day remembering the way he had kissed her. The way he used his whole body when he kissed, the strength, heat and power of him melding with her. Every part of her had felt that touch, even though he hadn’t touched the parts of her that burned the hottest.

  Jill blushed at the memory. She wasn’t the type to have sex on the first date, but she’d been more than willing last night. Right there on the cliff overlooking the deep dark ocean. If she hadn’t been spooked by the lion, or what she’d thought was a lion, she would’ve happily gone for it.

  “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my,” she sang in a high-pitched voice. The stupid thing was that she still couldn’t completely convince herself that she hadn’t seen a lion. Although she knew it was near impossible that a wildcat would be prowling around the outskirts of Talisman Bay, in that brief moment it had seemed absolutely real.

  She turned onto Arden’s street and parked in front of his house. No lion was going to screw things up tonight. Grinning, she grabbed the bottle of wine she’d brought as her portion of tonight’s dinner and practically skipped up to the house, following the flagstone walkway that led to the front door.

  Before knocking she took half a second to assess herself, smoothing the wrinkles out of her pale pink sundress. Did she look too Little House on the Prairie? Darn it, she might as well have put on a bonnet and gone barefoot. She should have gone for a more casual, please-have-sex-with-me outfit. Although she was wearing tiny lace panties and a white lacy bra—not exactly über-vixen but it was the closest she got. But like he was going to see them underneath her Amish attire! Maybe if she loosened the laces over her breasts, exposed a little skin…

  “Arden was right. He lucked out when you bumped into him last night.”

  Jill jumped and whipped around to face the man behind the voice, her heart practically beating out of her chest. But the surprise was far from over. “You? But…”

  That same knowing smile she remembered from last night covered his face. In fact, he looked much the same, his long blond hair cascading down his back, amber eyes alight with mischief, his arms full of groceries.

  Wait a second. Groceries? Just what was he doing here?

  He looked pointedly at her arm, his smile widening. “You can lower the wine bottle. I’m just bringing home some stuff to make a salad. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Jill looked over at her arm, realizing that she was hefting the bottle like a weapon. Smirking, she lowered the bottle. “Well, that’s what you get for sneaking up on me.”

  He laughed, a rich golden sound that made her insides feel like putty. He shifted the bag of groceries into one arm, held out his hand and winked. “Sorry. We weren’t properly introduced last night. I’m Leo.”

  The man’s—Leo’s—charm was just as apparent and appealing as it had been last night at Silver Twilight. It was like he immediately drew you inside of him, making you feel like you belonged, even when you were caught off guard by his overwhelming presence.

  She mentally kicked herself in the rump, then, promising herself she’d ask about Arden in a second, she took Leo’s offered hand. “I’m Jill.” Her gaze wandered from his eyes to his dark green T-shirt, leather jacket and finally to his faded blue jeans. For those few moments, Jill couldn’t remember why she was there or who she was there to see. She shook it off, returning her gaze to Leo’s face. Perhaps the blond god was more dangerous than appearances suggested.

  “Jill, it’s a pleasure.”

  Leo’s hand was warm and firm, swallowing her smaller one. The same tingling sensation she’d felt last night when he touched her wrist assaulted her senses. What the…

  The door behind her opened and a familiar deep voice said, “Hey, beautiful.” Feeling like she’d just been rescued from drowning, she turned toward Arden with a smile just in time for his lips to land soundly over hers.

  Oh my…

  Strong arms—Arden’s arms—surrounded her and she melted against him, tipping her head back to give him better access. His tongue parted her lips and slipped inside. Her whole body reacted to his kiss, the intense longing and desire that had been floating around inside her all day flooding to the surface.

  He pulled away and she blinked up at him, his dark eyes staring back down into hers. His hand cupped the back of her
neck and he smiled. “I see you met my brother, Leo.”

  She blinked again. “Brother?” No wonder she found Leo just as irresistible as Arden. It must run in the genes—or jeans since they both knew how to fill out a pair. She chastised herself for noticing their matching asses—um…assets—then shot her gaze to Leo, who was watching their exchange with interest.

