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  This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

  All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Photo Credit: Roslyn Barrett

  Used under a Creative Commons license.

  Cover Design: Selena Kitt

  Just Between Friends © 2008 Dakota Trace

  eXcessica publishing

  All rights reserved

  Just Between Friends

  By Dakota Trace

  Chapter One

  Isabella Carnetti watched as her very best friend in the world, Seth Anderson, washed his prized car, a 1966 Mustang convertible. As he continued to spread suds, Isabella kept stealing glances at him over the top of the trashy novel she'd been trying to read for the last several minutes. The louse wasn't helping matters either, she thought, as she watched droplets of water and soap run down his chest.

  They had been friends since grade school. Even though he'd been a year ahead of her in school, he'd still maintained their friendship when it hadn't been cool to have a younger girl tagging along behind him. Isabella couldn't remember the exact moment when she'd realized he was a man and a very attractive man at that. It had happened somewhere between her sophomore and junior year in high school. She'd matured painfully late and none of the guys at school had ever noticed her. She was just another one of the guys who hung around together after school.

  Now that both she and Seth had been out of school for five years, she thought the attraction she'd felt for her friend would have lessened over time. Instead, if anything, she'd become more attracted to him, and it didn't help when he purchased the house right next door.

  "Hey, Bella, get off that duff of yours and come help me wash the car," Seth hollered, breaking into her thoughts.

  "Get real, Seth. That's your baby. I don't dare touch her," she yelled back, setting her book down, picking up her water bottle, and walking over to where he was still soaping the car.

  "Aw, come on, Bella. You know you want to touch her." Stopping his washing motion, he had an evil glint in his eye as he coaxed her closer.

  When she got with in a few feet of the car, Seth grabbed the bucket of warm sudsy water and threw its contents at her! Ducking, Isabella laughed as most of the suds had missed her.

  "Very funny, Romeo, but I don't need a bath." Wiping off some stray suds, she walked around the front of the car with an innocent smile, or at least she hoped it was innocent. "I gotta run, Seth. I have some things to do before I go over and fix the old man's supper."

  "You're gonna leave before the waxing?" Seth pouted. This subject was an ongoing battle between them.

  "You're a big boy, Seth. You can wax her all by yourself, but you're not going to con me into it. Have one of the guys come over and help you. I know for a fact Garth would love to get his hands on her.”

  "Like hell he will," he growled in a good-natured tone. "Come give me a hug before you go, shrimp."

  Laughing, she stepped close enough to give him a one-armed hug but she wasn't surprised when he plopped the warm soapy sponge on her bare back.

  "I do believe you need to cool off.” She smiled and dumped the entire contents of her cold water bottle down his back in retaliation.

  “Son of a...” Gasping as the cold water ran down his back. She darted away from him. Immediately, he went after her.

  "Oops." Giggling, she backed away from him. "Now remember, you started it." When he shook his head, she squealed before turning on her heel and running for the house. Skidding inside the door of her house, she shoved the door shut behind her. Flipping the lock, she went to her room and pulled her wet-shirt off.

  The noise of a sharp intake of breath from the doorway caught her attention, and spinning around, she saw Seth standing in the doorway!

  * * * *

  Staring in the mirror above her dresser, Seth could see every inch of her bare breasts, even with her back to him. While Bella was not blessed with large tits, she had very prominent nipples. Raspberry in color and hardening in the cool breeze, the sight of her nipples made him lick his lips. Wanting to lick and suck the tender buds, Seth wondered what she would do if he did.

  At that moment, Isabella had become more than just his best friend. Now an attractive woman that whetted his appetite for hot sex, she was making his cock harden behind his zipper.

  "Seth, get the hell out of my bedroom," Isabella shrieked as she crossed her arms over her breasts. Angry now, for he was invading her private space, she glared at him.

  However, Seth didn't move right away. Licking his lips, he propped himself against the door jam. Watching her with smoky eyes, he waited to see if the little tease would give him another glimpse.

  "Damn it, Seth. How the hell did you get in here?" Isabella asked hotly as she grabbed a clean shirt off the dresser and tried to keep her dignity.

  "Keys." Jingling them in his hand to show her, he pushed them into the pocket of his tight jeans before moving further into the room.

  "What are you doing? I told you to get out!" She backed away as he came even closer, grabbing a towel off the top of her laundry basket.

  “You're wet, Bella. I thought I'd help dry you off.”

  "What? I can dry myself off!" Snatching the towel out of his hands, she added. "Now take your butt downstairs and I'll be down as soon as I get dressed."

  "I'd rather help you, Bella. What are you afraid of? I'd never hurt you,” Seth explained as he retained his hold on the other end of the towel.

  "Seth, stop it, I don't want you that way." She continued to tug on the towel but, with a casual twist, he managed to jerk it right out of her hand. Grabbing her arms, he peeled them away from her breasts. Reaching out, with a light touch, his finger traced one nipple with the barest of caresses. He smiled in satisfaction as it hardened beneath his touch.

