Simply Sinful (Simply Series Book 1)

by Carly Phillips

  Kayla cringed as her sister’s fingers curled around the silk-and-lace garment she’d borrowed. “Hmm. Now things get interesting. I guess I jumped to conclusions. You don’t need my advice after all.”

  “Wrong,” Kayla said. “Get up.”

  Catherine frowned. “Why? I’m comfortable.”

  “Get up.”

  She rose and glanced down, then picked up the large shirt she’d sat on seconds before. Her eyes opened wide and she groaned. “Honey, you’ve owned this rag since we were teenagers. It’s fine for hanging around with your sister, but won’t do shit when it comes to seducing a man.”

  A vision flooded Kayla’s mind…of wearing that same shirt when Kane kissed her, moved over her, then came as close to burying himself inside her as possible considering the physical barrier their clothing provided. Then came another vision. That of Kane easing himself off her when he remembered she’d been injured and wasn’t ready, of him holding her throughout the night in comfort. This was a man who could make her both writhe in pleasure and relax in contentment. A potent combination.

  “Earth to Kayla.” Catherine waved a hand in front of her eyes. “I don’t know where you were, but it’s obvious you’ve made the right choice.” She picked up the black lace garment, dangling it from her fingertips.

  Catherine’s style, Kayla thought. Not hers. A smile formed on her lips. She felt it. She welcomed it. Things between herself and Kane were sensual, hot…and honest. She didn’t need sexy clothes to attract his attention. If she’d learned nothing else over the past few days, she’d learned to accept herself—her heart, her mind, and her body.

  She had Kane to thank for opening her eyes, for empowering her in ways she’d never been before. If she wanted to, she was perfectly capable of enticing him on her own—without the teddy. If she wanted to.

  The issue in question wasn’t what she should wear to bed…but whether or not she ought to invite Kane to join her. By virtue of his silence, he’d conceded his end of the power struggle where the case was concerned. He would support her decision to participate in wrapping up the case on Charmed! Agreed against his better judgment because he believed in her. But he didn’t like it and was concerned about protecting her, about keeping the edge that made him effective as a cop.

  She loved him too much to jeopardize his career…their future. She loved him. Heaven help her.

  Despite all the planning and effort to remain in control where Kane was concerned, she’d failed miserably. She’d fallen in love with the loner detective, which meant she was without a safety net now.

  Her entire future hinged on Kane’s past. And if things didn’t go well when she met with the man who’d attacked her, Kane would hold himself responsible, just as he did with his mother. In that case, Kayla had no doubt he’d walk away without looking back.

  She didn’t delude herself. She might lose him either way. But she believed in odds, and she intended to stack the deck in her favor. To regain control in whatever way she could. She grabbed the lingerie from her sister.

  Catherine smiled wide. “Whew. I feel better.” She glanced at her watch. “Five minutes are up. The warden’s going to come knocking any minute.” Leaning over, she gave Kayla a quick hug. “I’ll just grab a change of clothes and get out of your way.”

  “Take care of yourself. This mess isn’t over yet.”

  “I will. You know that. And you do the same.” She walked to the door, pausing to glance over her shoulder. “Let the seduction begin,” she said with a grin.

  “Bye,” Kayla muttered.

  The door shut behind her sister and Kayla glanced at the garment in her hand, fingering the luxurious silk before burying it in the back of her dresser drawer.

  She didn’t need clothes to seduce the man, but she intended to do everything in her power to make him realize what he’d be giving up should he decide to walk away.

  * * *

  Kane couldn’t hang out in the kitchen for the rest of the night. Besides, it wasn’t doing him any good. He had sat through Kayla’s shower. Listened to the pulsing, pounding rhythm of the water while his body throbbed to the same beat.

  He’d envisioned the stream of water sluicing over her curves, the droplets clinging to her skin. He braced his hands on the counter and exhaled a groan.

  “Something wrong?”

