by Jeannie Moon
His sultry good looks and easy smile made the normally unflappable Leah weak at the knees. When he touched her, whispered in her ear, laughed with her, she was lost in the moment, and Leah didn’t have time for lost moments.
That they’d had sex was another problem altogether. Not that the three orgasms he’d given her were a problem, but she didn’t want a relationship.
And the way he made her feel screamed relationship.
“Leah?” There was that voice again, his marvelous baritone enhanced by his cultured British accent. Sweet Jesus. And he was right behind her now, his warm breath caressing her neck. “Leaving, are you?”
“Uh, yes. I should go.” She still hadn’t turned around. When she did, her gaze would be captured by his deep chocolate brown eyes and that would pretty much put her right back under his spell. And probably back in his bed.
The bastard.
“I guess you need this, then?” Suddenly, her thong appeared in front of her face, held securely by Tristan’s fingers.
Perfect. Turning her face to his, the slow meltdown commenced as soon as they locked eyes. God, he was beautiful. His bone structure was defined, graceful . . . the word regal came to mind every time she took in his face.
Gah. This was out of control. Time for her to go.
“I’ll take that,” she said, snatching the lingerie from his fingers. In a move Leah never would have called attractive, she pulled her panties on and adjusted them under her dress. Certain she looked ridiculous, tugging and wiggling so the thong was in the right position, Leah avoided making eye contact with Tristan again. It was bad enough he affected her so completely on the physical level, he got to her in other ways too.
He made her laugh. He made her think, challenged her, and at the same time kept her from getting lost in her own head.
Tristan made her forget about the bullshit at work, and the changes taking place with her family. With him, Leah could let all the problems go. He’d become a good friend and she wanted to keep it that way.
He didn’t take it easy on her either, didn’t let her take herself too seriously. Chances were he was laughing behind her back as she fought with her thong. Just the thought of it made Leah smile.
But the smile turned to a sigh, as she felt Tristan’s lips touch the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. Heat curled through her, centering low in her belly. “Mmmm.”
The sound came out of her without consciousness or reason. It was betrayal, that’s what it was. Her need took over and self-control went right out the window.
“You smell so good, Leah. Like a garden after the rain. Come back to bed.”
He was so tempting. Too tempting. “I have to go.” It was all she could do to get the words out.
Grabbing her hand as she stood, Tris pulled her back into the bed. “Why? It’s six o’clock on a Sunday morning. No work to run off to. There’s no reason for you to be sneaking out.”
He threaded his fingers with hers and leveraged himself up, hovering over her. His chin was covered with a villainous scruff and his eyes were dark and playful. But it was the smile—his playful, mischievous grin got her every time.
“Are you going to tell me why you were ready to bolt?”
He wasn’t letting it go.
“I have to go to mass.”
“Mass? Suddenly devout, are we?”
Leah looked away because she’d so been caught. Much to her mother’s chagrin, aside from Christmas, Easter and a wedding here and there, Leah hadn’t set foot in a church in years.
Tris saw right through her. But hell, she was a lawyer, she could make this case. “Contrary to what you think, I’m not a heathen.”
“I never said you were a heathen. But I think after last night, you might need to do a little more than pray to absolve you. It’s possible one or two of those things might send us straight to hell.”
She laughed in spite of herself. He could be right about that. “I really should go. I didn’t plan on staying over.”
“I know,” he replied, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead. “I don’t think you planned on any of this.”
“No, I—” Stammering was not her thing, but how did she answer him? She was wickedly attracted to the man, which was the main reason she’d kept her distance. Leah wasn’t sentimental, but she was smart. She never made the same mistake twice. “I’d hoped to keep things friendly between us. Sex complicates things.”
Still holding her hands gently, she felt the heat from his naked body seep through her clothes. “It can,” he said as he nipped her chin. “But we’re adults. We can remain friends and keep the complications to a minimum.”
In theory, he was right. They were both professionals. Tristan was the new CFO of the tech company her brother and his two best friends took to the stratosphere, and she was a senior associate at one of the biggest law firms in New York City. They were smart, levelheaded. Focused. “So what are you saying? Friends with benefits?”
He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Why not?”
Why not? It was a good question and while Leah was never one to sleep around, she’d gone too long without a physical relationship. Tris was the first man she’d been with in three years. And it was nice. She liked being with him. They got along well and the sex was great.
Really great. Like mind-blowing-fall-into-a-sex-coma great.
There was no reason they shouldn’t enjoy each other’s company. They were two hard-driving, career-minded professionals. The arrangement was perfect if she thought about it.
“Well, beautiful?” His voice was like a breeze on a hot summer night. Deep, rich and full of dirty promises. “What do you say?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
Jeannie Moon is the author of The Second Chance Hero, The Wedding Secret, Unexpectedly Yours, and The Temporary Wife. She is a school librarian who loves that she has a job which allows her to immerse herself in good books and call it work. A native Long Islander, Jeannie still lives there with her family and three well-behaved dogs who keep her company while she writes.
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