  "Beautiful.” He leaned forward with the intentions of tasting the tempting morsel.

  "Ahh...nooo...I can't let you do this," Isabella gasped as she shot out of his reach, jerking her shirt on over her head, as she headed down the hall towards the stairs.

  Standing in Isabella's bedroom, Seth's harsh breathing filled the quiet. He had never realized how sexy his best friend was until now. Feeling his cock throb unrelenting, he couldn't remember when he'd been this quick to arouse before. Soothing a hand down the front of his jeans, he pressed hard against his erection to relieve some of the pressure, but it didn't help much.

  One thing was clear to him, he definitely needed to pursue the attraction he felt towards the girl who had tagged along after him since grade school. It is clear, she's no longer one of the guys. She's a woman, and damn sexy one.

  Dropping the towel back onto her hamper after drying himself off, he walked back downstairs to find Isabella gone. She’d probably over to her old man's to get supper ready for him. With her mother gone, Bella had taken her place as far as tending to her father. He had been hospitalized last year due to a terrible auto accident. When they released him, the doctors had told a tearful Isab
ella her daddy would never walk again. Her mother, who'd been in the car with him at the time, hadn't even made it to the hospital. She'd died on the side of the road where the eighteen-wheeler had hit them. So all Bella had left for family now was her daddy and himself, but he wasn't having ‘familial’ thoughts about his little Bella anymore.

  * * * *

  Isabella drew a deep breath before entering her father's house. She had to get a grip on herself before she saw her dad. She knew if he could see her, he would know right away she was upset. Looking down her shirt, she saw the hardened points of her nipples. Because her breasts were small, she seldom bothered with a bra.

  What the hell got into him? Does he think I'm another one of his love'em and leave'em girls? She knew Seth had come to look at women as another notch in his belt. I won't be another notch for him to brag about.

  Pushing open the back door, she paused in the mudroom and kicked her shoes off. "Dad!" she called as she walked into the large homey kitchen.

  "I hear ya, Isabella. No need to yell." Her father's voice came closer as he wheeled himself into the kitchen accepting a kiss from her as he got to the table.

  "I wasn't yelling, Dad. Just didn't know if you were out back or in the house." She yanked a skillet out of the cupboard and set it on the stove.

  "Sounded loud to me," he grumbled as he picked up the newspaper on the table but the phone rang, and he dropped the paper, picking up the cordless phone.

  Ignoring her dad's conversation, she continued to throw together his supper wanting the task to be done as fast as possible. Having already decided to catch the all night movie marathon at the local drive-in, she wanted to get there in time to find a good spot to park.

  "That's fine. Come on over," her father said before hanging the phone up.

  "Having a guest for supper, Pops?"

  "Yeah, he said he wanted to play some cards with us tonight."

  "Cards?" Looking over her shoulder at him she almost burnt herself on the pork chops as she remembered her promise.

  "Yes, cards. You promised me a chance to win back my money."

  "Pops, I made other plans for tonight. I'm sorry."

  "Isabella Marie, you'll stay and play cards with me because you promised to." Scowling at her, he was now angry.

  In a moment of self need, she reacted. "And what are you going to do if I don't?" Regretting her words, she tried to laugh them away, but her father was unimpressed.

  "I'll get out of this chair and kick your ass," he threatened, just to give her a hard time. "You told me yesterday you'd stay and play cards with me."

  Knowing he wouldn't really kick her ass, she nonetheless knew she'd promised, and she relented. "Okay, Pops.” No movies for me tonight.

  "That's more like it,” John grumbled as he wheeled himself out of the kitchen, in search of the cards.

  * * * *

  Seth smiled as he met Bella's father, John, on the front porch. He knew what he'd planned was down right sneaky but he couldn't resist. He'd given John the excuse of having nothing to do on a Saturday night, and promptly found himself invited to the weekly card game that John and Bella held.

  "Evening Seth," John greeted. "How's that little car of yours running?"

  "Great."

  "Looks good too. But who botched up your wax job?" John shook his head at the sight.

  "I have to talk to Bella about that. The little brat called Garth over and he started waxing it before I could stop him. Speaking of which, where's she at?" John started laughing at him.

  "She's in the kitchen."

  "I'll be right back. I have a woman to talk to about a wax job." Seth headed towards the house.

  Bella was reaching up into the cabinet above the stove for plates when a warm pair of arms surrounded her and the hands attached to them cupped her breasts. Freezing in mid-reach, she gasped.

  "That wasn't a very nice thing for you to do, Bella," Seth whispered into her ear.

  "What? Calling Garth?" She whimpered as he squeezed her nipples between his fingers.

  "Oh, I know a certain woman who's going to fix that for me. But I was referring to walking out on me this afternoon."

  "What?" she fumed as she futilely attempted to turn around in his arms. He held her still with her back against his chest.

  "Shh," he whispered as he continued to hold her against him. "Don't turn, just stay like this." He gently nipped her earlobe. "Now, as I was saying. You left me in your bedroom, holding a towel that smelled like you with a raging boner."

