Books were the key to Kat’s heart, and Tristan was going to find his way in. At any cost.
* * *
Kat lay across her bed, eyes half-closed as she tried to read her textbook. The same sentences kept blurring together over and over. Not a good sign. Exams were two weeks away and there was so much cramming to do. Except for classes, she’d spent the last seventy-two hours holed up in her room.
Lacy had stopped by twice, attempting to entice her out, but Kat couldn’t spare the time, not when a mountain of reading loomed on her desk. The books were stacked more than a foot high, teetering, mocking how she felt about her studying. Classes had proved to be quite a challenge, and although she liked that most days, around exams, she definitely didn’t.
Blinking, she turned a page, then gave in and rested her cheek against the cool, crisp paper of the book. Maybe just a little nap. It was only eight p.m. She could doze for half an hour and then study some more.
A sudden knock at her door made her jump. The world spun a little as she roused from that hazy place between sleep and wakefulness.
“Who is it?” Kat called and rubbed her eyes.
The knock sounded again.
Kat stumbled to the door and flung it open, expecting to see her friend.
“Lacy, what are you—” Her words died on her lips as she stared up into the blue-green eyes of Tristan Kingsley.
“Kat.” He said her nickname with such seductive decadence that she shivered.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted.
He held up a large paper bag and a box wrapped in baby blue paper with a black bow.
“Dinner and a little something for you. I didn’t want to take the chance of trusting the store to deliver this,” he said, indicating the box. The warmth in his smile was infectious.
Kat had made a promise to forget him, yet here he was, making her grin. Still…she had to study.
“Tristan, you can’t just—”
He ignored her. Using his body, Tristan gently shouldered open the door and walked past her. He eyed her desk, which was covered in an insane collection of papers and research books populated by occasional Post-it notes or pens. Then, with a shrug, he walked over to her kitchen area and set the bag of food and the gift down.
“Hey—” she said, trying to stop him from unpacking the bag.
He turned to look at her, his slow, raking gaze followed by a wicked smile that flushed her clear down to her toes. She wore jeans, a sweater, and fluffy warm socks. Not dressed to impress, but that didn’t stop him from staring with open appreciation. Suddenly aware of herself in a way she hadn’t been moments before, she crossed her arms and bit her bottom lip.
“Sit, I’ll prepare the food. You need to eat well in order to pass your exams, don’t you?” He moved to her cabinets and retrieved the silverware.
Stunned into silence, Kat plopped down on the edge of her bed and watched him.
Tristan removed his long black coat and dropped it over her desk chair.
How was it that he could own the room with such a simple action as flinging his coat over a chair?
He wore a black turtleneck and he pushed the sleeves up to his elbows, revealing toned, muscled forearms.
Kat’s mouth watered as she pictured herself kissing that light-golden skin. Damn, the man was beautiful. Why did he have to be so sexy? It made it that much harder to focus.
The dark charcoal slacks he wore were snug on his ass, showing off his hips, butt, and thighs. It was quite a sight to watch as he searched for plates. Her body responded with a little clench inside and a flare of heat.
“I take it you’ve been busy studying for exams and haven’t done much else today?” he asked as he put pasta on the dishes. The little black logo emblazoned on the bag was a familiar one. It was one of those fancy, white tablecloth-type restaurants with an expensive wine list. She’d strolled by that Italian place with Lacy more than once, inhaling the scents and wishing they had time to go inside.
The food was still hot enough that steam wafted up from the plate he gave her. Tantalizing aromas of basil mixed with garlic and rosemary teased her nose, and she smiled at the heavenly scent. Tristan pulled a bottle of wine from one of the bags and poured two glasses. He handed her one before seating himself at her desk.
“Tristan,” she finally got his name out. “What are you doing here?”
He looked up from his meal. The man possessed an air of entitlement, as though sharing dinner with her was something he had expected would happen. It was irritating but also part of what made him fascinating. He exuded a sense of elegant refinement, too, which, given what she knew about him being the future Earl of Pembroke, made perfect sense.
“I should think that was obvious after last night.”
“Why are you here?” She still couldn’t quite believe that he had come to her room with dinner. With any other guy it might have seemed normal, but this was Tristan Kingsley, a well-known womanizer and a member of the British peerage.
He set his plate down, and walked toward her, holding his glass of wine. He took a long sip, watching her as he did so, and said, “I’m interested in you.”
A flutter of nerves filled her chest at his words, but she fought to stay calm. He couldn’t know how much he affected her, not if she wanted to stay in control of the situation.
“You mean you’re here to try and seduce me.” She crossed her arms, silently daring him to deny it.
“Exactly. Starting with the seduction of your mouth by feeding you some excellent local cuisine. And you won’t turn me down.” He swirled his wineglass as though it were full of warm brandy and looked down at her. His patient stare felt like a challenge, and she felt her body surging with energy, with excitement, to meet it. She rose from the bed, needing to be as close to eye level with him as she could to even the playing field of this new and thrilling game.
“I won’t?” She arched one brow. He seriously thought she’d go along with whatever he suggested? It had to be because no one in his life had ever said no to him. Kat was tempted to be the first.
