Seeing Grady like this is so worth it.
Grady’s new fiancée was lovely, and Hope flushed with embarrassment as she thought about the problems she’d caused between the newly engaged couple. Her brother Jared was a manwhore sometimes and sent unwanted females in Grady’s direction. Hope had rescued Grady several times by calling his house and pretending to be his wife; she’d been bitchy enough to scare every one of them away. Unfortunately, when Emily had answered Grady’s phone, Hope had mistakenly assumed that Jared had sent another woman in poor Grady’s direction, and she’d played the same part. Problem was, Grady had wanted Emily. Oops! Luckily, Emily had forgiven her, but Hope was still mortified.
One by one, her brothers came over and bussed her on the cheek, and she hugged every one of them tightly while she returned their embraces. Even though they all drove her completely insane with their highhanded older brother attitudes, she loved Evan, Grady, Dante, and Jared with every fiber of her being. If only they weren’t such royal pains in the asses sometimes. Being the only female in the Sinclair family, and the youngest, Hope was completely screwed when it came to protective older brothers. They had constantly bitched about her now ex-boyfriend, James, because he didn’t have a job. To them, anyone less than a successful, wealthy man who worked like a fiend, was a loser unworthy of her.
They’d forget all about James if they knew what else I was doing. I’d get more than constant lectures.
Her heart ached that she couldn’t and wouldn’t share much of her life with her protective older brothers. It had put a certain distance between them that she’d never wanted, but had created by not sharing much of her life with any of them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She ached to really have them be part of her life. But the price of telling them everything would be way too high.
Hope sighed and took a long swig of her champagne as she thought about her lonely existence. Somehow, her life had turned out way different than she’d imagined when she graduated from high school and had finally gotten free of the home that had been a prison to her.
If I’d only known back then how things would turn out, I might have done things differently.
Now, she wasn’t a prisoner of her critical mother anymore; she was held captive by her own deceit.
Merriment was rampant all around her, everyone ringing in a brand new year. She had a jovial smile on her face, but Hope had never felt more alone.
*****
“Thank God Hope finally dumped the loser boyfriend.” Dante needed to yell to be heard over the loud roar of the partygoers as they celebrated New Year’s.
Jason Sutherland’s head jerked up. His body tensed. “Hope broke up with her boyfriend?”
Dante nodded. “Right before she left Colorado. Asshole. Who breaks up with a woman at the holidays?”
Jason’s fists clenched in reaction. “Did he dump her?”
Dante shrugged. “She didn’t say much. I don’t think she wants to talk about it. I’m just glad he’s finally out of her life.”
Dante’s attention was taken by his brothers, and Jason turned his back on them. His eyes sought and fought Hope as she stood alone by the bar and sipped a glass of champagne.
Jesus, she’s beautiful.
His chest ached, which wasn’t unusual when he saw Hope. It had been that way for him since the day he’d seen her at her high school graduation.
I should have stolen her away then.
Every event where he’d seen her after that day had been f**king torture, and this party was no different. He’d finally had to turn around just to keep himself from going to her, stripping her naked and making her his right here and now.
Hope Sinclair was his private obsession, a woman who could change him from a rational thinker to a possessive, compulsive maniac with just one look. She wasn’t trying to be provocative. She didn’t need to. Hope was provocation personified to him, just by standing where he could see her.
And for the first time since he’d seen her at her high school graduation, she was available.
Fuck. That made her totally irresistible.
Jason’s heart squeezed as he watched her: smiling, yet solitary, just like him. He wondered whether she felt as alone, restless, and edgy as he felt right now.
His eyes roamed over her, from her swept-up auburn hair, to her generously curved body, and finally to those sexy stiletto heels that made him have delusions of f**king her as those heels dug into his ass, her calling out his name as she tipped over the edge of a powerful climax.
Shit! I can’t do this anymore.
His fully erect dick jerked with impatience and pushed powerfully at the zipper of his tuxedo pants. Luckily, he wore a jacket so the whole room couldn’t see his secret sexual fixation on a woman who should be taboo for him.
She’s Grady’s little sister.
Jason had been friends with the Sinclairs for as long as he could remember; he’d grown up close to them in a very exclusive neighborhood in Boston. Grady and Dante were very good friends of his, but that alone hadn’t kept his dick in his pants when it came to Hope, although it had been a deterrent. The biggest obstacle had always been her boyfriend. Jason didn’t share, and if he had Hope Sinclair, he’d never be able to tolerate thoughts of another man in her head while he was f**king her. Besides, he knew Hope well enough to know that she wasn’t going to screw him while she was still involved with another guy. Jason had suffered in silence, his deep-seated need for her kept in check—just barely—every time they met.
She’s available. No more boyfriend.
He almost literally felt the stopper on his desire pop free, leaving his body burning to bury himself inside Hope and claim her like a rabid caveman. His eyes narrowed as he watched her intently. It was beyond time for him to make his move.
Mine.
Determinedly, he set his drink on a table and made his way over to Hope, single-mindedly driven to claim her before he completely lost his mind.
*****
“Happy New Year, Hope.” The velvety, rich baritone was so close that Hope could feel the hair at her temple flutter as heated breath hit her cheek. Her body shuddered with an involuntary response as large, warm hands landed on her shoulders firmly and turned her around to face the voice.
Yes, she’d watched Jason all evening, her eyes glued to his tall, muscular body, immaculately dressed in a black tuxedo that he wore as casually as he would a pair of jeans. But being this close to him was unnerving for her. Jason Sutherland was more than comfortable in his own skin, no matter what he wore. It was something that had always attracted her to him at any age. However, up close and personal, and with Hope way beyond the age of hero-worship, he made her pretty damn edgy.