you’re not repeating that to anyone but me, because if I hear of it, I’ll be royally pissed.”
“I know.” Pete winked. “Preserve a woman’s honor no matter what. I remember.”
Sam caught his arm. “I mean it, Pete.”
He looked down at the hand holding him with marked confusion. “No sweat. I liked Ariel a lot, still do as a friend. But she made sure it was never more than that, end of story.”
“You were really hung up on her.”
“I thought I was. Gil told me I was suffering lust, not love and I have to admit he was right. But hey, I’m not bitter and I’m not out to trash her.” He tipped his head toward the door. “I am out to have a good time tonight though, if this impromptu lecture is over.”
Sam opened his fingers by force of will. “It’s over. Just be careful.”
“I’m twenty-two, Sam. Not fifteen.”
“I remember. Make sure you remember it, too.”
Rolling his eyes again, Pete playfully punched him in the ribs—causing Sam considerable pain, which he managed to hide—and then Pete trotted out to his car. Sam propped himself in the doorway, waved to the young lady when she laughed and lifted her hand toward him, and once the car pulled away he closed and locked the door.
Ariel had wanted to wait till she got married.
His pulse raced, causing a wild thrumming in his ears. Breath held, he looked up the stairs at that closed bedroom door. Surely to God she wasn’t a virgin?
But even as he thought it, his balls tightened and his blood boiled. He could be her first. That upped the stakes even more, made the temptation nearly impossible to resist. He had a choice to make—take her and give himself a fantasy to last a lifetime.
Or send her innocent little butt packing while he still could.
There was really no choice at all.
Chapter Four
Ariel was livid by the time Sam walked into the room. Her wrists were raw from the furious pulling she’d done when she heard Pete spewing such nonsense about her. She hadn’t gotten this far with Sam only to have his youngest brother ruin it with exaggerated nonsense.
Frowning, Sam sat beside her on the bed and caught her arms to hold them still. “Stop that,” he said, “you’re hurting yourself.”
“That miserable little cretin.” She tried to jerk again, but Sam was too strong for her, keeping her immobile.
“Who?”
“Pete, that’s who.” Ooh, when she got hold of him, she’d box his ears. “I can’t believe you let him stand there and say those awful things.”
Sam leaned back, his expression guarded. “You heard?”
“Every damn word.”
“And you’re jealous?”
“Jealous?” Ariel sputtered at such a ridiculous notion. “I’m furious!”
Sam’s scowl was black enough to straighten her hair. “Because he’s taking his new girlfriend out to Gil’s boat for some privacy?”
She gasped so hard, she nearly choked herself. “Don’t be an idiot. I couldn’t care less who Pete sleeps with, as long as it isn’t me. I’m mad that he stood down there and spoke about me like I was some ice princess or a…a…”
“Cock tease?”
Fury rolled through her. “Let me go. Right now.”
Sam scrutinized her. “I don’t think so. You look violent.”
Digging her heels into the mattress, she pulled and tugged and thrashed—until she saw Sam holding the key in front of her face.
“You’re destroying my bed.”
Ariel arched her neck, looked upside down at where the chain for the cuffs had gouged the smooth wooden slats of his headboard, and she smiled in evil satisfaction. “Good,” she practically spat at him. “I’ll tear the whole damn thing apart if you don’t unlock me.”
Sounding very put upon, Sam sighed. “I give you two orgasms and all you can do is threaten me.”
That was true enough, so she grudgingly muttered, “Sorry. I do appreciate what you did.”
That made him laugh and shake his head. A second later the key clicked in the lock and the cuffs opened.
Sam drew her arms down,
“I know.” Pete winked. “Preserve a woman’s honor no matter what. I remember.”
Sam caught his arm. “I mean it, Pete.”
He looked down at the hand holding him with marked confusion. “No sweat. I liked Ariel a lot, still do as a friend. But she made sure it was never more than that, end of story.”
“You were really hung up on her.”
“I thought I was. Gil told me I was suffering lust, not love and I have to admit he was right. But hey, I’m not bitter and I’m not out to trash her.” He tipped his head toward the door. “I am out to have a good time tonight though, if this impromptu lecture is over.”
Sam opened his fingers by force of will. “It’s over. Just be careful.”
“I’m twenty-two, Sam. Not fifteen.”
“I remember. Make sure you remember it, too.”
Rolling his eyes again, Pete playfully punched him in the ribs—causing Sam considerable pain, which he managed to hide—and then Pete trotted out to his car. Sam propped himself in the doorway, waved to the young lady when she laughed and lifted her hand toward him, and once the car pulled away he closed and locked the door.
Ariel had wanted to wait till she got married.
His pulse raced, causing a wild thrumming in his ears. Breath held, he looked up the stairs at that closed bedroom door. Surely to God she wasn’t a virgin?
But even as he thought it, his balls tightened and his blood boiled. He could be her first. That upped the stakes even more, made the temptation nearly impossible to resist. He had a choice to make—take her and give himself a fantasy to last a lifetime.
Or send her innocent little butt packing while he still could.
There was really no choice at all.
Chapter Four
Ariel was livid by the time Sam walked into the room. Her wrists were raw from the furious pulling she’d done when she heard Pete spewing such nonsense about her. She hadn’t gotten this far with Sam only to have his youngest brother ruin it with exaggerated nonsense.
Frowning, Sam sat beside her on the bed and caught her arms to hold them still. “Stop that,” he said, “you’re hurting yourself.”
“That miserable little cretin.” She tried to jerk again, but Sam was too strong for her, keeping her immobile.
“Who?”
“Pete, that’s who.” Ooh, when she got hold of him, she’d box his ears. “I can’t believe you let him stand there and say those awful things.”
Sam leaned back, his expression guarded. “You heard?”
“Every damn word.”
“And you’re jealous?”
“Jealous?” Ariel sputtered at such a ridiculous notion. “I’m furious!”
Sam’s scowl was black enough to straighten her hair. “Because he’s taking his new girlfriend out to Gil’s boat for some privacy?”
She gasped so hard, she nearly choked herself. “Don’t be an idiot. I couldn’t care less who Pete sleeps with, as long as it isn’t me. I’m mad that he stood down there and spoke about me like I was some ice princess or a…a…”
“Cock tease?”
Fury rolled through her. “Let me go. Right now.”
Sam scrutinized her. “I don’t think so. You look violent.”
Digging her heels into the mattress, she pulled and tugged and thrashed—until she saw Sam holding the key in front of her face.
“You’re destroying my bed.”
Ariel arched her neck, looked upside down at where the chain for the cuffs had gouged the smooth wooden slats of his headboard, and she smiled in evil satisfaction. “Good,” she practically spat at him. “I’ll tear the whole damn thing apart if you don’t unlock me.”
Sounding very put upon, Sam sighed. “I give you two orgasms and all you can do is threaten me.”
That was true enough, so she grudgingly muttered, “Sorry. I do appreciate what you did.”
That made him laugh and shake his head. A second later the key clicked in the lock and the cuffs opened.
Sam drew her arms down,
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