Guilty Pleasures: A Collection (11 page)

Unbelievable
, she thought with a shake of her head.

But she had no choice but to be patient and wait for the stroke of midnight to appease her curiosity, because she didn’t have a clue as to who her mystery man was. And since she was dying to discover his true identity, she knew she’d be in the rose garden, as he’d asked.

#

Shane’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor when Alyssa opened the door to her apartment when he arrived to pick her up for the New Year’s Eve party. He’d never her seen her look so blatantly sexy, and she literally took his breath away.

“Do you like my new dress?” she asked, and twirled around so he could inspect her from all angles.

Like it
? God, he was in awe of how that shimmering white fabric clung to her generous breasts and molded to her waist and hips, showing off her voluptuous figure. The low, plunging neckline displayed more cleavage than he’d ever seen on Alyssa, and the hemline hit her mid-thigh, baring her smooth, long legs to his gaze.

Then there was her hair, which she’d piled on her head in a mass of tousled curls, some of which had escaped to wisp against the nape of her neck and along the sides of her face. Her make-up was lightly applied, but the soft pink and beige hues she’d used brought out the deep blue of her eyes, and her glossy lips looked as sweet and ripe as a juicy peach. He swallowed hard. “You look . . .
wow
.” It was the only word he could find to describe just how incredible this transformation of hers was. “I’m sure I’m going to have to beat the guys off with a big club tonight.”

She laughed, the husky sound increasing his internal temperature a few notches. “I’m feeling pretty good, and I’m determined to have a good time tonight.” She stepped toward him and straightened the collar of the burgundy dress shirt he’d worn, then tipped her face up to his. “By the way, you look pretty ‘wow’ yourself. Your lady friend might not recognize you all dressed up like this,” she teased.

He nearly groaned as her hands trailed briefly down his chest before falling away, and he had to resist the strong urge to wrap his arm around her waist, pull her tight against him, and kiss her like he was aching to.

But resist that particular temptation, he did. They both had a big night ahead of them, and remembering too well how she’d panicked on him last night after their heated embrace, he wasn’t about to spoil her good mood with a spontaneous kiss now.

So, he took a step back and smiled. “Are you ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She grabbed her small purse and a shawl, then hooked her arm through his and returned his smile with a dazzling one of her own. “Let’s go meet our dates.”

#

By nine that evening, the party was in full swing, with champagne and drinks flowing freely, a buffet of food set out for guests, and music drifting from the speakers flanking the large backyard patio, which had been turned into a dancing area for guests. One of the nice things about living in Southern California was the weather, and even on the last night in December the evening was gorgeous, with a clear, moonlit sky with glittering stars overhead, and just a hint of chill in the air.

At least thirty-five people were celebrating New Year’s Eve with Drew and Cynthia, and they mingled from inside the house where it was warm, to the backyard where it was cool. Alyssa found herself circulating through the throng of guests, as well, talking to friends she hadn’t seen in a while, and also sizing up the single guys as someone who might be her potential secret admirer.

But so far she hadn’t experienced any kind of spark or chemistry in the few men who’d expressed an interest in her, and she still had three hours to go before she discovered her admirer’s identity.

She also found herself keeping an eye on Shane during the course of the evening. She watched every female in the room who approached him, or that he conversed with, always wondering if she was “the one”. Her emotions ran the gamut from flashes of jealousy when he paid too much attention to one particular woman, to extreme relief when he moved on to another group of friends, leaving the lady behind. She felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster with no end in sight.

At the moment, Shane was standing with Drew and Cynthia, and Alyssa made her way across the room towards them, thinking that Shane looked so incredibly handsome in his new clothes and his shorter hair style that made him look as though he’d just stepped straight out of the pages of a GQ Magazine. But despite how he’d changed on the outside to impress his lady friend, Alyssa hoped the woman appreciated the genuine man beneath those clothes even more. Shane was one of a kind, and he deserved a woman who treated him like the true catch he was.

