Take My Heart: A Steamy Romantic Suspense Novel

by J. J. Sorel

  My eyes swept around the room seeking out familiar faces, namely our boyfriends. As it was Cassie’s boyfriend’s birthday, I’d assumed it would be a younger crowd. Instead, the guests were mixed in age.

  “It’s a swanky affair, isn’t it?” I whispered.

  “Yeah. It’s lavish. I wouldn’t expect anything but.” She smiled. “This is the first time I’ve been here. Shit, I didn’t realize Marcus was so loaded.” She expressed a quiet chuckle. “I’ll have to marry him now.”

  Knowing what I knew about Cassie’s near lack of passion toward her newish boyfriend, I asked, “What about love?” Just as Cassie was about to launch into one of her lectures about marrying for security, almost word perfect to one of my mother’s rants, Marcus and Justin headed our way.

  Wearing a glazy-eyed expression, my boyfriend looked as though he’d already had his fill of alcohol, which made me cringe. As he swaggered over, I had to admit he cut a fine figure in a tux, reminding me of why I’d been attracted to him in the first place.

  He grabbed me by the waist and planted a wet kiss on my lips, after which I pulled away to look at him. “And hello to you, too.”

  “You look fucking good enough to eat,” Justin boomed.

  Noticing the guests staring at me, I whispered, “Shh… tell the whole world, why don’t you.”

  Justin drew me in close again. “I will. You…”

  I blocked his mouth with my hand. “You’ve been hard at it already, I see.” I looked into his hazel eyes, which were coated in just enough cute mischief for me to forgive him.

  He opened his hands in defense. “Hey… Only a few after work. And the bourbon here’s pretty nice.” He swept his arms about. “Nice house, eh?”

  I rocked my head slowly. “Mm… not my kind of thing. It’s a bit too eighties glitz and chintz for me.”

  He pushed back his head. “Come on. It’s perfect.”

  Cassie interrupted. “I agree. It’s a gorgeous house.” She stroked Marcus’s cheek, who responded with one of those sweet, loving smiles. One could almost see the stars in his eyes as he gazed at Cassie. Always polite, Marcus cast his attention to me and held out his hand. “Hey, Ava, thanks for coming.” He leaned in close and whispered, “I agree. I hate this house. I preferred our home back in Brooklyn.”

  Just as I was about to comment, a blonde woman tottered over. Her heels were so high I imagined she wasn’t much taller than five feet. I almost experienced vertigo just looking at her shoes. As she flashed a smile that was so bright I needed sunglasses, I trained my focus on her smooth, doll-like face. But then my eyes, with a mind of their own, landed on the mass of pouting flesh pouring out of a low cut, slinky red gown. She was so top heavy with those ballooning bosoms that she needed to hold onto something in order not to topple over. Or so it seemed.

  Marcus said, “This is Candy, my dad’s new wife.” His cool tone betrayed a dislike for his new young stepmom, who was about his age.

  I smiled. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Cassie held out her hand with a matching bright smile. “I’m Cassandra.”

  “Oh, Marcus’s girl.” Candy wore such long, thick lashes it looked as though her eyes struggled to remain open. “Pleased to meet you, and welcome to my home.”

  Candy turned her attention to Justin and flicked a flirtatious smile, which wasn’t lost on me, given that I’d already noticed Justin leering at her boobs. Despite them being hard to miss, I still felt my skin crawl at that unsubtle gesture.

  “Come and get a drink,” she said with a high-pitched, excitable tone. “There’s plenty of yummy food. It’s catered by Pierre Cheri.” Her face brimmed with pride. Not that I’d ever heard of him.

  Justin clasped my hand as we followed Candy, whose peachy ass swayed along shamelessly.

  “Marcus’s stepmom is young,” I said.

  Justin replied, “Yeah. That’s why he hates her.”

  Cassie, who was on my other side, said, “I’m going for a glass of champagne. Do you want one?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I think I better. The brightness of this room is giving me a headache. Why have four chandeliers when you can have six?”

  “I think they suit the room. I love it. It’s so Dynasty.”

