“Do you want this to end?”
Darcy plucked another caramel from the box and popped it in her mouth. “No. But it is getting in the way. I haven’t done anything to prepare for my father’s visit.”
Though the distraction of having Kel around was enjoyable, she’d managed to forget everything that was really important to her. She’d worked so hard to build a career in hotel management and it was time for her to take the next step, to force her father to see her as his successor or to move on and find another job with one of his competitors.
If she’d learned anything in her life it was that she needed to be in control, that she needed to determine her own future. Darcy couldn’t depend upon her father to know what was best for her, nor could she allow a husband or a fiancé or a boyfriend to alter her plans. She wasn’t daddy’s little girl anymore, so desperate to please and so starved for his attention.
“Maybe you should tell the guy how you really feel.”
“I plan to. As soon as he arrives I’m going to tell Daddy—”
“Not your father. I was talking about Kel. And don’t try to hand me the line that you don’t know how you feel.” Amanda stood up, grabbed a handful of chocolates from the box, then walked to the door. “Gosh, all this talk about sex has made me really horny. I need to find myself a man. I think I might have to talk Carlos into giving me a massage.”
Darcy opened her mouth, ready to issue a stern warning about fraternization, but Amanda just wagged her finger and turned on her heel, leaving Darcy to her own sexual dilemmas.
Darcy reached for the phone and punched in Kel’s room number, but then quickly hung up before it rang. If this was the end, then she wanted to hear it directly from him, face to face. She opened her desk drawer and grabbed the master keycard for the guest rooms and tucked it in her pocket.
The deal had been so simple at first. She had only wanted one taste of the forbidden fruit, just enough to satisfy her hunger. But then, she’d never expected to become addicted, to crave him so much that she couldn’t control herself, to do anything for one more bite of the apple.
“I’m supposed to want more than this,” Darcy murmured. She was twenty-eight years old. Her college roommates were all married and starting families of their own and here she was, contemplating yet another night of no-strings sex with an avowed playboy.
Closing her eyes, she sighed softly. She could go to her own room and try to fall asleep or she could have one last night with Kel. “Oh, what the hell,” she muttered as she walked out of her office.
Darcy waved at Olivia as she walked through the lobby. “Take me off the board,” she called.
When she reached Kel’s door, she didn’t bother knocking. She pushed the keycard into the lock and opened the door, then slipped inside. Kel was lying on the sofa, watching television, dressed only in a pair of sweatpants.
She let the door click shut behind her and at the sound, he sat up. “Darcy!” He scrambled to his feet and stared at her, his hand resting on his hip.
“You were expecting someone else?”
“Yes,” Kel said. “Actually, I called down for a massage. They were sending someone up. Karl, I guess. I wanted him to work on my shoulder.”
“I thought we’d see each other tonight,” she said, “but I didn’t hear from you.”
“I was planning to call after the massage. I thought maybe you might like to have some time to yourself. You know, get a good night’s sleep.”
Darcy slowly crossed the room and picked up the phone next to the sofa. She punched in the number for the spa, then waited for the receptionist to pick up. “Hi, this is Darcy. I just wanted to let you know that Mr. Martin in the Bennington Suite would like to cancel his massage. He has other plans.”
Darcy dropped the phone in the cradle, then shrugged out of her jacket, tossing it aside.
“We could both use some sleep,” Kel suggested. “I’ve got a lot of things I need to think about and I can’t really do that if you’re distracting me.”
Her fingers moved down to the buttons of her blouse, a tiny frown wrinkling her brow. “All right, if that’s what you want. When we made this arrangement we didn’t say we had to spend every night together.” She pulled her blouse out of her skirt and dropped it off her shoulders, revealing a lacy black bra.
“Is that why we spend time together?” he asked, his gaze drifting to her breasts. “Because of our arrangement?”
She smiled and slowly approached. “I like our arrangement, don’t you?”