As if he could sense her thoughts were centered on him, Shane glanced at her as she approached, his gaze slowly sliding down the length of her dress, then back up again. The sexy, disarming grin that pulled up the corners of his mouth and the heat that filled his eyes made her heart skip a few beats. She’d yet to see him smile like that at any of the women at the party tonight, and it gave her a bit of a thrill to have captured his attention with the dress she’d worn.

Alyssa came up beside Shane and lifted her nearly empty glass of champagne to the happily married couple in a toast. “Great New Year’s Eve party, as always.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Cynthia’s eyes sparkled with delight, and her complexion glowed in a way that Alyssa had never seen before. “You look absolutely
amazing
in that dress.”

 A warm blush swept across Alyssa’s cheeks at the compliment, making her realize that she really ought to dress up more often. “Thank you.”

Cynthia touched her husband’s arm and glanced up at him adoringly. “Drew and I were just about to tell Shane some exciting news, and we’re glad you joined us.”

Whatever it was, Alyssa could feel their excitement. “What’s up you two?”

“We’re going to have a baby,” Drew announced, and puffed his chest out proudly.

Alyssa gasped in surprise and hugged Cynthia, while Shane shook Drew’s hand. “Oh, my goodness! Congratulations. I’m so happy for you both.”

“We’re pretty thrilled, too.” Cynthia placed her hand on her still flat belly. “We’re going to go spread the good news, but we wanted the two of you to be one of the first to know.”

Alyssa sighed as the couple moved on, a little envious—okay, a whole
lot
envious—over their close, loving relationship. They were such a great pair, and she experienced a deep pang of loneliness over the reminder of how her friends were getting married, having families, and moving on with their lives while she was still hopelessly single and so afraid of making the kind of commitment it took to sustain a lasting relationship.

Refusing to allow such depressing thoughts to get her down tonight, she returned her gaze to Shane. “So, where’s your mystery woman?”

“I’m not meeting her until later,” he replied easily. “Where’s your secret admirer?”

She finished off her champagne and set it on a nearby passing tray. “The thing is, he
could
be here, right in plain sight, and I wouldn’t even know it.” And that possibility frustrated the heck out of her.

He slid his hands into the front pockets of his slacks, his brown eyes seemingly searching her expression. “So, you haven’t seen him yet?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not meeting him until later, too, out by the rose garden at midnight.” Then she grinned wryly. “Maybe our dates are hanging out together until later.”

His low, deep laughter curled through her. “In that case, why don’t we do the same thing?” He held his hand out to hers. “Care to dance?”

It sounded like a wonderful distraction to her. She placed her fingers in his warm palm, which felt so perfectly right. “I would love to.”

He led her outside to the patio, where the music was playing and the mood was festive. The next few hours passed quickly as they danced, perused the buffet, drank another glass of champagne, and then danced some more.

When a slow song came over the speakers, Alyssa turned to walk off the dance floor, but before she could escape Shane grabbed her hand and gently whirled her back around to face him. Before she could protest, he wrapped one arm around her waist, gathered her close, and secured her other hand in his.

He raised a teasing brow at her. “You thought you were going to get away, didn’t you?”

She wasn’t about to admit that yes, she’d been trying to avoid this kind of close contact with him. Her hormones just couldn’t take the feel of his hard, warm body pressed so intimately against hers.

“What if our dates are watching us?” she asked, using that as an excuse for him to let her go.

“Who cares?” he said, shrugging those broad shoulders of his. “I’m not letting you go until the song ends, so relax and enjoy yourself.”

How in the world was she supposed to relax when every single one of her feminine nerve endings were tingling with sexual awareness? She exhaled a deep breath that didn’t do much to dispel the tension humming through her veins.

As they swayed to the music, their bodies seemingly melted into one another, aligning in a way that was very seductive and arousing—as was the slow, rhythmic way his hips moved against hers. He slid a hand down her back, and let his warm palm come to rest at the base of her spine. A hard, masculine thigh pressed between hers, her breasts grew heavy, and her sensitive nipples peaked against the lacy cups of her bra.

