He grasped her hand and kissed it. “I should go shave.”
“No, don’t. It’s sexy.”
His eyes glinted. “You say that now, but when I kiss you . . . where I intend to kiss you . . . you might not be so happy with the reality of sandpaper against your skin.”
“Well . . .” She leaned forward and nibbled his chin, dragging her teeth along the bristles, enjoying the raspy sound. She nuzzled his neck, kissing the pulse at the base. “If you insist.”
He kissed her again, then stood up and headed down the hall. As he closed the bathroom door, Hickory trotted toward the couch.
“Hey, there. All finished with dinner?”
He mewed and leapt onto the couch, then climbed onto her leg and mewed again, staring at her with big amber eyes. She stroked his head. He flopped down on her lap, clearly settling in for a long petting session. The soft feel of his fur under her hand and the quiet rumble of his purring delighted her. Maybe she should get a cat.
The phone rang. Hickory’s ears perked up and she gazed down at him.
“That’s probably Jake.”
Eleven
The phone rang again and Danielle glanced around. One of the cordless phones sat in its charging unit beside the computer. She cuddled Hickory against her, his fur soft against her bare chest, and stroked him as she crossed the room to pick up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi there. Who’s this?” a woman’s voice said.
If she’d been at home, Danielle would have asked who the woman was rather than answering, but she was a guest at Trey’s, and it was natural that the caller might wonder who was answering Trey’s phone.
“This is Danielle, a friend of Trey’s. May I ask who’s calling?”
“Hi. I’m Suzie. Where’s Trey?”
“He’s busy at the moment. May I have him call you back? He’ll be only a few minutes.”
Hickory murmured, then wriggled in her arms. She set him on the floor and he bounded away.
“So how do you know Trey?” the caller asked.
“I . . . uh . . . I’m a friend of his from college.” She didn’t know who this woman was or why she should be answering her questions.
“Oh. Are you visiting from out of town?”
Danielle wasn’t used to being badgered for answers and didn’t really know how to handle it. She didn’t want to answer this inquisitive unknown woman’s questions but wasn’t quite sure how to avoid it, other than just holding her silence . . . or hanging up. Both seemed rude. It was just easier to answer.
“Yes, I am.”
“Do you know Jake, too?”
“Uh . . . yes.” Had this woman known Trey for a long time? The thought sent a pang of jealousy through her . . . which was ridiculous. Danielle didn’t have any designs on Trey. She wanted Jake and Trey to wind up together. Enjoying the journey was simply a bonus.
“Jake’s a great guy, isn’t he?”
Was that a subtle hint? Danielle wondered. In other words, was she saying Keep your hands off my man.
“Where do you live, Danielle?”
“I live in Phoenicia.”
“Is that a long way from Carleton Falls?”
So the woman didn’t live in Carleton Falls; otherwise she’d know where Phoenicia was.
Trey walked into the room.
“Um . . . Trey’s back. I’ll put him on.”
She handed the phone to Trey. “It’s someone named Suzie.”
Immediately, Trey’s face lit up. He took the phone.
“Hey, Suzie, how are you?”
His broad smile and glittering eyes told her this Suzie was someone very special to him. Again, jealousy niggled through her.
“Yes . . . Danielle. Yes . . . she’s a friend.”
Not a girlfriend. Of course she wasn’t, but at that moment she wished she were.
Shock catapulted through her.
Damn it. She wasn’t supposed to feel that way. Jake would be heartbroken.
Trey wandered into the kitchen and his voice became a low mumble through the door.
Curiosity zinged through Danielle. Who was this Suzie woman?
A few minutes later, Trey stepped back into the room, sipping a glass of ice water.
“Yes, honey. Okay.” He placed the glass on the table and sat beside Danielle on the couch. “Sure, we can talk tomorrow.” He winked at Danielle. “Okay. Yes, I love you, too.” He pressed the End button and set the phone on the table.
He turned to Danielle and slid his arms around her. “Now . . . where were we?”
She remained stiff in his arms. “You are kidding, right?”
His brown eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “Is something wrong?”
“You mean besides the fact that you just told a woman you love her . . . right before you try to make out with me?”
He chuckled. “You don’t think . . .” At her stony stare, he laughed again. “That was my little sister, Suzie.”
“Your sister?”
“That’s right.”
Relief surged through her as he pulled her against him and nuzzled her cheek. “So, what, you think I’m the type of guy to have a harem of women at my beck and call? That I keep them on a string, telling them I love them so I can entice them into my bed whenever I want?”
She jabbed his chest, embarrassment coursing through her. “Oh, shut up.”
She fastened her mouth on his to stop his laughter. His lips played on hers, but when her tongue slid between his lips, he drew her tight against him and answered her invitation with a swirl of his tongue. Then he leaned her back against the cushions and kissed down her neck, then nuzzled between her breasts.
She hadn’t even refastened her blouse buttons. The whole time she’d been talking to Trey’s little sister, her breasts had been hanging out. Her cheeks flushed, which was ridiculous, since the woman hadn’t been able to see her . . . but Danielle still felt embarrassed. What was happening to her? She’d never been so consumed by a relationship before—and it wasn’t even like this was a real relationship. Was it?
But as Trey drew her bra cup down and
