So Not a White Knight

by Starla Kaye

  After pulling in a courage-building breath, she accepted the room key and instructions on how to find the unit. The clerk told her Trevon had already checked in. So, where was he? In the condo? In one of the bars or restaurants on the grounds? He could be anywhere. Just thinking of him made her stomach churn with nerves. Why had she agreed to this time with him? He’d already bruised her heart once when he hadn’t argued about her leaving him. Why had he sought out the matchmaker?

  She clutched the room key tighter. Her thoughts turned to Kendra. Her friend’s involvement with Madame Evangeline had turned out well. Essie hadn’t expected anything like that. She only wanted a taste of the wilder side for once in her life. Not a date with a Mr. Ho-Hum. She’d requested Mr. Sexy Beast.

  She’d gotten Trevon Chanders, a known quantity already. Sort of. Since they hadn’t been together in three years. They’d crossed paths, but never spoken to each other. So, other than what she’d read about him, she couldn’t say she knew the man now. But she would again, soon.

  Resigned to follow through with her commitment, she stepped to the side and turned around. She smiled at the young twentyish woman waiting in line nearby. And then stepped farther away at the lusty gaze of the man with the blonde.

  Her stomach fluttered. Would Trevon look at her that way? Even vastly changed, she didn’t think she came anywhere close to the kind of women who were seen with him these days. If her father hadn’t introduced them and pushed them together in the first place, they would never have been a couple. Things were good in the beginning, really good. But then….

  “Ms. Reynolds, shall I take your bags to your unit now?” a teenaged bellhop asked loud enough to be heard over the music drifting from a bar across the lobby. “Or we can deliver them later.”

  As she glanced at the younger man, she caught sight of a breath-stealing man in the outside eating area of a restaurant not thirty feet away. Trevon. He looked intently in her direction, making her nervous. He wore a blue chambray shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. Even from this short distance, she could see a cocky attitude in his expression. Something like both Shane and Carter sported at different times. Cowboy attitude. A wide-brimmed hat sat crown down on the table next to his bottle of beer. She’d never seen him dressed this way.

  “Ms. Reynolds?” the bellhop tried again.

  She blinked back to the moment. “I—”

  Before she could finish the thought, Trevon stood and faced her. Tall, broad shouldered, even better looking than she remembered him. Their gazes locked. One of his thick, dark eyebrows quirked up in question. Then a corner of his mouth lifted in a sexy grin. Oh, Lord help me.

  “Ma’am?” the bellhop prodded yet again.

  Stetson perched with a cocky tilt on his head, Trevon ambled in her direction. Her knees weakened. Warmth curled low inside her. What had she told Kendra she wanted? Sex-in-boots. Well, this was exactly that. He had it all—confidence in his stride, long legs covered in worn denim, boots, and oozing testosterone. Her wish come to life…maybe her nightmare.

  The charismatic man who drew attention wherever he went—including here—walked up in front of her. Beneath the brim of his hat, a vivid-blue gaze moved ever so slowly over her. He gave her an approving nod and then focused on the bellhop. “I can handle her bags.”

  Oh, sweet heaven, she’d almost forgotten. Not only was he supremely hot, but also he spoke in his familiar velvety deep voice with a hint of Texas drawl. A voice that had once whispered naughty things to her in bed. It had made her shiver, all over. Somewhere along the way, he’d stopped doing that.

  He pulled out a money clip from the pocket of his jeans and handed the younger man a generous tip. They winked at each other in some kind of male code she didn’t want to interpret. She studied his large, tanned hand, recalling what he could do with it…with her. Her nipples tightened into buds. Perfect! Please don’t let him notice.

  When he focused on her once more, his gaze landed precisely there. Her foolish nipples hardened even more, so much they ached.

  His eyes turned darker.

  They stood there without speaking, taking in each other, for a full minute before someone bumped into one of her suitcases. It fell over and thumped on the tiled floor.

  She gasped in surprise and felt her cheeks flaming as she realized how she was ogling him. Hopefully, she hadn’t been drooling, too. She might be attracted to him again, but she wasn’t quite ready to forgive him for not fighting for her.