Kel nodded his head. “Yeah, I like it a lot.”
Darcy reached around for the zipper of her skirt as she walked into the bedroom of Kel’s suite. “This should do,” she said, standing next to the bed. “Why don’t you take your clothes off and I’ll give you that massage you wanted?” Slowly, she pushed her skirt over her hips and let it drop to the floor, allowing him a tempting view of her backside.
From behind, Kel slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Leave the shoes on,” he murmured.
Darcy turned in his arms and slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his sweatpants, slowly pushing them down to the floor. As she straightened, Darcy made it a point to brush up against his shaft with her breasts.
“If I could have found a masseuse like you, I’m not sure I ever would have needed shoulder surgery,” he said.
“Umm,” Darcy said, pressing her palms against his chest and gently pushed him toward the bed. He tumbled backwards, taking her along with him. A tiny squeak escaped from her lips before his mouth captured hers. But Darcy scrambled to her knees and straddled his waist, pinning his hands above his head.
“You’re not allowed to touch me,” she said playfully. “If you touch me, I’m going to have to leave.”
Kel left his hands above his head and she slowly ran her palms over his chest. His skin was warm, the muscles hard beneath her fingertips. “I think I need some lotion,” she said. Darcy crawled off the bed and headed to the bathroom. She glanced at herself in the mirror and smiled. It was nice to know she could seduce him so easily.
When she returned, he was still lying on the bed, his hard shaft resting on his belly. Darcy skimmed her fingers along the ridge as she crawled back on top of him. “And how do you like your massage?”
“It doesn’t really matter,” he said with a sleepy grin. “As long as you’re touching me it will have the intended result.”
She continued to rub his chest, allowing her hands to drift down to his belly every now and then. Kel relaxed and closed his eyes and Darcy watched his expression shift between pure pleasure and breathless desire. She bent and kissed his nipple, circling it with her tongue. “Why didn’t you call me today?”
“Amanda said you might need a break,” he murmured.
“You talked to Amanda about me?”
“Uh-huh. I thought maybe absence would make the heart grow fonder.” He opened his eyes. “I know. Stupid idea.” Kel reached out and ran a finger along her shoulder to her hand. “I guess I’m going to have to make it up to you.” His touch sent a tremor through her body. Kel took that as an invitation to touch her again and this time he ran his finger along her bottom lip.
“And how will you do that?” she asked.
He grabbed her waist and rolled her beneath him. “I’ll find a way.”
His mouth came down on hers in a sweet and gentle kiss. Their lovemaking had always had a desperate edge to it, but this was different. As Kel explored her body, he did it slowly and with exquisite tenderness, as if he were trying to memorize every detail.
Nestled between her legs, his arms braced on either side of her head, he studied her face. “What are you thinking?”
An odd feeling of melancholy settled into Darcy’s heart as she realized their time together would end soon. What would she do without this warmth and comfort, this crazy, exhilarating excitement? She’d grown so accustomed to having him close that she couldn’t imagine passing an entire day without seeing hi
m or at least talking to him.
“I’m thinking I want you inside me,” she said.
Kel reached over to the bedside table and retrieved a condom, then handed it to her. “I’m thinking that’s what I want, too.”
She slipped the condom over him and then sighed as he slowly entered her, a tiny bit at a time. Maybe Amanda was right, she mused. Maybe she should admit her feelings to Kel. What did she have to lose? If he shared those feelings, then there might be a future for them. But if he didn’t, then at least she’d know where she stood.
Darcy pressed her lips to his ear. “What else do you want?” she whispered.
Kel moaned softly. “I want you,” he said, pressing into her, his desire burning between them.
Darcy bit her bottom lip. “For how long?” she ventured.
“Forever,” he said as he began to move. “Forever.”
Drawing a deep breath, she swallowed her emotions and let her mind drift. There would never be another man like Kel. For the rest of her life, she’d remember exactly how this felt, the sweet sensation of his body against hers, the slow climb to her release and then the wonderful surrender.
