Just Deserts by Brenda Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

sleep with.”
    “You just slept with me. Would that make us lovers?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Tristan, you know what I mean, so stop playing around and—”
    She suddenly found herself tumbled on her back. He loomed over her. “Trust me, Dani, I’m not playing around.”
    And then he captured her mouth with his. On her startled gasp he curled his tongue around hers and took total control of her mouth as he moved forward into a heated kiss. Immediately passion flared as their tongues dueled not for possession but in desperation to appease the hunger both of them felt. It was an expression of need, want and desire all wrapped up in one, and something he thought had taken too long to come. She looped her arms around his neck and he was well aware that this was what he dreamed about every night, what he thought about most of his days. A willing Danielle in his arms, not as his friend, but as his lover.
    He knew he had to pull back or he’d have her naked in a heartbeat. On a ragged groan he pulled his mouth from hers and watched how she swiped a tongue over her lips as if she missed the taste of him already.
    “You said that you were desperately in need of a lover,” he said, trying to get his breathing under control. “I hope that kiss proves you’re not the only one. It’s been quite a while for me and—”
    “Why?” she interrupted him by asking. “Why has it been a while? Why haven’t you been seeing anyone?”
    Tristan knew that her question was the perfect opening to confess that he hadn’t been seeing anyone because he had fallen in love with her and didn’t want anyone else. A part of him felt that maybe he should be upfront with her and tell her how he felt now. But another part of him wasn’t sure she was ready for anything as deep as that sort of confession. The last thing he wanted to do was make things awkward between them, do something to make her draw away. Right now her concentration was mainly on satisfying her physical needs. The reason she had come to him was she knew he would do anything and everything for her. She had no idea of the emotion that drove him to do so now.
    Deciding to answer her question, he said, “I’ve been too busy to date anyone, Dani. You of all people should know that. Besides, too many women have marriage on their minds. They want a ring before the relationship even gets going good. I’m not ready to settle down.” He was lying, saying what sounded good coming from a bachelor, even though he would marry her in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. He knew he had her convinced when she nodded as if what he’d said made sense.
    “Like I was saying before you interrupted,” he continued, “sex for me is something that’s out of sight, out of mind. I have a very strong sexual appetite and I’m afraid that if I get it back into my system I’ll want it all the time. Could you handle that, Dani? Could you handle me wanting to make love to you all the time?”
    He saw how her eyes darkened. He saw how she nervously swiped her bottom lip with her tongue. His gut tightened seeing it. Then she said softly but with strong conviction, “Yes, I could handle it.”
    He studied her for a moment, felt his body begin to throb. He knew she could handle it, as well, since she’d done a damn good job on that kiss a few moments ago. Besides, she was the only woman who could handle him, because she was the only one he wanted.
    “We’ve been friends for a long time, Dani, and over the last five years we’ve become the best of friends. Becoming intimate might be awkward for us at first, so I suggest we not rush into anything and just let nature take its course. Just let it happen.”
    “When?”
    He smiled at the anxiousness he heard in her voice. “We’ll both know when the time is right.”
    From the look on her face he wasn’t sure she was fully buying what he said, but he knew that she wouldn’t push the issue. “Now, I think we