Distraction (Club Destiny #8)(12)

Cocking an eyebrow, she stared between the two men for a moment. Nate was making a point not to make eye contact and succeeding.

Clearing her throat, Sarah smiled. “I just wanted to let you know that we’re gonna go.”

Jake smiled, but it looked forced. He leaned down and hugged her tightly, thanking her for coming.

“My pleasure.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

Sarah nodded. “Of course.” Glancing between the two men again, Sarah tried to figure out what was up. When it was clear she wasn’t going to be able to, she nodded. “Good night. You boys be good.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jake said with a wicked grin.

“Nice to meet you,” Bill added. “I promise to get her home safely.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. She was a complete idiot. The guy standing beside her was a good one. One she’d be smart to keep around for a while.

But that didn’t explain why her gaze instantly—and against her wishes—strayed all the way across the room and landed on the one man she could never have, the one man she knew would never belong to anyone ever again because the woman who owned his heart had died holding it, eleven years ago.

Half an hour later, Bill pulled up in front of Sarah’s house. As hard as she’d tried, keeping up a conversation with him had been futile. The man preferred to talk about cars and work, and since she had no input on either, she usually kept her mouth shut. Because they had very little in common, they never managed to get to know one another, no matter how many times they’d tried.

When he put the car in park, Sarah had the overwhelming urge to bolt, but she knew that would be rude.

“Sarah?”

Turning her attention to him, she pasted another smile on her face. She was getting tired of pretending, tonight more than most nights.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Fine. Just tired.”

“Would you like me to come in? We could watch TV, have some wine?”

God, that was the last thing she wanted. “I think I’m gonna go to bed.”

His eyes lit up as though she’d offered him an invitation.

“Thanks for coming with me,” she blurted, reaching for the door handle.

“Lemme walk you to the door.”

“No, you don’t need to do—” That was as far as she got before Bill was out of the car and walking around to her door. She waited patiently as he helped her out.

When he took her hand, she fought the urge to pull away from him, allowing him to lead her to the door.

Sarah took her time searching for her keys in her purse. When she finally found them, she looked up at Bill. “Thanks again … for going with me. For walking me to my door.” She glanced at the door.

His desire to kiss her was written on his face, and the mere thought of his lips touching hers made her stomach churn. She turned away quickly, shoving her key in the lock.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said and then darted inside, talking to her cats before Bill could get another word in. She managed another smile at him before closing the door in his face.

What in the world was wrong with her? How could she possibly be so rude?

Uggh.

Despite the fact that she wasn’t proud of her behavior, Sarah didn’t open the door to see if Bill was still standing there.

Sure, she was disgusted with herself, but she wasn’t crazy.

Not entirely anyway.





chapter THREE

Monday morning

DYLAN WOKE EARLY, BUT HE refused to get out of bed immediately. Rather than heading to the gym, then making his way over to the CISS office, he remained right where he was, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts overtook him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Sarah off his mind. Nothing he did allowed him to escape the events that had taken place three years earlier.

Standing in Sarah’s house, Dylan realized he was about to cross a line he would never be able to uncross. He was going to do something that would forever alter the course of their friendship, yet he didn’t want to turn around and leave.

He couldn’t seem to look away from her, couldn’t stop himself from touching her. When he’d asked to come over, Dylan hadn’t known why he needed to see her, but he had. A desperate, all-consuming need had clawed at his gut until he’d forced himself to call her.

And here he was, touching her, the back of his finger sliding over the smooth skin of her jaw as he reached to remove the clip from her hair. He watched the silky blond ringlets bounce down around her shoulders. God, she was sweet. Too sweet. Too innocent for what he wanted from her.

“Sa—”

Dylan didn’t even know what he wanted to say, but she cut him off before he could, her fingers brushing over his lips. He couldn’t stop looking at her, noticing the way she shook her head. Fearful that she would tell him to leave, Dylan made his next move, tilting her head back by curling his finger beneath her chin. He caught her gaze briefly, silently urging her to want him as much as he wanted her.

When Sarah’s lips parted, Dylan tentatively met her tongue with his, the breath lodged in his lungs when she fisted his shirt in her small hands. He tried to stay calm, tried to keep his body under control.

That lasted all of three seconds.

Unable to stop himself, Dylan plundered her mouth, crushing his body to hers as he sought all that she could give him. The woman was fire in his arms, obliterating his mind, all his good intentions up in smoke. A growl rumbled up from his chest, her arms wreathing his neck as he gave himself over to the sensations. Sensations he hadn’t felt in years. He tugged at the sides of her shirt, sending the tiny buttons flying. He needed to get closer, needed to feel her soft skin on his. It was all he could think about. Quenching the overwhelming lust that had consumed him. He hadn’t been with a woman in years, hadn’t wanted to.