“Don’t think that because Ellie has a family and you’re currently jobless and homeless, you are useless too. You’re a great woman, a loyal friend, and a hard worker. You just need to find your place in the world again.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and his hand lingered, heating her skin as her heart sped up. “And yes, you can be a pain in the ass,” he continued, with that annoying smirk plastered on his face. She let out a huff, but his gaze became even more intense. “But you’re a smart, strong-willed, sexy pain in the ass.”
She gasped. “Did you just call me sexy?”
“And smart and strong-willed.” He nodded. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m sure I’m not the first man to call you sexy.”
Charli looked away. “Um… yes, you are actually.”
“Well, then they were all either too blind or too stupid.” His hand moved from the side of her face to the back of her neck, and tingles followed the trail.
Enough.
She put her mug on the counter, jumped off the barstool and, before she could change her mind, her mouth crashed—quite literally—on his. He recoiled, just for one second, as he lost his balance on the stool with the force of the kiss. But then he planted his feet firmly on the ground, placed both hands on the sides of her face, and responded to the kiss with a passion and pent-up heat that made her dizzy. She held on to his strong biceps, her hands fisting the fabric of his sweater, while his tongue thoroughly explored her mouth.
Her body temperature spiked. She hadn’t felt this much heat with any of the guys she’d dated—ever. And the way their mouths connected, as if they’d known each other all of their lives was… magic. It was cheesy and so out of character for her but, good grief, she could spend all night kissing him and never feel the need to come up for air.
He tilted her head back, just enough for him to deepen the kiss a bit more, and she responded with everything she had in her. She put all the loneliness, the disappointment, the frustration, and all the crazy attraction she’d been feeling over the last few days into the kiss. And he gave as much as he got.
She had no idea how much time they spent kissing, but when he pulled back, she nearly let out a groan of disappointment.
“Wow,” she said instead. “That was… that was…” She closed her eyes. Heart-melting? Toe-curling? Jaw-dropping? Dreamy? All the cheesiest adjectives came to mind, and she refrained from saying them out loud. “The most amazing first kiss ever.”
He chuckled. “Well… technically, that wasn’t our first kiss.”
“What?” Her eyes shot open. “Of course it was. We never…” No, it couldn’t be. It had been a dream.
“The night of the wedding, when you, uh… fell asleep on me? Right before that, you kissed me.” He grinned. “Literally threw yourself at me, and I had no other option but to kiss you back.”
“I did not.” She brought a hand to her mouth, as the images from what she’d thought had been a dream slowly came back. “Did I?”
“You did. And if I recall, you also said I smelled delicious and that I had some incredible muscles.”
Judging from the way her face burned, her skin must be twenty shades of red right now. “Oh my God. I thought it had been a weird sexy dream…”
He chuckled. “A sexy dream?”
She swatted his arm. “Don’t make fun of me. The alcohol made me do it.”
“Yeah, right. That’s what they all say.”
The smug smile he gave her should have put her off, it should have killed the buzz. It should have annoyed her the way it always did. Instead, it was like pouring alcohol on an open fire. It only fueled her need for him. She didn’t know what came over her and didn’t want to try and understand. She only wanted his lips on hers. Her arms went around his neck and he met her midway, without questioning her sudden reaction. Did he want to kiss her just as badly?
The concept of space and time no longer mattered. There were only his lips teasing hers, his fingers threaded in her hair, his strong, hard body keeping her upright because her legs were the consistency of Jell-O right now.
Things escalated until they couldn’t seem to be able to get enough of each other. His hands moved from her hair down to her shoulders and pulled her completely flush to him. She lost control and hooked her arms around his neck. When his hands moved down to her bottom, she hooked a leg around his calf and he lifted her, placing her on the wooden counter. She wrapped both legs around his waist while he focused all his attention on her mouth. She was running out of air, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull back. A kiss had never felt so good.
