Free Tristan's Temptation by Sabrina York Page B

drawer.

Chapter Six
     
    “I love that color,” Shannon said, sighing at the flowers on Kat’s desk.
    “Which one?” Kat grinned. Her desk was awash in blooms, roses in a panoply of colors.
    “The cream.” Shannon gently stroked one exquisite bud with a tentative fingertip.
    “I love cream.” Jenny took a bite from her peach as she flipped through a thick, glossy tome. “Oh,” she cooed. “Look at this dress.” She wedged her peach between her teeth and flipped the heavy book around so the others could see.
    Sara glanced up from the magazine she was perusing. “Lordy. That is divine.”
    Kat shook her head. “I’d get lost in the ruffles.” She waved the magazine away with an insistent hand. “Look for something simpler.”
    “It’s your wedding day, for heaven’s sake. You should be a princess.”
    “She already is a princess,” a deep, seductive voice purred. Every female gaze turned to Adam Trillo with deep appreciation. He was yummy. He prowled into Kat’s office, an undeniably male counterpoint to the veritable florist shop filling the room.
    “Aw.” Jenny batted her be-glittered eyelashes. “Isn’t that sweet?”
    “Darling.” Adam took Kat in his arms for a long, probing kiss.
    A very long, probing kiss.
    Shannon, Jenny and Sara watched for a minute but looked away when the kiss continued.
    And continued.
    Sara tipped back her head and studied the ceiling, pursing her lips to whistle a tuneless refrain.
    Still the kiss continued.
    When Adam finally surfaced, Kat was flushed and breathless. Beautiful. Happy.
    Shannon tried not to let her jealousy rise. Kat and Adam were getting married, after all. And they deserved their happiness. It wasn’t their fault Shannon’s love life was somewhat less than perfect.
    Oh, no doubt, her interludes with Tristan were perfect, or as close as a human being could come without expiring on the spot. But great sex did not a perfect love life make. His insistence—after each encounter—that it couldn’t happen again was starting to wear on her patience.
    Sure, she’d been able to lure him back, using one seductive tactic or another. But a woman got tired of being the aggressor every time. A woman got tired of launching the chase. A woman wanted a man to pursue her. Once in a while.
    But that wasn’t going to happen.
    Tristan wasn’t going to bend on his rule—at least, he wouldn’t bend it any more than he already had. He certainly wasn’t about to slip into a permanent relationship with her. He wasn’t even willing to make their relationship public.
    He wasn’t even willing to tell his own brother about their affair. That in itself was tremendously significant because Tristan told Adam everything.
    Shannon fondled the lovely cream rose, absorbed with its velvety texture and sweet smell. She tried to ignore Adam and Kat’s byplay and tried not to envy her friend the love she’d found. But most of all, she tried not to cry.
    Crying was foolish. She knew what she was getting into when she seduced Tristan in the first place. Just because she’d decided she wanted more than mind-boggling sex didn’t mean he was obliged to comply. She was being decidedly foolish to even expect him to want the same.
    But she did.
    “Did you get your dress for tonight?” Adam asked Kat, drawing Shannon’s attention from her morose reverie. Kat had regaled them all on their plans for tonight. They were going to a party at a beachside restaurant in Malibu.
    “Yes.” Kat leaned into Adam and wrapped her arms around his neck. They were so in love. It was too much to bear. Shannon desperately wanted to leave but didn’t want to be rude. “It’s skimpy and it’s black.”
    “Mmm.” Adam nibbled Kat’s neck. “I love it!”
    Kat laughed. “I knew you would.” She adjusted Adam’s collar, though it was perfect. “Who’s Tristan’s date again?”
    Shannon’s attention sharpened, as did the dagger through her heart.
    “Tristan has a date?” Sara gaped.