Forbidden fruit...

...always tastes sweeter!

Alex Fischer knows that his best friend’s little sister, Maria Martinez, is strictly off-limits. But she has his blood pounding when they share an intimate moment on a Vegas dance floor, and soon their illicit temptation turns into a passionate fling! If their secret gets out he’ll lose his best friend and her family will be torn apart. How far are they willing to go for their forbidden romance?

J. MARGOT CRITCH currently lives in St John’s, Newfoundland, with her husband, Brian, and their two little buddies, Simon and Chibs. She spends equal amounts of time writing, listening to Jimmy Buffett’s music and looking out at the ocean—all the while trying to decide if she wants coffee or a margarita.

If you liked Sweet as Sin, why not try

Her Guilty Secret by Clare Connelly Stripped by Nicola Marsh Getting Naughty by Avril Tremayne

Also from J. Margot Critch’s

Sin City Brotherhood miniseries

Boardroom Sins

Sins of the Flesh

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Sweet as Sin

J. Margot Critch

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08683-7

SWEET AS SIN

© 2019 Juanita Margot Critch

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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For my own romance hero, Brian, the man who

sits somewhere comfortably between an alpha and a

cinnamon bun. There is a bit of you in every

hero I write about—the guy next door, the nerd,

the goofball, the bad boy, the protector,

the powerful businessman.

Without your unending love and support I

wouldn’t be able to live my dream. Thank you for

loving me, making me laugh, putting up with me and

being my best friend, my inspiration, and all-around

favorite person.

I love you. And your butt.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

ALEX FISCHER LEANED back and spread his arms along the back of the couch and scanned the nightclub around him. There were hundreds of gorgeous women in high heels and short dresses, flawless makeup and hair, and his hopes for the evening were high. Peeling his gaze away from the crowded dance floor, he looked at his friend Gabe, who sat across from him in the VIP area of Swerve nightclub, and poured them each a couple of fingers of bourbon.

“Thanks,” Alex said, taking his, leaning in so Gabe could hear him over the music. “This couch used to be a lot more crowded,” he said, referring to their buddies Brett and Rafael, who used to join them at their nightclub, carousing, drinking, club-hopping, hooking up with women. Since they had met their women and fallen in love, they hadn’t joined them in the activities of the young, rich, good-looking single man.

“Yeah,” Gabe said, and snickered. “Now that Brett and Raf are sufficiently neutered, it seems like it’s just you and me. And Alana, when we can pull her away from Di Terrestres.”

Alex brought his glass to his lips and sipped the fine spirit as Gabe reached into his breast pocket and withdrew his phone.

“Oh hell,” Gabe muttered, reading the screen of his phone.

“Anything wrong?”

“Oh nothing. Just one of my clients having a crisis at—” he checked his watch “—nine fifteen on a Friday night.”

“You’re on the clock?”

“Aren’t we always?”

Alex frowned. “I thought we were hanging out.”

“So did I,” Gabe told him, taking one more wistful look around the club. “But I have to take care of this tonight. I’ll text you tomorrow.” When Alex stood, Gabe held his hand out. “Why don’t you stick around? Enjoy the booth, finish the bourbon, find someone to share it with you. No sense in it going to waste.” He gestured to the dance floor with a nod of his chin. “Get into a little trouble,” he said with a wink.

“Maybe I will,” Alex agreed, sitting back on the leather banquette. He could take Gabe’s advice and get into some trouble, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it on his own. He scrolled through the mental list of his closest friends, the rest of The Brotherhood. The five of them had formed the group out of college. With similar goals of running the Las Vegas business and nightlife scene, they’d realized that they were stronger as a unit and had joined forces, using their own specialties to bring them all to the top. It was Alana, the only female member of the group, who’d come up with the name, as a nod to the legends of secret societies of the powerful and wealthy throughout the country. While neither Alex nor his friends donned robes and performed rituals, The Brotherhood worked together to run their tied businesses and make decisions as a group.

Once driven by power and success, it seemed like each member of The Brotherhood was finding true love, settling down, getting married, blah, blah, blah... So Brett and Rafael were both at home with their women; Alana working at their club, Di Terrestres, even though they’d hired managers; and Gabe had just bowed out of partying in favor of work.

They were growing up, and as they pressed onward into their thirties, a part of him yearned for the old days. But every night, while Brett and Raf went home to their gorgeous partners, Alex still went home to his cold, empty condo, which overlooked Las Vegas Boulevard. All the revelry below did not match the sullen loneliness of his thirty-six-hundred square feet in the sky. Alex looked around the packed club, at the women in their minuscule dresses, gyrating, bumping and grinding against one another on the dance floor. More than one cast interested looks in his direction as he sat alone on the VIP couch. Maybe a little “trouble” was exactly what he needed.

Finishing the bourbon in his glass in one swallow, Alex headed for the dance floor, his eyes sharp and focused as he looked over the women in attendance. And there were many who were just his type—blonde, gorgeous, tall, fit, generously proportioned.

But there was one woman in the crowd that caught his attention, and she stopped him dead in his tracks. She was easily the sexiest woman in the club, moving with a confidence that came from always being the most beautiful woman in any room. The woman swiveled her hips to the music, keeping time with the beat. But there was something familiar about the dark-haired beauty, in a short skirt that stopped just below the round curve of her ample ass and perched on high stilettos, dancing with some guy, grinding against him as they moved. His hands found her waist, pulling her closer. She was stunning in a gold satin backless shirt; the only thing holding it on her body were the thin ties at her neck and lower back. She spun around, so she’d faced him briefly before turning her back on him again. Her breasts moved unencumbered under the loose material, proving she definitely was not wearing any kind of bra.

