Dirty Little Secret (Forbidden Desires #1)

Cooper

Stripping my tie free from my shirt collar after a long day, I let out a tired groan. This week had kicked my ass. Between work, my nonexistent social life, and the punishing kick-boxing workouts I forced myself through, I was ready to relax.

The one bright spot? Emma. She’d turned out to be the perfect companion for the event last weekend, able to keep up with conversations on wide-ranging topics from politics to literature to professional football. It was impressive. As a librarian, she was well-read, and though she was quiet, there was a deep intelligence that burned beneath the surface. I found it incredibly sexy.

We talked, we laughed, we ate . . . hell, even that had been sexy. No daintily eaten salad for Emma. She bit into that cheeseburger like a champ. Even made a cute little groaning sound when she chewed that had the blood rushing from my head straight south.

All in all, it was a great evening. Emma might need the money, but she was both beautiful as well as cultured—far more so than me or my brothers. We were raised on the wrong side of the tracks, but that didn’t stop us from trying to infiltrate the upper-crust East Coast scene. And with the right clothes, Emma had fit in perfectly.

I’d come into this idea thinking I’d nudge my brother back into the real world again. Get him excited about Emma and life. But she really might be a great asset for us.

My brain shot back to the end of the night when I’d walked her to her door. I didn’t know what had possessed me. Maybe it was the way her tongue had swiped that full bottom lip. Or the delicious scent that had been pouring off her skin all night. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t help myself. I’d bent low and brushed my mouth against hers.

It was a bad move. It only made me want more. For her to invite me inside so I could explore those sweet curves . . . find out if I could get her to groan like she had in the car. To see exactly what she looked like under that dress.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

But I could read the indecision written all over her face, so I didn’t press for more. If Gavin decided he truly didn’t want her? Of course I would sleep with her, but only when she was begging me for it. I wasn’t about to play second best to anyone.

And who knew? That day might come sooner rather than later. I’d only seen them together for a few minutes one time. Maybe I’d misread things and he really didn’t give a shit.

I toweled off quickly and swiped the steam off the mirror to floss, but then my cell phone vibrated from its spot on the granite vanity. I shot a glance at the screen and realized I’d missed some texts and a call, all within the last thirty minutes.

All from Gavin.

I let out a laugh and shook my head. Wasn’t there some saying about curiosity killing the cat?