The corner of his mouth twitched in a ghost of a near-smile. “No. You won’t. Because you’re curious. You can’t get me out of your head. Did you dream about me last night?”
How did he know? Those vivid, Technicolor dreams had left her sweaty, aching, and wet. Waking up without him had made her practically scream with frustration.
Raising her chin, she shook her head. “No.” She didn’t usually lie, but there was no way she was going to admit the truth to him.
With a little chuckle, he took a step toward her and whispered in her ear. “You did . I can’t help but wonder if they were as good as my dreams about you.” He was close enough that she felt his body heat. Then he reached out, one hand resting on her hip, the touch light but strangely possessive. “I had you beneath me for hours. I kissed every inch of you, all those little valleys and hollows of your curves. Lost myself between your thighs and tasted you as you exploded on my tongue…”
Holy fucking hell…
Kat couldn’t breathe. He was talking about going down on her? Blood rushed to her face, and she knew with dreaded certainty she was showing him just how much his words were affecting her.
“I—I’m not interested.” Another lie.
His lips twitched. “You are. You’re blushing, by the way. I’m sure you know that. And your thighs are clenching together. Is that because you’re wishing I was between them right now?” His fingertips on her hip stroked slowly upward to her waist, but that simple touch seemed to travel all the way to her clit by the way it suddenly throbbed. Tristan could talk about one part of her body, and she could almost feel him touching her there…
“Stop! Just stop it!” she gasped, covering her burning cheeks. If he kept talking, she was going to…well she didn’t know, but something was going to happen, and she’d end up embarrassing herself.
“Very well, I’ll go easy on you. Just dinner tonight.” He winked, and she
could almost hear him say, “Seduction tomorrow.”
There was something eerie and erotic about the way he studied her and drank again, licking his lips.
Every instinct inside Kat shouted that she was being hunted. It was the only word to describe the feeling. Every sense, every muscle was ramped up. Her heart beat hard against her ribs. She sucked in a breath as her body responded with interest. Too much interest. Her thighs quivered, and she pressed them together as she felt a flood of heat deep within her core. The idea that he wanted her was exciting, even thrilling. He made her feel…like a real woman. Yet she was still afraid to rush headlong into whatever this thing was between them. He seemed so confident and at ease about this, but she was spiraling out of her comfort zone at a hundred miles an hour. He probably did this whole “Here’s dinner, let’s have sex” routine with tons of girls all the time, but she didn’t want to be just one of a string of women.
If it was casual sex, she’d regret it, and she didn’t want any regrets. Sex was supposed to be meaningful, at least it was to her, and intimacy wasn’t just physical—it should be emotional, too. Several of her friends from high school had told her about casual sex, but it hadn’t seemed wonderful, not in the way Kat knew sex should be. It was part of the reason why she’d waited. For the right man at the right time. Was Tristan the one?
All her life she’d felt like a little girl, abandoned by her mother and at odds with the world around her. But when Tristan looked at her as he was doing now, she seemed to feel differently. Like the woman she wanted to be, one who knew herself and her own desires. As infuriating as it was to know he thought he would easily seduce her, she did want him to try because she wanted to kiss him again. To feel that heady rush of physical pleasure and that deeper sensation of connection.
When he kissed her, her mind seemed to flood with images of butterflies, of stained glass, of adventures from the books she cherished. He seemed to make everything she cared about come to life inside her mind. Like a wonderful sort of magic. It was easy to lose herself in the sensation of his embrace and leap off the edge without thinking. But what if he didn’t feel the same way? The thought of being a notch on his bedpost made her feel a little anxious. But she’d pledged to herself she was busting out of her shell, and dinner with Tristan was certainly a risk she knew she should take.
“Fine. Dinner tonight,” she said slowly, but she knew there might be more of something…maybe more kissing. She knew because her body and mind were warning her, warning her that she’d not last long against any sensual seduction. She might like whatever he did too much.
“Finish your dinner, and then we’ll talk.” Tristan towered over her until Kat was squirming.
Had he even realized he was bossing her around? It pissed her off, but it was also kind of a turn-on, and that also pissed her off. She didn’t like men telling her what to do. But there was something about Tristan and the way he did it that made her annoyance melt and her body flush with heat. She could imagine other ways he could order her around. Like in bed…
“How are your classes?” he asked after she’d taken her first bite of the delicious pasta.
His desire to attempt to make small talk with her was almost funny. Was this his way of trying to date her? Did he think if he chatted her up, she’d be more open to whatever he clearly was thinking would come next? The heated looks Tristan was sending her way gave her the impression that he was picturing how she’d taste if he nibbled on her. She pictured him doing just that, and the dirty thoughts that followed made her heart skip.
How did he have this effect on her? It was as though whenever he came near her, he flipped some “sexy” switch inside her, and she wanted to kiss him…and do a whole lot more. With a swallow, she tried to breathe and not let her face heat up.
“You’re really going to try and do the whole small talk thing with me after declaring you’re going to seduce me?”