She wanted him, no matter the consequences. After her poor relationships in the past, just the fact that he’d been able to cause such an upheaval inside of her and that he thought she was sexy had brought out a wild side she’d never known she possessed. She never took sex lightly but right now she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone. She needed him. She needed someone to prove she wasn’t useless.
“Charli.” The word came out like a plea, a breathless plea that brought the heat up another notch. She expected the room to start burning at any minute. “I wasn’t planning this when I invited you in for a hot chocolate, I swear.”
“Neither was I.” She took his face in her hands and stared into his dark eyes. “But just shut up and kiss me, Bob.”
He didn’t need any arm twisting from her. A second later his lips were on hers again and she forgot everything else. It didn’t matter that she’d lost everything she’d worked so hard for in San Francisco. It didn’t matter that she didn’t seem to be able to restart her life and her career. It didn’t even matter that her best friend would quite possibly get on with her new life and forget about her. All that mattered right now was the strong body she was wrapped around and the strong hands tangled in her hair.
Everything else would have to wait until the morning.
Chapter 13
Kean wasn’t lying when he told Charli he hadn’t planned for this to happen. But when she’d shown up on his porch, all sexy and vulnerable, she’d lit a fuse in his chest that burned slowly until it exploded into fireworks when they kissed.
He couldn’t get enough of her. Although he hadn’t stopped thinking about her from that very first kiss at Adam and Ellie’s wedding, he’d sort of come to terms with the fact that there wouldn’t be a replay of that night. Come on, even a blind person could see that, for some reason he didn’t understand, she couldn’t stand him. But with her soft body flush with his, her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms hooked around his neck, it was hard for him to remember she was the woman who’d threatened to shoot him the first time they met. When she squirmed on the counter, he groaned against her mouth.
“Kean,” she said on a sigh against his lips. His name coming out of her lips sounded foreign. He wasn’t sure she’d ever called him anything other than Bob. It was hot. “Can we move it to your bedroom?”
He was panting as he pulled back to stare at her. Her skin was flushed, her lips swollen, and her hazel eyes were brimming with heat and want.
“Please.” She tightened her legs around him. “The counter isn’t very comfortable…”
He’d always considered himself a gentleman. He’d never take advantage of a vulnerable woman. But if she was all but begging, it wouldn’t mean he was taking advantage of her, right?
“Are you sure?” he asked out of politeness, even though he was hoping she wouldn’t say no, and if she did, he’d bang his head against the cabinet. She squeezed her legs more tightly around him and pulled herself closer.
“Now’s not really the time to play gentleman, Bob.” Her hands fisted the front of his sweater and pulled him toward her. “Unless you’re thinking I’m being way out of line here or you’re feeling like I’m taking advantage of you.” She looked at him from underneath those long, dark lashes, and his resolve faltered. He didn’t do one-night stands. And this looked very much like one. She felt lonely and miserable, and she was only looking for someo
ne who’d take the pain away.
“I didn’t think I would ever say this, but your kisses are quite addictive.” Her tone was a seductive purr that made his mind slightly hazy. “And I want more…”
She gave a tug and her lips were on his again, giving him the final push he needed.
His body craved hers. He could talk himself out of it, but he no longer wanted to. His hands went under her bottom and he lifted her up. He walked toward his bedroom all the while kissing her, and squinting one eye open every two steps to make sure he didn’t trip and waste the opportunity to finally discover how soft her curves were—those curves that had all but haunted his sleep lately.
He’d never taken a woman into his bedroom before. He liked hanging out in Gold Beach or the nearby towns whenever he wanted to meet new people, and sometimes Scott went with him. So whenever he’d decided to take the next step, not that it had happened that often because, hey, he had principles, he’d gone home with the woman. Charli had been the first woman to ever sleep in his bed, and now she’d be the first one to be in his bed with him, although they wouldn’t be sleeping at all. And if someone had told him a month ago that he’d end up rolling in the sheets with her, he would have laughed so hard he’d get cramps.
“I think you can put me down now,” she said when he reached his bedroom. She unwrapped her legs but kept her arms hooked around his neck as she slid down his body. He couldn’t hold back a groan. She smiled and gave him a sultry look that all but set the room on fire.
