Irresistible Passions by Diana DeRicci Page B

would be. Michelle had never seen him snap like he had that day, either. Not once. One minute they were talking over their day, the next he was straddling her on the floor, accusing her of cheating on him.
    She’d never seen the butcher knife he’d hidden until it was too late. It had only been her bloodcurdling scream that had saved her. The neighbors in the apartment next to them heard the scream and the ensuing shouts as she’d fought for her life. It was the only reason the knife hadn’t been a through the chest killing shot. She was grateful to this day that the ambulance had been so quick.
    Or she’d be dead.
    She heard the latch to the sauna door open and quickly wiped her fingers on her towel, not looking in the newcomer’s direction. She moved over a few inches when they sat immediately on her left. She gasped when another person sat at her feet on her right. Blinking, she focused on two known smiles. And relaxed.
    “Hi guys. What are you doing here?” She swallowed when her voice sounded husky in her ears. Michelle didn’t bother to point out that they were in the women’s sauna. They would’ve seen the signs outside. It just happened the women’s was across the hall from the men’s.
    “We could ask you the same question,” Angel said, turning to rest his arm on the shelf above him where she sat. Resting his chin on it, he grinned lightly. “Playing hooky?”
    She shrugged, wondering what they were doing. “Sort of.”
    Troy lifted the water scoop and dumped three on the heated lava rocks, filling the room with fresh steam. He groaned as he stretched, flexing his back and sides with long pulls. It was impossible not to watch him. Slick skin rolled with the muscles beneath, the moisture building into a sheen on his body. Michelle turned away before she could be busted for anything.
    When he sat straight, he propped his head on his open palms behind him, resting, exposing the length of his summer tanned torso for full viewing. Smooth shoulders eased down into a narrow waist, and she knew what they both looked like in shorts. They had muscular legs, long and lean frames, toned and not desk-jockey pale. She also realized as she took a quick mental snapshot, that he was naked beneath the towel. The towel rested just below his waist, well below where underwear would be visible. She ripped her gaze away, closing her eyes not to be lured again. Temptation, you are a cruel master.
    “You feeling okay?” Angel asked, stroking her calf lightly with a finger. He removed it as soon as he’d drawn her attention to him.
    Okay, he wasn’t teasing her. Just to be safe, she tugged the towel a little closer, a little higher on her chest, and prayed they couldn’t see how much her nipples had beaded up with them so close to her.
    “Yeah,” she answered after a long, drawn breath. “Just not one of my better days.”
    “You rocked the court though,” Troy said, cracking an eye with an easy smile on his lips. “Or was that you taking it easy on us?”
    She laughed at his ribbing tone. “No, I was okay out there.” She sank back to the wall also, and closed her eyes. “It’s nothing.”
    “Do you have plans tonight?” Troy asked.
    “It’s against policy to intermingle with clients, or students.” It was such an easy block, she almost hated that it fell that quickly from her lips. Even if it was true.
    “One dinner,” Angel cajoled in an enticing voice. “We want to.”
    Sweat beaded between her shoulder blades from the damp heat. Only, she wasn’t sure it was all from the steam.
    “You’ve been awesome with us,” Troy added in a hummed purr. “You’re a wonderful person.”
    “It’s just…” She twisted her hips. Did they have to talk like that? All low, and sexy? It was bad enough she was attracted to them, but it frightened her too. Not them. After eight weeks of lessons, she knew their humor, their quirks, and their general politeness. They treated every woman they came across