  Cassie and I may have been seriously close, but our tastes diverged somewhere after the seventies. While I went for natural fabrics and classic lines in art and architecture, Cassie loved big hair, Las Vegas, and polyester.

  “Mm… as is Candy,” I replied.

  Marcus returned with two glasses of champagne. As he passed me the flute, he asked, “What was that about Candy?”

  Not wishing to appear judgmental, I said, “She’s nice.”

  “Bullshit. My mother was nice.”

  Cassie interjected, “Marcus, no one ever likes their stepmom. It’s almost cliché, sweetie. I’m sure your dad still holds your late mom close to his heart.” She put her arm around his shoulder, and his frown melted away.

  Having snuck off to get a drink, Justin returned with a plate of food. “Why’s everyone looking so serious? Let’s party,” he said so loudly that the older guests turned and looked over at us again.

  “You should slow down, Justin. It’s only nine o’clock,” I said.

  He ignored me entirely and turned his attention to Marcus. Another kink in his personality, and jarring in many ways, Justin was a man’s man.

  “So why are you looking so fucking glum, bud? It’s your birthday.”

  “He was talking about his mom,” I said.

  “Oh? His new hot one, or…”

  Marcus scowled. “Listen. Don’t you fucking say that ever again.”

  Justin stepped back and held up his hands in defense. “Hey, dude. It’s cool. I was just saying, Candy’s kind of out there.”

  “She’s a fucking ex-stripper. What do you expect?” he snapped. “I don’t know what happened to my father. He used to be a man of taste. An educated man. Then this…” He swept his hand about the room.

  Marcus had been hitting it hard too, it seemed, allowing me to see a new side to him. He’d always come across as the quiet one of the pair. He usually left the spotlight to Justin, who’d been known to jump up on bars and dance or down four shots in succession and sing his favorite team’s anthem loudly.

  I had to admit, my sympathy for Marcus increased after I caught sight of Candy cuddling up to his dad, who looked more like a biology tutor than a billionaire with a penchant for bimbos.

  Justin placed his arm around Marcus’s shoulder. “Come on, dude. Forget about it. She’s making your dad happy, and that’s all that counts.”

  “Mm… I suppose so.” Marcus turned to Cassie and stroked her cheek. “You look gorgeous.”

  Leaving them to it, I headed to the dining area. Following close behind, Justin pinched me on the butt.

  I turned sharply. “Hey, that hurt.”

  He laughed and drew me in tight against his waist. “I can’t help it. You look so sexy all done up. Out of that librarian gear, you scrub up well. And I know what’s underneath.” His eyebrows lifted.

  Mm… Justin was hot to trot. We hadn’t seen each other for a week. He’d been busy at being a lawyer, which suited me because I liked my own space. That evening, though, there was something about Justin that irked me. Mainly his heavy drinking and lack of subtlety, which I should have been used to by then.

  While I battled with those thoughts, a table of colorful sweets caught my eye, and a little voice within told me to forget about that troublesome boyfriend because life was great again. My stomach cartwheeled with glee at the sight of cupcakes. As my hand hovered over the pretty little thing, I reminded myself that I hadn’t eaten since lunch, so sensibly, I headed for the table of savory food instead.

  “I’ll be back soon,” said Justin, touching my ass again.

  “Justin, if you do that again, I’ll leave. You’re embarrassing me.”

  He laughed. “Oh, come on, Ava. I’m boning up bigtime. Your tits look so big in th
at dress.”

  “You’re being crass.”

  He drew me in tight again and planted a sloppy kiss on my lips, leaving behind the sticky flavor of bourbon and Coke. “I’ll be back soon. Enjoy, and don’t let any of those horny rich dudes feel you up.”

  I tilted my head. “I’ll try to control my urges.”

  After Justin left me alone, I was faced with the difficult task of deciding on what to eat. Arranged on platters spread over the large oval table, the colorful array of food was indescribable, thus unfamiliar. As I pondered over each carefully decorated selection that resembled more a work of modern art, a yummy aroma drifted up my nose.

  A voice traveled over my shoulder. “It’s complicated, isn’t it?”

  I turned and was met by Marcus’s dad, who was in his mid-fifties, wearing spectacles and a gentle smile.

