Harlequin E Contemporary Romance Box Set Volume 2: Maid to CraveAll I HaveThe Last First DateLight My Fire
Page 10
As tired as she was, she lay awake until sometime after one in the morning. It was humid outside, which made it even harder to fall asleep since her body was still on fire from Seth’s touch and the look in his eyes as he’d danced against her. He probably did those things to hundreds of women, many of whom he probably slept with after the fact, but she refused to be one of many where he was concerned.
She could smell his cologne even now.…
“Tori…” his voice whispered. The dreams about him were becoming more real with each passing night. “Tori, I need you to wake up. I need to know that you don’t hate me for tonight.”
She jerked upright and pulled her blankets up around her shoulders. He was standing in the doorway of her room…with his clothes on.
“How did you get in here?” she whispered back.
“You gave me a key. You said I could use it whenever I needed,” he whispered and then leaned his head against the doorframe. “I guess that was before tonight. I’ve spent the past two weeks over here, every day but Sundays. This place feels so…you. I’m sorry. I should have called or waited until the morning, but I couldn’t sleep and…Is this it then, Tori? Am I fired?”
“I, um, I’m not decent,” she said quietly. “Give me a minute to get dressed and we can talk. I can hardly sleep either.”
“We do some of our best talking when one of us is half-dressed and no words are spoken.” He laughed lightly. Then instead of leaving, he stepped into her room and closed the door behind him. Walking over to her bed, he turned on the small lamp on the nightstand.
His eyes raked across her bare shoulders briefly before meeting her gaze. “Scoot over.”
She could feel her heartbeat lodge in her throat and she waited for it to come out of her mouth, but managed to scoot over just the same. He propped a couple of pillows against her headboard after kicking his shoes off. Then he lay back against the pillows, so that he was mostly lying down with his head slightly elevated. She remained sitting forward, afraid to move. She was mostly naked except for her panties.
“I should have told you about the dancing, especially after you told me about wanting things to be perfect for Kara. I guess I ruined the whole perfect thing for you, didn’t I?”
Talking was impossible with him stretched out on her bed, even in jeans and a T-shirt, when a little less than three hours ago he’d been basically having sex with her while she was fully clothed and him in his underwear. Now she was the one in her underwear with him fully dressed. Glancing over her shoulder at him, his eyes said that he was finally ready to share something about himself. How could she call herself a friend if she turned him away when he needed to talk?
“No. You didn’t ruin anything. My mother ruined that for me years ago. I am the product of one of my father’s many affairs…a bastard if you will. Kara is his legitimate daughter, which she points out to me every chance she gets. My mother dumped me and ran when my father refused to leave Kara’s mom to marry her. Long story short, I’m the black sheep,” she explained.
Then the answer to Seth’s issues came to her as clear as crystal. For once, being the black sheep would work to her benefit. The gold at the end of the phony rainbow of a relationship that she had with her father, if she could even call it a relationship, would finally serve a purpose. It was simple really and a better way of thumbing her nose at her father’s prestige and money than anything she had ever daydreamed about. Looking at Seth now, she knew he would never allow her to do something like that for him, but once it was complete, he wouldn’t be able to change it.
“My parents are divorced. Caleb and I don’t get along with our dad very well and we haven’t even spoken to him since I was in high school. He has a new family now and they live out in Colorado. My mom lives in Arizona. I only ended up here because of Rusty,” he said.
Then she felt it—the backs of his fingers skimming along her lower back. He appeared lost in thought and completely unaware that his touch was making every hair on her body stand up. Swallowing the attraction she felt for him, which felt as if it was choking her, she said, “Go on.”
“My mom basically raised Caleb and I all by herself, so when I first graduated high school I went into the Army because it was one less mouth for her to feed. After my first tour, I came home content, but the only work I could find was dancing. I did that for about a year and a half, but when Caleb was a senior in high school and started talking college, I knew mom would need help with that so I re-enlisted. That’s when I met Rusty, Ian and Ronnie. We’ve been together ever since.” He smiled at her as his fingers continued to caress her back.
Reaching behind her, she adjusted the pillows on her side so that she could lean back as well and stop the torment of his fingers. The man had every inch of her skin on full alert. She made sure the covers stayed tucked around her undeveloped breasts. When she relaxed back in the same position as him, she made the mistake of turning her head in his direction. Their faces were mere inches apart and he was wearing that grin.… Soon enough she was grinning, too. She couldn’t stay mad at him for long.
“I managed to pay off most of Caleb’s college and still put a little money back, and was thinking about trying to get a house and split the payments with Ian and Ronnie since Rusty has his own house. Then Kayla came along, which just left Ian and I. So with Caleb graduated from college and struggling to find work, I invited him out here to stay with us,” he said. “That was not one of my better suggestions. He was coming out here so I could teach him about dancing. I should have known he wasn’t cut out to be a dancer, but fate stepped in and made sure that didn’t happen after all.”
His expression displayed his guilt and before she could stop herself, she reached over and ran a finger across one of his eyebrows and down his cheek. “His accident was not your fault, Seth,” she whispered.
