Carae's Touch (Long Line of Love, #4) Page 24

  I smiled and shook her hand. "My friends call me Johnny even though I prefer John."

  "I've paired the two of you together for the night," Grace said. "So you might as well start getting to know each other now." She winked and left us alone by the open French doors of her living room.

  "Johnny it is then," Amber said and laughed.

  I liked her smile, the sound of her voice, her laughter, and the implication that we were going to be friends. I quickly dismissed the realization that even then I wanted more than friendship from her.

  "Just kidding, John."

  Standing there looking at her I struggled to convince myself that I'd be content to spend an enjoyable evening with her and then say good night without any sexual tension between us. That's what you want from her-friendship. Now all you have to do is convince a single, thirty something intriguing woman who is presumably looking for a romantic relationship that she and you should be platonic friends.

  "Johnny is fine," I said.

  "Yes he is," she said in a soft, suggestive voice that held enough emphasis to leave no doubt that she was flirting with me.

  Although I was used to women coming onto me, the remark still surprised and pleased me. "What do your friends call you?"

  "Amber." She smiled. "Well, some of my family and friends call me Am. Yes, I know not very original, but there you have it. We're a rather dull bunch."

  Even on our very short acquaintance, I couldn't imagine anyone finding her dull. I sure as hell didn't. "Are you here alone?"

  "As a matter of fact..." She suddenly glanced over her shoulder and then turned to stare across the room.

  Frowning, I looked too. She seemed to be staring at a tall, well-dressed male with dark skin and hair who was talking to a pretty brunette. I suppose women would consider him attractive. The fact that I found her watching another man while with me annoying should have sent up a warning flare. However, I'd never met anyone like her and so had no idea what was already happening to me.

  "Do you know him?" I asked, making an effort to keep all traces of annoyance from my voice.

  She sighed. "Don't I wish?"

  "You don't know him?"

  "Yes and no."

  "You either know him or you don't."

  She cast a brief glance at me before turning her attention back to him. "We work together. So I know who he is and what he does for a living but I don't know him nearly as well as I would like to."

  "What do you find so fascinating about him?"

  "Are you serious?"

  Damn right. I was also annoyed. "Absolutely."

  "What's not fascinating? He's Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome personified."

  I'd had more than one woman say the same about me. So why the hell was she staring at him instead of talking to me? "He seems fairly average looking to me."

  She finally turned her attention back to me. "That's because you're a heterosexual male." She paused. "You are heterosexual? Aren't you? I can see that you're very male."

  It was about damn time she acknowledged the fact that I was male and inclined to be far more attentive than the object of her interest appeared to be. Call me vain or conceited but I wasn't used to women ignoring me while showering their attention on other men. "I'm also very heterosexual."

  "And single?" She turned to stare in Mr. Fascination's direction again, as if my answer wasn't important.

  "Divorced and annoyed," I said.

  "With me?"

  "You're the one standing by me while staring at him," I said.

  She surprised me by turning and slipping her arm through mine. "My apologies, John." She smiled up at me and squeezed my arm.

  I was not placated. I removed my arm from hers. "If you're so interested in him, why don't you go talk to him?" I suggested.

  "Excuse me?"

  "Why don't you go make him notice you?" She'd sure as hell made me notice her.

  She nodded. "That was the game plan for tonight before Grace threw me a curve by pairing me with you instead of him."

  Knowing she'd rather be with him than me stung when it shouldn't have. "Don't let me stand in your way."

  She looked up at me. "You wouldn't mind?"

  I stared at her, annoyed that she felt the need to ask that question. "Why should I?"

  She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I thought you might like my company."

  Maybe I would if she could manage to tear her attention away from him. "Don't let me stand in your way," I said again.

  "Who knows how to handle a man better than another man? I think you're right, Johnny. Excuse me." She pressed a quick kiss against the corner of my mouth.

  While I suppressed an unwanted surge of desire, damn if she didn't leave me to waltz across to join him. When she reached him he turned to face her with what looked like a welcoming smile on his face.

  Watching, I clenched my teeth. That suggestion was not one of your brighter ideas, Johnny boy. Now you get to watch while she charms him.

  "Bless my soul. That's something you just don't see every day."

  Making no effort to hide my annoyance, I turned to frown at Grace who'd walked across the room to stand at my side. "What soul?"

  She laughed and slipped her arm through mine. "No need to get touchy, Johnny."

  "What can I do for you?"

  She tilted her head and looked up at me. "When was the last time a woman walked away from you to go chase another man?"

  "It's been a while," I admitted.

  She looked at me in silence for several moments. "You're pissed."

  Grace and I had known each other since we were toddlers. There was no point in denying the obvious. I nodded.

  "She's certainly not your usual type."

  She certainly wasn't but the remark annoyed me because I felt she was implying I was incapable of finding an average looking woman worth my time.

  She arched a brow. "But then maybe that's why you're interested."

  I removed my arm from hers. "I don't recall saying I was interested."

  "The I'd–like–to–kill–you–where–you–stand gaze you had trained on Dr. Marton said it for you."

  So he was a doctor. Damn. Even though I could match bank balances with any doctor I'd ever met, single women were known to lose all semblance of common sense in the presence of an average looking unmarried doctor. There was something about the possibility of being a doctor's wife that got their thong in a bunch.

  "Or maybe the fact that she'd rather be with him than you is what's pissing you off. You're not used to having competition."

  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 inter
ested 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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  Beauty Is Alisha Hoover?

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  Blue Desert Tales: Courtesan Seduction

  Daughters of Takira: One Night In Vegas

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<
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  Marilyn's Bio:

  Marilyn 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).