  "Seth!" she protested as she felt heat flood her face.

  "Shh," again he soothed, as he continued to rub and squeeze her nipples. "Why did you stop me, Bella? From the sound of your breathing right now, I bet I could've made you come from just sucking on your nipples."

  "Oh... please stop," she gasped as she felt the tugging of her nipples deep in her womb. If she wasn't careful, he was going to make her come from just tugging on her nipples.

  "Stop? I don't think so, sweetheart." He started to turn her in his arms, lifting her shirt up at the same time. Behind them, the bang of the front door echoed through the house.

  "Pops..." she protested, meeting his gaze. Sighing, he looked down into her frantic eyes, pulling her closer to comfort her.

  "Relax, Bella. I won't do anything in front of your dad," he assured her before releasing her. Stumbling away from him, she turned back to the sink.

  Walking up behind her again, he just leaned over enough to whisper in her ear. “Don't think this let’s you off the hook, Bella. The next time I get you alone, I'm going to strip you out of that t-shirt and taste those sweet nipples." Giving her nipples a gentle squeeze, he pulled a gasp from her.

  As pleasure exploded between her thighs, Bella held her breath and waited for the pleasure to ebb away. Maybe he won't realize I just creamed my panties.

  Seth stared at his best friend's expression, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. Grabbing her hips, he pulled her back against him.

  "You naughty little girl, you just came, didn't you, Bella?"

  "Seth, please." Gasping, she tried to pull away from him.

  "Answer me or I'll find out for myself.” His voice was threatening as he slid the tips of his fingers into her waistband.

  I can't let him check my pussy and risk Pops seeing. "Yes...I did."

  Seth grunted and left, going to the bathroom to wash his hands.

  It was none too soon, because John wheeled himself into the kitchen.

  "When's supper gonna be done?" he asked his flushed daughter, who was standing by herself at the sink.

  "A couple of minutes, Pops." She tried to control her voice, still shaken from her encounter with Seth.

  "Where did Seth go?"

  "I told him to go clean up," she said, nodding to the bathroom.

  As she placed supper on the table, Bella was careful to keep her eyes from straying towards Seth. After serving her father and Seth, she took her own plate to the counter.

  "Bella, why don't you come over and sit down?" Seth asked as he took a bite of his chop.

  She sat down and hoped that he would behave.

  Leaning into her ear, he whispered, "I don't bite real hard and only if you want me too.”

  "Stop it," she hissed at him before shoving a fork full of food into her mouth.

  "Or what?" He reached under the table and pinching her inner thigh.

  "Isabella and Seth, behave," John scolded when he became aware of their fooling around. “You're acting like kids!'

  * * * *

  Later that night after the card game Seth left, Isabella cleaned up the kitchen and started for the door to go home.

  "Stay for a little bit, Isabella."

  "Ok, what's up, Pops? You never call me Isabella unless I'm in trouble."

  "You're not in trouble, Bella. I just want to talk to you about this thing with Seth.”

  "What thing?" She plopped down on the couch, knowing he was going to have his say.

  "He's sni
ffin' around you like you're in heat." Her father wheeled over to where she was sitting.

  "Dad, he's been my best friend forever but he doesn't think of me that way." Knowing she was lying, she tried not to look at him. I can't talk to him about this, it's too embarrassing.

  "Who you lying to Bella, me or yourself? That boy wants you bad, he's as horny as any guy I've ever seen."

  "Pops!" she protested, but not with much enthusiasm. She knew he was right.

  * * * *

  Isabella sighed, as she made her way up the walk to her dark house. The discussion with her father had disintegrated into an argument. He just didn't realize she was twenty four, and he had no say in whether she not she was intimate with anyone. He's right, Seth is trying to get in my panties, but it's my decision whether or not he does, not my father's.

  Walking in the door, she tossed her keys on the stand and locked the door behind her. Moving down the darkened hall, she kicked her shoes off and shrieked as a man grabbed her from behind.

  "Relax, Bella. I'm not going to hurt you." He kissed her neck before turning her in his arms..

  "Damn it, Seth, you can't just come in my house and grab me!"

  "Why not, when inside you want me to?" He tried to slip his tongue between her lips, but she continued to stand there, not moving.

  "What's wrong, Bella? Why aren't you kissing me back?”

  "I'm not doing this with you, Seth. You're been my best friend since I can remember, and I'm not going to ruin that.” Her voice was cold and frustrated.

  "That's why we'd be perfect together, because we are already friends. I just want us to move to the next level, Bella. Is that too much to ask?”

  “You can be such a bastard. Who says it's all your decision?" She pushed him away in frustration. “You're trying to bully me into it, and not giving me a choice.”

  "I'm honest about wanting a woman and not leading her on. I'm not saying we have to get married tomorrow, Bella, but I still have needs, and so do you if you'll let yourself feel them.

  Moving to the couch and sitting down, she fired back at him. “Yes, I have physical needs, but do you realize how many women you've dropped like hot potatoes? Well, I do, because they coming running to me asking why.”