Roughing It With Ryan by Jill Shalvis Page A

thinking. Probably not fond thoughts.
    Then he wondered exactly how he should kill his brother. Slowly, he thought. Slowly and painfully.
    Â 
    S EVERAL HOURS LATER Allene dropped Ryan back off at Taylor’s building for his truck. Turning off her car, she turned and sent him yet another dazzling smile.
    After an evening of those mega-wattage smiles—which Ryan now knew covered up an innate inability to have a conversation that didn’t apply to her makeup, her hair or her clothes—Ryan felt a little mega-wattaged out.
    He hadn’t been able to ditch her. When he’d tried, she blinked wet eyes at him, saying Rafe had promised he’d take her for dessert after, and he’d folded like a cheap suitcase.
    Damn it. Now all he wanted was a couple of aspirin and a glimpse of another woman.
    Suzanne.
    He didn’t consider it a good sign that he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head the entire evening. It wasn’t as if she’d wanted to go out with him. Hell, she hardly wanted to talk to him.
    But somehow he knew that to be a ruse. That what was happening between them simply terrified her.
    He understood that. He felt it himself. But it had to be faced.
    Tonight. With that in mind, he turned to Allene with an apologetic smile. “It’s late,” he said, leaning back a bit when she unhooked her seatbelt and moved in on him. “Allene, wait—”
    Nope, she didn’t wait, she straddled him, right there in the Miata, which had to be a nearly impossible feat given the gear shift. “Allene—”
    â€œI’ve wanted to do this since I first saw you there on those steps, all stretched out, hot and sweaty and sexy as hell.” Fisting her hands in his hair, she kissed him.
    He had a beautiful woman sitting on his lap, trying to shove her tongue down his throat, and he was actually going to fight her off.
    What was wrong with this picture?
    As gently as he could, he pushed Allene back to thedriver’s side of the Miata. She fell there, mouth wet, eyes hot, her body sprawled out and hopeful.
    She sighed. “It’s another woman, right?”
    â€œI’m so sorry.”
    She tossed her hair out of her eyes. “It’s okay. I knew it.”
    If she’d known it, he was worse off than he’d thought. Figuring she’d let him off easy, and also feeling a little guilty about it, Ryan practically scrambled out of the Miata. Ran up the steps.
    And came face-to-face with Suzanne, who stood there, leaning against the door, arms crossed, face utterly unreadable.
    â€œHey,” he said, skidding to a stop, a little breathless.
    Reaching out, she swiped a finger over the corner of his mouth. She lifted it to show him the bright red lipstick Allene had left there.
    Then she turned and went into the building.
    And this time, the door slammed. Hard.

9
    A FTER SLAMMING THE DOOR —why had she done that, she didn’t care who Ryan went out with—Suzanne stalked through the dark hallway, up the stairs and straight into Taylor’s apartment.
    â€œTaylor?” She let herself in. “I need an ice cream fix!”
    â€œWell, then, come on back! I have a brand new gallon and two clean spoons.”
    Suzanne stormed into the kitchen, headed for Taylor’s freezer and grabbed the gallon container. Since Taylor had sold her antique dining room set to start work on the loft, there was nowhere to sit, so they each hopped up on the counter.
    Doing her best not to remember what had happened the last time she’d sat on a counter, Suzanne took the spoon Taylor handed her and dug in.
    Taylor waited until they’d each had five good-sized bites. “So.” Swinging her feet, she sucked a drop of ice cream off her spoon. “What did he do?”
    â€œHe who?”
    â€œHe who. Ryan who.”
    Suzanne studied a swirl of chocolate. “What makes you think he did anything?”
    â€œBecause he’s got a penis,