Just Deserts by Brenda Jackson Read Free Book Online

worrying about anything. That’s what I wanted for you, Dani.”
    He sounded so impassioned and sincere about it that she really couldn’t get mad at him. And she knew that he was and always would be that way when dealing with her. Protective. He was the one male she knew she could count on and totally trust. He had come through for her so many times.
    “I know that’s what you wanted,” she heard herself say. “I guess a part of me wanted that, too. I desperately need time to reconstruct my self-esteem. But then another part, the one that can’t fully move forward, knows that as long as there are loose ends out there, I can’t do that. And there is a loose end out there, Tris.”
    As they stared at each other, he fully understood the extent of her determination, the pain driving her motivation and the degree of her fortitude to fix Marc’s wrongs.
    “Okay,” he finally said. “What do you need me to do, Dani? How can I lessen the load?”
    For a heartbeat she considered telling him that what he could really do for her was take the edge off. Lately they’d been spending a lot of time together, and just now being around him—friend or not—was reminding her of the way things could be between a man and woman. She recalled the playfulness in Alex’s voice that morning last week when Hunter had been vying for his wife’s attention, and the breathlessness she’d heard in Renée’s voice when she’d answered the phone that morning. It hadn’t taken much for Danielle to guess that she’d probably interrupted Renée and Chris’s private time together.
    Lovemaking was something she hadn’t indulged in for quite a while. There could be a lot said for lack of companionship or not having a lover. She had begun getting accustomed to Marc not being around and had almost made up her mind to purchase one of those mechanical toys. But she had talked herself out of doing so, thinking she wasn’t that hard up for a man. Now she had to admit that it was a possibility, since lately she couldn’t discount her intense attraction to Tristan. He was a good-looking man, and being attracted to him could mean only one thing. She was in desperate need of a sexual fix. Was that something one friend could ask of another?
    Her heart began thumping erratically in her chest. Tristan was her friend, her very best friend, and he’d always been there for her to give her whatever she needed. Would he agree to cross the line if what she needed was something of a sexual nature?
    “Dani? What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours? Tell me. Is there anything I can do?”
    Sighing deeply, she shook her head. Then something within her pushed her to come clean. “You’ve really done enough. But since you asked, there is this one little thing.”
    “All right. What is it?”
    She braced herself for what his reaction would be and said, “I’m in desperate need of a lover. Would you be it?”

Chapter 4
    T ristan took a deep breath as he struggled to retain his composure. Did she really mean what she was asking for? He knew she was not a child. She was a woman with needs, needs she could define, and it seemed she had clearly identified hers.
    He studied her face and saw the embarrassing tint she couldn’t hide. He knew it had probably taken a lot to ask something like that of him. He realized, too, just how difficult things must be for her. He knew horniness was no joke, since he’d been afflicted by it a few times. He’d always figured Dani was a sensual and passionate woman, and the last thing she’d needed had been a man who hadn’t delivered, like the asshole she’d married.
    Believing that the best relationships started with friendship, he kept his voice steady when he said, “Um, what’s your definition of ‘lover’?” He needed to make sure they were on the same page and wanted the same thing.
    She didn’t say anything for a few moments and then she spoke in a voice that sounded raspy. “A lover is someone you