Every other woman in the club fell away as Alex got closer to her. It didn’t matter to him that the siren was dancing with another man, she wouldn’t be for much longer. He was a couple of yards away before her face came into view. The large brown eyes, and full red lips were those of a woman he knew.

Fuck, it was Maria.

Rafael’s sister—his best friend’s sister—looking like complete, unadulterated, absolutely sinful sex that made his dick stand upright at attention. She might have been twenty-six, but he’d never seen her dressed like that, moving like that. How had she transformed from the good, sweet young woman he knew into the vixen in front of him?

What the fuck is she doing here?

He stalked over to her as anger, possessiveness and a lust he didn’t quite understand coursed through him, each feeling warring for dominance. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him, but the guy she was dancing with didn’t seem to notice his presence at all until he pulled the other man’s hands from Maria’s body. “Think again, kid,” Alex sneered.

“What the fuck?” The young bro came up to Alex, his ego injured, looking for a fight, even though Alex outsized him by at least eight inches and one hundred pounds of muscle. The kid was clearly somehow stupider than he looked in his polo shirt and khakis. Who even dresses like that anymore?

“Get out of here,” Alex told him. The kid looked like he might stand his ground, but just as Alex suspected, he didn’t put up a fight and backed away. Even though a girl, a woman, like Maria would be worth dying for. But instead of realizing that, the young asshole looked Maria up and down, then glared at Alex before he backed away into the darkness of the club.

“What the hell, Alex?” Maria yelled over the music, smacking him in the chest, hard. Her small fist bounced off his pec.

But he was undeterred. “What do you think you’re doing here? Dressed like that.” He stared down at her, trying to ignore the way her smooth exposed skin made him feel, and the way his body tightened in response. He tried to push it back. He couldn’t be attracted to Maria.

But Maria didn’t seem to notice his turmoil and was squarely focused on being pissed at him. “Well, I was dancing with a cute guy, before you rudely interrupted.” She was mad. Alex recognized the pout of her lips, an expression she made when she was unhappy or when he and Rafael would pick on her as kids. She folded her arms across her chest, and the action plumped her breasts, pushing them up the low neckline of her shirt.

“Who was that guy?”

Her shrug was full of attitude. “I don’t know. I just met him.”

His eyes drifted south, watching the movements of her breasts, before he forced them back to her face. “Are you here alone?”

“No, I’m with my girlfriends.” She gestured vaguely over her shoulder.

“Well, where are they?”

“They’re around. What’s it to you, Alex?”

“Have you been drinking?”

“Well, I am at a nightclub,” she said, looking at him, as if it was obvious.

He grabbed her arm. “Come on. We’re getting out of here.”

She pulled back and wrenched away from his grip. “No, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here with my friends. And I was having a good time until you rudely interrupted.”

“Go get them. I’m calling you a car.”

“Fuck you, Alex.” Admirably, she stood her ground, not backing down from him. He looked around and could see that they were starting to catch the attention of the bouncers and staff.

“Maria.” He leaned in, whispering near her ear. “Come on. We’re leaving.” Looking around them, he didn’t miss the way that every guy in the place looked at Maria like she was a lamb in a lion’s den. A stubborn, immovable lamb. Relenting, he sighed. “Fine. If you aren’t leaving, then neither am I.” There was no way in hell he was going to walk out of that club while she was dressed like that.

She huffed and turned on her stiletto-clad heel and stomped away from him, toward two other women he assumed were her friends who stood at a table. He tried to ignore the way Maria’s ass shifted and her hips swayed under her skirt, or the flex of her toned thigh and calf muscles with every step. Grumbling to himself, frustrated, he went back to the VIP area and poured himself another drink. “Jesus.”

“Need anything else, Mr. Fischer?” the cocktail waitress asked him, within twenty seconds of his returning to his table.

Not taking his eyes off Maria, he shook his head. She was facing away from him, but every few seconds, she would look at him over her shoulder. Her large dark eyes were hot, burning him across the crowded nightclub, and her full lips pouted, teasing him, egging him on. Saluting her with his glass, he knocked back the bourbon in one large swallow.

He’d known Maria for years. When he was a child, the Martinez family had saved his life. He’d moved in with the family and out of his slum after his mother’s death and his father’s incarceration, and he never looked back. Alex owed Maria’s family everything, and whether she wanted him to or not, he would look out for her—make sure she stayed safe, and that certainly didn’t mean entertaining any of the thoughts he currently had in his mind.

* * *

Maria could feel Alex’s gaze on her back. Just who in the hell did he think he was? She was just trying to have some fun with her friends, Beth and Anna, dance with some good-looking guys, have them buy her some drinks. But of course, she couldn’t go anywhere in Las Vegas without being seen and coddled by one of Rafael’s overprotective friends. She was twenty-six years old, and completely sick of being treated like a fucking child. It was the curse of being the youngest daughter in a strict, Latino Catholic family. They loved her, and God knew her family was more important to her than anything else, but their watchful eyes were burdensome.

Thankfully, her parents had at least finally recognized that she was an adult. But Rafael was another issue. He flat-out refused to even remotely acknowledge the fact that she was no longer a child. She was a grown woman, she’d seen firsthand all of the terrible things that could happen to a woman, and she knew how to protect herself from those who would wish to do her harm. Since graduating from college, she’d spent months at a time on humanitarian missions with various groups like the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders in areas ravaged by war, disease and natural disasters. Her eyes had been opened to how dangerous the world could be when people were desperate and willing to do anything to survive. But in the mind of her stubborn brother, she was still a naive kid. Hell, she would be an eighty-year-old woman, and he would still be calling her his baby sister.

