Hot & Bothered

Trey felt himself growing hard, his body as stimulated as his mind had become. What was this instant desire he felt and why couldn’t he control it? Trey took a step back, ready to make a safe escape. But the minute he moved, Beau pricked up his ears and trotted down the steps.

To Trey’s dismay, Libby followed. He stepped out of the shadows and Libby jumped in surprise. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. He ran over here before I could stop him.”

Libby stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether to speak or just walk back inside. “You don’t scare me,” she murmured, shrugging her shoulders.

“Sorry,” Trey repeated, keeping his eyes fixed on her face and hoping his shorts were baggy enough to hide the growing bulge. “It smells good out here.”

“I’m testing biscuit recipes,” Libby said.

Trey forced a smile, fighting an urge to cross the distance between them and kiss her again. Only this time, the kiss would be gentle and seductive. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a decent biscuit. Up north, they eat toast and English muffins for breakfast.”

“And try to find good grits,” she said. “Well, that’s impossible.”

Trey nodded, remembering the intoxicating taste of her mouth. “Although they make decent hash browns at this place on Division and—well, never mind.” He wasn’t even sure what he was talking about, only that it was keeping his mind from thoughts of running his hands over every inch of Libby’s body. Trey cleared his throat. “I’ll just take my dog and you can get back to your biscuits.”

“Would you like some?” Libby asked. “I have extra.”

The offer took him by surprise, an unexpected truce he didn’t want to rebuff. It wasn’t a kiss, but it was a step in the right direction. “Sure.”

“I’ll just go get some.” She hurried back into the house and returned a moment later with a small basket. She’d taken the time to line it with a checkered napkin before stacking the biscuits neatly inside.

Trey slowly approached her and took the basket from her outstretched arms, his fingers brushing against hers. The contact sent a frisson of heat through his arm. “Thanks. They smell great.”

“Try one,” she urged.

He smiled, cocking his eyebrow up. “You didn’t happen to slip a little rat poison in these, did you?”

“No,” she said, sending him a playful glare. “But I can whip up another batch in a few minutes if you like.”

Trey grabbed a biscuit and bit into it. “Oh, God,” he murmured as the biscuit melted on his tongue. The outside was golden brown and flaky, and inside, it was still warm. “This is the best biscuit I’ve ever eaten. You know, these are almost better than—” Trey paused and cleared his throat.

“What?” Libby asked.

“Nothing.”

“No, really. Be honest.”

Trey shook his head. “I was going to say they were better than…sex.”

This brought a tiny smile to her lips. “Bad food and bad women. Is that the real reason you decided to leave Chicago?”

“I’m glad I’m home,” Trey said, his gaze meeting hers.

They stared at each other for a long time, neither one of them moving or speaking. He fought the urge to pull her into his arms again and test the limits of their attraction. Would she welcome another kiss? Did she even realize how much he wanted her? Crazy thoughts raced through his head, fantasies that involved more than just a kiss. Trey glanced down at Beau, looking for anything to take his mind off the woman standing in front of him. “Well, thanks for the biscuits.” He held the basket out to her.

“No, take them with you. You can bring the basket back later.”

“Great,” Trey said. He reached down and grabbed Beau’s collar, tugging him along after him. “And I’ll make sure he doesn’t get in your yard. High fences make good neighbors, right?”

“Right,” she said. “Good night.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Good night…Libby.” Using her first name seemed almost too intimate, but Trey was past caring. All this treading carefully was making him crazy. Without another thought he let go of Beau’s collar and dropped the basket on the grass. In a few long strides, Trey crossed the distance between them.

Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her, his mouth covering hers, his tongue gently teasing. When he finally drew away, he looked down into her face. Her eyes were closed and a tiny smile curled her lips. “There,” he murmured. “That’s better.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she drew a shaky breath. “Th-that thing I said about the lawn mower accident? I didn’t really mean it.”

Trey chuckled. “Yes, you did. But I won’t hold it against you.” He slowly walked back to Beau and grabbed the dog’s collar again, then picked up the basket. “I’ll see you around, Libby.”

“See ya,” she called.

THE ELECTRIC FAN whirred on Libby’s bedside table but did nothing to dispel the heat in her bedroom. She lay unmoving on the bed, her arms and legs splayed, the sheets tossed aside. She thought about turning on the old air conditioner, but it made so much noise that she’d never get to sleep. And sleep would be her only relief from the thoughts that plagued her mind.

A tiny breeze fluttered at the curtains and Libby sighed softly, then rolled onto her stomach. She’d been trying to sleep for nearly three hours and was just a few minutes short of giving up completely.

“Damn him,” she muttered, punching her pillow. “Damn that Trey Marbury.”

Libby was loath to admit what had been keeping her awake, but that didn’t stop her mind from wandering into inappropriate territory—namely Marburyland. From the moment he’d moved in next door, she’d vowed to maintain her distance. It had taken her years to get over him the first time and she wasn’t going to go through that again.

She touched her lips as she remembered how it felt to kiss him. There had been times in the past when she’d thought back to the night they spent at the river, the passion they’d shared. But a simple kiss in the here and now was enough to make all those memories pale in comparison.

A shiver skittered down her spine. If only the moment had been repugnant or disgusting, then maybe she wouldn’t be faced with a long night spent thinking about Trey. But the way he had pulled her into his embrace, the way he’d taken possession of her mouth and shattered her resistance…she wanted to hate him for the power he held over her, but instead, Libby was drawn to him, intrigued by desire she couldn’t control.

She rolled over again and closed her eyes, but the images wouldn’t go away, and this time, they didn’t stop with just a kiss. Libby imagined his hands on her body, brushing aside her nightgown, searching for bare skin. He’d cup her breast, smooth his thumb over her nipple and tease it to a peak.

A tiny moan slipped from her throat as desire twisted at her core. His touch wouldn’t be gentle or tentative. He’d know how to make her ache, how to make her shiver and writhe. And when his fingers weren’t enough, he’d use his tongue and his lips to drive her wild.

Libby rubbed her stomach with her palm, tempted to satisfy the ache herself simply to get Trey Marbury out of her head. It wasn’t him she wanted, Libby rationalized. She’d just been without a man for such a long time…it was about pure desire. It had nothing to do with how he made her feel.

With a low curse, Libby clenched her fists and pounded them into her pillow. He wasn’t going to make her want him again. Tomorrow morning, she’d wake up and she’d forget he lived next door. She’d go on about her life without reliving the kisses they’d shared, without rewinding their conversations.