Tempt Me

by Cali Caliente

  Five samples into the tasting, her equilibrium was affected and she realized she wouldn’t be able to drive. She was a little worried about walking—period. She signaled the young woman behind the bar and asked where the restrooms were. Squinting her eyes to focus and using the walls as a guide, she found the ladies room appropriately marked with a Monarch Butterfly. She walked in and a man stood with his back to the door, peeing into a urinal.

  “Oh gosh, I’m sorry!” She turned and stumbled back out the door, right into a pair of masculine arms. She looked up into dark brown eyes with a twinkle of familiarity. “Bryce?”

  He chuckled. “No. You always get me wrong.”

  “You look so much like a guy I know. Well, I used to know. Never mind, I don’t know him anymore.” She was feeling awfully giggly and silly. And she had to go pee, or she was going to lose it all right here on the barroom floor.

  “Were you looking for the women’s bathroom by chance?”

  “Yes!” How did he know?

  He guided her toward another butterfly marked door. It was confusing, all these silly butterflies. She went in and looked at her face in the mirror. Flushed cheeks, droopy eyes, and a big old smile. Yep, she was drunk. She did her business and washed her hands. No biggie, she’d just call a taxi to take her to the hotel. Her car would be fine in the parking lot overnight.

  She found her way back to the bar but forgot where she’d left her purse. She squatted to look under the barstools. “Dammit! It was right here.”

  “Are you looking for this?” His deep voice sent chills along her arms. Not scary ones, erotic ones.

  “Huh?” She struggled to climb back onto the barstool. Her foot couldn’t find the rung. Or the stool kept moving. She wasn’t sure which. “Do I know you?”

  “I hope so.” He chuckled a comforting sound.

  She sensed him studying her and looked up to meet his steady gaze, and wished she hadn’t. “Very well?”

  “Intimately.”

  Her mind was at a loss. Why couldn’t she get the jumble of words in her head to make sense? Oh yeah, the wine. The bartender behind the bar offered her the next sample. Without thinking, she picked it up and downed it.

  “This stuff is great! I’m going to recommend this wine to all my brides.”

  “All your brides?” The server giggled. “Ma’am, I think you’ve had enough. Take this receipt and if you come back tomorrow, you can try the rest of the samples on your list.”

  “I’ll take her home, Elizabeth. Thanks for the dinner offer. Maybe another time?”

  “You bet, Brent. Anytime.”

  Danielle caught the familiar name. She swung around in his arms. “Brent?”

  “It’s me, carina. Let’s get you to the hotel. You do have a room, I take it?”

  “I can’t drive. I don’t want to crush my Bug.”

  “You mean crash your Bug.” He chuckled at her side.

  “Exactly.”

  “Let me take you. Your car will be safe here. I’ll talk to the owner. He’s a personal friend of mine.” He tugged her down from the stool and caught her in his arms to steady her.

  She couldn’t believe it. Brent. How the heck did he get down here so fast? How did he know where she was? Wait a minute. He was with another woman in his office. A busty blonde, come to think of it. “I don’t think I want to see you anymore.”

  “Well, let’s get you tucked into bed and you won’t have to. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She was so sleepy she plain didn’t care what happened.

  She relaxed in his shiny red sports car and closed her eyes. It seemed like she blinked and they were at the hotel. How did he know where to go? “Hey, did you follow me down here?”

  “No. I’m here on business.” He undid her seatbelt and helped her out of the low car.

  “How did you know—”

  “There’s only one hotel in town. It’s an easy guess.” He grinned, damn him. He was gorgeous, and she was so drunk. “Give me your key and I’ll get you inside.”

  She held out her purse and belched. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. It’s in here. Somewhere.”

  “You don’t handle your liquor well, do you?”

  “I forgot to eat.”

  “Again?” He wrapped his arm around her and led her into the hotel elevator, taking it up to the second floor. “Room 202, should be right… Ah! Here it is.”

  ****

  Brent glanced around the hotel room and noted her suitcase and jacket on the bed. “Let me move these things, and we’ll get you ready for bed.”

  “Don’t you dare think you’re sleeping with me, Brent. If that’s who you really are. How do I know for sure when there are two of you?” Her mumblings went over everything they’d already settled between them, showing him that he was still important in her heart.

  Brent yanked the coverlet and blanket down, sat her on the end of the bed, and proceeded to remove her heels. Her sexy legs peeked out of her short skirt. He fought the temptation to touch them, run his fingers up her silky thighs right to—

  “Stop that.” She pushed his hands away. “I can undress myself.”

  “Okay. Do it yourself.”

  She popped up from the bed, only to sit down and fall backward onto the mattress. “Ohh…why’d you let me drink so much?”

  “I did nothing. You chose to sample the vinos, cara mia. Let me help you. I won’t sleep with you, I promise.”

  He could keep the promise, if he closed his eyes as he undressed her. He would have to try. If she woke up in her pretty outfit and it was all wrinkly, she would be upset. She must be down here for the wedding plans. He was supposed to come with her, but the disruption this morning caused chaos to their arrangements. She didn’t return his calls, and he wasn’t surprised.