When she pulled her hand back, he leaned forward and kissed her bare shoulder. His warm breath against her hyper-sensitive skin made her nipples pebble. For once she was thankful for fitting an A cup comfortably. The hardened tips weren’t as obvious.
“You are so different from any woman I’ve ever met,” he whispered.
“How so?” she asked.
“Most women want me for the way I look or the way I give them pleasure. For sex, or some form of it. For the first time in…maybe ever, a woman I want doesn’t want me for anything other than as a friend. Which is probably why I’m sharing my entire life story with you right now,” he said with a laugh. “I shouldn’t have done that with you tonight. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you or messed up your visit with Kara.”
She watched a play of emotions run across his handsome face. If not for what he’d just said, she would have kissed him. He had finally accepted his status as just her friend so to kiss him, no matter how much she wanted him at the moment, would mess up what they were doing…being friends. Right now that meant more to her than the shivers racing across her skin.
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll forgive you if you can find a way to chase Kara back to her palace in California.” She finally giggled and rolled onto her side facing him.
“Well, it won’t involve any bump and grind, that I can promise. She’s a man-eater and she scares me a little bit.” He laughed. Then he leaned up, slid his arm under the pillow she was laying on and pulled her over so her head was laying on his chest. Wow. He smelled fantastic.
It felt so good to lie against him. He was warm and big enough that she tucked into his side just perfectly. As they lay there enjoying the silence, she felt his whole body relax. Looking up, she noticed he slept. As if he wasn’t sexy enough awake, watching him sleep actually fully aroused her. She drank in the sight of him as he lay there handsome as sin with one arm above his head and the other one wrapped around her shoulders. She gently reached across him and turned off the light. He’d come over in the middle of the night…just to make sure she didn’t hate him.
Now that he’d made up with her, he slept like a baby. She smiled and s
nuggled back down into his arms. She was enjoying having a male friend, especially since it was Seth.
***
“Mommy, me and Seth are going to the gym and then to the store. Love ya, bye,” Zach yelled. The slamming of her bedroom door had her sitting upright and then clutching the blanket to her as she looked at where Seth had been sleeping. His side was empty. She got out of the bed and headed into her bathroom just as she heard Seth’s car start. She walked back over to her window, moved the blinds around that Seth had hung up and watched as he backed out of the driveway and headed down the street with Zach in the backseat.
She made her way back to the bathroom, still wrapped in the sheet, and was just about to close the door when Kara came barging into her room without knocking.
“Is he living here, Tori?” she asked indignantly. Then after realizing what she had just said, she took a deep breath. “You know I would never judge you, but if Daddy finds out you are living with a man, he’ll cut you off completely.”
As much as she wanted to tell Kara that she couldn’t care less if Daddy stopped funneling money into her trust fund, since she had never touched it, she remained silent. For once, the man who had treated her like a second-class citizen her whole life, when he’d been the one responsible for her creation in the first place, would actually do something to help someone. He just didn’t know it and he didn’t need to know it…yet. And neither did Kara.
At Tori’s continued silence, Kara straightened. “As much as I was looking forward to a nice visit, something has come up at home and I have to get back. I don’t suppose you could book me a flight? You know I’m technologically challenged.” Right. Kara needed to get back to tell on Tori to their father as if they were both still children.
“Let me grab a shower and I’ll come down and help you book a flight and then we’ll spend time together right up until you have to leave.” Tori smiled.
Kara pasted on a smile in return, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. Tori prayed that fate would ensure one available seat on at least one flight out of Dayton. By the time Seth and Zach made it back, Tori had seen Kara safely encased in a taxicab heading toward the airport. If Tori had known all it took to ensure Kara’s visits lasted less than a weekend was to sleep with a stripper, she would have done it years ago. Apparently sex with the stripper was optional, but not a requirement for offending Kara.
Seth and Zach spent the afternoon cleaning the pool outside while she set to work on her plans for spending her daddy’s money. She started with contacting her old boss and felt like a teenager sneaking around to call a boyfriend as she watched Zach and Seth through the window to ensure neither came inside and overheard her conversation. After that, she moved on to calling in a favor to the CFO for the health network who owed her for coming to his home to retrieve vacation pictures he thought he’d lost off his wife’s computer.
By the time Seth had to leave for work, which she tried in vain not to think about, she had successfully set the ball rolling. She hoped that within a week she could eliminate some of the worry for the beautiful man standing in front of her, who had become one of her best friends in less than a month.
Her good deed would also get rid of the ball and chain around her own neck that came in the form of a balance statement once a month. As many times as she’d tried to tell her father she didn’t want his money—didn’t need his money—this might very well make her point and help Seth all at the same time. Her father couldn’t buy her silence or forgiveness, but he could pay for Caleb’s medical bills.
“Remember, three books tonight, boy,” Seth yelled at Zach who was heading up the stairs to his room. Then turning back to face her, he said, “I realize you managed to get rid of Kara on your own so you may not have forgiven me yet, but I have a favor anyway. Can you take Zach over to play some video games with Caleb for a while tonight? Ronnie’s out of town at another competition with Addie’s cheer squad, Ian has a fight and Rusty is doing something on the base. I’ll be at a club in Richmond tonight so I shouldn’t be too late.”