  “Sorry,” apologized the older man she had seen earlier with his silver-haired wife. He leaned down to right the bag.

  “Not a problem.” Trevon took hold of the handles on the pair of large suitcases. As the other couple walked away, he gave her a teasing grin. “Traveling light?”

  Her discomfort grew. “I wanted to be prepared for whatever we ended up doing.”

  His melting gaze took her in again. “You could have packed a small duffle bag and had more than enough to wear.”

  The oh-so-wicked promise in those words made her heart skip a beat, two beats, and then race. Could she handle him for a night? Maybe two? She thought about grabbing her bags and running like hell. Not a chance. Buck up.

  From somewhere inside her, she latched onto a tiny bit of courage to hold her own. “If you brought more than what you’re wearing, then you over-packed.” Had she really said that?

  To her relief, he chuckled, amusement dancing in those gorgeous blue eyes. “Ready?”

  For him to toss her down on the tiled floor and…. Yes, yes, yes. She managed to keep the words in her mouth and instead gave a quick nod. “Where you lead, I will follow.”

  His wicked, crooked grin flashed again. “Oh, darlin’, don’t play with fire. Because I can certainly lead you far astray.”

  “That’s what I want,” she muttered as he headed off. At least, she thought she did.

  He stopped and cocked his head, studying her. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.” The chicken side of her made another appearance. She waved him on.

  What the hell were you doing back there? Flirting, teasing? Trevon moaned. He trudged down the well-lit winding sidewalk of the main area between the wings of hotel buildings, toward the far building with a few ocean-front condos.

  He pulled in a frustrated breath. Awareness and desire tore through him. For Essie, a damn sexy woman in an all-too-revealing hot, white dress walking behind him. He tried not to think about the flirty haircut with the wispy bangs. His fingers ached to smooth them out of the way, see if her hair felt as soft as before.

  This woman confused him. Where were those thick dark glasses she used to wear?

  God, those eyes. How could he have forgotten how smoky brown they were, how cautious they could be, how inviting, too? And what about her body! She’d been lovely before. Now she was all sexy curves, perfect for a man’s hands to wander over. This Essie wasn’t at all what he’d expected. His Essie had been sweet, almost fragile, and innocent in so many ways. In that dress—Oh, my God, that dress!—she was damn spicy. He liked spice!

  “Is this some kind of race?” she questioned, sounding winded.

  He breathed harder, too, but blamed it on his physical reaction to the little sex-bomb. “Sorry.”

  Turning toward his destination once more, he bit back a groan. It had been a mistake to look at her again. Those plump breasts struggling inside the low-cut neckline called to him. Hold me. Squeeze me. Put your mouth on me. And those legs! Killer long, toned. They used to wrap around him so easily.

  Sweat trickled down his back, beaded on his upper lip. He’d missed her, but he hadn’t imagined he would react this strong, so quickly. He had made plans for seducing her. Going nice and slow, enjoying every inch of her…of each other. Now, he wanted to thump his chest and go all caveman crazy, make her his woman. Already he struggled with a killer erection. Too soon, way too soon.

  He felt like an idiot. He needed to downshift, calm everything down. Pulling in a breath, he l
et go of the suitcases and managed to look her in the eye. “You look good, Essie. The…the changes just surprised me.” He thought about how the words sounded wrong and added, “Not that you didn’t look nice before.”

  She arched a thin, dark eyebrow. “A decent save, Trevon, but it could have been better.” She smiled. “I know this is awkward, for both of us.”

  “Clearly,” he agreed. “I’ll try to get my act together.”

  She gave a soft laugh and did a little model’s spin. “So, the money I spent on this new dress and the new hairstyle were worth it?”

  “Oh, honey, definitely,” he admitted. He wanted nothing more than to get his hands on the dress, tear it off her. He gripped the suitcase handles tight again.

  Her thousand-watt smile ratcheted up another gazillion watts. Oh damn.

