My Sister's Boyfriend (The Trouble With Twins 1) (20 page)

What a vicious circle he had placed himself in. How had he gotten involved so quickly?

He enjoyed her company more than any woman he remembered. And that meant the time had long since passed to end whatever it was they had.

Yet that thought depressed him. He didn’t want to end it.

His footsteps echoed in the empty halls of the administration wing as he walked toward her office. Light filtered around her closed door as he entered the darkened reception area. Everyone had gone home for the night, leaving the area deserted.

He rapped on her door.

"Come in," she called.

As he opened the door, she glanced at him from the computer monitor that sat on the credenza of her desk, her brows rising in surprise at the sight of him.

"Hi. Isn’t it a little late for you to be working?" he asked, noticing the way her silk blouse clung to her breasts.

“I get a lot done this time of day,” she said, eyeing him warily as he stepped in and shut the door firmly behind him. "I thought you were off today?"

Soft jazz filtered through the room from a CD player in the corner and the smell of roses lingered in the air.

"I am." He grinned and pulled a bottle of bubbles from his sack. He uncapped the bottle, removed the wand and waved it through the air, filling her office with tiny soap bubbles.

She laughed, her face brightening spontaneously.

“A reminder of our date together and how much fun we had,” he said, noticing how her blue eyes changed. They shone brightly, almost twinkling with laughter. Her smile widened, and she visibly relaxed.

She shook her head and grinned at him.

He held up the small bottle. “I know it’s not much compared to the club, but I thought maybe we could pour the bottle over us and dance around your office.”

“You’re missing the pulsating music and the strobe lights. The effect is just not the same.” She gazed at the bag from Home Depot. “Should I ask what’s in the sack?”

He held out the bag from the hardware store. "I bought the parts to repair your toilet."

Her mouth turned up in a welcoming smile, and his heart warmed at her reception. He wondered if he could get away with jumping over her desk to reach her, for suddenly he longed to hold her.

“Ohh…the things you buy a woman. Toilet trappings.”

Brent grinned. “You must admit I’m original.”

“In more ways than you know,” she admitted.

This is what he enjoyed about being with her. The banter, the teasing, the way she never let him get away with anything. He’d miss her smile, the way she laughed, and their interaction.

"I could always hire a plumber."

He shook his head and laughed at her as he walked around her desk, unable to resist the urge to be near her any longer. "And have someone else in your tank? No way."

And he knew he meant it. He didn't want to share Jennifer with another man, though the thought was totally unrealistic when he knew he would soon be gone. At least he wouldn’t be around to see her with someone new.

She watched him approach, her tongue wetting her lips. His pulse accelerated at the sight of her warm, moist mouth. He wanted to kiss her. Hell, he wanted to hold her. Even better, the sight of her made him want to make love to her. But that would be crazy and delightful.

"So when do you plan to install these new parts?" she asked.

He sat on the edge of her desk and leaned back, trying to focus on his reason for being here and not on how much he wanted to make love to her.

"If you're not too busy, I thought that maybe we could go to your place tonight. I brought my tools and in about five minutes I could have you all fixed up."

Jennifer gazed at his lean body relaxing against her desk, close yet out of reach, and couldn't resist the opening he'd given her. All day long she had mentally replayed their conversation from the wedding shower, confused about whether she’d handled her frustration with Brent the right way. Then tonight he'd shown up out of the blue, blowing bubbles at her.

How could she stay annoyed with a man who came into her office blowing bubbles and offering to fix her plumbing? Somehow the silly gesture endeared him to her heart and melted any lingering resentment. Maybe she was expecting too much too soon.

This sounded like a woman pursuing a permanent relationship, which was exactly what he was running from. What did she want from Brent?

Right now, some really good, mind-blowing sex.

"Five minutes wouldn't be near enough time with your tool," she said, an innocent smile on her face, hiding the turbulent emotions churning within her.

He grinned and tilted his head to gaze at her. "Are you coming on to me?"

