Irresistible Passions (3 page)

Oh crap. I’m tipsy!
How long had it been since she’d last drank alcohol?
How much was in that bottomless thing, anyway?

She clutched her purse. “I think I’m going to find the ladies room.” She needed a few minutes to try to get a clearer head.

“Sure.” Troy twisted and pointed. “They’re in that corner. Don’t worry. We’ll wait for you.”

“Thank you.” Standing straight and doing her best not to look drunk, she wound her way through the restaurant.

* * * *

“She can’t drive like that,” Angel pointed out.

“I didn’t think one would do that,” Troy stated. He eyed the glass surreptitiously. “There’s got to be a gallon of mix in that thing.”

Angel tipped his beer to finish it. “I’ll drive her car. Follow us.”

“Sure.”

Angel picked at the empty bottle label with his thumb nail. “Do you think she likes us?” He glanced up but quickly let his vision fall again.

“I think she does. She’s nervous, and definitely scared of something.”

“Us?”

Troy leaned in to talk, resting on the tabletop. “No, not us. She keeps looking at us like she wants, but is terrified of letting it show.”

Angel looked up from his bottle label distraction, his eyebrows rising slightly. “You caught that too?”

Troy nodded, a small frown creating lines over his eyes.

“What happened to her? She’s quick to laugh. She’s not a tease.” Except she was so cautious, he craved to protect her. Angel wanted to hold her, make whatever it was haunting her go away. A pensive pause filled the silence, then he said, “Troy, do you think this will work? Between us? We only did it once before and it was more for the sex than anything else. I really care for Michelle.”

With both of them attracted to her, and it seemed Michelle equally aware of them, there was too much at stake to fight between them for her. Their friendship. Their business, and if one of them did win Michelle, it would be a volatile situation whenever the three were together as attracted as they were to the woman. No, that just wasn’t an option. It was a no-win situation.

“I know, bro, I do too.” Troy hunched a shoulder. “I think it will work. Okay, yeah, Tiffany was an easy summer thing, but Michelle is different.” Finishing his own beer, he said, “Michelle is special and I think if it could work, it would with her. If it didn’t seem like a good idea, it never would have come up between us. You sure weren’t into Rebecca when I dated her.” Angel shook his head firmly. He’d never understood what his best friend had seen in the twitterhead blonde. “I want to at least try with her. Seriously, you’re the
only
guy on this planet I’d ever want to see like that. Last thing I want is my mom to get the idea that I’m gay.”

Angel choked then coughed into his fist to cover it. “You’re not, but yeah, she’d kill you.” But he understood where Troy was coming from. Not only from his family’s point of view, but just how hot Michelle would look between them. They were both Jonesing hard for the brunette. While sharing wasn’t something he’d ever really believed he’d be doing with the woman he loved, he didn’t hate the idea of doing it with Troy.

He wasn’t positive how Troy felt about her, but Angel knew he wanted more than just an attraction, more than just fast and furious burning lust. He was sure sharing her the way they had with Tiffany that summer was a fantasy they’d silently shared more than once now that they’d apparently both accepted it might work enough to be worth a shot, if she was willing. They’d talked about it a few weeks before over beers at Troy’s. Angel hadn’t been convinced he’d meant it with them both half blitzed, both acknowledging they wanted their instructor in their beds, not just on the court, but apparently, Troy hadn’t been kidding. Since then, Troy had been inching them closer to getting to know their racquetball instructor. Angel had to admit, he’d really begun to crave the possibility. Hell, Troy was the only man he trusted enough to try something as out and out crazy as a ménage relationship with. They’d done it once in the past almost by accident.

Not long after Troy began dating Tiffany, Angel walked in on them at his place by accident. They had keys to each other’s place because they were still building up their business then. Angel had frozen solid in the doorway, finding Troy half naked on the couch getting a hell of a blowjob. Troy took one look at him, glanced at Tiffany and waved him in with a smile. That had been the beginning.

Only with Michelle, it was different. They were both on equal footing with getting to know her, and they both wanted her, badly. Angel hadn’t turned down the chance at Tiffany, and she did give great head, but his heart hadn’t been in it. That was the largest difference with Michelle. He was already too involved. Thinking about her brought her face to mind and the rest all too easily appeared, warming him from the inside out. Imagining her sweet cherry red mouth going down on him while Troy pounded her cunt made his cock swell painfully in his jeans.

“Shit,” he muttered, unobtrusively reaching beneath the table to press the ridge down. Troy had the balls to smirk knowingly. “Asshole,” Angel growled under his breath.

“Yep.”

Angel laughed, losing some of the tension that had been filling his groin and spine. With a sigh of relief, he spotted Michelle returning. Man, she was a knockout. Long brown waves that literally hung to her breasts, to end in a curled flip. She had a movie star face with lips like a certain actress, full but not as wide. A narrow waist, smooth hips and legs to die for, she was simply too good. She was the type of woman a man savored.

Angel and Troy were no exception. They didn’t care that she was older, though by how much, they weren’t sure. There were only a few months between himself and Troy’s birthdays. Friends since high school, they’d both had a love of computers and programming, and it morphed into a thriving company.