Alex’s closeness to her brother, and the fact that he had basically been raised in her home, meant that she should probably think of him as her brother, too. But she hadn’t. They’d grown up together, and while she’d always had a bit of a crush on him, somewhere along the way he’d ceased to be the gross boy who’d teased and picked on her, and had become the strong, gorgeous man who lit her every desire on fire.

“Maria, who was the hottie?” Beth asked, breaking through her thoughts. Maria blinked and realized that she was still looking at Alex, who was staring right back.

“Alex. A friend of my brother’s.”

“He is seriously the best-looking guy in here.” Maria watched her friend as she sized up Alex from across the room. “And he can’t keep his eyes off you. Why don’t you go for it? Crawl up on all that muscle.”

It certainly wasn’t beyond the thoughts that Maria had had about Alex. The man was a certified hunk. She may have spent thousands of hours in the middle of the night, in bed everywhere from Las Vegas to Haiti to the Middle East in the midst of fantasies about Alex Fischer. Those strong shoulders, the rippling muscles of his back and the bulge in his pants. “Believe me, I would,” she said, her breath pushing out from her constricting lungs. “But there’s no chance. He still thinks of me only as a kid, Rafael’s little sister.” A good girl. That was how everyone thought of her. Sure, she was a good person, but she also had a wicked streak that she heartily embraced every chance she got.

Oblivious to the conversation Maria and her friends had been having, some guy took the opportunity to join them, sidling up close to Maria, wrapping his arm low around her waist. He said something stupid about her culo, and she rolled her eyes. Idiot. God, she’d had enough of men imposing themselves on her, and her patience was at an all-time low. Can’t a woman just go out and have fun with her friends? She pulled his arm away from her. “You’d better get out of here, pendejo. Before I kick your culo all over this club.” She didn’t need Alex to scare off idiot guys. She could more than handle herself.

But he didn’t walk away; instead, he somehow sidled closer. “Ooh, fiery, I like that.”

The guy had no idea. She’d learned a long time ago while on missions how to deal with chauvinists, catcallers, guys who attempted to touch her uninvited. It wasn’t pretty. She’d seen some real dangerous men in her time. This frat boy in his Old Navy chambray shirt and chinos didn’t interest or scare her. “Listen, man, I’m not playing. Back off!” She turned away from him, trying to talk to her girlfriends.

When the guy laughed and grabbed her ass, Maria whipped around and grasped the guy’s fingers in a grip that twisted his wrist, causing him severe pain. He cried out, and everyone in the near vicinity looked in their direction. A bouncer moved close, but he didn’t stop her. “You know you shouldn’t go around touching people without their permission, don’t you?” She twisted her hand, and as she pinched a nerve ending, he screamed in pain. “So what do you say? Will you get the fuck out of here, or do I have to break your fingers?”

“Fine, I’ll go,” the guy wailed. She let him go and he cradled his injured hand. “Crazy bitch.”

“What was that?” she challenged, not backing down. “I don’t think I heard you.” There was one thing she hated and that was misogynistic, predatory assholes. He hadn’t backed down when she said no, so she literally took matters into her own hands. Hopefully the guy learned his lesson, but if not, she would gladly teach him again.

“Is there a problem?” Alex asked her, suddenly appearing at her side, but turned his attention to the guy as he retreated. He started to follow, but Maria held him back.

“No, I’ve got this,” she said as the other guy slunk out of view, disappearing into the crowd. “I don’t need a bodyguard, you know.”

“So I saw. That was pretty impressive.” He took her hand in his. His large fingers dwarfed hers and she felt the full-body tremor that traveled throughout her, starting with his touch, radiating to her core. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she managed to say as he inspected her fingers while she watched his face.

Alex turned her hand over and frowned. “You broke a nail.”

She looked down and saw that the recently manicured nail on her index finger had cracked off. The manicure had been expensive, and she frowned that it was ruined, but she covered her annoyance with a cool laugh. At least she hoped it was. “It’s no worse off than his pride, though. So, now that you can see I know how to look after myself, you can leave.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not going anywhere.” He smiled, turning on the charm. “Maria, I’m very sorry I interrupted your dance earlier and ruined your fun,” he said. She was skeptical that he was sorry at all. “So I want to make amends.” Pointing to the VIP area, he leaned in, speaking mostly to Beth and Anna. “Ladies, I’ve got a booth in the VIP area over there, and I’d love for you all to join me.”

She knew that his offer wasn’t just to be nice, that there was something else happening behind that devilish smile. But before she could say anything, her friends all nodded in agreement.

“Hell yeah, let’s go,” Beth said, and Maria watched, annoyed as Alex stood between them, cupped his palms around their elbows and led them toward the VIP area, leaving Maria standing alone.

Alex took several steps before it looked like he finally realized she wasn’t following. He turned to face her, his lips turning upward in a grin, knowing he’d won. “Coming, Maria?”

Alex had come up on her and steamrollered her plans to have fun with her friends. Hell, there were a lot of places worse than the VIP area of one of the hottest clubs in Las Vegas. She knew what he was doing. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t play a game of her own. Maybe it was the opportunity to do something she’d always wanted to do.

“Yeah. Sure.”

* * *

Alex escorted Maria’s friends to the VIP area. But the women who flanked him didn’t hold his interest like the woman who trailed them stubbornly. Beth and Anna, as they’d introduced themselves, sat on one end of the semicircle couch. He waited until Maria took a seat next to them, and he sat next to her, again trying not to focus on the way her breasts shifted under her shirt as she moved, settling into the couch, or the way her skirt rode even farther up, revealing more of her tanned thighs. She was curvy, every inch of her body incredible, and he wanted to put his mouth and hands on her and discover her every secret. He blinked and then quickly looked away, hoping to banish the image from his mind.

Beth plucked the drink menu from the center of the low table in front of them and when the waitress came over to the table, she ordered a round of shots for them all. In just a couple of minutes, the cocktail waitress returned and placed a shot glass containing some kind of purple liquid in front of each of them.