  “Brother,” Leo repeated. He squeezed her hand—she was still holding his hand?—then let it fall. “The brother who is wishing he hadn’t let you go last night. Leave it to Arden to rub it in by bringing you home for dinner. Not that it bothers me. Tonight it’s my turn to win you over.” With a vibrant twinkle in his eyes and that telling phrase, he entered the house.

  Jill knew her eyes were probably as wide as saucers. She expected Arden to say something, stake his claim, or even make fun of his brother. Instead he turned her in his arms so she was facing him, then kissed her again before leaning his forehead against hers. “I’m so glad you came tonight, Jill. I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day.”

  “Feeling’s mutual,” she said breathlessly, her rapidly pounding heart somehow managing to stay inside her chest.

  “Good…now do you mind that Leo’s here? He’ll be on his best behavior—which probably means you’ll be flirted with nonstop.” He grinned. “Not that I blame him for it, of course. But you just say the word and I’ll kick his ass to the curb.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Jill said with a laugh. “I’m sure I can handle the both of you.”

  Jill waited to be struck down for that lie. What the heck was she thinking? It was one of those moments she wished she could freeze in time, dissect, and figure out exactly what to do next. Two hot men. Two brothers. And she’d be in the same house, spending the evening with both of them. Well, maybe Leo would bow out early. But it was his house, too. How could she expect him to bow out? It was too much to think about. Should she be worried? Nervous? Scared even?

  Yeah, right. Try excited and enthusiastic. Truthfully, she had a feeling that Leo flirted with every woman who crossed his path, but the double attention was more than she was used to. Why shouldn’t she enjoy it? As long as Arden didn’t mind, why should she?

  “You sure?” Arden asked.

  “I’m sure.” She nodded for emphasis. “It’ll be fun.”

  “Well, good,” Arden replied with a wicked grin, then took her by the hand and into the house.

  Immediately she was hit with the aroma of garlic, herbs and tomato sauce.

  “I hope you like spaghetti,” Leo called from somewhere in the back of the house.

  “Of course! Only heathens don’t like spaghetti,” she joked as Arden led her toward the kitchen and dining room area, taking the bottle of wine out of her hand. There was something more than just the scent of marinara sauce wafting around her. Like magic sparks were floating in the air, something about being in that house with those two men felt incredibly…well…stimulating.

  Arden pulled out a sleek cushioned metal chair at the glass dinner table. “Please, have a seat. Dinner will be ready shortly.”

  “And it’ll be good,” Leo added. “Promise.”

  Jill wasn’t sure who to reply to so she just smiled. “Thank you.” She watched as Arden joined his brother in the well-equipped kitchen. Swiftly, he grabbed wineglasses from a rack above the counter and proceeded to uncork the wine.

  “You got that okay?” Arden motioned to Leo, who had a spoon in each hand, stirring the contents of two different pots on the stove.

  “Easy as pie. Salad?”

  “Definitely.”

  Arden brought Jill a glass of wine, setting it down gently on the glossy black placemat in front of her. He swirled his own liquid-filled glass. “Nice coloring, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Everything about her is delightful.” Leo looked up from his stirring and winked. “Oh, you weren’t talking about Jill, were you?”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. What was it about these two guys? Why did she feel so at ease and really in the mood to enjoy everything they had to offer?

  Everything? her inner slut taunted. She gulped, barely avoiding choking on her wine. Her libido could easily go into overdrive around these two. She had to remember that “everything” only included dinner and conversation. The rest was for Arden alone.

  “Well, of course everything about her is wonderful, but shouldn’t you pay more attention to what you’re cooking?” Arden swallowed some wine before heading back into the kitchen.

  “Only if you do. I’m nearly done and yet there’s nary a scrap of lettuce chopped or carrot peeled. Just how do you intend on serving the first course before the main?” Leo tossed a tomato to Arden, which he caught in one hand.

  He set his glass down and rolled his eyes. “Back to work.” In moments, Arden had the salad ingredients sprawled over the countertop. Chopping, shredding, dicing, slicing, the man was an expert with a knife, taking care with the tomatoes, sloshing just enough dressing, shaking just the right amount of herbs into his masterpiece.

  Swishing the contents of one of the pots, Leo produced a spaghetti noodle and walked over to Jill. “Tell me. How do you like your pasta? Is this al dente enough for you?” He leaned his fork close to her lips and she retrieved the noodle with a little slurp.