Needing to be near him, she stood and took the small step that brought her into his arms, her body connecting to his. She slowly began to unbutton his shirt.

When he’d walked through the door carrying that silly sack from the hardware store and begun blowing bubbles in her office, her libido had slammed into her bloodstream with enough punch for a knock out.

"Fast and furious. The thought of you working in my tank has sent my thoughts spiraling…long and hard."

She glanced down suggestively. She wanted Brent, and she wanted him right there, right then. Yes, he had issues, but what man didn't?

He pulled her in between his legs and up against his torso, pressing his erection into her midsection. "I never knew plumbing could be so stimulating."

He kissed her throat, and she arched her neck, giving him easier access as she unbuttoned the last button on his shirt and pulled the cloth from the waistband of his jeans. Her fingers skimmed the warm flesh of his chest.

"Until the other night, I never knew my tank needed so much attention."

"There's nothing like a good flapper," he whispered as he kissed along her neck until he reached her ear. "Your tank will be full. No need to jiggle anything…unless you want to."

"God, I love a man with a good tool and the ability to fill my tank," she said, his hands touching her breasts.

"Oh, honey, your tank will be totally satisfied in every way."

"Show me," she whispered.

He nibbled her shoulder. "Here? Now?"

She smiled at his surprise. "There’s no time like the present."

His mouth felt warm against her neck. "My tool is at your disposal."

She leaned back until she found his mouth and moved her lips over his, savoring and tasting him while her hands touched his face, slid down his neck, sliced through his hair. She needed to feel him, touch him everywhere.

Here in her office, all she could think about was how much she needed him now, inside her, filling her until she felt ready to burst. All of her life she had played it safe except where Brent was concerned. From the time they were teenagers, only he had the ability to make her forget her scruples and act in ways that she had otherwise never considered. And she liked the way he challenged her.

With Brent the teasing and bantering came natural. With Brent she felt playful and naughty and sensual. With Brent she acted like a woman in love.

She released his lips, her body tensing at the thought. He opened his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

God, yes. Everything was wrong. She'd fallen in love with a man who had serious commitment issues, was a known philanderer, and whom she had lied to. Despite all that, he made her happy, and she experienced more joy with him than she had ever known. Brent helped her to attempt new things. And with him, she had come to accept being herself.

Yet she was the biggest fool for lying to herself.

"The only thing wrong is that you've quit kissing me," she gasped, knowing she needed to tell him the truth. No longer could she keep the secret of the past from him and play this sexual game with the stakes being her heart. No longer could she fool herself into believing that she didn't love Brent.

His mouth covered hers as his tongue swept between her lips.

Later she would tell him everything. Later she would confess all about that starry night on Lake Palestine. But not now when she could experience Brent once more.

His fingers found her thighs, and he pushed her dress out of the way, past her waist. He pulled her fully onto his lap, her legs hanging on either side of his. His erection pressed against her center as she arched against him, needing to feel more, needing him deep inside her.

Somewhere, sometime, she had let her heart get involved, and though she loved him, with a man like Brent that could mean catastrophe. Still, tonight he had come to her, so maybe he wasn't as immune to their attraction as he wanted to pretend.

Maybe if they took things slow he would realize they could overcome his commitment issues. Maybe he would come to love her as much as she loved him.

Stop! No more lying to herself. She’d be grateful for the here and now. Thinking past this moment could be dangerous.

His fingers slipped beneath her silk panties and he touched her center. She gasped, breaking the seal of their lips, her thoughts shattering as he gently massaged the core of her femininity.

She slipped her hands inside his shirt, stroking his muscled chest, moving her hands down to his waist, where his jeans hindered her from reaching what she really wanted to touch.

Blindly, she reached for the button on his jeans. In a matter of moments, she unbuttoned his waistband and eased down the zipper, the noise seeming loud in the small office.

All the while he stroked her, making her crazy with want for him. She reached inside his pants and pulled out his penis.

