She put the snifter down in front of him next to the plate of cake. Gently tugging the file out from under his hands, she quickly peeked at his burglary case, folded it carefully, and set it aside. She lifted her hip onto the desk, then settled into a sitting position, facing him, and stared down at him, looking past his tired eyes and straight to his soul. She always read him well and tonight she didn’t disappoint.
“What’s troubling you, Cody?”
“I’m not sorry about what happened between us tonight.”
Her head tilted to the side, but her gaze never wavered. “You didn’t fix things with Kristi.”
Yep. She saw everything. “What makes you think that?”
“I heard the door slam.”
He took a sip of the amber liquid, hoping it smoothed out his rough edges. He could smell her. Always roses and honey.Tipping the glass of bourbon to his nose, he inhaled deeply. He wanted to clear her out of his mind, his entire system. But all he could think about was her and the way his mouth fit to hers so perfectly he could still feel her lips against his. He thought about the way she tasted and his body rebelled against the command in his mind to not think ofherin that way.
Rock hard, he ached for the one woman he shouldn’t want, but couldn’t let go.
“You’re sitting here in the dark contemplating reading legal files on burglaries you know your client committed, instead of going after Kristi and having wild makeup sex.”
“I don’t want to talk about Kristi,” he snapped, his frustration getting the better of him, because the woman he wanted was sitting in front of him driving him crazy.
And she was right that he’d have to go after Kristi if he wanted that, which he didn’t, not with her, because he never slept with Kristi here. He never brought any woman here. Because Brooke lived here—with him.
What the hell does that tell you, idiot?
She took a bite of cake, chewing thoughtfully, waiting him out. Used to his quick temper when he was frustrated, she’d sit there all night until he decided to spit it out and unload his burden. When he continued to sit there sipping the bourbon, staring at nothing in particular, avoiding staring at her spectacular legs and holding back what he really wanted from her, her lips drew into a serious line.
“I’m sorry, Cody. I never meant to come between you two. Maybe I should have stayed at school. The last time I came home, the two of you had grown really close and my presence upset her.”
“She’s obviously upset about the kiss,” he admitted.
He still couldn’t believe Kristi accused him of having an affair with Brooke. He wasn’t that kind of man. But he couldn’t helphimself right now and indulged in a little fantasy about what it would be like to have Brooke writhing under him.
Remembering Kristi’s anger, even understanding that under it lay a hurt he’d caused, didn’t stop him from thinking about the woman in front of him. Brooke had grown into a beautiful woman, sparking another erotic fantasy about him laying her out on top of his desk and taking her in the dim light on top of all his legal files.
She looked him dead in the eye. “So, why’d you do it? You knew it would set her off. Makes me think you wanted to make her mad.”
“I wasn’t using you to cause a fight between us. I didn’t know she was watching us.” He’d been too consumed by Brooke.
He stared up at her and watched the fork slide across her lips as she ate another bite of cake. His gut went tight. He shifted in his leather chair to accommodate his achingly hard cock. “How’s the cake?”
“Decadent.” She stuffed another bite of the rich concoction into her mouth. “You’re avoiding answering me,” she said around the cake. She swallowed and took the bourbon from him to wash it down. He didn’t really like her drinking, but the hum of pleasure she made when she swallowed kept his mouth shut. Her happiness meant more than a silly scolding for something she didn’t do often and never overindulged in.
She watched him with eyes clouded with confusion by the way he studied her. Obviously, the boys on her campus didn’t look at her with the kind of hunger he felt, tried to contain, but failed at hiding from her.
“Look, Cody, if you’re involved with Kristi, or any woman for that matter, our friendship needs to come second.”
“Very noble of you.” He snatched the bourbon back, turned the glass, and took a sip, fitting his lips over the very spot her lips had touched.
Brooke’s gaze narrowed and her pretty lips drew into a tight line. His narrowed on her mouth. The too-tempting tension between them grew along with his desire to kiss her again. If she kept staring at his mouth, he’d give in and fulfill the yearning he saw in her eyes despite how hard she tried to hide it.
“I just want you to know I understand you love her, and that means I take a backseat in your life.” That was Brooke; anything for him.
He dismissed the part about him loving Kristi. Maybe he had. Once. Until he’d had that moment with Brooke months ago at the picnic and something started to change inside him. And right now, he didn’t feel anything but his aching need for Brooke. “She accused me of having an affair with you.”
She set aside the cake, put her hands on the edge of the desk, and leaned in closer to him. “Which you denied without reservation.”
“She also accused me of being in love withyou.”
She went perfectly still. It took her a long second to respond. “What’s not to love?”