Alex looked at the shots with a frown, and considered passing on what looked like little more than liquid candy, but then he shrugged. Who was he to turn down a round of shots with a trio of gorgeous women? So, raising his glass with them, he downed the shot.

His swallow was followed by a grimace. The thing was sweet, pure grape-flavored sugar, and he shuddered and felt his stomach try to revolt against it. To temper the sweetness, he took a mouthful of bourbon. The heat pleasantly covered the purple haze, and he sipped again for good measure. He leaned back with his glass and easily slung his arm over the back of the couch, above Maria, just inches away from what he believed must be the smoothest skin he’d ever desired to touch. He just hoped that he looked more casual than he felt.

She smiled and moved in closer to him, close enough to press her thigh against his, and he stiffened in response to her nearness.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” she said.

Alex shrugged. “What do you think I’m doing?”

“You’re seducing my friends with bottle service so they’ll stay close and then you can keep your eyes on me.”

Maria was good.

“And let me guess, you’ve already called Rafa and told him I’m here, and you promised to watch out for me, right?”

She was really good. He hadn’t called Raf yet, not wanting to interrupt his night with Jessica, but he’d honestly thought about it.

Alex said nothing but sipped his bourbon again. He could feel the alcohol start to warm him pleasantly from the inside. At least he hoped it was the alcohol, and not Maria’s effect on his anatomy.

The waitress approached. “Another round, ladies?”

Alex withdrew his black charge card and passed it to her. “This’ll cover it. And get the women whatever they want.”

The waitress took Alex’s card while the three of them tried to decide which $1,000 bottle of champagne they wanted. He laughed and leaned in, telling them they should probably order one of each. They wholeheartedly agreed.

“You’re going to regret that decision,” Maria said to him with a laugh. “You don’t know the damage this group can do when we have girls’ night out.”

Alex shrugged and smiled. He’d spent more money on way more frivolous items. It wasn’t an issue for him. He might have come from humble beginnings, but he and The Brotherhood had made themselves each quite a small fortune. He had the money, and knowing that his future was secured, he liked to spend it. Their eyes widened as the waitress brought the first bottle of champagne. He remembered being young, just out of grad school, MBA in hand and broke as a joke.

Maria and her friends were nice girls—women, he reminded himself. He knew that they worked hard together at the community center, and they deserved to be treated. Sure, Alex would be down a little cash, but a black-card-funded night in a VIP booth at a hot club probably wasn’t an everyday occurrence for them. He wanted the women to enjoy themselves, no matter what the cost. And maybe Maria had been right—as long as her friends were in his VIP booth, he knew that she wasn’t going anywhere. “Just have fun,” he told them, and remembering Gabe’s words earlier that evening, he smiled. “Get into a little bit of trouble.”

CHAPTER TWO

AN HOUR AND copious amounts of champagne later, Alex still sat back in the booth and watched the three women dance together, rubbing their bodies against one another like girlfriends did, turning their backs on and completely shutting down every guy who tried to interject himself—not that Alex would have let it happen either way. No more greasy dudes would be putting their hands on Maria, or any of them.

With a chuckle, he remembered seeing her almost break that one asshole’s wrist. Maria obviously wasn’t the helpless young woman he’d believed her to be. She was strong and tough and most definitely knew how to hold her own.

Alex toyed briefly with the idea of leaving. Maria would be fine. But there was something else that kept him in his seat. He was perfectly content to watch Maria as she put her arms over her head and swiveled her hips seductively. He wasn’t strong enough to ignore her, and he focused his gaze on her sexy movements, the way she flipped her long hair and closed her eyes, as though the music traveled throughout her body and she felt the notes on an erotic level. His posture stiffened on the leather couch as he watched her, and interest stirred his dick. The rest of the club fell away, and he saw only her, as her hips swayed and she pushed her palms down her front to her thighs as she bent over slightly, not-so-subtly pushing her ass in his direction. He added twerking to Maria’s list of talents.

His heart battered the inside of his rib cage, and he swallowed roughly. His dick stood at full attention as he watched his best friend’s sister move seductively in the middle of the dance floor. With her back to him, she looked over her shoulder, and her eyes connected with his. As if she could read his mind, her lips quirked upward into a sly smile, and she winked. And she soon broke off from the group and walked over to him, her steps even and confident and in time with the beat of the music as she somehow balanced on her precarious stiletto heels. Maria leaned over him, resting her forearms on his shoulders, her red lips just inches from his. Alex tried not to look down the gap of loose material at the front of her shirt. He was unsuccessful, and he couldn’t help but get an eyeful of her smooth round breasts underneath her shirt. His hands clenched into fists, fighting the urge to reach up and cup them in his hands.

“Hey, my eyes are up here,” she admonished.

His eyes snapped back to hers. “So they are.”

Her fingers pushed into his hair, tickling the back of his neck. “You know, if you’re going to be my shadow all night, you might as well come dance with me.”

“I don’t think so.” Alex shook his head, but it was a jerky movement as he struggled with control. “I thought you were mad at me.”

“Come on,” she pleaded. “I’m having too much fun to be mad. And you can make it up to me by dancing with me. You owe me a dance, you know.”

“How so?”

“I was dancing with a guy when you so rudely interrupted. You should take his place.”

“I think I did you a favor. That guy was a loser.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he walked away from you without a fight.”

Her eyes widened. “Would you have fought for me?”

Alex answered without hesitation. “There’s no question.” She smiled down at him, and their eyes met. “Okay, fine. Just one dance.”