  “How about we get going again?” he choked out, thinking about their short amount of time together and all he wanted to accomplish. His body screamed to him about making the most of every second.

  She nodded, and her gaze warmed. Her breaths were deep, making those amazing breasts rise and fall in a way that held his attention. “I’m ready to slip into something…more comfortable…have you do the same,” she said in a suggestive whisper.

  He sweated some more. “Sounds good to me.” He could see them naked and tangled together on the big, over-sized bed in the condo. There were a hundred things he wanted to do.

  Trevon went back to pulling the suitcases along, thinking about his goals for their time together. Lost in his thoughts.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, walking up next to him. She reached for one of the suitcases. “I can take at least one of these bags.”

  He tugged the bag out of her reach. “I’m fine. Not at my best. It’s been a long day.” He tried a reassuring smile. “I apologize.”

  Her eyes softened. “I understand. It’s been a long day for both of us. Let’s just get to our place. Get comfortable.” She glanced away, her cheeks growing pink, and then met his gaze again. “Maybe later….” She let him figure out what she meant.

  What she implied sounded damn good, too, exactly what he wanted. “Yes, later,” he agreed, hoping she understood he was all for sliding into bed with her.

  The surprising woman winked at him, cheeks still pink. “The clock’s ticking.”

  Chapter Four

  The clock’s ticking! Essie stood in the middle of the large bathroom in their unit. She’d taken less than a few seconds to tug one of her suitcases away from him and speed in here with it, firmly closing and locking the door. No doubt he still stood in the entryway, wondering what the hell had just happened.

  Her heart raced as she took in the impressive room with the polished marble floor, the over-sized walk-in shower meant for more than one person, and the pair of thick, white robes hanging next to the door. What she remembered of the main room itself had been island-style elegance. Beautiful, perfect for lovers. Or maybe that was what her sex-crazed mind envisioned.

  Oh, dear Lord, what’s happened to me? Sex-crazed? Really?

  She drew in a deep, steadying breath, but it didn’t help much. She had taunted Trevon about being in a hurry to get it on. Well, not in those exact words, but she’d mentioned getting “comfortable” and added “maybe later.” The huskiness in his voice when he’d responded told her he’d put the hints together and approved.

  She slumped onto the lowered lid of the toilet, hanging her head. This was all so new to her, this acting bold and brazen. He probably wondered where the brainiac, the woman more comfortable in a chemistry lab than on the social scene, was. He was equally as intelligent, but far more at ease in the public eyes. Their romantic relationship had been comfortable, nothing spectacular. He’d been too distracted by everything going on with the firm he and Ed were building. She’d accepted whatever he gave her without complaint, although she craved more. Finally, she’d decided they would be better separate, and he’d agreed she might be right. That hurt. Still did.

  With effort, she put the unpleasant memory aside. She’d surprised him with her new look. His vivid-blue eyes had grown dark, and his nostrils flared as he took her in from head to foot. A couple of times she’d noticed a definite thick ridge in the front of his jeans. His reactions flattered her, making all sorts of tingling sensations sweep through her. She’d missed his reactions and how they made her feel.

  So far, her efforts in preparing for this experience were paying off. The money spent on her dress was worth it—his eyes had all but popped out of his head. Definitely nice! He’d also kept looking at her hair, appeared to like the change. And the way he’d all but drooled staring at her breasts—much perkier now—made all those hours of working on the weight machines worth the torture.

  To be fair, he looked delectable, too. Trevon Chanders in a suit could impress anyone. In jeans, all cowboyed up? She wanted him with every fiber of her being, and that irritated her a whole lot. She didn’t want to desire him this much, so soon. In their past, sex hadn’t been be-still-my-beating-heart intense. More like just okay. She wanted far more this time. And she’d studied up for the adventure, spending hours devouring several books to increase her knowledge base about sex. She planned to use what she’d learned.

  A soft knock on the door snared her attention. “Are you all right?”

  He sounded worried, which made her feel ridiculous for having fled from him and hidden away in here.

