Free Summer Heat by Jaci Burton Page A

one of the casinos tonight to check out the competition.”
    Shannon nodded and
swept her hair off her shoulders. “You two will be spending a lot of time
together, won’t you?”
    “Yeah. So?”
    “She’s very
attractive.”
    “Yes, she is.”
    “And whip smart.”
    “Indeed.” He already
knew where this conversation was going, but enjoyed playing the game with his
sister.
    “Not really your type,
though, is she?”
    Shannon might be able
to bat those turquoise eyes and act innocent with someone else, but he’d never
fallen for it once.
    “No, she’s not.”
    “Kind of cold, isn’t
she?”
    “Uh huh.”
    She pursed her lips and
tilted her head. “Bet you’d like to heat her up just a little, though, wouldn’t
you?”
    Now it was time. “Where
are you going with all this,  petite soeur ?”
    Her eyes narrowed.
“Don’t you  little sister  me, Aidan. I know exactly what you’re
doing with her.”
    Aidan crossed his arms
and arched a brow. “Really. And what is that?”
    “You’re setting her up
for heartbreak.” She laid a perfectly manicured finger in the middle of his
chest. “And yourself, too, if you’re not careful.”
    “I can handle it,
Shan.”
    She snorted. “Famous
last words. You’ve been  handling  women around here for years
now. But I think this time you may have met your match.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    Shannon shrugged. “I
don’t know. Something about her is…different. I noticed it last night.”
    So, he hadn’t been the
only one. “Different, how?”
    “Not that  she’s  different,”
she replied, looking around and then taking him by the arm to a sitting area
where they had more privacy. “She seems to bring out the magic in you.”
    “Damn, Shannon, not
you, too. You sound like Mom.”
    “I know, I know.
Believe me, I’m the last one to think the magic is all encompassing, especially
as it relates to destiny. All I’m saying is that as soon as she walked in the
door to the house last night, I felt it. It begs a warning for you to be
careful.”
    He nodded and kissed
his sister on the cheek. She smiled up at him. “Unless, of course, you don’t
want to be careful.”
    “Huh?”
    “You  are  getting
up in years there,  cher frère . Maybe it’s time you settle down and start
raising those grandchildren Mom and Dad are always harping about.”
    “You first,” he teased.
    Her eyes widened. “Not
on your life. I don’t have time.”
    “Talk about famous last
words,” he said, then stopped cold when the awareness hit him. He turned and
spotted Melissa.
    “Wow,” Shannon said
behind him.
    Dressed in one
hellaciously hot dress, Melissa strode toward them. Gold and shimmery, the
dress waved around her legs and clung to her like it had been painted on her.
    “You’re in deep
trouble, Aidan,” Shannon said over his shoulder, mirth evident in her warning
    “No shit.” This new
Melissa he hadn’t expected. In fact, after today he fully expected her to show
up in pants or some garb that covered all of her from head to toe. Not a silk
dress cut low in front and showing off her figure. Her long legs looked even
longer in those high heels.
    Ignoring her would be
difficult, if not downright impossible. He’d seen the body barely hidden
underneath all that gold. And he wanted to see it again.
    Melissa smiled brightly
at Shannon as she stopped in front of them. “How are you tonight?” she asked
his sister.
    “Great,” Shannon
replied. “Working late as usual.”
    Melissa nodded. “You
sound like a workaholic, just like me.”
    “Gorgeous dress, by the
way,” Shannon said.
    “Thank you.” A telltale
blush appeared on her cheeks as she glanced quickly over at Aidan.
    “You two have fun. I’ve
got to get this paperwork finished.” Shannon scurried off toward the hotel
offices, leaving Aidan and Melissa alone.
    The quiet was
unnerving. And he couldn’t stop staring. The gold dress shimmered against
Lissa’s creamy skin, the effect