She grasped his wrist with both hands, and he allowed her to pull him up and drag him toward the dancers. They didn’t join her friends, but instead found a dark corner on the dance floor. The music vibrated through the crowd, and all the bodies on the dance floor pressed together, bringing them closer, pushing Maria against him. Gabe’s parting remarks had been about finding some trouble. But Alex hadn’t counted on this. He was already in too deep, and he knew it.

Maria turned to face him. She rotated her hips and raised her arms above her head, swaying in time to the music. He didn’t know how Maria, who’d always been a “good girl,” had learned to move that way. His body tensed, and he tried to fight his physical reaction to her.

Her eyes never left his, drawing him in so that the rest of the club disappeared. And even though Alex knew it was wrong, his libido was now in firm control. He couldn’t pull himself away, couldn’t stop himself, and he pressed closer. It was just him and Maria. She turned around, facing away from him, and bumped her ass against his groin. A shock traveled throughout him, and she did it again. Unconsciously, he dropped a hand to her hip and held her in place as she danced, continuing to grind her ass against his dick, and there was no way she missed the fact that he was rock hard. Perhaps it was the alcohol, the driving beat, the lights, the crowd, that had lowered his inhibitions and debilitated his common sense. But she was a beautiful woman, and she was warm, and he wanted her. There was no denying that.

Without thinking—his brain hadn’t even entered the equation, and he was moving on primal instinct—his hand moved around her front and flattened against her stomach below her belly button. His groin was in control, and even though he knew he should stop, he didn’t. He knew what he wanted. And whether it was wrong or not, what he wanted was Maria Martinez.

He pulled her close, so that her back pressed into his chest and she made contact with his hard dick. Maria turned in his arms to face him, so his hand rested high on the curve of that deliciously round ass. Looking down at her, he was reminded that he was dancing with, had his hands on, was holding close, his best friend’s sister. Maria. But as much as he knew that he should push away from her, he didn’t want to. And instead of being smart, he pulled her closer. In her dangerously high heels, the top of her head only came up to his nose. He inhaled, pulling in the light, airy scent of her perfume, and he closed his eyes and savored it.

Why didn’t he know she smelled so amazing?

Who was he kidding—Alex had known exactly how amazing she smelled. He’d known for years. Only now would he let himself accept it. While his eyes were closed, she wedged his thigh between both of hers, straddling it, sliding herself up and down, her hips moving to the beat of the sultry music. Her touch was so damn hot, he had to look down to make sure she wasn’t singeing a hole right through his pants.

Already sentenced to hell for what he was doing, Alex said a silent prayer and grasped Maria’s waist, small in his hands, and instead of pushing her away, he used his hold on her to swivel her body, rotating her hips, so that she ground against him more fully. Her lips parted, and he could see the heavy rise and fall of her chest. She was turned on just as much as he was. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled closer, almost lifting herself off the dance floor, putting her mouth near his ear. Over the music he heard a small gasp that escaped her lips as he thrust his thigh against her. It was all so wrong. He knew he was violating the guy code—no sisters! But he couldn’t bring himself to push Maria away. Goddammit, he wanted to hear that sigh again. He thrust his leg again, against the unmistakable heat of her pussy, rubbing her where he knew she needed it. The sigh became a moan. And her lips found the side of his neck, kissing his pulse point, which he knew was racing. He kept going. The muscles of his thigh continued to rub against her. He kept pace until her heavy breath stilled and her thigh muscles clenched around his. She threw her head back and exhaled roughly as small tremors still coursed throughout her body. He refused to take his eyes away from her as she came.

And then the reality of what he was doing struck him. He froze in spot as he regained his senses. Maria smiled up at him, and she winked, clearly more relaxed than he was. His heart beat even faster as a deep sense of shame settled over him. He was with Maria. And he’d made her come on a crowded dance floor.

Alex’s eyes dropped to Maria’s mouth, her full lips, that damned cupid’s bow that she’d covered in red lipstick, looked so delicious, and he wanted a taste. They stopped dancing, isolated in their dark corner, isolated from the rest of the dance floor, oblivious to everyone, everything. Both of them were breathing heavily, and with each breath she took, her full breasts brushed his chest. The air between them crackled with electricity, and he knew he had to push away from her before he burned himself, or her.

“Maria,” he whispered. He reached out and swiped his thumb over her lips. The lipstick somehow didn’t smudge. Her lips parted, and she drew his thumb into her mouth. She sucked him, stroked him with her tongue. The air rushed from Alex’s chest, and his knees almost buckled. He closed his eyes and let himself feel her and wonder what it would be like to be fully surrounded with her heat. “Fuck, Maria,” he muttered. He needed to get away, but there was no way he could part from her. He was trapped on the crowded dance floor. Frozen in place; needing to get out of there, but completely helpless to her. Alex had been with his share of women, but he’d never been so enraptured by one, and he knew he was in trouble.

Maria hummed around his thumb, the vibration waved throughout him, and he couldn’t handle it anymore. He pulled his digit from her mouth and before he could change his mind, he quickly replaced it with his lips. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled lightly until her lips parted, all the invitation he needed for his tongue to find hers, stroking against it. Tasting her. She was sweeter than anything he’d ever tasted, and he gripped her hips tightly, his fingertips digging in before they moved around to cup her ass in his palms.

It was wrong, but goddammit, he didn’t care. He owed Rafael more than to be making out with his sister on a dance floor. But still he briefly toyed with how easily he could get Maria out of the club and back to his place.

No! He couldn’t do that. A moment of clarity flashed behind his eyes, and he realized what he’d just done. The lustful fog that had muddied his brain cleared, and no matter how much he wanted to go further with her, Alex knew he had to end it. He released Maria, letting her fall softly, so that she was standing on her own. She looked stunned. But he didn’t look at the hurt in her eyes; instead, he took out his phone and messaged the car service that he and The Brotherhood kept on retainer for when they needed it. He ordered a town car to come pick up the women, and he looked at Maria. “I just called a car. Get your friends. You’re going home.”

