She hurried off before she changed her mind.

Watching her walk away, Marc slammed his fist into his thigh in frustration. Friends? After that kiss? His lips tingled with her taste, his c**k throbbed, pressing against the fly of his jeans.

“Too young my ass,” he mumbled, heading back to where Becky Sue waited for him. It wasn’t like Liv was old. She was gorgeous and totally in shape. He knew that for sure. He’d seen her body enough as he worked with her over the last month.

Images of her stretching and sweating assailed him until he pushed them firmly out of his mind or he’d go find her and f**k her against the trunk of the nearest tree. God, he wanted her bad and he knew she wanted him too. That was the kicker. This artificial barrier she’d created over their age difference was just dumb and she was using it to keep him away.

As he turned the corner he saw her with Bill, head tipped up, body leaning into his as they watched the sky. As if Marc had called her name, she turned toward him. Her gaze caught his for long moments until she let go and returned her attention to the fireworks.

Frustrated, he glanced back toward the blankets where Becky Sue waited with Cassie, Shane, Maggie and Kyle. He smiled when he caught Kyle placing his palms over Maggie’s growing baby bump. They were good together. He froze a moment. Marriage? Liv said she wanted long term. Said she wanted to get married. Okay, so he wasn’t too young to have a nice fling with her but he was definitely not interested in marriage. Yikes. No, he’d go back to being her friend, sport a few furtive fantasies about bedding her and continue on with his happily unencumbered life. Marriage was for suckers and he was most certainly not a sucker. Yeah, sure.

* * *

Friends my ass, Marc thought as he watched her take another lap in the community pool one Saturday morning a month after that kiss. She was made for the water, swam like a freaking seal and, even in a non-descript one piece swimsuit, she looked hot.

He shouldn’t even be there. He didn’t need to be. Her Saturday workouts weren’t even in his schedule. But he found himself unable to resist being near her when he could be.

“Hey there!” she called out as she pulled herself out of the water and grabbed a nearby towel. “Whatcha doing here?”

He stared at her a moment, watching the water beaded like diamonds on her thick lashes, her dark hair slicked back against her head.

“I played racquetball with Kyle earlier. We just finished and I saw you and thought I’d come say hello.” He looked at her upper body and nodded. “You’re really coming along, Liv. Your shoulders look fantastic.”

She blushed and he cursed his ridiculously friendly c**k for bounding to attention.

“Thank you. Two months of working out will do that, I suppose. At first I thought it’d be hard to work it into my schedule, but really, it’s not that bad and I’m used to it now. Plus, I like the way I feel.”

He liked her. Damn it. This friends stuff wasn’t cutting it. He’d gone out with every woman he could but none of them could get his mind off Liv.

“What are you up to just now? I haven’t had any lunch. You hungry?” He sent her his best, just friends smile as he lied through his teeth.

“I’m actually meeting Cassie and Maggie for lunch in about forty-five minutes. Sorry. I’d invite you but we’re going to be talking about babies and then sex and stuff you aren’t privileged to hear.” She grinned and his gut tightened.

“Fine, fine. Keep me out of all the fun. See if I care.” He heaved a theatrical sigh. “Looks like I’ll try and catch up to Kyle and Shane as they’ll be free. I’ll see you Monday then. Have a good weekend.”

She waved as she headed toward the locker area and he watched the sway of that delectable ass before making up his mind and heading out to catch up to Kyle.

“Kyle!” Marc shouted as he jogged toward his brother.

Kyle tossed his bag into the back seat and turned. “What’s up?”

“I need your help.” He briefly filled his brother in.

“Meet me at my house in an hour. I’ll call Shane and have him bring some take out.”

Relieved, Marc nodded and headed home to change.

* * *

Liv looked at herself in her rearview mirror when she pulled up to the restaurant. At least the strain didn’t show. Every time she saw Marc she wanted to kiss him. But he was off the menu. And he hadn’t shown anything but a friendly regard for her since that night anyway. And why not? She was hot, damn it!

Oh she cracked herself up. Yeah, right. It wasn’t funny that she could not shake this insane jones for Marc Chase.

The marriage comment freaked him out. And good. It wouldn’t be right for her to engage in a dalliance with him when she knew it wouldn’t go anywhere. No, she was done with that. It was time to look past tomorrow morning. It was time she did something for herself and chose a man who wanted to share his tomorrows with her, not just his night and a few condoms. Man, self respect blew sometimes.

Chapter Four

Marc let himself into Kyle and Maggie’s place and followed the sound of his brothers to the kitchen where they were busily opening up boxes of food.

“Hey there. Grab a beer, we’ll get to work in a minute,” Kyle called out. Marc cracked a cold one open and sat down at the table in the breakfast nook.

“Didn’t expect it to be a full house.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “We’re brothers. Between the four of us, we’ve handled a whole lot of women. Kyle tells me this is a woman issue. Let’s hear it. Between all of us, we can solve just about anything.”