  “Um… excuse me?”

  He held out his hand. “I’m James.”

  “Oh… Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m Ava.”

  He studied me for a moment as if trying to get his head around my name. “Ah… Justin’s girlfriend?”

  “That’s me.” I smiled.

  James pointed to the lavish array of dishes. “I was just saying that it’s hard to know what to eat. And I have to admit, I can’t figure out what half of it is. I’m told its all the rage. Degustation. Comes from Barcelona. Apparently, they churn the ingredients up and turn it into an artistic statement.”

  My eyes did a sweep of the food. “That explains it then. Any suggestions?”

  “Do you have specific dietary needs?”

  I giggled. “Only that I should eat at least one meal a day or else I’ll die.” A cheeky smile filled my face.

  A throaty laugh echoed from his chest. “That’s right. Keep it simple. We’re so spoiled. These days, before a dinner party, one has to send out a questionnaire. In any case, it’s all been catered for tonight.” He pointed at the dishes. “There’s vegan, peanut, gluten, egg, lactose, and whatever else free and then over there…” He pointed to another table, where I noticed grilled burgers, sausages, and all manner of food that normally appealed to me. “That’s where the grownups hang out.”

  I laughed. “Then, my tummy is demanding a healthy dose of grown-up food. I went vegetarian once and found that at parties there was hardly anything to eat.”

  We headed over to a table that would have taken an entire cattle farm to fill. “But now you’re a born-again carnivore?” he asked, watching me fill my plate with two grilled burgers and a couple of sausages.

  Having popped a slice of ham into my mouth, I took my time to respond while chewing away. “Sorry, I’m starving.” I smiled. “I was so weak and tired all the time. In any case, I missed burgers.”

  “I can’t blame you.” His attention shifted over my shoulder. “Oh my, who’s this vision of loveliness?”

  I turned and noticed a woman in her forties with a kind smile and a familiar face. “I finally made it,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Let me guess: the traffic?”

  She nodded. Her focus shifted over to me.

  James said, “You must know Ava.”

  Shaking her head, she said, “No, we haven’t met…” Her face lit up. “Oh, you must be Justin’s girlfriend.”

  I nodded with a meek smile.

  “This is Alice, Justin’s mother. And looking lovelier than ever, I might add,” he said, returning his attention to her.

  I noticed her cheeks coloring in response, which suggested a spark between them. I knew that Justin’s father, who was James’s brother, had died a year earlier. I could only conjecture that Alice hooking up with her brother-in-law would have seemed wrong, so instead, he had ended up with Candy.

  “It’s nice to meet you finally,” she said. “And where is that troublemaking son of mine?”

  “He disappeared a few minutes ago. I’m sure he’ll be back. I am meant to be his date.” I raised a brow.

  “Justin’s twenty-five going on fifteen.” She tilted her head and smiled warmly. Her hazel eyes, which were the same as Justin’s, shone with sincerity.

  I liked her instantly.

  She looked over my shoulder. “Speak of the devil.”

  Just as I turned, Justin pounced upon me making me jump. He was so full of energy that I didn’t need a crystal ball to figure out what he’d been up to. He claimed me by placing his heavy arm around my shoulders, nearly making me collapse from the weight of it.

  “Hey, Mom.” He kissed her on the cheek. “When did you arrive?”

  “Just now.” Her focus shifted from her son to me and then back to James, who stood close by.

  An ear-piercing laugh, which was more a squeal, alerted me to Candy, who was close by, flirting with a buff guy. James didn’t seem to care, however, given that he appeared more focused on Alice.

  “Justin tells me that you’re working in a publishing house,” said Alice.

  “I was doing that. But I’ve recently switched jobs.”

  Noticing me shift from one leg to another, Alice said, “It’s a high-pressure industry, I imagine.”

  “Yeah, you could say that. My boss was a bit highly strung. She didn’t seem to sleep, because she’d call me at all hours of the night.”

  Alice grimaced. “Oh… God.”

  “Blame that on technology,” sang James.

  “Oh, come on, Uncle, don’t go all stone age on us again by blaming everything on technology,” blurted Justin.