  His insides twisted even more at the sound of her husky voice. He turned. Kane didn’t know what he expected. A sexy siren, a vixen to match the arousing voice? He could have handled her, and in an absurd way, she would have been preferable to the down-to-earth woman facing him now. The old football jersey wasn’t sexy, but the it had its own share of memories. The faded sweats were far from revealing, but the effect on him was the same.

  She looked warm and welcoming.

  He felt warm and welcomed. Two sensations he’d never experienced before, at least not in conjunction with a woman. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I live here,” she said wryly. “And I was cold after my shower. I figured something hot to drink would take care of that.”

  She joined him by the counter. The lemony scent of her shampoo clung to her hair, bringing temptation to life. “Coffee?” he asked.

  She shook her head. Damp strands of blond hair clung to her cheek. God, he wanted her. “Tea?” he managed to say.

  Her smile caused a tightening in his gut.

  “Not what I had in mind,” she said.

  “What then?”

  Without answering, she reached for the handle on the cabinet behind him. Her arm brushed his shoulder. The heat struck hard and hot, where it counted most. Her touch was electric. He inhaled and counted to five until a semblance of control returned.

  “Hot chocolate always seems to do the trick…when I’m cold.” Her voice had dropped an octave. The husky sound turned the knot in his stomach even tighter.

  She met his gaze. In her eyes he saw a deadly combination of uncertainty and longing. Kane had been around long enough to know when he was being set up, that she was grasping to regain control. But Kayla’s seduction, or attempted seduction, wasn’t like any other. It was an endearing mixture of innocence and sensuality. One he couldn’t withstand no matter how much he needed to.

  He’d already drawn the line and Kayla knew it. He was certain she’d respect his decision to keep his distance, if only because he’d agreed to her participating with Reid on closing the case. But she was playing a dangerous game with him now, tempting him, hoping he’d give in…wondering how far he’d let her go before backing off.

  He wasn’t sure himself. Around Kayla, his self-control was minimal. His only choice was to turn the tables and hope she chose to retreat first, instead of advance.

  He stepped toward the refrigerator to her left. “Would you like some whipped cream on top? I seem to remember you enjoy it.” Reaching for the handle, he brushed his forearm across her breasts. The barrier of her clothing might as well have been nonexistent as the hardened peaks of her nipples rasped across his bare skin.

  She exhaled a slow moan. He gritted his teeth against the arousing sound and the pleasurable feel of her breasts against his arm. His jeans, already too snug, were now damned uncomfortable. He turned toward her, trapping her between him and the counter. Her body heat called to his, her scent beckoned to him. Kane wondered when he’d begun to enjoy torturing himself without mercy.

  He glanced down. She gripped the sides of the instant cocoa mix, denting the box with her grip. At least she was affected, too.

  He leaned forward. “Whipped cream, Kayla?” Her eyes darkened, remembrance and desire flickering in the depths.

  “I…” She swallowed hard. “I don’t keep any around. It’s fattening, and I have to draw the line somewhere, I mean there’s only so much indulgence a person can take and…”

  “Tell me about it,” he muttered. Kane reached out and eased the box from her hands. Her breathing now came in shallow, uneven gasps. He wasn’t doing too well himself, but damne
d if he’d let desire rule his head.

  “Relax, sweetheart.” He touched her reddened cheek with his palm. She tipped her head into the cradle of his hand. Such an innocent gesture. One that nearly sent him spiraling.

  He inhaled hard and fast. “You look flushed. Is your head okay? Maybe your blood sugar dropped. Have a seat and I’ll make you something to drink.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the nearest chair. It had been too long since she’d taken any kind of break.

  Having changed the subject, he exhaled. His breathing came easier, but not much, considering her soft curves now molded against him…and he was strung tighter than ever.

  She stopped short of sitting down. “I’m not thirsty anymore. I think I’ll just go to bed, instead.” He released his next breath in a whoosh of air. She’d accepted his boundaries. He wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, but at least he remained in control.

