Monroe, Marla - Hot and Bothered (Siren Publishing Classic) (3 page)

But, God, those sexy legs in those tight jeans just about tore down his resolve to stay away from her. That one dance had been one too many. She felt right in his arms. Her body fit his to a tee. He had fought hard to keep from crushing her in his arms and finding out just how kissable her plump red lips really were. He’d resisted the need to taste her skin or run his hands through her hair or nip at her neck. Her scent even now remained in his memory. She smelled of soft satin sheets and warm honey. How would she taste?

Dustin shook his head and turned his beer up. He might as well go home. He wasn’t interested in dancing anymore. She’d ruined his night all right. Not because of the near fight, but because no one else would be worth his trouble now. He had her in his head, and she wasn’t going anywhere soon.

* * * *

Ben walked her to the door of her apartment while Karen remained in the car. All three of them were stone-cold sober after the near fight. Savanna was still apologizing when Ben finally put a stop to it.

“That’s enough, Savanna. You didn’t do anything wrong. Shit like that happens when you go out. You know that. You and Karen used to party all the time according to her.”

“I know, but I hated making such a scene. I mean, I’m thirty years old.”

“Yeah, so is Karen, but you don’t see her worrying about it.” Ben sounded bitter.

“Ben, is everything okay with you guys?” Savanna asked.

“Yeah, just…I don’t like her hanging on other guys when she dances. She’s a natural flirt, and I can usually handle that, but lately, I don’t know. I just wish she wouldn’t drink so much.” Ben just shook his head. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. It’s been a long night. You lock up now. Karen will call you tomorrow when she wakes up, I’m sure.” Ben waved her off and waited while she unlocked the door and slipped inside.

She watched him walk back to the car through her living room window and continued watching until the taillights of the car disappeared from sight. Now she was worried about them. Karen needed to watch herself or she was going to lose Ben. She thought Karen really liked him, maybe even loved him. She would talk with her about it the next time they had lunch or dinner together. Something was up.

She turned on the light in her bedroom and began undressing. She wanted a shower to wash away the bad experience of the night. Instead of thinking about the near fight, she found herself thinking about her hero, Dustin, instead. His dark hair barely brushed his shoulders, and all she could think about when she remembered it was how much she wanted to run her hands through it. She was almost five foot five, so he had to be a little over six feet. Her head had rested well against his hard, muscular chest.

She wondered what it would be like to really dance with him. To let him pull her close enough that she could feel the hard ridge of his cock against her abdomen. What would it be like to run her hands down his back and grab hold of his tight ass? Just thinking about it had her hot and hungry for more.
Stop it, Savanna. Chances are you’ll never even see him again.
That would be a shame, too. She had really looked forward to another dance with him before everything happened.

He hadn’t pushed her or had happy hands all over her. He had treated her like a lady, and she liked that. She wanted someone who would treat her nice, was stable with a good job, but who could get her all hot and bothered with just a look. He sure looked like he could do that. Of course, in a place like that, what were the chances that he had a stable job and could offer her a nice life?

Damn! What was she doing? She’d just met the guy, would probably never see him again, and she was acting like he was a potential mate for life. He might look hot, but more than likely, he wasn’t a prince. Maybe she never would find her prince, but she wanted to keep trying. It could be a lot of fun kissing a few hot horny toads. Savanna finished her shower and, after drying off, slipped between the covers to fall asleep with Dustin on her mind.

* * * *

“Karen, let’s meet and have coffee.” Savanna hoped her friend would agree.

She hadn’t been able to talk with her all week, and she really wanted to ask her about Ben. It was nearly the weekend again, and Karen had made her promise to go back out with them Saturday night. She thought it was a mistake, but Karen had begged, and Savanna never could resist her friend when she begged.

“Damn, I’ve been so busy at work with this new project my boss is working on. I haven’t even had lunch this week.” Karen sounded harried.

“Just a few minutes after work. We haven’t seen each other all week, and I want to talk to you.” Savanna held her breath and crossed her fingers while Karen thought it over.

“Okay, I’ll meet you at, say, six thirty.”

“See you then.” Savanna hung up the phone and sighed.

She hurried through closing and left the actual lockup to one of the specialists so she wouldn’t be late meeting Karen. She knew her friend would be tired just from hearing her voice over the phone.

The little coffee shop they frequented had about eight or nine tables in it and was full when she got there. Thank goodness Karen had arrived sooner and gotten a table for them. She had also already ordered coffee as well. Savanna sank into the chair opposite her friend and took a sip of the coffee. It was her favorite flavor, Southern Pecan.

“Thanks! I love this coffee.” She breathed in the pungent smell of roasted pecans and coffee.

“So, you’re not going to try and back out of Saturday night, are you? Because I’m not letting you.” Karen sipped her own coffee.

“No, I’m not backing out, under one condition.”

“That would be?” Karen asked, narrowing her eyes.

“That you don’t drink.” Savanna hurried to finish. “I’m not going to drink, either. Just think, no drinking means no glasses to have to watch. We can all three dance at one time.”

“What gives?”

