Hidden Threat by Sherri Hayes Page B

place would be hopping on a Friday night. It was about twenty minutes away, and according to her companions, it had the best dance music in the city.
    ***

    Matthew and Jason arrived at a high-class dance club, at seven thirty. The place was already crowded with people wanting to put the workweek behind them and have some fun. Matthew was not into this type of fun and was beginning to regret his decision to come here in the first place.
    Jason tilted his head to the bar before disappearing into the crowd. After a moment’s pause, Matthew followed. By the time he reached his brother again, Jason already had a drink in his hand. Getting the bartenders attention, Matthew ordered something for himself and then sat down. If he was here, he might as well do what he’d set out to accomplish.
    Taking a long pull on his beer, he began to survey the room. Many of the females here were too young. He was a thirty-one-year-old man, and he had no desire to sleep with some young thing only a year or two out of high school, no matter how much she just wanted to have a good time.
    Finally, after twenty minutes, he spotted someone who had potential. She had long brown hair and looked to be in her late twenties. She was currently dancing with a small group but didn’t appear to be attached to anyone. Finishing off his drink, he set it down on the bar and stood, bracing himself. He could do this. He had to do this.
    Taking a deep breath, he began to move through the crowd. Bodies pushed into him as he closed the distance between himself and the woman of his focus. Just as he reached her group, the song changed. Perfect.
    When he tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around to face him. Her eyes ran up and down his body once before meeting his eyes. “Would you like to dance?” he asked. Without a word, she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her closer and tried to let the music consume him.
    ***

    Jason could not believe what he was seeing. The fact that Matthew even wanted to come to a club was strange enough, but now he was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with his brother. The woman with whom he was currently dancing was making her intentions very clear. Her hands were in constant motion, as was her body. Every inch of her from her hips to her shoulders was in constant contact with him.
    Matthew’s normal reaction would have been to politely hold the girl away from him and try to continue to dance. Instead, he did nothing to stop her obvious attentions. His brother’s hands had moved to her back, and his face was buried in her hair. What was going on?
    Jason continued to watch as the couple moved. They turned a bit, and he caught sight of Matthew’s face. It was not what he’d been expecting. His little brother wore the same face he did when they were up against a problem they couldn’t solve. Jason had always thought of it as Matthew’s “determined” face.
    With this new piece of information, Jason reassessed his brother’s body language as the two continued to turn. Matthew’s hands were on her back, but they were still. Holding her to him but not increasing the friction. His shoulder weren’t relaxed; in fact, Jason thought they almost looked stiff.
    He was still contemplating what, if anything, it had to do with the information he’d just obtained when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find a beautiful blonde whose dress left nothing to the imagination. “Buy me a drink?” she asked in a sultry voice.
    This was Jason’s favorite club, but he hadn’t been here without Lisa since they’d started seeing each other. He’d forgotten how often he got hit on. “Not interested.”
    She pouted and then leaned in. “I promise it will be worth it.” Jason felt his body react. He couldn’t help it. He was a man after all.
    Before his body told him to do something he knew he shouldn’t, he pushed off the stool and walked