  She stepped backward, tilting her head until she looked him in the eye. “Ready?”

  “For?” he asked warily.

  “Bed. Aren’t you going to join me?”

  He muttered a curse. Where this woman was concerned, control was a goddamn illusion.

  “I’ll take the couch.” He crossed his arms and waited.

  Kayla shot him an amused glance, aware that Kane was edgy and uncomfortable. And it was thanks to her…and the idea of sleeping with her. Amazing.

  When in her life had she had the ability to put a man like Kane on the spot? When had she ever made any man feel awkward? Maybe it was an ability she’d always had but never had the courage to explore before. With Kane, she was secure enough. Comfortable enough. She liked that feeling.

  Almost as much as she liked him. A smile formed on her lips. “Go ahead, sleep on the couch. But I should tell you, it’s lumpy and uncomfortable. You won’t get much sleep out there.”

  “What makes you think I’ll get any sleep in there, with you?” He gestured toward the hallway and her bedroom.

  “Because I’m tired, still injured, like you said.” She slicked her hair behind her ear. “And besides, I don’t recall inviting you to do anything else besides sleep.”

  His eyes darkened under lowered lids. “You invite a man into your bed, sweetheart, you better be prepared for anything.” Need echoed in his voice.

  Her knees went weak and her insides turned to jelly. Another second and her mind would follow. Reaching out, Kayla grasped his hand, intertwining their fingers together. His skin felt rough and warm against her palm; his hand felt right in hers.

  She’d grown up feeling as if she had to fight for everything that mattered, from her mother’s attention to accepting the adult she’d become. Even a business she’d legitimately inherited had turned into a struggle she might not win. Nothing had come easily, some things not at all.

  But Kane, her love for this man, mattered more than anything else ever had. She’d fight for it, so that when the end came, she’d have no regrets. She tugged lightly on his hand.

  “Don’t do this.” His voice held a ragged warning.

  She refused to listen. “I’ve got used to sleeping in your arms, Kane. Is that so much to ask?”

  Chapter Ten

  The clock on the nightstand read midnight. Kane glanced at the woman lying beside him. Her even breathing told him she was asleep. Damned if he could say the same. How could he when lying beside Kayla, taking in her scent, and sharing body heat had begun to feel familiar? To feel right?

  Add to that the fact that she wanted him, too, and nothing was stopping him from waking her up by easing himself inside her. Nothing except his own damn sense of right and wrong. Control was no longer an issue. Kayla’s feelings were.

  As soon as this case ended, he was history. So why hurt her more than he already had? Rolling to the side, he levered himself to a sitting position. The bedsprings creaked beneath his weight as he stood. Kayla didn’t move.

  He walked to the window and rolled open the blinds. A full moon lit the night sky, and its glow streamed into the room.

  “Kane?” The rustle of sheets followed the sound of her voice.

  He turned. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Or maybe he had. He’d begun to hate being alone with only his thoughts for company.

  She turned back the covers on his side. “Come back to bed.”

  Did she know what she was asking? His body churned with need. If he climbed beside her, it wouldn’t be for sleeping.

  She curled her legs beneath her. “I’ll tell you a bedtime story.” Humor tinged her voice as she patted the sheets with one hand.

  How could he resist an offer like that? He eased himself next to her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she settled against his side. “What was your favorite?” he asked. “‘Sleeping Beauty?’ ‘Cinderella’?” He named fairy tales he’d only heard of. He sure as hell hadn’t been on the receiving end of those stories while growing up.

  “‘The Ugly Duckling,’” she murmured.

  He tangled his fingers in the long strands of her hair. “I should have known.”

  She yawned. The vibration caused his body to come alive. “Why’s that?” she asked.

  “Because, like that duckling, you turned into a beautiful swan.”

  She shook her head.

  “Yes.” He rolled onto his side so he could face her, then cupped her cheek in his hand. “You’re beautiful.”

