In Her Best Friend's Bed. J. Margot Critch

had him there. Instead of answering her, Trevor brought his champagne flute to his lips and regrettably found it empty. He wished for more in an effort to cool his internal temperature and to quench his too-dry throat. He looked at Abby’s hand and noticed that she had drained her glass, as well. Turning, he gestured to the bar. “Care for another drink?”

      “Sure.”

      He looked around, searching for a waiter with a tray of champagne, but he found none nearby. Figuring they could probably get their glasses quickly refilled at the bar, Trevor moved aside so she could go first. He instinctively placed an escorting hand at the small of her back, and his palm tingled at the connection with her smooth skin, exposed by the indecently low cut of the back of her dress and slightly chilled from exposure to the room’s air-conditioning.

      When he touched her, she stopped walking and looked up at him, her lips parted in surprise. Despite the considerable height provided to her by her stilettos, she was petite and the top of her head still only came to his chin. Trevor lowered his gaze to her red lips and found it nearly impossible to look elsewhere, until he forced himself and his eyes found hers. A beat of silence fell over them. Trevor could hear neither the music piping throughout the club nor the revelry of his fellow partygoers. He heard only the sound of his own heartbeat, pounding in his chest, and the blood rushing past his ears. And, for a moment, neither he nor Abby moved. Both of them seemed transfixed by the way his hand felt on her, how his palm flattened and molded to the smooth arch of her lower back.

      Unable to tear his eyes from her, he took a chance. Testing the boundaries of both of them, Trevor moved his hand a little lower, his pinkie finger skimming the top of the material that curved over her behind. He watched Abby’s shoulders rise and felt her ragged shudder when they fell again. He realized then that he had been holding his breath and he let it go, exhaling roughly.

      Abby blinked and finally looked around the room. She opened her mouth a little farther as if to speak, and the spell broke. “Uh...how about that drink?”

      Trevor pulled his hand away and fastened the buttons of his jacket hastily, leaving only the bottom one undone. Thankfully, the length of his jacket covered the makings of the erection that resulted from only touching her bare skin. He took a step back and extended a hand in the direction of the bar. “After you.”

      Abby nodded and walked ahead of him, with him staying a couple of steps behind her, and he couldn’t help but notice the sexy sway of her hips under the dark color of her dress and the way its low back threatened to reveal more with every step she took.

      They found two empty seats at the bar. The bartender was quick and in seconds they had fresh glasses of champagne in their hands. Trevor took a sip and hummed appreciatively. Of course the champagne was top-shelf. Jamie knew the importance of creating a good impression with his guests, and he would never skimp when it came to getting the good stuff. He watched the bar staff whom he’d helped hire and train as they worked quickly and efficiently together. He smiled. He was glad that they turned out to be a good team. If the party and grand opening of Swerve Las Vegas was any indication, Jamie was about to have yet another successful venture on his hands.

      “Quite a shindig, eh?” Abby remarked as she drank her champagne, her eyes looking everywhere but at him. Trevor wondered if he had previously misread her. He feared that he had made her nervous, and in turn made things awkward between them, ruining the budding friendship that they’d formed.

      “Yeah,” he said with a smile. “Classic Jamie. The man knows how to show people a good time.” He once again spied Jamie and Maya in the crowd as a couple of men shook Jamie’s hand and shifted away, leaving the couple alone for once.

      “Isn’t it crazy that they’re engaged?” Abby asked him. She was watching them as Jamie scooped Maya up in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet and kissing her. Abby smiled, obviously as happy for them as Trevor was. “It’s so fast!”

      “It certainly is. But they’re good for each other. I’m glad it worked out for them,” Trevor agreed, recalling the rocky road that had brought Jamie and Maya to that moment. “And I’m willing to bet that Jamie would like nothing more than for the both of them to get out of here and celebrate in private.”

      “You’re telling me,” Abby said with a laugh.

      Trevor and Abby sat in silence for a bit, both watching the crowd of people swarming and mingling before them. Then Trevor surreptitiously glanced at the gorgeous woman beside him, and he considered his physical reaction to simply touching Abby. He’d been with his share of women and had certainly touched more than a bare back in his day, but when he was near Abby, it felt like something inside him shifted. Sure, he was attracted to her—she’s a beautiful woman—but there was something else, something intangible that pulled at every fiber of his being, of his desire, when she was around.

      He heard Abby laugh at something the bartender said to her. He frowned, feeling a small tinge of jealousy. But he shook his head to dispel it. It was never going to happen. It wouldn’t be appropriate. The time for them to get together had long passed.

      When Trevor had first met Abby, she was a customer at Swerve. He’d thought she was hot, but he didn’t date customers. The next time they had met was at Jamie’s pool party back in June. Abby had worn the smallest bikini and it still fueled many of his hottest fantasies.

      Fast forward to the present, and Trevor’s gaze drifted down to where she crossed her legs on the bar stool. The high slit of her skirt had fallen open, fully exposing her long, tanned and shapely legs. In his mind’s eye, Trevor pictured himself kissing his way up those legs, starting at her delicate ankle, dragging his tongue along the toned muscle of her calf, nibbling her inner thigh as he rose over her...

      “So, do you have any plans for later, or do you just want to sit here and stare at my legs all night?”

      Busted. He looked at her face and smiled broadly, unembarrassed. She had caught him checking her out once again. He clearly wasn’t being covert this evening. He must be off his game. Trevor laughed, and he had to think quickly. “Well, ah, I was just admiring your shoes. They’re great, but I’m not sure how you can walk in those things.”

      She looked to her feet and the dangerously high heels. “If you like them so much, maybe you’ll get a pair of your own at the Swerve holiday gift exchange,” she told him pointedly.

      She had him there. His libido came crashing back to earth when he finally remembered that she was his employee. When he’d heard that she was having trouble landing a job after graduating last spring, Trevor had hired Abby to work at Swerve and she had proved to be quite a valuable asset. Abby was an efficient, hard worker, and she kept the bar clean and tidy and the customers happy. He knew she wouldn’t be with him for long, since it would only be a matter of time until her job search rewarded her with a career suitable to her qualifications. But hiring her had still been a great decision.

      When he didn’t reply, Abby laughed and sipped her drink. He noticed the flush on her cheeks. “I think I need a little air,” she announced, facing him. She stood. “Care to join me?”

      Trevor decided then that he would go anywhere with her. “Sure.” When she started to make her way to the patio, he stopped her. “Wait. Have you seen the VIP rooftop bar in this place?”

      Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “I have not. I didn’t even know there was one. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

      “Well, it’s not officially finished yet, but Jamie showed me yesterday. It’s great.”

      She looked around the room. “Where is it?”

      “On the roof,” he supplied with a smirk.

      “You’re such a smart-ass,” she muttered, throwing a light punch on his shoulder. “How do we get there?”

      “Come on, I’ll show you.”

      He stood, careful to not touch her in any way, lest he lose control and throw her over his shoulder, run upstairs with her and lock them both in his room. They walked out of the club and