The Hotel Magnate's Demand. Jennifer Rae

moved even closer and the stirring in his body started to roar. Quietly, slowly, but persistently. This wasn’t little lollipop Amy any more. This was a woman well aware of her power.

      ‘You think I can’t handle you, Luke?’

      Luke’s mouth dried up. The idea of her handling him was doing violent things to his body. Things were springing to life. He had to calm this down.

      ‘I think you might have enough to handle with all the booze being passed around this table.’ He nodded towards the table full of glasses. Some shots of tequila had arrived and were being scattered amongst the others.

      She looked away quickly, then back at him. Hard. Hot. He held steady.

      ‘Not scared, are you, Luke?’

      ‘Scared? Of what?’

      She smiled. A magnetic bright white that glowed in the dark bar. She shrugged a little. ‘You tell me.’

      Luke’s heart beat steady but hard. She’d pegged him. He was scared. Scared that he actually wanted to take little lollipop Amy home, get her naked and kiss her entire body. And that he’d enjoy it. And he’d want to do it again and again.

      But he wasn’t going to do that. Not with her. She was too close. She wasn’t someone he wanted to hurt. And hurt her he would, if he let himself go there.

      ‘The only thing I’m scared of is that this lot are going to get kicked out if they get any drunker.’

      He looked behind him at the group of old friends. Laughing so hard they were falling off their stools. Passing shots of tequila around, talking louder. and getting more animated with every drink. Fun. That was what they were. Fun, easy and carefree. And Luke wanted a little bit of that. He’d just gone through the toughest year of his life and he was back here in Sydney for this. Fun. Not Amy. Not relationships. Tequila. Laughs. Old friends.

      He swiped two shots off the table and handed one to Amy.

      ‘We may as well join them, Lollipop.’ He swept the liquid into his mouth and enjoyed the burn as it travelled down his throat. Get drunk. That was what he was going to do tonight. Then he’d be able to forget and relax and maybe live a little.

      What he wasn’t going to do was his little sister’s best friend. He planned on staying right away from that little wasps’ nest, because he sure wasn’t ready to get stung again.