“I didn’t take you for such a naughty girl.” His hands moved from her hips to her face, and she closed her eyes when his thumbs stroked her cheeks.
“I’m not. Usually. I haven’t been before you.”
He rolled his eyes. “So now it’s my fault. Typical.”
She chuckled, tightening her grip around him. “So, do you want to spend the night bickering or do you want to do something a bit more… interesting, Bob?”
He pretended to ponder his decision as if he were to decide the fate of the world. She narrowed her eyes. He’d come to enjoy teasing her just for the sake of it but right now, winding her up was turning out to be quite arousing too. He was sick. There could be no other explanation for his thoughts and behavior tonight. Or, actually, there was another reason and she was standing in front of him, tapping the toe of her sexy shoe as she waited for him to make his move.
“Maybe I’ll pass.” He tried to keep a serious tone even though he was laughing inside. Her eyes widened and her sexy mouth opened on a gasp. She took a step back as if he’d just slapped her—or at least she tried to, because when she moved away from him, the backs of her knees hit the side of the bed and she lost her balance. Her arms flapped like a bird taking flight and she let out a squeal as she fell onto the mattress.
“Well, if you put it like that…” he said with a lift of his shoulder, “How could I possibly refuse?”
She kicked her feet to keep him away from her, but he caught both her ankles and pulled her closer to him. “Unless you’ve changed your mind, of course.”
The heat flaring in her eyes told him she hadn’t, but he wanted to be sure she wouldn’t regret it in the morning. If she wanted an out, this was her one last chance. He didn’t know how he’d managed to keep it together this long, but with her sexy body sprawled on his bed, he wasn’t going to hold back his instincts much longer.
“Aw, shut up and kiss me already, Bob.”
He grinned as his knees hit the mattress, and she squirmed, trying to free her ankles.
“I have one request, if we’re really going ahead with this,” he said, staring straight into her eyes as he leaned closer to her face while he wrapped her legs around his waist. She studied him, then her eyes widened all of a sudden, as if she’d realized something important. He froze. She hadn’t changed her mind now, had she?
“Oh, no. Please don’t tell me you’re into the kinky stuff, because I might be vulnerable and lonely, but I’m not that desperate.” She placed her palms flat on his chest and pushed him away. “I’ve got principles, and those things are way outta my comfort zone. Sorry, but no. Just no.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. But don’t worry, I’m not into the kinky stuff, either.”
“Phew, thank goodness.” She wiped the back of her hand across her brow, and he couldn’t help laughing at her antics. “Then what?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Can you keep these very sexy shoes on?”
She smiled and grabbed his sweater, pulling him down toward her. “I think I can do that.”
And with a breathtaking kiss she told him talking time was over.
* * *
Charli woke up wrapped around a warm, strong body. A naked body. Her eyes flew open and immediately settled on the handsome specimen sprawled on the king-sized bed, tangled in the navy blue sheets and her own body. So it hadn’t been a sexy and very realistic dream. It had really happened.
Wow.
The warmth provided by the memories quickly gave way to a full-on panic attack that hit her straight on, starting with a giant rock crushing her sternum, followed by the windpipes in her throat clogging up like too much food stuck in the garbage disposal.
What have I done?
Sure, it had been the most amazing night of her life, even before they’d ended up tumbling on his mattress, and she could now understand why some people used adjectives like mind-blowing, toe-curling and heart-stopping when referring to sex, but…
He was Ellie’s brother-in-law.
He loved his small-town life and probably wanted a stay-at-home wife and a bunch of kids. She was all wrong for him, and he was all wrong for her too. He thought she was a pain in his backside most of the time, and he was too laid back for her liking. She wanted a self-assured, career-oriented man, someone who knew what he wanted. He didn’t look as if he was too worried about his less-than-stellar business.
