P L A Y L I S T

The Temptress - Alesana

Zari hadn't even left the damn hospital yet and was already testing his willpower. He was fucked, and not in a good way. Gabriel's first surprise had been Zari's hand on his dick. Then how quickly it had reacted to her touch. But the biggest shock came when he'd said he was happy about her coming home with him. How the hell did that happen? She'd looked so sad and sounded so desperate. That had to be it. His Good Samaritan persona must have kicked in once again because he couldn't be happy about her staying with him. Was he?

He turned onto the road that led to his mother's house and went back to his confused state. On the one hand, he wanted to help Zari. Needed to help her. That was his MO. Been that way all his life and couldn't change. But on the flip side of that coin was the bad vibe that kept niggling at him every time he thought of sharing space with her.

She belonged to someone else, and even if she believed that someone was him, Gabriel knew the truth, which put him in a bad situation because he was attracted to her. A woman he could never have, and now he'd be sleeping with her, even in the most innocent sense.

He needed to look on the bright side. Still two more days before her release. A lot could happen in forty-eight hours. She could get her memory back. Return home, and he'd never see her again. Damn. His chest squeezed. Stomach clenched. He opened his glove compartment, pulled out the bottle of Rolaids and shook the tablets directly into his mouth.

His mother's house came into view. It looked like Grand Central. Silbie's car, Owen's rental, and another vehicle Gabriel didn't recognize lined the drive. He wheeled in behind them.

As he approached the front porch, Mom's laughter spilled over the fence from the backyard. He'd not heard her laugh like that in a while. He stopped and cocked his head. Did she have a man back there? Holy hell. What was going on? Silbie interested in an older guy. Gabriel about to live with a complete stranger. And now Mom entertaining some dude? Well, it sounded more like he was entertaining her, but still, she'd not dated since Sil's dad died.

Gabriel wasn't sure how he felt about that. She was still young at forty-four, but too old for a boyfriend. God, just using the word in connection to her made his skin crawl. He crept to the end of the porch for a closer listen and didn't like what he heard.

"Oh, gosh. I haven't been on a date in..."

Mom's voice trailed off, and Gabriel knew she was doing the math, just like he was.

"Almost fifteen years," she said. "I'm not sure I'd even know how to act."

Gabriel recognized the man's mellow tone.

"It's been a long time for me, too," Matthew said.

Gabriel fisted his hands. Owen. Zari. Now Matthew. Damn family. Fucking up everything.

Just when he had considered that Matthew was in love with Alisha, he had to go pull a one-eighty and set his sights on Dawn. His mother.

Gabriel scrubbed his palm over his face. What the hell? The whole damn family was made up of players? He'd better warn his Aunt Perlah. Dante was the only member left unmarried, so he'd probably be coming for her. Or maybe Alisha Davis wanted to get in on this action and date his aunt instead. Why couldn't these people find mates in Dallas, or wherever the hell they lived? Stay on their own turf. Well, Zari had found one for all the good it did.

Gabriel's ear perked at Matthew again.

"Don't think of it as a date. You were kind enough to invite me for dinner, so I'd like to return the favor. Just two friends sharing a meal. What about that?"

"I guess that would be okay. And we do have a lot in common right now. I mean, since your goddaughter will be living with my son."

She was probably batting her eyelashes.

Gabriel's mouth hung open. He couldn't recall the last time he'd heard that tone in his mother's voice. Yeah, he could. Never. She sounded like a schoolgirl being asked to the prom. He couldn't take anymore. He stomped to the front door and flung it open. So help him, if he caught Owen laying a hand on Silbie, Gabriel was going to take him down.

Instead, he stopped in his tracks. They were in the kitchen. Silbie loading the dishwasher. Owen bagging the trash.

"Hey, Gabe," Silbie said as if everything was normal, and having strange men over was something they did daily.

Which it wasn't. The domestic scene going on here and Mom in the backyard giggling like a teenager was anything but normal. More like surreal. He zeroed in on Owen.

"Your dad just asked my mom out. What's with you people?" he gruffly demanded, folding his arms over his chest.

"If by you people, you mean decent, hardworking, tax paying citizens, then there's nothing wrong. A better question is what's the matter with you trying to run everybody's life? Is yours so fucked you have to butt into everyone else's?" Owen sat his drink down, on a fucking coaster and stood up, imposing over him.

Gabriel stood his ground. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Silbie punched Owen's shoulder, narrowed her eyes, and shook her head, then looked back at her brother. "Owen didn't mean that. Mom and I like that you watch out for us."

