No Strings__ - By Janelle Denison Page 0,9

lust is clouding your feeble brain.”

Aiden blinked in shock at his brother. “Excuse me?” What the hell did Sam know about his attraction to Chloe?

“Oh, come on, Aiden,” Sam said with a laugh as he tipped his chair back on its hind legs. “I’m not deaf, dumb or blind. I only saw the two of you together once, at that highbrow bar of yours, and the chemistry between the two of you was pretty damn obvious.”

Aiden shrugged off his brother’s claim. “It’s just a friendly flirtation.”

Sam lifted a dubious brow. “Except for the way you stared at her ass when she walked away from our table. I can guarantee that the thoughts in your head involving that sweet backside of hers were indecent and downright kinky.”

He shrugged and didn’t even try to deny the truth. “She’s got a great ass. So sue me for appreciating all its finer qualities.”

A wide grin curved Sam’s mouth. “Good to know your libido isn’t dead. I was starting to worry.”

“My sex drive is fine, thank you very much.” But Aiden had to admit he hadn’t seen much action lately, by his own choice. His main focus was his job, and ultimately grabbing the brass ring of opening his own ad agency in the near future. And in order to achieve that goal, he had to win the account.

“So how long are you going to resist the attraction between you and Chloe?” Sam asked, as persistent and pushy as ever. “I got the impression if you made a move, she could be easily persuaded.”

For Sam, being with a woman was that simple. Not so much for Aiden. “We’re both professionals, working for the same ad agency, and we’re not going to risk our careers for sex.”

Sam rolled his eyes dramatically. “Jesus, Aiden, who says you have to risk anything? It’s just feel-good sex, not a lifetime commitment. Besides, the risk of getting caught could give the affair an added element of excitement.”

That’s exactly how Sam operated...getting laid was all about having a good time without any strings attached. It hadn’t always been that way, and while Aiden understood his brother’s perspective on sex and women and keeping his emotions out of the equation, Aiden’s views were much different, despite his ex-wife’s betrayal. He’d never been the love ’em and leave ’em type, and that hadn’t changed after his divorce. If anything, he’d become more discriminating when it came to women and relationships. And yeah, sex, too.

“Don’t you ever want something more than just a string of one-night stands?” Aiden asked his brother.

Sam gaped at him, as if he’d spoken blasphemy. “You’re kidding me, right? We both thought we had something more, and look how well that turned out for us.”

Not well at all. “Okay, point taken,” Aiden said. Being burned by a woman had left Sam jaded and uneasy about trusting again. But even though Aiden’s marriage had been less than ideal, he liked to believe that there was a woman out there for him. But he knew that Chloe wasn’t that woman. She was too career-oriented to be anything more than a passing affair. And even that wasn’t an option for him.

“Hey, Sam,” a soft feminine voice called out, pulling Aiden out of his thoughts.

One of the women that had been sitting a few tables away now stood in front of them, gazing down at Sam with a sultry smile on her lips while her fingers lightly touched his shoulder. She was young and pretty, and wore a tight-fitting dress that accentuated all her best assets. She had Sam’s full attention.

“Denise and I were wondering if you and your friend wanted to join us?” She bit her lip seductively as she glanced briefly at Aiden, then back at Sam again. “We can pull up an extra chair or two, if you’d like.”

“I’d love to, Carol,” Sam looked at Aiden, his raised brow silently asking if he was going to accompany them.

This was Sam’s scene, not Aiden’s. He shook his head and tried to appear regretful. “Thanks for the invite, but I need to get going.”

“Okay,” Carol said, not at all disappointed, since clearly it was Sam she wanted. “We’ll save a seat for you, Sam.” She sashayed back to her table, a deliberate sway to her hips—all for Sam’s benefit, which he openly enjoyed.

Aiden chuckled and stood up, along with his brother. “Looks like someone’s getting lucky tonight.”

“Jealous?” Sam grinned.

Pulling out his wallet, Aiden tossed enough cash on the table to cover their drinks