But the way he looked when he played the guitar, the way his calloused fingers plucked the strings—those same fingers that had set her body on fire last night—the deep timbre of his voice when he was singing that slow rock song… She hadn’t been able to resist him. No sane, hot-blooded woman would have been able to.
She should really get out of bed and go back to Ellie’s cottage before he woke up and things got awkward—which would ruin the amazing memories she planned on clinging on to.
A low groan rumbled through Kean’s chest, and reverberated through her whole body, setting it on fire.
“Hey, there. I thought I’d wake up to an empty bed,” he said, his voice low and still thick with sleep. So sexy it made her body tingle as if she’d just been tasered. With his eyes still closed, his arm snaked around her and pulled her closer to him. “Glad I was wrong.”
He nuzzled her neck and bit her lobe. It took her a moment to realize the moan that echoed in the room was coming from her. Okay, maybe she could stay just a few minutes longer.
She snuggled into him, and his hand settled on the small of her back, his fingers splaying on her butt. Tingles shot up her spine, and she shivered.
“I really should get going,” she said, even though she was sure her tone hadn’t exactly given the impression she wanted to get out of bed, and away from that warm, strong body. “I don’t want Ellie to find out I didn’t spend the night at her cottage and start asking questions.”
“What’s the hurry?” His fingers pinched her butt and she flinched. He chuckled. “Stay a while longer. We can take a shower, have breakfast together in bed…” His lips grazed the spot below her ear, making her eyes roll back and all thoughts desert her brain. When his mouth moved to her shoulder and the tip of his tongue flicked out, she shook herself from the daze.
“What we did last night can’t—” She gasped when he softly bit her skin. He chuckled against her neck. “It can’t happen again.” She pushed him away, and pulled the comforter up to her chin. He tugged on his end, making her efforts useless, and smiled wick
edly. She shook her head. “This shouldn’t have happened in the first place. I never sleep with a guy I barely know—”
“Neither do I.” His lips trailed kisses all along the side of her neck, and she lost the ability to think. Again. “With a woman, of course. But technically we aren’t strangers, after all. We’re almost family, now.”
“Eww, gross!” She slapped his chest, and he laughed. “Seriously, though. This was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
“I’d say it was a three-times-in-a-lifetime thing, if we wanted to be precise.”
Charli couldn’t stop the grin that formed on her face, even as she rolled her eyes. Although the fact he wasn’t taking her seriously drove her insane, she enjoyed his funny side. He was a man of many facets and, after last night, she’d discovered he was a man of many talents, too. And not just for the way he played his guitar.
He pulled her close to his chest again, and she couldn’t resist. “I should never have given in to my instincts… but when I heard you play and sing that song, I… uh… I lost it. I have a thing for guitarists.” She closed her eyes as his hand moved up and down, his rough finger tracing her spine, vertebra by vertebra. She was pretty sure this was what the definition of bliss would be, if she looked it up on Wikipedia.
“I can pick up my guitar and sing you a song, if that would change your mind about staying…” His breath was warm in her ear, his voice low and rough and, oh so sexy, she squirmed in his arms. He chuckled softly at her reaction. “Or we could fix the ‘being strangers’ issue.”
His hand moved to her arm, and rubbed up and down in a soothing way that calmed her frantic heartbeat and smoothed her frazzled nerves. He pulled her to him so that she had no other choice but to rest her head on his wide, muscular chest. She shivered as memories of tracing her fingers along those ridges and planes, and the groans of pleasure he’d let out, raced through her mind. He’d laughed when her fingers had lingered to play with the dark chest hair, something she’d always found gross in men but that she thought was sexy on him. He’d said she was tickling him, and she’d kept doing it just to wind him up, until he’d captured her hands, flipped her flat on her back and pinned her in place with a kiss that had all but made her forget her name. More shivers shook her body. He reached for the duvet and pulled it up to cover their bodies, probably thinking she was shivering because of the cold. She wasn’t going to contradict him, though. She’d sound like a hypocrite if she told him she’d gladly have a repeat of last night, considering she’d just insisted this had been a mistake.
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