“Forever,” she whispered. If only that could be true.
In the end, as they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, completely sated, Darcy wondered what Kel had meant. Would forever last until the end of the week? Or would it last their entire lives?
5
DARCY WOKE SLOWLY, her face buried in the soft down pillows, blocking the morning light that streamed through the windows. She reached over for Kel but found his half of the bed empty. Pushing up on her elbow, Darcy brushed her hair out of her eyes and glanced at the clock.
It was almost eight. Kel had a tee time for nine that he’d offered to cancel but Darcy had insisted that he go. A night of passion seemed to energize him but for Darcy it brought on a pleasant exhaustion. She yawned, then stretched her arms above her head.
“Two more nights,” she murmured. Kel’s one-week stay would be over the day after tomorrow. Her father was scheduled to arrive tomorrow and she knew whatever time she and Kel had left would be stolen moments between meetings.
Darcy sank back into the pillows and sighed. Just yesterday, she’d been so sure of what she had wanted: a career with her father’s corporation, a house of her own on the lake, a future that she controlled. But lying here, after making love to Kel, all of that seemed so…dull. Right now all she really wanted was another night in bed with Mr. Baseball.
A quick rap sounded at the door and Darcy sat up, pulling the sheet around her naked body. Kel usually left the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the knob. She crawled out of bed, dragging the sheet with her, wondering if Kel had forgotten his key. But when she opened the door, she saw Amanda standing in the hall.
“Good, I found you. I figured you were probably here.”
“What’s wrong?” Darcy said.
“You need to get dressed. Your father’s downstairs and he’s looking for you.”
Darcy gasped. “What?” She glanced around the room, frantically searching for her clothes. “When did he get here?”
“About ten minutes ago. He went to your office and then to your suite and he tried to page you, but you haven’t been carrying your beeper lately. I managed to convince him to have a cup of coffee in the dining room and told him you were dealing with a little squirrel problem out on the golf course.”
“Squirrels?”
“I was improvising and it was all I could think of. I bought you some time to go back to your room and change.”
Darcy frantically gathered her clothes and began to tug them on. “Go back down to the dining room and tell him I’ll join him there in fifteen minutes.” She shoved her shoes on her feet and followed Amanda out the door.
“If you go down the service elevator to the lower level, you can cut past the gym to the east wing of the hotel without having to walk through the lobby,” Amanda suggested.
It took Darcy exactly three minutes to make the trip to her suite, another seven to dress and fix her hair and two more to make it to the lobby. She arrived with two minutes to spare.
Darcy strode into the dining room and glanced around at the breakfast crowd. But she stopped her search the moment her eyes came to rest on her father. “Oh, no,” she muttered. Sam Scott was having breakfast—with Kel Martin. She watched them for a long moment. Her father seemed comfortable, relaxed almost, if that was possible. He and Kel were laughing. Darcy couldn’t imagine what they both would find humorous.
She smoothed her skirt, then walked across the room. “Hello, Daddy,” she said, bending down to kiss his cheek. “Hello, Mr. Martin.”
Kel tapped his finger on his cheek, a silent invitation for her to kiss him as well but Darcy sent him a murderous glare. The last thing she needed was Kel making friends with her father. “I’m sorry I’m late, Daddy, but I got caught up with a problem out on the golf course.”
Her father smiled at her, then indicated a chair across from him and right next to Kel. “That’s all right, Darcy. Mr. Martin was keeping me company, telling me how much he’s been enjoying his stay. He said you’ve been particularly attentive to his needs. That’s exactly what I like to hear. A hands-on manager is the key to a successful hotel. Every detail must be attended to, don’t you agree, Darcy?”