  “I wish I was on the other end of that noodle.” Leo grinned. “Good?”

  “Yes.” Jill laughed. “Perfect, actually. But would you be on the other end of the noodle or have me whipping you with it?”

  “Hey now. There’ll be no noodle-whipping without me involved.” Arden chuckled as he tossed a radish at Leo who adeptly caught it while returning to the kitchen.

  “I’ll whip the both of you. I’m an equal opportunity noodle-whipper.”

  The two of them stopped and gave her identical looks of interest. She laughed and took another swig of wine. Her shoulders were finally starting to unknot from the day spent leaning over her worktable. She hoped they’d completely quit aching within another few sips. Tonight held tons more potential than her average humdrum evening and she didn’t want tight muscles interfering with any of the fun to be had.

  Leo moved the spaghetti pot to a back burner, then glanced toward Arden and watched him put the finishing touches on the salad. “Not bad, brother.”

  “You’ve never expected anything less, have you?”

  “True. Very true, Arden. But the real test will be on the palate, won’t it?” Leo looked at Jill and playfully raised an eyebrow. “Don’t mind him. He’s just showing off.”

  Arden slid his brother a look of amusement. “Let’s just see how that sauce of yours turns out, huh? Then we’ll see who’s showing off.” He plucked a cherry tomato out of the salad bowl and walked over to Jill. The tomato glistened with oil from the salad dressing and with a sensual grin, Arden traced it along her sealed lips. “It’s all in the presentation,” he said huskily. “Then when the time is right, you can fully indulge.”

  Entranced, her mouth opened beneath the tomato. The burst of flavor startled her, but it tasted even better when Arden placed his mouth over hers. His tongue flicked out, stealing the oil from her lips. She shivered under the onslaught of taste and touch and knew she’d never eat a tomato again without thinking of this moment.

  Arden had only just backed away when Leo stepped in his place, this time with a spoonful of sauce, his other hand ready to catch any stray drips. “The secret’s in the sauce.” He stared at her lips as she reached for the spoonful of what smelled like herbed tomato heaven.

  “Tangy enough, I hope?” he asked.

  She nodded, but then a drip escaped the corner of her mouth.

  Leo wiped it away as though it never happened, but his eyes told another story. Their eyes met as they shared the intimate tingle of his skin grazing hers.

  Jill looked away and licked her lips, tasting salad dressing and sauce, Leo and Arden. She wanted to close her eyes and moan, to get lost in the feast of the senses. Her body physically ached, her
nipples tight, her inner thighs awash with yearning heat. This desire for both of them wasn’t healthy, and she needed to calm her raging hormones and not let herself ruin the relationship she wanted with Arden. He may have said he was okay with his brother flirting with her, but she couldn’t imagine he’d be okay with the thoughts running rampant through her head.

  She spoke carefully, trying to keep her voice light and flirty so they wouldn’t suspect her inner turmoil. “This is incredible. But you both should probably stop feeding me or I won’t be hungry when dinner is ready.”

  “Don’t lose interest yet,” Arden said, refilling her wineglass as Leo retreated back to the stove. “If you like his concoctions so far, dessert’s going to be heaven.”

  If she survived until dessert. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise her if she spontaneously combusted halfway through dinner.

  Arden returned to the kitchen and the men gathered plates and silverware, moving as though they were choreographed. When Arden dropped a fork, Leo’s hand was right underneath it to capture the stray flatware as though it was second nature. They moved fluidly, almost in unison, Arden finding a spare hand to grab his wine as he followed Leo to the table.

  The presentation of the fully loaded salad and hearty spaghetti marinara had Jill’s mouth watering. Or was that because of the company? She wasn’t sure, but their light dinner conversation kept her laughing and smiling, while each bite was a taste of heaven. The thought of dessert had her wondering how it could top such a dinner. Okay, maybe just hand her a can of whipped cream and let her coat the nearest male specimen. Either way, the dish would be delicious.

  And she really should stop thinking like that. She was there for Arden. One man was enough for her, no matter how much she was enjoying the attentions of two.

  “So, Jill, I already know you’ve got one motorcycling brother. Any other brothers or sisters?” Arden asked before taking another sip of wine.

  “There are eight of us, actually. I’ve got four brothers and three sisters.”