Tristan focused on his food as he took a bite, then looked up at her. “I like the sound of your voice. It’s soft, husky. Like a woman well-loved in bed. If I can get you to keep talking, it doesn’t matter what we talk about.”
He liked the sound of her voice? Kat involuntarily reached up and touched her throat. When she realized what she’d done, she dropped her hand and gripped her plate of food. No matter what he said, small talk was safe. She could do that.
“Okay…we can talk. You asked about my classes. They’ve been good. I’ve had a lot of reading to do for exams.”
“And what do you study? Have you selected a focus area?” He seemed genuinely interested, and she was actually glad to talk about it.
“History.” She took a sip of her wine and then another bite of the food. It tasted as good as she’d imagined.
“Ahh, and what makes you like history? What do you plan to do with such an expertise?” The muscles of his forearms rippled when he picked up his plate again, and Kat had to collect herself before she could answer.
“I…uh, I want to teach. I plan to get a PhD. When I was little, I had a teacher who let us reenact the signing of the Magna Carta. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked. The stories about people from hundreds and thousands of years ago,” she paused, realizing she was rambling, and ducked her head.
Tristan leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Please, don’t stop. Finish what you were saying.” There was an earnestness to his expression that compelled her to continue.
“Well, it’s hard to explain but reading about people long after they’re gone, it makes me feel less alone.” She shouldn’t have admitted that. It made her sound lonely, but it was the truth.
“That makes sense. I enjoy history for the same reasons.”
Needing to change the subject, she turned the focus onto him.
“What about you? You said you were pursuing a Master’s degree in business. I bet those classes are hard.”
Tristan chuckled, leaning back in her desk chair. “It’s been a challenge, but one I’ve enjoyed. Most people cringe when they think of finance and accounting or investment strategies. I enjoy all of that.” Passion filled his face and, for a moment, it was hard to breathe.
He was so damn sexy, almost too sexy . A hint of a devastatingly perfect dimple peeped out from his left cheek when he smiled. She’d never had a thing for dimples, but his made her knees go weak. Resting a hand over her stomach, she tried to quell the rising flutter of excitement.
“What’s the matter?”
“What’d you mean?” She licked her lips and glanced away.
“Your face is an enticing shade of pink.” He poured himself a second glass of wine, but when she reached for her own empty glass, he shook a finger at her. “Oh no, one is enough for you. I want your wits about you when I’m around.”
“What?” What man would ever refuse to let a girl drink more than one glass of wine? He was probably the first guy in the history of the world who didn’t want a woman intoxicated to increase his chances of getting laid.
“I want every decision you make with me to be completely clear-headed.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because I want you, Kat. And I want you to come to me without the influence of alcohol.”
Kat swallowed hard. Come to him? “You mean if I sleep with you.” She cleared her throat.
“When you sleep with me.”
She gaped. Words dissolved on her tongue.
“Why do you look so surprised?” There was an edge to his voice that made her shiver, but not in a bad way.
Damn him.
“I’m trying to figure out how your head doesn’t explode from the oversized ego you’re carrying around.”
“My massive ego? Trust me, it’s not my ego that’s oversized.” He chuckled. “How many men have you been with?”
“That’s none of your business,” she shot back.
It was too personal. There was no way she was telling him she was virgin. No way in hell.
“A couple?” he guessed, and the
n his eyes narrowed. “One man?”
Still, she didn’t answer. Her tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth.
“Are you a virgin?” He seemed to choke on the word.
Anger snapped inside her like a taut rubber band. “And if I am? Is that a bad thing?”
He needed to understand that she was cautious. Not some girl who slept with just any guy. Even if he was hot enough to melt her panties.
Shit! Get control, Kat .
“It’s not a bad thing.” Tristan stroked his jaw with one hand as he studied her. “It explains your reactions to me a bit more. Did you ever come close with someone?”
When she didn’t answer, he spoke again. “Don’t go quiet on me now, I like it when you aren’t afraid. Talk to me,” he pressed gently. “I promise not to tease you too much no matter what you say.” He seemed genuine enough that she believed him, in this, at least.
She couldn’t get the heat to fade from her face. “I had a boyfriend in high school, but we never did anything.”
“Ahh, there it is.” His lips sported a knowing smirk. Tristan relaxed, crossing his arms over his chest.
“What do you mean by that?” She climbed off her bed, stalked to the tiny counter, and clanged her plate as she set it down.
“Only that you don’t have enough experience to recognize what there is between us.”
He rose and joined her by the sink, setting his own plate on top of hers.
The heat of his body cocooned her when she turned around to face him. Right now, Kat hated how tall he was, how uneven she felt when trying to challenge him. The man could unbalance her with a smile, or a small but seductive brush of his hand anywhere on her body.
“There’s nothing wrong with not having a lot of sexual experience. It means I’ll have the pleasure of teaching you.” His voice dropped to a husky level that sent ripples of excitement through her. “Of being your first . And there’s so much I can introduce you to…toys…role play…” He made a soft, rumbling sound that was almost a growl.
“T—toys?” The word came out on a stutter, and she clamped her mouth shut.
Forbidden: Her British Stepbrother Page 7
