Home… The word echoed in his mind. Did he truly have one?
He fingered his new weapon. ’Twas the second gift she had given him, and he didn’t know why. The woman had vehemently pushed him away, but afterward she’d treated him kindly and bought him a gift.
Her actions confused and surprised him. While she refused to accept his affections, she so easily cultivated them. Once, he might have convinced himself that he cared nothing for her, that he welcomed all other men into his guan ren’s life, but he wasn’t that man anymore.
In just a short span, Julia had changed him. He could not deny the tenderness he felt for her, could not deny that he wanted a more permanent place in her life, not as her tutor but as her lover.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, giving him a quick glance from behind the wheel of her vehicle, completely oblivious to the turmoil raging inside him.
“Aye.” He was hungry for her, for her naked body beneath his, writhing against him, seeking ultimate pleasure. “Aye, I am hungry.”
“I hope you like hamburgers,” she said. “We can grab drive-thru, so we won’t have to cook.”
He merely grunted. She eased into the parking lot of a small red-and-yellow building, then drove around to the side and spoke into a square mouthpiece. Three minutes later, they were speeding down the road again. Her house soon came into view, and she pulled into her driveway.
A red car, tinier and sleeker than Julia’s, was parked at the curb. He scanned the property and found a woman sitting on the porch, looking as fresh and pretty as a bouquet of spring flowers. She possessed dark brown hair that hung down her back in silky waves. He couldn’t make out the color of her eyes, yet her facial features vaguely resembled Julia. Same cheekbones. Same elegantly sloped nose.
The second her car ceased moving, Julia vaulted out and raced toward the porch with open arms. “Faith!”
Tristan eased out of the vehicle, taking in the scene before him. Julia exuberantly embraced the tall, slim woman. The newcomer wore a button-down chemise and the same type of blue slacks that he himself now sported. The two women laughed, talked and hugged at once.
“I’ve tried to reach you for days,” this Faith said to Julia. “I thought you’d been abducted by aliens or something.”
“You have no idea how close to the truth you are.” Julia shot him a wry glance, but the girl didn’t notice him yet.
“I also called your store, but couldn’t get through there, either.” Concern darkened Faith’s features as she gripped Julia’s hands. “What’s going on? Tell me. Please!”
“Oh, nothing major, I promise.” She cut him another glance. “My landlines are out, and I loaned my cell to someone else, who ran down the battery playing games.”
“Then get a new one, already. I never want to worry like that again. You’re a very consistent person. If you’re not at home, you’re at work. And when you’re not at work, you’re…” She tilted her chin, thinking. “Well, you’re always at work. When I couldn’t—” Her eyes connected with Tristan’s at last. “Oh, my,” she breathed. “Oh, my, my, my.”
If he hadn’t been so aware of Julia, he would have missed the slight tensing of her body. What was this? A moment of anger?
He grinned. No, a moment of jealousy. He studied her, watching intently, just to be sure. Delight uncoiled inside him. Oh, aye. The little temptress was indeed jealous. She fairly seethed with it. For the first time since she had announced her intention to practice her wiles on Puny Peter, he entertained a flicker of satisfaction. He even managed a smile.
Faith batted her lashes at him. “Meow. I mean, hello.”
“Stop that, Faithie,” Julia admonished.
The woman’s gaze never strayed from him. “Stop what? Drooling?”
“Yes! And stop picturing him naked. It’s rude.”
“I wasn’t picturing him naked.” She smiled sheepishly. “Not anymore, at least.”
Tristan choked back a laugh.
Julia thinned her lips. “Faith, I’d like you to meet Tristan. Tristan, this is my sister, Faith Anderson.”
The woman extended her hand, and he lifted her delicate palm to his lips, just as he’d seen a man do on Julia’s talking box. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“I assure you, the pleasure is mine.” Faith’s large eyes, a mix of green and blue, softened around the edges, giving her face a pixie quality. “Jules didn’t mention you the last time we spoke.”
“Tristan and I have only known each other a short time,” Julia answered for him.
“Oh? Do tell.” Faith jumped up and clapped. “How did you meet?”
“Long story, and it doesn’t matter. We’re just friends,” Julia said.
At that, Tristan tensed. He was tired of Julia calling him her “friend” and her “brother” when they were so much more. Scowling, he threw a possessive arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. He didn’t speak, letting Faith draw her own conclusion instead.
Faith did. She arched two thin brows and eyed Julia. “Just friends, huh?”
Julia tried to wriggle away. He merely tightened his hold, liking the curve of her waist against him. But the tighter he held her, the more she squirmed, and a surge of heat shot straight to his groin. He hardened, every point of contact reminding him of how they’d ended things today. Unsatisfied. And he wanted satisfaction.
“Where are you staying, Tristan?” Faith asked, casting Julia a sly glance.
“I live here with Julia,” he answered.
His lovely guan ren sucked in a great gulp of air. “We have separate rooms.”
Just to irritate her, he added smugly, “But we sometimes share a bed.” He faced her, giving her a smile that clearly said, Deny that.
Frowning, Faith anchored her hands to her hips. “Is he serious? You’re living with a man, and you don’t think to call me? To invite me over so I can meet him?”
“Yes, we’re living together, but—” Julia shook her head and sliced