Gabriel clenched his teeth. Clearly, Silbie had told her new so-called boyfriend all about Gabriel's past, and the thought curdled in his stomach like sour milk. So much for family loyalty. "Yeah. Whatever." He spun and headed back outside, then slammed the door behind him. Before he made it to the truck, Silbie was on his heels.

"I swear I've never told Owen anything about you. He was just spouting off. I really wish y'all could get along. And as for as Mr. Kline, I'm sure he's just being nice."

Gabriel turned to face her. "Doesn't matter. He pretty much got it right. I am fucked up." He didn't say anything else, just jumped behind the wheel, cranked the engine, rammed it in reverse, and sped away.

*

Silbie didn't know what to do. She wished she had told Owen about her brother's past. Then he might have held his tongue. She marched back in the house, put her hands on her hips and scowled. "You shouldn't have said that."

"Somebody needed to tell him to mind his own business. Sorry if I hurt his feelings. He's a big boy. He'll get over it."

She bristled, but managed to keep her voice calm. Owen didn't know any better, but she did have that Luna protective streak, even if Gabriel thought it all his own. "You don't understand. He's had a rough time. Sacrificed for us. Turned his life upside down in more ways than one, so don't ever speak to him that way again."

Owen moved to stand next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into her agitated muscles. "I'm sorry. Really. Why don't you tell me about it?"

She shrugged away and strolled to the sofa and sat. There was nothing more important to her than having the two men she loved be friends. But if push came to shove, and Owen made her choose —her brother came first. Couldn't very well side with a man she'd not so much as kissed. One who made it clear there would never be anything between them other than friendship, although she planned for that to change.

Owen took the space next to her, which was crazy because he usually sat as far away as possible. The most physical contact they'd had was when he'd apologized minutes ago. She didn't say anything, and he laced his fingers with hers, looking her straight in the eye as if he could see everything.

"Please. Tell me."

Swallowing hard, she lost her train of thought for a second as a current of heat raced north and south, causing things to clench and tingle. She didn't dare look into his eyes for fear she might lose control.

Inhaling a deep breath, she began, "Gabriel had his life all set. A free ride to college by way of a baseball scholarship. A couple of major league teams had already been looking at him. He was in love with his high school sweetheart. Then half-way through the first semester, my mom lost her job. We were struggling to make ends meet. I was too young to do much. Mom took any job she could along with her night classes, so Gabriel dropped out to take care of me. Take care of both of us."

The memory caused an overwhelming sadness to envelop her. She'd been old enough to recognize her brother's suffering. He'd taken the loss harder than anyone.

Owen slid his arm around Silbie's shoulders. "Go on."

She looked at the ceiling and blinked tears away, then got control of her emotions. "And then there was his girlfriend, Rosie. She'd enrolled in the same college and stayed behind when Gabriel came home. Became a real party girl. Got hooked on drugs. Turned out she'd already been using before he left, but he didn't know it. He didn't know a lot of things. Found out later she'd had an abortion."

Owen's eyebrows raised skyward. "His baby?"

"Yes. And there's more. Gabriel found Rosie dead in his apartment. Drug overdose. So he has every right to be messed up—and to be overprotective of Mom and me. I think he stays terrified he might lose someone else he loves. He couldn't save Rosie, so he thinks he needs to save everyone else."

Owen sighed. "Well, I feel like a jerk."

Silbie slipped her hand from his. "You should if for no other reason than what he's doing for Zari."

"You're right. I'll make a point to see him and apologize before I leave."

Silbie gazed at him. "When will that be?"

"Day after tomorrow."

Silbie was taken aback. She knew he'd be leaving, but she thought she'd have a little more than a day to mentally prepare. Now that Zari was awake and seemingly fine, there really was no reason for him to stay. She wasn't stupid enough to think or even want him to stay solely for her, especially not when she'd be graduating and leaving soon. "When will you be back?"

"Unless Zari recovers her memory or needs me for something, probably not until that bachelor auction event I got rooked into. Just how bad is this Betty Bonnet person?"

"Bennett. Bea Bennett."

"Whatever."

"She isn't all that bad. Just older. She's a doctor." Silbie's lips quirked up. "Besides, you don't look anything like Gabriel, so maybe won't appeal to her. And the money goes to local charities, so it's for a good cause."

Owen brought his arm from Silbie's shoulders, back to his lap, and clasped his hands together. "Maybe so, but the thought of a stranger paying to spend time with me, makes me nervous. I mean, it's like a blind date, and the two I've had in the past did not go well."