“I have a problem,” Michelle said sheepishly when she reached the table, leaning on the back of her chair with a tight grip.

“What?” Troy asked. Angel heard concern in his tone, but they both knew what she was going to say.

“Uh… I can’t drive.” She rushed on. “Well, I mean I shouldn’t. I’m sure I could, but it’s not a good idea.”

“Not a problem. Angel is going to drive you home. I’ll follow and pick him up,” Troy said with a shared glance. They wouldn’t have let her drive herself regardless.

“You don’t mind? I know you didn’t ask me out to try to get me drunk. Did you?”

Both men chuckled. “No, Michelle. We don’t mind, and getting you drunk would be utterly thoughtless for a first dinner together.” Standing, Troy pushed in his chair. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Three

Walking on either side of her, they guided her outside to her car.

With no fuss, she handed over her keys and Angel gallantly helped her into her car. “Nice,” he murmured settling in behind the Avalon’s wheel. “I’ve seen these on the road, but they’re…” He stopped himself before he uttered the next inconsiderate thing on his tongue.
Great. Tell her the truth and hurt her feelings.

“It’s okay, you can say it. They’re plain. They’re not flashy, they don’t look expensive.” She sighed, getting comfortable. “But it is reliable. And it’s roomy.”

He glanced at her before turning out to the highway. Michelle was stretched out, enjoying that room at the moment. “Where am I going?” He swallowed when his voice cracked. She looked so pretty, relaxed. Probably the most relaxed he’d ever seen her. Thick, chocolate brown lashes rested on her cheeks, the same brown as her hair. It made him think of those chocolate commercials he saw on TV, shiny and silky.

Gathering his attention to drive, he merged with traffic. Following her directions, he was pulling on her street a lot sooner than he wanted.

“Cute houses,” he said. Small yards were closed in with white picket fences. The houses weren’t well spaced, but they looked homey with flowers almost pouring off them in various colors and quantities. All the paint was fresh and they looked well maintained. A few even had flags fluttering lightly in the wind, pinned to walls and pillars with brackets. A cute, tight little slice of Americana.

“I’m renting.”

Really?
He saved that information for later.

“It’s a bungalow, actually,” she said. “I didn’t need a lot of space after—”

He lifted an eyebrow, waiting, but she didn’t continue. There was a hollowness in her voice, but she silenced herself before she said more. Realizing she wasn’t open to prodding, he didn’t push her. Reaching up, he tapped the garage door remote and spotted one lifting three houses down. “That one it?” he asked, just to be sure.

She cracked an eye and nodded.

Peeking in the rearview, he spotted Troy’s Impala. Angel pulled into the driveway, easing to a stop in the garage. Troy parked at the curb.

Turning off the car, he got out and hurried to her door, opening it to help her out. Watching her, he’d swear she blushed. He caught out of the corner of his eye Troy getting out of his car. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

“You don’t have to,” she said, though her eyes looked like they wouldn’t stay open without the strength of steel girders to help.

“I want to,” he told her quietly. He hadn’t touched her other than to offer a hand for her to find her feet. Standing so close, he needed to feel her. He was dying to kiss her, so he compromised. Reaching, he brushed the back of his knuckles to her cheek. A rush of heat filled his veins at the simple contact.
Damn, she’s sexy.

Troy paused behind the car, and Angel shook him off. He’d explain when he came out. Holding her keys firmly, he unlocked her access door and guided her in. She plunked her bag on the neat kitchen table. With a little support, he led her to the living room and helped her lie down on the couch. He hadn’t let her hand go yet.

“Michelle? I’m leaving our numbers on your table. Call one of us when you wake up to let us know you’re okay.

“Really,” she drawled sleepily. “I’ll be fine.”

Relinquishing her touch, he knelt at her feet and slipped off her sandals, running his palm over the top of one foot while he helped her get comfortable. He pulled his attention away. “I know you will be, but humor me, okay? I don’t care what time it is. Otherwise, we’ll worry. We didn’t mean for you to get drunk.”

“I’m not drunk,” she murmured. “Just
soooo
relaxed.” Then she giggled.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Lightweight.” He stood again. Staring at her face, warmth invaded every inch. He’d never been in love, but if they had a chance, then he was going to give it his best shot. Positioning her arms over her waist, he unfolded the pastel blanket off the back of the couch to drape over her. “Sweet dreams, baby.” Then before he did anything he’d regret, he stepped away and returned to Troy, pausing briefly to leave behind their numbers like he’d said.

Shutting the door behind him, Troy gave Angel a cross look when he faced him. “What was that about?”

“She was half asleep. I didn’t want her to feel caged with two guys sporting boners, okay?” He leaned against the hood of her car, crossing his arms. “She let something slip on the way here.”

Troy quit glowering. “What?”

“She’s renting this. Something happened where she was before.”

“Did she say anything about what?”

Angel shook his head. “No, but it was in her voice. It was bad.”

Troy put a hand on Angel’s shoulder. “She has us now. We’ll take care of her.”

Angel wasn’t so sure it would be that easy, but he hoped they’d have the chance.

* * * *