Page 21 of Tristan’s Temptation

“Indeed.” He heard the smile in her voice.

“But, Shannon…” He hated himself for being such an ass but it had to be said. “We really can’t do this again.”

There was only a small pause before she said, in the gentlest voice, “Of course not.”

And they wouldn’t. He was certain.

At least, not until the next time.

Chapter Five

“Did you know you and Tristan are practically neighbors?”

Shannon, sitting with her friends in the lunchroom, glanced at Sara, forcing a blank look. “Really?” She tried to infuse an interested lilt in her voice. “I hadn’t a clue.”

Liar.

She knew where Tristan Trillo lived. She’d always known.

She’d bought a house in that neighborhood on the off chance she might see him in passing on occasion.

She never had.

Not until the other day when he’d shown up at her door.

She dug her spoon into her yogurt and stirred, intently studying the strawberry swirls as though they held the secrets of the universe.

“Yeah. Me either.” Sara chatted away obliviously, as Sara often did. “But when he offered to bring you your laptop that day Bosco was sick, he mentioned it.”

“Really.” Kat’s gaze snapped to Shannon. Kat was the company analyst. She noticed things other people—like Sara—tended to miss. “How interesting.”

Shannon frowned. She recognized the glint in Kat’s eye, a sudden speculative gleam. Now that Kat had found bliss with Adam, she wanted everyone paired up. Couples did that to their single friends. It was like a disease.

She shrugged, slow and deliberate. “It’s not like we’ll be sharing jars of fancy mustard through our kitchen windows.”

“Still.” Sara fluttered her lashes like a teenage girl mooning over a pop idol. “He’s so dreamy. I’d love to have him as a neighbor. I could go over to borrow a cup of sugar, like in my bikini. I could seduce him over gardening tips.”

“He is cute.” Jenny flicked the page of her magazine and twirled her hair with a bored finger. Today her hair was purple. “But you could never seduce Tristan Trillo.”

Sara put out a lip. “I could too.”

“Nope.” Kat drew circles in her yogurt. She was dieting. To fit in the wedding dress. “None of us could. That guy is a fanatic about his rule. You should have seen his reaction when Adam told him about us.” She tut-tutted. “He didn’t take it well.”

“But surely he’s adjusted to the news by now.” He had. Hadn’t he?

“Hah! He still complains at Sunday dinner when we all get together. He’s never mean to me but he always gives Adam a ration of it.”

“What does their mom say?”

Kat chuckled. “She just sermonizes about grandkids. She’s convinced her sons are deliberately withholding their sperm in an attempt to deny her that one joy.”

Sara stilled and fixed her attention on Kat. “Are they? I mean is Adam… Does he…”

“Are you asking me intimate details about my sex life?” Kat asked incredulously.

Sara had the grace to blush. “Maybe a little. I was just wondering if he—”

Kat cut her off with a sharp slash of her hand. “I’m not talking about this.”