  Ignoring her son’s outburst, Alice asked, “Is your current position an improvement?”

  “It is. And it gives me free time to pursue other interests.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “Then I’m pleased for you. And I must say, Justin never told me you were so beautiful.”

  I smiled. “Thanks.”

  Suddenly the guests stopped talking, and their attention was directed at the entrance. Focusing on the same spot, even Candy stopped chatting.

  A man appeared. Or I should say a god because his presence was so powerfully alluring that I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  He strode in with casual authority, and although for most of the time he stared downward, when he did look forward, his dark gaze was intense and magnetic.

  “Oh fuck… What’s he doing here?” Justin uttered.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Alice tapped Justin on the arm. “Don’t be like that. Bronson’s had a rough time. Be nice to your brother.”

  “I didn’t know you had a brother,” I said, stealing another look at the tall, well-built guy, who was so stunningly good-looking that he could have been an actor or a model. But he didn’t seem to milk it, given that he wore a serious, downcast expression. To his credit, Bronson lacked that look-at-me vibe that professional hunks with egos as big as their shoulders wore.

  “I don’t. My late father had this annoying tendency to collect strays.”

  Alice leaned in and whispered, “Don’t be disrespectful to your late father.”

  Justin grunted something before taking hold of my hand and squeezing it.

  “Ouch,” I said. My pained frown brought a twitch of a smile to his face. The fact that Justin seemed to extract pleasure from my pain sent a cold shiver through me.

  I looked about the room and noticed everyone’s attention directed at our corner suddenly. Justin’s adopted brother reminded me of a gypsy with those dark features and deep tan. His hair was cut short at the sides, with a thick black mess of locks on top. Shadowed with a thin layer of growth, his chiseled jawline and dimpled chin gave him a ruggedly handsome finish. But it was his dark, penetrating eyes that kept drawing my attention. Although his gaze bore cold disregard, almost taking pride in his own arrogance, something smoldered deeply within. He wore a shirt that molded to his form, revealing a ripple of chest muscles, strong shoulders, and big, curvy biceps. I sensed there would have to be a tattoo in there somewhere because Bronson epitomized the bad-boy in every sense of that term.

  As he stood close, a cocktail of ea
rthy male scent and body wash traveled up my nose, landing in my core, while the spark that had ignited after falling into his dark eyes kindled away.

  A man had never done that to me before.

  “Bronson, I’m so glad you came, darling,” said his mother, standing on her toes to hug him.

  His face softened just a little. But then, within a blink, his brooding expression drew a line on those sculptured full lips, and again he hid behind those dark, almost black eyes.

  Holding out his large hand to James, Bronson said, “Nice to see you again. I…. Um…” He combed his hair back with his hands. “I brought a gift for Marcus. It’s outside.”

  Alice was all smiles. It was obvious that she loved her son. Noting a compassionate flicker in her eyes, I got the feeling that Bronson had been through something.

  He turned and nodded coldly to Justin, who returned it with an awkward shift of his body. One could almost cut the air with a knife, seeing that the brothers made their mutual antipathy obvious.

  Acknowledging me for the first time, Bronson nodded a greeting, but instead of shifting away, his eyes, after a casual sweep of my face, decided to linger. A breath became trapped in my chest, and my face burned. I had to look away first, for it seemed like he’d seen something hidden in me, making me feel naked—not in that sleazy undressing way, but in a way that I couldn’t understand, having never experienced that kind of depth before.

  I was grateful when Cassie and Marcus joined me.

  “Hey, Bron.” Marcus hugged his cousin. “I’m so glad you came.”

  In response, a faint half smile touched Bronson’s mouth.

  Unable to stay away for long, my eyes returned to his face just as his tongue swept over those cushiony lips in what was the most carnally charged moment I’d ever experienced. Although I wanted to move away in order to stop the wave of heat hijacking my senses, Justin breathed down my neck, holding me close.

  Cassie cast me a side glance and with a subtle flick of the head suggested I follow her to the powder room.

  When we were out of hearing range, she said, “Holy shit, I didn’t realize Marcus’s cousin was so damn hot. My panties are well and truly sticky.”