Carae's Touch (Long Line of Love, #4) (31 page)

She made me sound vain, arrogant, and personally interested in her plain friend. "I have no sexual interest in her."

She gave me another long stare before she smiled. "Don't worry. I'll go pry her away from him and send her back to your waiting arms, lover."

I frowned. "Sometimes I wonder what Paul sees in you," I said of her husband who had been my college roommate and was currently away on military maneuvers.

"Probably the same thing you're seeing in the deceptively plain Amber."

Deceptively plain? That about summed her up. Plain and not worth a second look until she smiled and lured some unsuspecting man into a web he'd probably have a hell of a time extricating himself from if he weren't very careful. Therefore, I'd need to exercise unusual caution with her. Honestly, I was impressed that the good doctor had somehow managed to remain untangled. Unless, of course, she annoyed on longer acquaintance.

"Don't imagine things, Grace."

"I'll go get her," she said as if I'd proclaimed an interest I was still assuring myself I didn't feel.

Grace crossed the room. She spoke to them briefly before extending her hand to him. He smiled at Amber, took Grace into his arms, and they moved onto the dance floor.

Amber turned to look at me with what looked like a resigned smile on her face.

If she thought the grass was greener with him, she could stay there and water it. I shook my head to let her know I was no longer interested in spending any time with her. It would be the proverbial cold day in hell before I had to beg for a woman's attention.

I left through the French doors, intent on walking around the house to the side street where I'd parked my car.

"John!"

I glanced over my shoulder without stopping. Amber hurried towards the French doors. She'd had her chance and blown it. I kept walking.

She called out to me again. "John! Wait. Please. If you force me to run in these heels, I'm going to trip and then you're going to have a devil of a time picking me up."

Even though I was pissed, I stopped and turned to watch her running to catch up with me.

She stopped in front of me just beyond the patio. "You're angry."

I was but didn't feel like admitting it. "I don't have the time or the inclination to play games with you."

She tilted her head and smiled at me. "With the right person, games can be fun, Johnny."

Why the hell did I like the way she called me Johnny? "For boys," I countered.

"I sometimes like them too. They can add spice to a relationship."

"You and I don't have a relationship."

"I kind of thought we could."

"Why the hell would you think that?"

She shrugged. "I can see you're annoyed, but it was your idea that I go talk to him," she reminded me.

How the hell was I supposed to know she'd dump me for him without a moment's hesitation? "How did that work out for you?"

"I'm not sure yet. Grace interrupted just as things were getting interesting." She frowned. "Did you send her?"

"No, I did not!"

She held up her hands, palms outward. "Fine. Just asking. No need to blow a gasket."

"Haven't you ever heard of loving the one you're with?" I paused and suppressed a frown. Where the hell had that sorry ass whine come from?

She nodded. "I've heard of it, but falling for you wouldn't be any more beneficial than falling for him. Would it?"

I inhaled slowly and stared at her. She was so damned average looking she was just a breath away from being plain. Why the hell was I wasting my time trying to convince her that she should spend her time with me instead of him?

When I remained silent, she slipped her arm through mine and turned that sweet, sexy smile of hers on me. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"My mother always says it's easier to get a man if you already have one or if he thinks you already have one."

So she didn't have a man in her life. Surprising but good to know.

"I don't suppose you'd like to pretend to be my boyfriend."

My exasperation at the question surprised me. Did I look like a damned boy? "Boyfriend?" I shook my head. "No."

"Darn. Oh well there was no harm in asking." She removed her arm from mine. "I hope we'll see each other again."

I should have known I was in trouble when I realized that even as she pissed me off, I wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. Annoyed at my unexpected reaction to her, I didn't respond even though I shared that hope.

She sighed. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to know each other, John."

When I remained silent, she walked back towards the house.

She'd nearly reached the French doors before I admitted to myself that there was no way in hell I was going to let her walk away from me again without a fight. "Amber?"

She quickly retraced her steps. "Yes, John?"

"I won't pretend to be your boyfriend."