Darcy cleared her throat, trying to ignore the feel of Kel’s thigh as it brushed up against hers. “Of course, Daddy. I think you’ll find that our attention to guest service is always our number one priority. I have some figures on return visits that I know you’d like to see. Why don’t we go to my office—”
“Not now,” Sam said. “Kel has asked me to play a round of golf with him this morning. He’s got a tee time at nine.”
“But we’re going to be busy today. I have so many things to go over with you. We have some very important items to discuss.”
“That can wait,” Sam said.
“Yes, that can wait,” Kel said. “How often to I get to play golf with my best girl’s dad?”
“Your what?” Darcy said, her voice rising to a slightly hysterical pitch.
“Kel told me you two have been spending some time together,” Sam said. “I’m glad to hear it. It’s about time you started thinking about your future.”
“Kel and I are not dating and he is not my future,” Darcy insisted. “We barely know each other.” She sent Kel another look, then stomped on his foot beneath the table. What was he doing, dishing out silly stories to her father? “And about my future. I have some good news. I’m going to be buying a house.”
“So, Kel, how have you enjoyed your stay so far?” Sam asked, ignoring Darcy’s revelation.
“It’s been great,” Kel said. “As I said, Darcy has been very attentive. I have had one little problem though.”
“You have more than one,” Darcy muttered.
“Not a problem, a complaint,” he corrected.
“You should take your complaints to guest services,” Darcy said, pasting a smile on her face.
“I could call guest services, but I think you’re better prepared to help me,” Kel said. “You see, I’m having a problem with my shower.”
“Maintenance will take care of that. I’ll send them right up to your room.”
“Maybe you might know how to fix the problem.”
“Is it leaking?”
“Nope. That’s not it.”
“Hasn’t it been cleaned properly?”
“It’s quite clean. But every time I get in the shower I think, this is really huge. It’s just too roomy for one person.”
“You want me to get you a room with a smaller shower?”
“No, I don’t think that’s it. But I’m sure you’ll figure out what’s wrong and get it fixed.”
“Funny,” Sam said. “I never thought the showers were too big. Darcy, maybe you should look into that.”
Darcy felt heat rising in her cheeks. She reached beneath the table and pinched Kel’s thigh as hard
as she could.
“Ow!” Kel cried.
Sam frowned. “What is it?”
“Cramp,” Kel said. “I get them all the time when I don’t sleep well.”
“Is there something wrong with your bed?” Sam asked. “Darcy, maybe you ought to check on Kel’s bed, too.”
“There’s nothing wrong with his bed,” Darcy said. The words were out before she realized how they sounded. “Not that I know anything about his bed, personally. Just in general, all our beds are fine.” Darcy stood, her legs bumping up against the table as she rose.
Her father reached out to steady his water goblet, sending her an impatient glare. “Aren’t you going to order some breakfast?”
“I have a lot of work to do. I’ll catch up with you later, Daddy. After your round of golf.” She turned to Kel. “Could I talk to you for a moment? I just want to make sure I get your tee time right.”
Darcy strode out of the restaurant into the lobby and waited for Kel to join her. When he did, she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward her office. “Exactly what do you think you’re doing?”
“Having breakfast with your dad. He’s a great guy. Quite a character. And what a businessman. He gave me some good tips on investing.”
“That’s not what I meant. You told him we’re dating.”
“Well, we are. Kind of. We could be if we didn’t spend every waking moment in bed together.”
“We are not going to date,” Darcy said. “We had an agreement. This was only supposed to last a week. It’s just sex, not a relationship.”
His expression sobered. “Come on, Darcy, you know that’s not true. It’s not just about sex. Maybe it was in the beginning but not anymore.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship, Kel,” Darcy said. “Don’t you see? That’s why it’s so good between us, because we aren’t making plans for our future. We can just be who we are in the present.”
“And what would change if we started making plans?”
“Everything,” she said. “I want you to go back into the restaurant and tell my father you can’t golf with him this morning. And I want you to tell him we aren’t really dating and we’re just friends.”
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