It Must Have Been the Mistletoe(49)

Tyler was pretty sure every damned mistake man had ever made could be laid at one of the Cole sisters’ sexy toes.

“Better things to do?” Benny breathed, his eyes glued on Rita’s fluffy white hem. “No way. This is my shot. My golden opportunity. My—”

“A waste of your time. A waste of gas money. And the pain of having to watch all those sexy wet dreams dry up when you have to admit what she really is.”

That got Benny’s attention. He glared. Between the light glinting off his bald head and reflecting off his Coke-bottle glasses, he looked like a pissed-off, myopic holiday elf.

Tyler winced with guilt. Ever since grade school, nerdy Benny had followed Tyler around, content to hang in his friend’s shadow. A perfect example was the guy contracting Tyler to build him a Harley. Benny the nerd on a Harley, just to help his old buddy launch his new business. That was friendship.

The only time Benny didn’t listen to Tyler was when it came to women. The guy was a sucker for women out of his league, never able to see past the packaging.

While their packaging was top-notch, the Cole sisters were bad news. Rita had gone to high school with Tyler’s little brother, Randy. Gone to school with him, gone out with him, gone done and broke his damned heart. You’d think the kid would’ve caught a clue from Tyler’s experience with Rita’s older sister, Alison. But, no. There was something irresistible about those girls.

Alison Cole had been Tyler’s senior prom date. He’d had a secret crush on Rita, but even a bad boy like Tyler couldn’t ask a freshman to prom. So he’d asked Alison instead, then spent part of the evening passing a flask with his buddies. Combine too much whiskey, Alison’s perfume and a pathetic attempt at the Macarena and the night had been a mess. Especially when, after they’d gone out for air, he’d puked all over her prom dress, then passed out. The next thing he knew, everyone in school was whispering that he’d knocked Alison up.

His rep had been trashed. His face had almost got smashed by her angry father. He’d spent four weeks in detention for fighting with every guy who’d had the nerve to ridicule him when the truth had come out. Alison had started the rumor herself to get revenge for his ruining her evening.

He’d vowed to avoid all of the Cole girls from then on.

So at the moment, he didn’t know what pissed him off more. The trouble the sisters caused? Or that, even though he knew better, just the sight of Rita Cole turned him on like crazy.

“She’s trouble, buddy. I just don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Benny snapped. “Rita’s gorgeous. She’s the one, you know. The future Mrs. Rodgers. I’ve been waiting for this chance for years.”

Benny rambled on about her beauty and perfection, showing some scary hints of obsession. Tyler wasn’t sure if the guy even saw her as a person or as a walking, talking blow-up doll.

Years of accumulated frustration, not all of it sexual, boiled over when Rita, squeezing between bodies to slide her tray onto the bar, gave Benny a quick hug.

Tyler’s body hit automatic meltdown. God, she was gorgeous. A sexy combination of a forties’ pinup girl and a sweet girl-next-door, she’d filled his dreams for almost a decade now. He’d only seen her twice in the past eight years, and now she was right next to him. Close enough to reach out and run his fingers through her tousled black hair. To see if her skin was as silky smooth as it looked. To taste her full lips.

As if echoing his thoughts, Benny’s pleasured groan was the last straw. Tyler had to get the guy to give up his obsession. Maybe then he could finally give up his, too.

His body overruling his brain, Tyler stepped around Benny and wrapped an arm around Rita’s surprisingly fragile shoulders. Pulling her to his side, he gave himself three seconds to enjoy the twin thrills of her surprise and his own lust. He reveled in the feel of her lush curves pressing into his chest, her shocked breath wafting over his lips as she gasped.

Then he made his move.

“Hey Rita, nice to see you again,” he said before taking her mouth in a slippery, hot, wet and wild kiss.





2




THIS WAS WHAT DROWNING in lust must feel like. Waves of passion poured over Rita, overwhelming her senses with excitement. She tried to catch her breath, but her mouth was too busy playing slippery-slide against a pair of deliciously erotic lips.

Her body melted as molten heat swirled. Jellylike, her legs buckled. Rita had never had a kiss like this. Never. A single hands-free, fully dressed kiss and she could taste the edge of a hot, wild orgasm.

Wanting—needing—more, she pressed tight against the hard, well-sculpted chest and moaned.