She blinked. "You didn't call me back to restate that fact."

Intelligent and intriguing. "No."

"Good. Let's deal with the but so we can get this party started."

I shrugged. "But I have no objection to pretending to be your man."

"My man. Amber's man John. It has a nice ring to it. Don't you think, Johnny?"

I couldn't ever remember meeting a woman with such ordinary looks who was so confident. I liked her self-assurance and damn if I didn't like everything about her. I smiled but remained silent.

She slipped her arm through mine again. "I'd love having you as my man, Johnny but what will you get out of it?"

"I'm looking for a female friend without any physical or sexual benefits attached."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

She gave me a long look. "You did say you were straight."

"I'm very straight."

"Then why are you only interested in a platonic relationship? Have you been hurt?"

I was fortunate in that I had never been turned down by a woman I really wanted so had never had my heart broken. "No."

"Then why are you looking for friendship from a woman instead of an intimate relationship?" She paused. "You...Can you...Are you able to..."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she wanted to ask. "I have a normal sexual appetite which I'm fully capable of acting on without any artificial help," I assured her. "And I'm skillful enough to ensure it's equally as enjoyable for my partner."

"Oh. Good."

I arched a brow.

She looked at me and then laughed. "It would be a shame for you to be either gay, asexual, or unable to...perform."

"As I said, I'm straight and have a normal sex drive. I can and do get sex from almost any woman I want it from," I said.

She gave me a long look before she smiled. "I'll just bet you can. You almost make me wish I was the lucky woman on the receiving end of all that skill."

Damn she came on strong.

"You have no problems having your sexual needs met, but you want more?"

I nodded. "Yes. There are more than enough women willing to share my bed. But I'm looking for a woman I can develop a purely platonic friendship with. Grace is my only female friend and she's married, as you know."

"Won't she do since you're looking for a purely platonic relationship?"

"I'm fond of her, but she has a tendency to get on my last damn nerve. I was hoping you're available for the position."

"Should I be insulted that you're only interested in friendship with me?"

She'd managed to grab and maintain my interest from the moment we met. I shook my head. "No. Actually, I'm paying you a compliment. I'd value your friendship more than I would a physical relationship with you." In your dreams, Reddorn. "If you're prepared to be my friend, I'm prepared to pretend to be your man."

We agreed to feign dating. I was happy with the deal thinking it was a win-win situation with both of us getting what we wanted and needed from each other.

Of course life just wasn't that easy. I should have known my carefully thought out plan for a non-sexual relationship with her was doomed to failure the moment I admitted I wanted her complete attention.

Mature Men: Long, Slow Second Look now available from marilynlee.org

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arilyn Lee Unleashed

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Dream Lover

A Cheating Situation

Any Time Any Place

Beauty Is Alisha Hoover?

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Blue Desert Tales: Courtesan Seduction

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M
arilyn Lee lives, works, and writes on the East Coast. In addition to thoroughly enjoying writing erotic romances, she enjoys roller-skating, spending time with her large, extended family, and rooting for all her hometown sports teams. Her other interests include collecting Doc Savage pulp novels from the thirties and forties and collecting Marvel comics from the seventies and eighties (particularly Thor and The Avengers). Her favorite TV shows are forensic shows, westerns (Gunsmoke and Have Gun, Will Travel are particular favorites), mysteries (loves the old Charlie Chan mysteries. Her all-time favorite mystery movie is probably Dead, Again), and nearly every vampire movie or television show ever made (Forever Knight and Count Yorga, Vampire are favorites).

Marilyn has won numerous writing accolades, including a CAPA award for Bloodlust: Conquering Mikhel Dumont and the following Lub-Dubs Awards for 2009: Lifetime Achievement Award, In Blood And Worth Loving (Best erotic novel and best sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal Award.

She loves to hear from readers who can email her at [email protected] or who can visit her website, http://www.marilynlee.org. Visit her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.lee.393950?ref=tn_tnmn) She has a Yahoo! Group called Love Bytes that readers can join by sending an email to [email protected]

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