She caressed him while he made her moan with passion for him, only him. No other man could crack the sensible walls she'd built around herself, melt her resistance until she acted so wildly. No other man pierced the armor surrounding her heart, leaving her vulnerable to his affections. Only Brent had shown her how much he cared about the people of Tyler, and she had fallen, not for the kid from high school, but for the man he had become.

She broke their kiss with a gasp. "Condom? Please tell me you have a condom."

"Yes," he breathed, his mouth trailing kisses down her neck and sending delicious shivers through her. She wanted a quick coupling to somehow ease this hungry feeling.

He reached in his back pocket and yanked out his wallet, then located a Mylar packet.

Quickly he tore it open and sheathed himself.

He sat back down on her desk. He grasped her hips as he lifted her up and set her on top of him. With a sigh, she slid down his shaft, her body opening to welcome him. Pleasure erupted at the feel of him deep within her and a sense of belonging came over her.

"You feel so wonderful," she whispered when he had entered her completely.

"You too," he sighed as he grasped her hips and helped her raise and lower herself on him. She threw her head back, and his mouth found her breast through her blouse. He teased her nipple with his lips through the silk, and she seized his head, holding him to her breast, loving the way he made her feel.

With increasing tension, she rode him until the muscles in her legs begin to quiver. When he realized her strength was ebbing, he wrapped her legs around him and stood. He turned and laid her out on the desk amidst her paperwork. With her hips on the edge of the desk, Brent stood, her body still tightly surrounding his erection.

With his hands on her hips, he plunged into her again and again, each thrust deeper and stronger than the last until she felt her body spiraling and tensing out of control. Her breathing all but stopped as he thrust her over the edge, her hands clutching his as if he were her lifeline.

"Brent!" she cried as the world splintered and shattered around her.

His own pleasure came at the same time as he thrust into her willing body, crying out his release. He slumped on top of her, his head only reaching the top of her chin, her legs still wrapped around him.

For a moment she lay unmoving, trying to recoup while the sound of a saxophone drifted on the scent of roses.

She wondered at her daring. She marveled at the sense of love for this man that pervaded her. She questioned what they had just shared. But the feel of Brent as he lay against her, spent, gave her a sense of completion and satisfaction she'd never experienced before. She loved him, and the thought brought tears to her eyes.

For now she had to risk it all by telling him the truth about that night fifteen years ago when all she wanted was to continue this peaceful satisfaction.

Would he care that she'd been the one that he'd slept with, not Julia? Would he be angry she'd never told him before tonight? Would he wonder why she’d kept this secret all these years? Or would he simply laugh and find her story amusing?

Jennifer propped herself up on her elbows. "Hey, you okay?"

He grunted. "I’m giving up medicine to become a full-time plumber!"

“Right,” she said, suddenly feeling nervous about what they’d just done. "We’d better get dressed. Occasionally security does stop by, and we're in a compromising position that could get us both fired."

"Yeah, but what a way to go," he said, as he leaned up and looked at her, his green gaze filled with warmth. "I guess I should move, but its nice being here with you like this. We have great sex together."

Yes, they did, but was that all it was to him? Great sex? Nothing more?

She smiled, her heart aching. He just needed some time. She reached up to lovingly tuck a piece of hair behind his ear. "Yes, sex with you is wonderful.”

God, how she wanted to tell him the truth that yes, sex was wonderful, but she loved him with all her heart. But somehow this didn’t seem like the right moment to confess her feelings.

Reluctantly he rose and turned away from Jennifer while he quickly disposed of the condom and finished dressing.

Jennifer sat up, slid off her desk and tried to pull herself back together as best she could. When she'd repositioned her clothing, she turned to face him.

"Look, we need to talk," she said, not wanting to spoil the mood, but knowing that the time to be honest had long since passed.

"Yes, we need to talk," he acknowledged, a serious expression on his face as he zipped up his pants. "I have something I have to tell you."