CHAPTER THREE

“DID YOU HAVE fun last night?” Rafael asked, his tone casual and innocent, as they took their seats next to each other at their table at Thalia, one of The Brotherhood’s restaurants, but Maria knew from experience that the conversation was beginning to exhibit all the earmarks of an interrogation.

The waiter slid in her chair, and Maria sat back and watched her brother. He wasn’t the only one with an impassive poker face. Controlling her features, playing it cool, she wondered if he’d found out about the dance that she’d shared with Alex that brought her over the edge. She knew that there was no way Alex would have told him what had gone down between them. However, it wasn’t impossible that someone else at the club may have seen them. Did he know that Alex had kissed her? Or anything else? “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Mr. Martinez,” the waiter thankfully interrupted them. “The rest of the party will be along soon.”

“Thanks, Nick,” Rafael said. They were waiting for the rest of The Brotherhood. Rafael had convinced her to join him in their monthly dinners. “I meant exactly what I said. How was your night out with your friends?”

She shrugged. “It was fine,” she told him, trying to keep her expression neutral. “Actually, Alex was there, and just so you know, he took the role of bodyguard very seriously.”

“Oh really?” Rafael seemed surprised. “I saw him this morning, and he didn’t mention seeing you. I’ve no doubt he took good care of you.”

A wave of heat flushed throughout her, and she knew exactly how well Alex had “taken care of” her. She still remembered the way his lips felt on hers, how his tongue had stroked hers. He’d made her come, for God’s sake. She’d never experienced anything quite like the wanton need she’d had for Alex. She had a wild streak, but she’d never had a guy get her off on a dance floor. And she wanted more like it. More Alex.

“What time did you get home last night?”

“Early enough, Mom,” she assured him, even though she’d regretted the late hour when she’d woken up tired and hungover that morning. Working with the children at the community center had exhausted her and, with a pounding head, had been a challenge until lunchtime, when her hangover had finally subsided. But she wouldn’t tell Rafael that. Not a chance. “I had fun. And despite having him loom over my shoulder, it was really nice hanging out with Alex again.”

“I know you think I’m overbearing sometimes—”

“All the time. You have to learn to trust me.”

“Maria, I do trust you. It’s men I don’t trust.” When Maria rolled her eyes, he continued. “I worry about you. You don’t know what it’s like out there.”

“I’ve traveled around the world, in some pretty dangerous areas. I think I can handle Las Vegas Boulevard.” Maria scoffed. “And as a woman, I think I may have a better idea than you do what men are like and what it’s like for us out there.”

“I’m not going to win this argument, am I?”

“Do you ever?”

“No,” he said with a laugh. “Fine.” He raised his hands in surrender. “How is the new apartment?”

“I love it! Beth’s a great roommate.” Since she’d returned from her last mission in Haiti, getting her own place and moving out of her parents’ house had been a priority. But with only her meager salary at the community center, as the rent became due each month, her savings had started to dwindle. She loved working at the center, but needed a better job, so she could continue paying her bills.

“It’s not in a good neighborhood, you know.”

“It’s fine,” Maria insisted. “It’s close to the center, and Beth and I carpool. You know there have been hardly any home invasions or carjackings since I moved in.”

Rafael rolled his eyes and smiled, knowing that Maria was making fun. “Okay, I’ll drop it.”

“Thank you. I’m grateful that you want to look after me, but you’ve got to let me go, you know. I have to live my own life.”

“I know. But you’ll always be my little sister. And I will always look out for you, ready to destroy anyone who messes with you.”

She smiled. Maria loved her brother, even though he was frustrating and overbearing. “I appreciate that.”

Their conversation was thankfully cut short when they were joined at the table by Brett and Rebecca. Then Jessica, Rafael’s fiancée and mayor of Las Vegas, showed up, and Maria smiled watching her brother’s face light up when she came into the room. Gabe and Alana, arrived next.

Alex came shortly after, apologizing for being late. Her breath halted in her throat as Alex took his place at the table across from her, at the only empty seat, barely looking at her. She watched him as he studied his menu—she couldn’t get her fill. He was so incredibly sexy in his tailored black pants and white shirt, unbuttoned at his throat and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, so she could see the black and gray tattoos that swirled over his forearms. Her throat dried, and she drank some wine to quench it.

“So, guys,” Gabe started, looking in Alex and Alana’s direction. “I’m eager to know all about this ‘secret project’ you guys are working on.”

Alex and Alana made eye contact, and they both grinned. “Why do you want to know?” Alex asked.

“As your lawyer and business partner, it might be good for me to know if you’re planning on doing anything that might lead to an indictment.”

“Well, it isn’t exactly a secret project.” Alex’s voice lowered, and the rest of the table leaned in to listen. “But we’re trying to keep it under wraps. At least for a while. The Brotherhood is getting into the hotel business.”

“Really? What brought that on? The rooms at Di Terrestres aren’t enough anymore?” Rebecca asked of the exclusive, erotic club the group owned.

“After the recent exposure given to Di Terrestres when that tape of Rafael and Jessica leaked, membership applications have tripled.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Glad we could help,” he said, wrapping his arm around Jessica’s shoulders and pulling her closer. Their “help” had come in the form of a sex tape that had leaked of them in Rafael’s private suite. The club where they’d been secretly recorded belonged to the entire group and allowed their high-end clientele to explore their desires in a safe, discreet environment. They’d thought that the leak would spell doom for the club, but instead, it had had the opposite effect. It had garnered a ton of interest and been more profitable than they could have imagined.