  “I-I’m changing clothes, like I said. Into something more comfortable.” Was this the right suitcase? Well, whatever clothing this one held would have to do.

  “You don’t want to get a glass of wine first. Maybe sit out on the lanai and enjoy the night view of the ocean, talk a little?” He still sounded concerned.

  She laid the suitcase on its side and opened it, frowning. “Wine sounds good. Red, I hope.”

  “I have a bottle of Cabernet Franc, if you still like that.” He hesitated. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes. Yes, I’m fine. Just give me a few minutes.” He remembered her favorite wine. How touching.

  As she stared into the wrong suitcase, she huffed in annoyance. If she attempted to exchange this bag for the other one, she might lose her courage. Fine. She would make do with something from the clothes she had brought with her in case she spent Sunday here alone, her “comfort” clothes. Maybe she could just act sexy. Yeah, right. Like she knew how to do that. Whatever. Later she could change into one of the hot little numbers she had picked out to bring him to his knees.

  Trevon didn’t know what to think. He stared at the closed bathroom door for another few seconds. Had he done something to scare her? He couldn’t imagine what it could have been. Unless she’d noticed the erection pressing at the front of his jeans. Did it worry her? She’d seen him aroused before.

  He went to the small kitchen for the wine and a pair of glasses. What was she changing into? She wasn’t a Victoria’s Secret kind of woman. Her lingerie tended to be pretty, just nothing man-killer sexy. He’d never cared. Stripping her down to get at the luscious body beneath whatever she wore had never been a problem. Exactly what he wanted to do now.

  Except he wouldn’t. He needed to slow the hell down. Should he be changing clothes, too? Into what? He’d already set aside his hat, kicked off his boots. He figured that was enough.

  He pulled the wine from the refrigerator to let it warm up slightly. As he carried it to the bar between the kitchen and main room to set it by the glasses, he began counting to a hundred. Patience. Somehow he could muster up some.

  At the sound of the bathroom door opening, he looked that way. His breath hitched. Holy hell!

  Essie took a step from the bedroom and stopped. She stood there, worrying one side of her tempting pink mouth. He remembered the nervous habit of hers, still thought it charming.

  “I, uh, picked the wrong bag for my grand exit into the bathroom.” Both embarrassment and annoyance filled her face.

  He imagined the other bag held
whatever she’d intended to wear for him. Something sexy? He could only hope. Yet he wasn’t disappointed at the moment. Those long, creamy legs captured his attention beneath a pair of running shorts barely covering her sweet ass. His pulse picked up speed.

  His gaze shifted higher to a good swath of stomach revealed below a cropped sweatshirt top, sleeves cut away. A faded picture of a redheaded mermaid emblazoned over the impressive breasts he so enjoyed, planned to enjoy again…a lot. And her feet were bare, small pink-painted toes drawing his focus back down again.

  “Not what you expected, huh?” she asked in clear frustration. She started toward the other suitcase sitting by the front door. “Give me a few more minutes and—”

  “No. You look fine,” he protested, making her freeze and blink at him in surprise. “Frankly, that’s pretty darn sexy.”

  Brown eyes turned smoky, and a smile slid into place. “I could change.” Instead, she looked to the wine bucket and glasses next to it. “I know it’s getting late and you’re probably as tired as I am, but a drink sure sounds good.”

  His gaze slipped behind her to the bedroom, straight to the king-sized bed. Late or not, he felt energized, ready to shift gears and—

  Slow it down.

  Trevon pulled in a calming breath. “Lanai?” he questioned, hearing the husky tone in his voice, the near desperation. He reached to pick up the wine. He needed his hands on something because he really wanted them to be on her sweet body.

  She padded over on bare feet and snagged the glasses. “Lanai works for me. I love sitting outside at night here, listening to the waves roll onto the beach.”

  He let her lead the way to the sliding glass doors, admiring the sway of rounded hips, an ass he ached to touch. For a chemical engineer, she had one damn sexy body. If all went where he planned it would, he intended to know every inch of her again before they left this Hawaiian paradise.