“What do I get out of this deal? Zach gets to hang out with Caleb playing games while I sit around being bored. Hardly seems fair.” She laughed.
Stepping up to stand so close to her that she could feel the entire length of him against her, he said, “You may not want to have sex with me, but maybe I could interest you in a different kind of pleasure. I’ve been told I give a mean foot rub. It’s a talent I learned from Ian of all people. Interested?”
He thought she didn’t want him. What gave him that idea? Was that why he had finally backed off with the flirting and the sexual advances?
“No, Seth. Not like this… I don’t want this.”
Her words…had he taken her to mean that she didn’t want to have sex with him…ever?
A small part of her was disappointed that any chance she had of experiencing what would probably be the most amazing sex of her life—with Seth—was gone. She reminded herself that she was dating Tim, and she stood the best chance of having a lasting relationship with Tim. At least Seth hadn’t been mad about being turned down. In fact, he almost seemed relieved. Maybe he wasn’t really attracted to her after all. Maybe in all reality she was too flat chested for him.
“Okay, how about a back rub instead?” he offered when she didn’t respond.
“We’ll play it by ear. How about that?” she nearly whispered.
“Okay.” He smiled and then leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth.
Chapter Eight
Tori finding out about his second job had been the best thing that could have happened between them. It somehow drew them closer, got rid of unnecessary stress and awkwardness. Aside from hating the fact that he now had to hide his attraction to her, their friendship was fantastic. Who knew chicks could be so much fun? He just needed to be a little more careful about touching her.
Spending the night with her last weekend had been a big mistake. Not because they had sex, but because they didn’t. Now the memory of waking up with her draped across his body was burnt into his brain. The image woke him in the middle of the night with an erection.
If the image of her naked back and tight little ass wasn’t bad enough, the next day, for good measure, he had given her what was supposed to have been an innocent kiss—a kiss of friendship and a way to say goodbye to what would never be between them. Instead, the feel of her soft lips against his had only kicked his libido into overdrive so that all he could think about was kissing her again…amongst other things. He had never wanted a woman with this intensity in his whole life and it was getting harder and harder to ignore his body’s reaction to her.
Pulling into the driveway of Ronnie and Kayla’s house, he crossed his fingers that Sergeant Buck would be the extra bit of help Zach needed to pass his reading test this morning. Addie met him at the door and held it open for him.
“Would you like some coffee?” Kayla asked with a smile when Seth stepped inside. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for getting Kara out of Tori’s hair so quickly. Well done, well done!”
“Sure, if you have enough,” he replied with a grin.
He followed Kayla into the kitchen to find Ronnie holding out a steaming cup of coffee. Marriage was doing the man good. He looked happy…content. Taking the cup from Ronnie and sitting down at the table, Seth looked toward Kayla. “So Tori told you what happened last weekend?”
“Yes, we’ve talked a little about it. I could have told you that your job wouldn’t have made a difference with her. She normally isn’t very judgmental, but the fact that it scared off her sister is just great. I love it. The way that woman speaks to Tori…” Kayla shook her head in disgust. “Well, I’ve got to get going. I have a meeting this morning. It was good to see you, Seth.”
After Kayla and Addie left for work and school, Seth finished his coffee and was about to head out early for Zach’s school when Ronnie stopped him by saying, “You really like her…Tori, I mean.”
“That’s good to hear, but good friends don’t cause celibacy…or do they?” Ronnie asked with a smug smile.
“I’m not sleeping with her if that’s what you’re asking. She has placed me in the ‘just friends’ category,” Seth replied with a frown.
Ronnie laughed a little and then laughed some more. All of Rusty’s warnings about some woman giving Seth a taste of his own medicine had come true. As much as his friends were enjoying it, he hated it. If it were any other woman than Tori Stewart, it probably would be funny.
Ronnie laughed a little more and then a serious expression replaced the humor. “You’ve got it bad. No action in more than a month for you is like a record. Did she really say she only wanted to be friends?”
“Not exactly but…I tried to, uh…and she…” He remembered that night at the club when he’d figured out that Tori was not only short, she was also lightweight, which had filled his head with images of the different things he could do with and to her.…
“She turned you down for sex? Did she say why?” Ronnie asked, obviously trying to contain his laughter.
“It wasn’t like that. At the club I…I danced for her and she wanted no part of it, or me,” he managed to admit.
“Did it ever cross your mind that perhaps the issue is with her, not you?” Ronnie asked. “I know when I first tried to hook up with Kayla, she didn’t think I was serious because she has this idea that she’s too heavy. I was blown away by it, but I figured out that women are hard on themselves so sometimes the hang ups are more about them than us.”
“I’m sure my stupid comments at your wedding didn’t help whatever issues she does have.” He sighed.
“Well, you may have lost the first half, but the game isn’t over yet. Put your game face on, man. I mean, hell, aren’t you supposed to be a professional seducer of women?” Ronnie laughed.