Alana laughed. “We don’t have the capacity to accept everyone, even after the extreme vetting process we have. So we’re expanding. A couple of weeks ago, Alex and I brainstormed over a whiteboard and a bottle of whiskey. And we came up with Hedo.”

“Hedo?” Gabe asked.

“We want to take the erotically charged theme of the club and create a full-service hotel. The first adults-only playground in Las Vegas, right here on the Strip. Hedo will be a place where our guests can indulge in their fantasies. Each floor will have a distinct theme, and people can choose, depending on what they like. Unlike Di Terrestres, people won’t have to be members. Anyone can come and partake. It’ll draw people from all over the world, looking for some good, safe debauchery. You know, what they come to expect from the City of Sin. We’re thinking hip, but seductive, sexy overtones. Something completely new to Las Vegas. Like a luxurious adult playground. Only the finest offerings, the most beautiful people, luxurious, handpicked tapestries and decor, the hottest DJs, everything that one would come to expect from a nightclub experience before they head up to their rooms.”

Gabe nodded, a smile turning his lips upward. “I like it. Why all the secrecy?”

“You know nothing gets done in this city without everyone hearing about it. Alana and I want to keep it on the down-low for as long as possible. In case anyone else gets a similar idea. We’ve even got a property picked out to buy and develop.” He leaned in closer, and lowered his voice, not wanting anyone else to hear the next part of their plan. “And that’s just the first step in our plan to buy up, redevelop and revitalize the north end of the Strip.”

“Lofty goals.” Rafael nodded. “I’m on board. This is big.”

“We’re on track for The Brotherhood to be the next big name on the Strip. If we all focus on this one goal in the next several years, we can be bigger, better, richer than anyone who’s ever had a piece of Las Vegas Boulevard. We’re going to make everyone at this table a lot of money.”

“Put me down for some of that.” Gabe chuckled and extended his glass in cheers. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Maria couldn’t help but stare at Alex as he dived into talking about their new project. His passion and fire for his new hotel was infectious, and it spread around the table. She leaned closer. There was nothing sexier to her than a passionate man who could hold a group in the palm of his hand.

“And you should see the designs we came up with,” Alana said. “Hedo’s going to be amazing. Kind of a throwback to the hedonism of ancient Greece, and in keeping with the themes of our other businesses.”

“Clothing optional,” Alex added, cocking an eyebrow. “It’s going to be large, but intimate. Very sexy. Especially since the increase we’ve seen in membership at Di Terrestres, we need more space and more services.” He smiled at Rafael and Jessica. “And again, you guys, we can’t thank you enough.”

Rafael and Jessica shared a wry look, but they both laughed. While Maria had felt bad for Rafael and Jessica, having their privacy invaded by a local reporter, it had been refreshing seeing her older brother as something other than the serious and infallible golden child.

“But speaking about that,” Rafael said, turning to Gabe. “I’m going to need that blind trust set up again. With the Senate run coming up, I need to be kept as clean as possible, which means not associating with you known degenerates.”

“I don’t know, Rafa,” Maria interrupted. “Of the group, you’re the only one with the leaked sex tape.”

The rest of The Brotherhood laughed, and Maria heated when she heard Alex’s chuckle over the others.

“Maria, I love you, but kindly shut up,” Rafael said, pulling her close and dropping a fraternal kiss on the top of her head. He sobered. “Anyway, I’ve got to keep myself out of the headlines, so I’ll still work with the businesses, but publicly, it needs to look like I’m taking a back seat.” He turned to Alex and said, “Especially with that new hotel on the horizon.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ve got it covered. And we’ll help you out with your campaign in any way we can,” Alex said. Maria could feel the bond between Alex and Rafael; it had always been there. Their eyes connected briefly, before he looked down and grasped his glass in his hand, bringing it to his lips and downing the drink.

Maria briefly let her mind wander as she thought about him. The illicit thoughts took over, and her fantasies ran rampant. She remembered the way his lips had whispered against hers, how his strong hands felt on her body. His hard thigh, as he guided her over it... Reality then made way to fantasy, as she imagined his naked body hovering over hers as he entered her—

“How are you, Maria? I haven’t seen you in a while,” Brett said from across the table, pulling her attention from Alex, and all of the dirty things she wanted to do to him and have him do to her.

She shook free mentally and quickly recovered. “I’m great,” she told him. “I’m working at one of the community centers downtown. We’re running breakfast, after-school and recreation programs. It’s fun and fulfilling, but I still need to look for something that pays a little more.” She looked around the table at some of the top earners in the city—hell, the country. She wondered how long it had been since any of them had worried about paying rent. Even though Rafael had offered to help her out financially, there was no way she would accept it.

“How’s the job hunt going?” Alana asked.

“Tiresome. There aren’t a lot of paying positions in community health. Lots of volunteer job and internships. Because heaven forbid people get paid for working. But I’m looking, pounding the pavement. I’ll find something.”

“I wanted her to come work for me,” Rafael explained.

“But I refuse to because politics isn’t my thing. And if I think he’s overbearing now, I can’t imagine him signing my paychecks.”

“Payroll is all done electronically these days,” he assured her, his voice wry. “I wouldn’t have to sign anything.”

“Why don’t you come work for us at Collins/Fischer?” Brett asked casually.

Maria’s eyes widened and whipped to Alex’s. He played it cool, didn’t react, even though she did. “What?”

“With the hotel project coming up, we’ve got a lot going on,” Brett explained. “We’ll need another assistant.”

“But—” Alex tried to interrupt.

“Man, we talked about this earlier. I don’t think we should stretch ourselves too thin,” Brett said to Alex. “It would be great to have an assistant. We take on too much as it is.” He turned back to her. “So how about it? You could start next week.”

