Page 35 of Faith

“Ohhh, you have a secret. What’s the secret…tell me,” Serenity demanded.

She sighed. “I’m having really inappropriate fantasies.”

Serenity studied her for a long, silent minute. “Oh. My. God. You are having fantasies about Jensen!”

“Shh, Jesus, like I need him to find out. It’s just every now and then, he uses a tone with me that gets me bothered. Like hot and bothered.” When Serenity kept staring at her with no expression on her face, she panicked. “I think it’s because I haven’t been with a Dom in so long. I just need a good session to work the idea out of my system.”

“Is he the only one getting you hot and bothered?”

“What?”

“I mean, what about Adam and Mick?”

“Jesus, Serenity, no.”

“I think it has more to do with the man and your feelings toward him.”

“No. We’re friends—at best. There are times I’m not sure I even want to know him.”

Even to her own ears her proclamation didn’t sound all that strong.

“You could always try a night at Rough ‘n Ready. See what happens.”

She had thought the same thing before they’d arrived in Hawaii. Now, though, the idea held no excitement.

“Ah,” Serenity said.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t want to do that. You want Jensen as your Dom.”

“Do not. Why on Earth would I want that?”

“Talking like an Austen reject again. You are defensive.”

Even though she was worried Serenity was right, she shook her head. “We better get out there or the guys will be worried about us.”

“Tell me about it. Those two are being overly cautious about everything. Well, almost everything,” she said with a grin.

There. That was what she was jealous of. Knowing there were two men in the world who loved and adored her. Nicola would never begrudge her friend that feeling, but she wanted it too. Well, one man. The sad thing was that she knew it would never happen. She wasn’t cut out for thehappily ever after story. She had proven it with Oliver.

“What did I say?” Serenity asked, concern lacing her words.

Nicola smiled as she opened the bathroom door. “Nothing at all. Let’s see if they moved on to cricket now.”

With a hearty laugh, Serenity walked past her. “They’ve got such man crushes on Jensen.”

As she followed her friend, Nicola was worried she was way past having a crush on her boss.

* * *

As they walkedout of the restaurant and down the street to the parking lot, Jensen walked about ten paces behind the women.

“I take it you don’t need us to stop by,” Mick commented.

“You mean while I am in Maui? No. The house is a fortress and knowing Nicola, she’ll be in bed by nine every night.”

Neither men said a word, so he glanced over at them. “What?”

---