  “No, I’m…”

  “Yes, you are. Now say, ‘Thank you, Kane.’”

  Even in the muted light, he could see the blush stain her cheeks. “Thank you, Kane.”

  He grinned. “Call that lesson number one on how to accept a compliment.”

  “I didn’t know I needed lessons.”

  She did. Desperately. She’d made progress since they’d met, but she wasn’t there yet. Maybe one day she’d stop fumbling over the subject of her looks or her body. But he wouldn’t be around to see it…which meant someone else would.

  Was that what he was doing? Kane wondered. Priming her for the day when the right guy came along? That was a thought worth blocking out, and he knew just how to accomplish his goal.

  Leaning over, he brushed a kiss over her lips. He wanted to tune out his thoughts and black out the future. He wanted a harsh, demanding kiss that wouldn’t let him think or feel. Unfortunately for him, Kayla wasn’t cooperating.

  She was kissing him, but setting her own pace and speed. The control issue had returned and it was all hers. Light kisses on his mouth and delicate whispers of her tongue over his lips let her tease, play, and arouse. But worse, gave him time to think. About how much he wanted her, desired her, and how great his need for this woman always seemed to be.

  Her hands splayed against his chest. The warmth of her fingertips penetrated his skin. Heat of a different kind pounded inside him, insistent, demanding release.

  “Kane.” Her lips moved against his.

  He traced the line of her jaw with his tongue, ending by tugging on her delicate earlobe with his teeth.

  She moaned aloud and her fingertips curled into his chest. “Kane, no.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  Kayla lay back against her pillow, out of breath and obviously out of her mind. What other explanation could there be for stopping him, when she wanted him inside her more than she wanted her next breath?

  She could deal with not sleeping with him because she couldn’t handle the regret he would feel afterward, once he’d given in to emotion and lost his focus once more.

  He exhaled a groan and rolled over to lie beside her. His muscular leg straddled hers, and through the cotton briefs, his rock-hard arousal pressed hot and heavy against her thigh.

  Her stomach muscles clenched with desire while the dampness between her legs begged her to reconsider. She couldn’t. She had too much respect for him to change her mind.

  “You said you wanted to keep your distance.” She used his own words as a deliberate barrier between them. She hadn’t meant to p
lay the role of a tease; rather, she was gambling for her future.

  “Guess I changed my mind.”

  “Your hormones did. Your mind, your heart…” She tapped lightly against his chest. “Those things haven’t changed.”

  He let out a harsh groan. “Can’t argue with reason,” he muttered.

  “Guess not.”. Though she’d wanted him to do just that.

  He stretched an arm around her and she curled into him. “It’s okay, Kane.”

  “What is?”

  “I stopped before you did something you would regret, but you have to know…it’s not something I would regret.”

  “Are you saying you changed your mind?” His hands tangled in her hair. It was a habit of his, she realized, one she enjoyed. The erotic tugging against her scalp turned her on.

  No doubt that’s what he intended. “No, I haven’t changed my mind. I’m still respecting your original decision. But I want you to know something else.” She paused, in the space of a heartbeat. “I don’t expect anything from you. When this is over, you can walk away without looking back. I won’t stop you.”

  Her cell phone chime shattered the ensuing silence and spared him having to answer. She glanced from the digital clock she still kept around to the phone laying face down, as usual. “No one I know would call at this hour.” The persistent sound continued.

  He clenched his jaw. “Answer it.”

  She picked up the cell. “Hello?”

  “I’m through playing games, lady.”

  Her hand went to the bruises on her neck. “Is that what you were doing?”

  Silence greeted her and she looked at Kane.

  “Keep him talking,” he mouthed and edged closer.

  “I…I have something you want,” she said into the phone.

  “You ready to start up again?” the man asked, sounding relieved.

  The question startled her. She hadn’t expected him to make that kind of suggestion. She avoided answering. “I’m ready to turn over whatever I have to…Who did you say you work for again?”