Her pulse quickened, and she bit her bottom lip to hold back a groan of pure pleasure.

And still, he continued to torment her.

He pressed his cheek lightly to hers, and she felt his damp, heated breath caress her skin, could smell the warm, male scent of his cologne that did crazy things to her insides. Her knees went weak, as did her resolve to keep things platonic between them.

His lips grazed her jaw, then trailed down the side of her neck. She closed her eyes as a shiver rippled through her, bringing with it a need and hunger so strong it threatened every one of her defenses against this man who was her very best friend.

“You really do look beautiful tonight, Alyssa,” he murmured, his voice husky and rough around the edges. “Your secret admirer is one hell of a lucky guy.”

She didn’t know what to say, because at the moment she didn’t give a damn about her secret admirer, or what he might think about the way she looked. Shane made her
feel
beautiful, and sexy, and she wanted him like no other man she’d ever been with. And if they weren’t surrounded by other people in the midst of a party, she feared she would have given into that desire right then and there.

That startling thought was enough for her to put an end to their slow, tantalizing dance, even before the music ended. She tried to ease from his embrace, but he didn’t completely let her go.

She couldn’t look him in the eye, afraid that he’d be able to see just how affected she was by him. “I, ummm, I need to go.”

“Go where?” he asked, his voice too damn alluring.

“To meet my date.” She dared to finally look at him, and found him staring at her with such unnerving intensity. “It’s almost midnight.”

This time when she moved away from him, he released her, much to her relief, because she needed the physical distance. She went inside to get her shawl, saw that it was less than ten minutes away from twelve o’clock, and made her way out to the rose garden to regain her composure and clear her head before her secret admirer arrived.

Drew and Cynthia’s backyard was large and beautifully landscaped, and while Alyssa could hear the guests up at the house, it was quiet where she was, with only the bright moonlight offering her any source of illumination. She breathed slow and deep and paced restlessly along the short walkway, welcoming the cool evening air wafting along her over heated body.

Minutes later she heard someone approaching from behind, and with her heart pounding hard and fast in her chest, she turned around, fully expecting her secret admirer to be standing there. Instead she found Shane, and while she was surprised that he’d followed her out to the rose garden, she didn’t think her date would appreciate Shane being there when he arrived.
If
he even showed up.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked cautiously.

He came up to her and gently brushed away wisps of hair tickling the side of her face. “I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

“I’m fine,” she said, all too aware of the butterflies that had hatched in her stomach upon seeing him again. “Though I’m beginning to think we both got stood up tonight.”

He smiled at her, his dark eyes indulging her. “No man in his right mind would stand you up, Alyssa.”

She trembled deep inside, and she wasn’t so sure that it was the chilled air that had caused the reaction, but rather the rich, sincere tone of Shane’s voice.

“I’m starting to have my doubts about that.” She tugged her shawl tighter over her shoulders, using it for warmth and a protective shield from her response to Shane’s nearness, as well. “I just heard someone up at the house yell that there was only two more minutes left until midnight, and here I am standing in the rose garden with you, not my date, and I have no idea who he is.”

He pushed his hands into the front pockets of his slacks, his casual stance belying the direct and purposeful way he was watching her. “Don’t you think you’ll know him when you see him?”

Startled by his choice of words, she narrowed her gaze at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“The guy you’re waiting for could be standing right in front of you.”

You won’t need an introduction
, her secret admirer had told her. “Is he?” she whispered in a strangled voice.

Shane’s expression never changed. “What do
you
think?”

Her head spun as bits and pieces of her on-line conversation with him filtered through her mind, fast and furiously . . .
I want you to know that I’m very attracted to you and have been for some time now . . .you have beautiful blue eyes . . .I love your laughter. It’s husky and sexy . . . Your friend is a lucky guy to be able to spend the night with you.