Maria glanced quickly at Alex, whose eyes burned, looking at her with the same intensity that they had the night before, but she wasn’t sure which emotion was at play behind them. He gave nothing away, and Maria would have given anything to know what he was thinking.

She knew that working for Rafael’s friends was just a step removed from working directly for her brother with how tightly their enterprises were interwoven. But who was she to turn down a job offer? “Uh, yeah, sure. I’d like that. Thanks.”

“Awesome. That’s great.” Brett turned to Alex. “Isn’t that great?”

“It’s fantastic,” Alex responded, his voice deadpan, obviously trying to look like he didn’t care if she accepted the offer or not.

Maria smiled at what she knew was an act. He wasn’t so disinterested last night. Maybe it was time to have a little fun. As the rest of the group conversed, she sat back in her chair and covertly slipped off her shoe. She extended her leg under the table until she felt the smooth material of Alex’s pants against the pads of her toes. She felt him tense at the contact. Then she ran her foot up the outside of his calf. That got his attention as he sat up straight and blinked, his eyes gripping hers.

With the exception of the heavy breath that lifted his shoulders, Alex’s reaction was unreadable, but he didn’t push her away as she inched her foot up his leg, continuing her pace past his knee, moving to the inside of his thigh. Alex glared a warning at her. But she didn’t heed it. Without anyone paying attention, she ventured farther up his thigh until she met his crotch. He was already hard, and from what she could feel, just as she’d felt the night before, he was quite large. There was no doubt that Alex wanted her, and it made her feel powerful. He might act like a tough guy, like he wasn’t affected by her, but she knew it was a lie. She had the power, and she would use it to get what she wanted. And what she wanted was Alex.

While the rest of the people at the table chatted among themselves, she noticed how Alex tried to engage in the conversation and ignore her. But whether he wanted to or not, his attention just kept focusing on her. He took a drink from his water, and as her toes traced his rigid length, he coughed, earning him the attention of everyone at the table. He shoved her foot away, and she picked up her wine and smiled at her success behind her glass. Who isn’t interested now?

“Excuse me, guys, I have to go to the ladies’ room,” Maria said, slipping her foot back into her shoe before she stood and walked away.

She met Alex’s eyes as she sauntered away, making sure to put an extra bit of swivel into her hips. She knew Alex was watching when she turned the corner where the restrooms were located. She stood there, leaning against the wall, waiting.

Just as she’d suspected, she didn’t have to wait long. Alex turned the corner, walking stiffly. He pushed his fingers through his hair. She’d frustrated him. “Maria, what was that about?”

“You didn’t like it?” She looked down at his crotch, and she could see the bulge in his black pants. “It felt like you did. The way you liked what happened between us last night.”

He ignored her question. “I don’t know what you think happened last night.”

“What do you think happened?”

“A mistake. One you’d better forget.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Maria,” he warned her, his voice dark and holding an amount of malice under all of the frustration. But despite the meanness in his voice, he took a step toward her, closing the distance between them. “You’d better be careful not to provoke me.”

She squared her shoulders and pushed closer to him. The movement brought her nipples against his chest. They ached; her whole body wanted, needed him. She looked up into his eyes and wet her lips. His eyes followed the movement of her tongue. “Maybe I want to provoke you,” she whispered, putting her hand on his groin, and satisfied, she found him still hard. “It seems as if you might like it.”

With a growl, he was on her. His hands cupped her cheeks and he pulled her lips to his. He kissed her again. It wasn’t timid or slow. There was nothing shy or tentative about the touch of his lips on hers. Alex’s mouth was hard and demanding, and he tasted rich, like bourbon, cigars, but those flavors were no more potent than the pure taste of Alex. She curled her fingers around the back of his head and threaded her hands in his hair, holding him in place. He pushed her to the wall and pressed his hips against her so that she could again feel his arousal against her stomach, as if she’d had any question of his desires. She wanted him. Wanted to feel his weight on top of her, feel him inside her. And she knew he wanted her, too.

Maria lifted her leg so that her inner thigh brushed against the outside of his. And he gripped her and pressed into her again. A moan passed from her mouth to his, and it turned into a surprised gasp when he dropped her leg and broke away from her. Stepping back, he put more than a foot of empty space between them.

“Jesus, I’m sorry.” His voice was a rough whisper as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’m not.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s not like I wasn’t a willing participant.”

“I’ve got to get out of here. Go back to the table, Maria,” he ordered her through heavy breaths. “Your brother is waiting for you.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Fuck, I’ve got to stay away from you,” he said, low, quiet, as if he were talking to himself.

“That’s going to be hard, seeing as how I’ll be working for you next week.”

“You won’t be working for me,” he assured her. “You’re Brett’s assistant. Not mine.”

“Alex, don’t be ridiculous—”

He pointed a finger at her. “Don’t, Maria.” His whisper was fierce. “This can’t be anything more. I’ve already crossed too many goddamn lines here with you. Just forget it ever happened.”

“How can I forget it?” she said, pressing against him. “Alex, I’ve wanted you for so long, and now that I know how good it feels to kiss you, and touch you...” She ran her palm against his cock again. “How long and hard you are. It just makes me want more.” She squeezed him through the silky material of his expensively tailored pants, and as he closed his eyes, his groan made her feel powerful. She stepped even closer. “Don’t you want me, too?” she whispered against his throat, her lips skimming his stubble. The scratch electrified her, and she felt the jolt all the way to her core.

He hesitated—she could see the tightening of his jaw, the clenching of his fists, and she knew that he was trying to fight it. But from the way he exhaled through his flared nostrils, she knew that he was at war. And that between his common sense and libido, she knew which side was winning. He nodded, and triumph surged throughout her. “I do want you.” He shoved her hand away. “But this can’t happen,” he said before he turned away from her and walked back into the dining room.

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