“I just don’t want to see you mess up a good thing, Karen. You get all flirty when you drink, and it really hurt Ben last weekend.” Savanna winced when her friend crossed her arms and sat back in the chair.

“He put you up to this?”

“No! I just saw how he looked at you when you danced with that blond guy you were hanging all over.”

“I was not hanging all over him. What is it with you two that I can’t have a good time? Ben and I aren’t married.” Karen slammed her coffee cup down on the table. Coffee sloshed down the sides of the cup.

“Hey. What’s going on? I thought you two were doing good. You were committed to each other the last you told me. That means you don’t flirt with other men.”

“I can damn well flirt with anyone I want to. Neither you or Ben can tell me what to do.”

“Karen, wait. Something is wrong. You aren’t usually like this.” Savanna felt sick to her stomach. Something was really wrong.

“Nothing. It’s just… I don’t want to settle down yet. Between work and Ben, I’m not getting to do anything anymore. Don’t you miss going out like we used to?” Karen asked.

Savanna could see the tears in her friend’s eyes. “Hon, you go out with Ben all the time, like last weekend, and we’re going out Saturday night.”

“It’s not the same as when we used to go out, you know. Just the two of us.” She sniffed. “I miss that, Savanna.”

“Karen, we’re thirty years old now. We have jobs and responsibilities.” She grabbed her friend’s hand. “What brought all this on?”

“Nothing. I don’t know. I guess work has been too much lately. My boss is stressed over this new project we’re working on, and I’ve had to put in all this overtime to help him with it.”

Savanna wasn’t buying it. Yeah, the job wasn’t helping things, but that wasn’t the root of the problem.

“Maybe you need some rest instead of us going out again this weekend,” she began.

“No! I mean, of course we’re going out. I’ll sleep in on Sunday, so I’ll get plenty of rest.”

“Then you have to promise me you won’t drink. It’s the only way I’m going out.” She hated making the ultimatum. When they were younger, it was always Savanna drinking too much and Karen who got them home safely.

“Okay, okay. I won’t drink. None of us will. Does that make you feel better?”

“Yes, it does. I want to have fun, and I can’t if I’m worried about you and Ben. Now what’s going on between you two?”

“Nothing. I guess I am feeling old is all. I don’t want to settle down and lead a boring life like…”

“Like me. You were going to say like me, weren’t you?” Savanna sighed. So she was boring now.

“I didn’t mean it that way. Just that you’re happy owning your own business and all.”

“But I’m bored with my sex life. So, how is your sex life?” She couldn’t help the sarcasm in her voice.

“Great. It’s great. Ben is an out of this world lover.” Karen rubbed her hands over her face. “I shouldn’t complain, should I? I’ve got a great man and a good job. What more can a girl want?”

“Excitement.” Savanna took her friend’s hands in hers and squeezed. “You got it in bed, and I don’t. I got it in my job, and you don’t. We always want what we don’t have.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Karen pulled away, grasped her coffee in both hands, and took a sip. “So, let’s work on finding you a red-hot lover.”

“I think I’ll settle for a lukewarm lover about now.” She laughed. “I’m presently without a lover at all.”

“How about that guy who rescued you? Dusty or something?”

“Dustin. He was really nice. Had a great body, too.” Savanna was tempted to confide in her friend that she had been dreaming about that body every night for the last week.

“Maybe he’ll be there Saturday night. Wouldn’t that be great?” Karen grinned, much like her old self.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure he really liked me, you know? He didn’t ask me to dance again. In fact, I didn’t even see him again until he got that guy to leave me alone.”

“Hey, there were hundreds of people there. He might have been watching you all night and you wouldn’t have seen him. If he’s there, you have to dance with him.”

Savanna laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’m not passing up the opportunity to get up close and personal with that body.”

“There you go. We’ll have a blast.” Karen finished her coffee and looked at her watch.

“Shit, I’ve got to go. I promised Ben I would be home before eight. I’m going to have to rush to make it.” Karen jumped up from the table and hugged Savanna when she rose as well.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” she said and sprinted for the door.

Savanna sat back down to finish her coffee and think. All was not well between Ben and Karen. Her friend was feeling hemmed in for some reason. She couldn’t figure it out, though, because Ben had always been easygoing and let Karen do just about anything she wanted to do. They were the happiest couple she had ever been around. Or at least she thought they were. What had happened to change things?

The coffee cup warmed her hands. It was still cool at night, though it was full spring now. The days heated up to a warm fifty-five or sixty degrees, but the nights still managed to hover around freezing. Maybe it was more an inner chill than the weather, she decided as she finished her coffee and prepared to leave. Maybe her cold love life and Karen’s rocky one were getting to her more than she realized.

* * * *

The club was about as crowded when they arrived that Saturday night as the last time, the only difference being they were earlier than before. Finding a table turned out to be just as difficult as the last time. After a good thirty minutes of circling the building, they located a booth against the wall opposite the bar. In order to keep the table, someone had to remain there while the others danced. She volunteered for the first shift and watched as Ben and Karen boogied on the dance floor.