"How so?"

He pursed his lips then pulled them tight against his teeth. "One girl immediately started talking about having kids and the other couldn't stop bitching about her ex. After that second fiasco, I swore to never to do that again."

Silbie snorted. "I doubt you need to be fixed up."

"What does that mean?"

"You're gorgeous, smart, and gainfully employed," she ticked the points off on her fingers. "That's pretty much the magic trifecta. You should have suitors lined up around the block trying to get your attention."

He grinned. Always so stoic, but he seemed to come alive around her. Her heart tingled in satisfaction. "You know guys have a list, and those top three things are about the same. Besides, who says I don't have a line of suitors?"

Silbie punched his shoulder. "Don't be a smartass."

Owen fell over laughing. "I'm not. There are so many they cause daily traffic jams."

"Yeah, right." She stood and folded her arms, refusing to play the jealousy card people her age were prone to. "I'm going to get something to drink, you want anything?"

He pulled her back onto the couch. "Was that your subtle way of trying to find out how many people have been in my life?"

"Uh—no." God, she hated the way her voice elevated at the end of that word. Like she wasn't sure about her answer. But she was. She didn't want to know how many there'd been. The number would only make her feel worse.

He took her hand and rubbed his finger across the knuckles. "Let's just get it all out in the open, why not."

Pulling her hand free, she stood again. "None of my business." She walked away.

He called after her. "One serious, one semi-serious, and a lot of dates, but not in a while. I've been concentrating on building my business, which means at least sixty-hour work weeks. I don't have time for a relationship."

She stopped and spoke over her shoulder. "Like I said, it's none of my business."

In an instant, he was behind her, so close she could feel his body heat. God help her, if she just leaned back a little, she'd fit so perfectly, molding against him. She took a deep breath, and he put his lips next to her ear.

"I want it to be your business. That's how messed up I am. Logic tells me we can't be more than friends. At least not now. But my heart tells me something entirely different. These nightly dinners with you are making me crazy. If you knew what I'm doing to you right now in my head, you'd run away."

She turned and stared up at him. "No, I wouldn't. It can't be any worse than what I've fantasized."

"You sure about that?"

She wondered if he was aware of how low his voice dropped.

Like the cat who caught the canary, she continued, face serious, trying to smother the smile that itched to break free. "Clothes ripping. Bare skin slick with lust. Bodies tangled together. Hands exploring every inch of each other. Passionate kisses. Tongues tangling. You inside me. And don't even get me started on positions and locations."

He stilled, arms tight at his sides, hands balled into fists. "Stop. Don't say anything else."

She ran her arms around his waist, pressed against him, and rested her head on his chest. To her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her closer, and that's when she felt it, hard against her belly. A mixture of fear and excitement ran through her. She'd never compare to the women he'd had. In all her daydreams, she'd never been inadequate, but in reality, truth sat in.

Maybe this is what Gabriel had been trying to tell her all along. That she wasn't woman enough for a man like Owen. She was just a stupid girl. A high school senior with no experience in the romance department. Owen was right. There could never be anything between them but friendship—or sex. According to his erection, that could definitely happen, but if she expected more, she was setting herself up for heartbreak. The wish list ran through her head. Gorgeous? She was pretty enough. Smart? Nope. At least not in the love category. Gainfully employed? Never had been. She was nowhere near Owen's equal, and that's what men wanted. At least the ones worth having.

She stepped away. "You're right. The timing is all wrong."

He hauled her back against him. "Fuck the timing."

He kissed her, and she lost her breath. This was so much better than anything she'd imagined. Then he licked into her mouth, and her knees weakened. She didn't care about the wish list, or her age, or inexperience. She didn't even care that her mother and Matthew Kline could walk in from outside at any moment. All she cared about was Owen and what he was doing with the deadly combination of a magic tongue and mystical hands.

He broke the kiss, and she dangled as if boneless within his arms. Unable to speak, she gasped for breath, but only managed to retrieve a small amount of oxygen. She ran her hand over his jaw to make sure he was real and not a dream.

He sucked her finger into his mouth. Not a dream. Sweet baby Jesus.

__________________________

First Silbie and Owen, then Gabriel's stuck with Zari, and now Matthew has his sights set on his mom. Poor dude can't get rid of these people.

And damn, Silbie and Owen heating up.

Please consider voting and commenting. I love that stuff.

TEASER:

"Promise you won't molest me?"

What do you think is going on?