Secret Designs(12)

"That would be great, thanks, Ari," Jasmine said, glancing at Dylan before looking back at her. "I'll serve the custard tart Sam made for us."

Ari busied herself with preparing the cups and the coffee machine as she silently ordered herself to cool down.

"What just happened?" Jasmine whispered surreptitiously.

She gave her friend a guilty look. "What do you mean?" she whispered back.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "You were blushing when we got here, and Dylan was staring at you with that look on his face."

"What look?"

Jasmine smiled widely. "The same look Kane has when he wants sex. Sometimes it's eerie how similar those two are in some things."

Ari's face reddened and she looked away from her friend.

"Ari? Tell me!" Jasmine whispered.

"Um, yeah. They are...uh...very similar in some ways," she stuttered in embarrassment.

"Why are you blushing again?" Jasmine asked suspiciously.

"Uh...no reason."

"Please, tell me," Jasmine pleaded. "I'm so intrigued."

"Oh, God. This will be so mortifying," Ari muttered.

"It'll only be between you and me," Jasmine promised, looking around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation.

"Okay. Brace yourself. This involves you and Kane," she warned her pal.

Jasmine nodded in encouragement.

"Well, I was on my way down this morning when I heard you and Kane making love in your bedroom."

Jasmine's eyes widened.

"I didn't mean to stop when I heard your noises but I couldn't help it. Kane sounded so much like Dylan when he's...when he's...you know." Her cheeks were in flames as she gauged Jasmine's response to her confession.

Jasmine laughed. "Oh my God. Really?"

She nodded, her discomfiture easing at Jasmine's reaction.

"They're really brothers, aren't they?" Jasmine said dryly. "Now I know why you want more bedroom action with Dylan. If he's anything like Kane …"

They burst out in giggles.

"What's so funny, girls?" Kane asked as he and Dylan approached.

Ari pinked again and looked at Jasmine. She'd let her handle this one.

"Oh, we were just talking about a time when Ari heard something she didn't mean to hear. It was just a funny story," Jasmine replied with a nonchalant shrug. "What do you guys want with your custard tart? Something hot? Something cold?"

"Coffee, please, babe," Kane said.

"I'll have sizzling hot Ari, please," Dylan said cheekily.

Ari gasped in horror. "Dylan!"

Dylan chuckled. "I mean, coffee, please."

Kane shook his head. "Ari, I do hope you understand what you're getting into when you allow Dylan to mess around with you," he said in a big-brother tone.

"Hey, no need to warn her off me," Dylan complained.

"Don't worry, Kane. I'm a big girl," Ari said.

She gave Dylan a peeved look but was unable to hide her smile when he winked at her. Oh, God, she did so want to jump him.





CHAPTER FIVE





Dylan awoke as Ari tried to carefully extricate herself from his embrace, easing away from his arm draped around her waist and his leg slung on top of hers. He held her tighter, his lips puckering to kiss her neck where his head had burrowed itself while he slept. Hmm. He could get used to this.

"Dylan?" she whispered cautiously, as if testing if he was awake or not.

"Hmm?"

"I have to get up."

"Why?" he asked drowsily, not moving an inch.

"I have to go to work," she responded with a chuckle.

"Already?" Disappointment stabbed him.

"I have to get up or I'll be late," Ari said. "Don't you have to get up?"

"No. I work from home and I don't have meetings today."

"Well, I have a boss who won't appreciate it if I'm late."

He sighed, still unwilling to let her out of his arms. Why did she have to feel so incredibly good?

"One last round?" he asked hopefully, placing soft kisses on her throat as his hand wandered to her breast. He felt her pounding pulse against his lips and smiled, pleased with her reaction to him. "What do you think?" he asked huskily.

"I'll be late for work," she said weakly but had abandoned her efforts to try to get up. Her hand had started caressing the arm that held her in place.

He flicked a nipple with his thumb, thrilled that it had already pebbled. She angled her head to capture his mouth, and they kissed as his hand continued to play with her breast. He explored her mouth and let his tongue mate with hers. Intermittently, he let just his lips caress every inch of her soft ones.

He'd never been a huge fan of kissing. Sure he enjoyed them, but not so much that he could go on and on. But, hell, he couldn't get enough of Ari's mouth. Simply kissing her aroused him swiftly.