  Uncle Tony’s request for help opened the door to an opportunity Brent couldn’t pass up. A chance to get away and think. He didn’t know this was when Danielle would be here. The Monarch Lavender Farm and Winery, known for their specialty vinos, was his uncle’s favorite place. He’d been the one to recommend the place for Bryce’s wedding. It was a nice, peaceful winery to visit.

  “Danielle, you have to get out of your clothes or you’ll be a mess in the morning.”

  He tugged her upright, unbuttoned her blouse, and slipped it off her shoulders to expose the prettiest white lacy bra. Did she wear one every day or maybe for business occasions only? She looked sexy as all get out, her lips pouted as if begging for a kiss. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. He could do this. He took her hands in his and pulled her upright to unzip the short skirt, slid it down to puddle at her feet, and lowered her back onto the bed. She’d not worn stockings, and he wasn’t going to remove her underwear. Too much temptation there.

  She pushed up on all fours and crawled toward the pillows. “I can’t sleep in these things.”

  “What?” Her voice was muffled, so he leaned closer. “Danielle? What do you mean?”

  She rolled over onto her back and blinked as if trying to focus. “I sleep nude. I can’t have these things on.” She raised her hips to remove her skimpy panties and toss them across the room.

  He laughed at her awkward movements and resisted touching her silky bare skin and her pretty pussy. “Ah, cara mia. You make me happy.”

  She struggled to unhook the bra, but her fingers were clumsy. “Help me, please. I hate these tortuous contraptions.”

  He unhooked the strap binding her beautiful, full breasts. Damn, he shouldn’t be here in the room with her. “Okay, let’s get you under the covers.”

  “Brent?”

  “What?” He pulled the sheet and blanket up over her body and tucked her in, resisting what he really wanted to do.

  “Stay with me.”

  Exactly that. “I’m going to leave now. You’ll be fine. Just let nature take its course and sleep it off. Okay?” He bent to place a kiss on her forehead.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth,
a long kiss that made him harden with desire. No. She wasn’t sober or in a normal state of mind. He refused to fall under her sensual spell. They needed to talk before they made love again.

  Her brow furrowed when he pulled away. “Why did you kiss that woman this morning?”

  “We’ll talk tomorrow when your mind is clearer. Trust me, you need to rest now.”

  She rolled on her side and buried her face in the pillow. It was his signal to leave, walk out the door and not come back until daylight. He shouldn’t care that he could hear her soft sobs against the pillow. He should be strong about this situation. She wasn’t in control of her emotions tonight, and he shouldn’t take advantage. He’d seen enough of her perfect body to know it would be hours before he could sleep, just thinking about her and how she made him feel when they had sex.

  She lifted her head and smiled at him through her tears. “If you care about me, you’ll stay and make me feel safe. I always feel safe with you.”

  That did it.

  Okay, he’d stay—but no sex. No sensual pleasures. Nothing but a good night’s sleep. Besides, it would be good to know Danielle was tucked safe in her bed. She said he made her feel safe. Nice to hear. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to keep her in his life. Staying and watching over her suddenly seemed the right thing to do.

  “If I stay, no sex. You’ll sleep off your vino and feel better in the morning. We’ll discuss whatever you want to discuss tomorrow. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She flopped onto her back, heedless of her breasts peeking out from the covers like tempting little beacons calling his name. “Thank you.”

  His inner self growled in response. His mind told him to keep it under control. His body ached for release, the kind only she could give him. He stripped down to his jock shorts and laid down on the other side of the bed, on top of the covers. It was only a few minutes before her steady breathing indicated she was fast asleep.

  He groaned and rubbed his swollen cock. “Calm down, buddy. We’ll get her back. It’s just a matter of straightening a few things out first.”

  Chapter Four

  Sunshine burst into the room through the open windows, awakening Danielle.

  The darned darkening drapes were never closed last night?

  She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and rolled over to come face to face with Brent. What was he doing here? Last night was a little blurry, but she remembered someone drove her back to the hotel. She propped her head on her elbow and studied his profile. He was such a handsome man. She wanted to be with him, but he’d been with another woman and it just didn’t sit right. Even if he said he was sorry, how could she believe he would never do it again? She would never do that to a guy. She could never be a two-timing asshole like so many men who got away with it.

  She rolled onto her opposite side and squeezed her eyes closed. She refused to cry again. She was done with this confusing relationship. If he wanted other women—fine. He could have them all. Just not her too.

  She’d accepted the fact he was a playboy the first time she met him. His reputation preceded him in the community, especially since the brothers had established their farmer’s market. Before she’d only known him as Antonio’s nephew, the one in love with Aurora. So, she backed away.

  The day she walked into his office and they’d had spur-of-the-moment sex was a memory she would never forget. Brent was good at making love. He was good at making a girl feel safe and adored. He was good at a lot of things, except one. He loved women too well. He needed to choose what kind of life he wanted. A single playboy with lots of women? Or her and a loving life together? The choice was easy for her, but for him it would be difficult. Women flocked all over him wherever he went.

  A strong arm slipped around her waist from behind. He was on top of the covers. He didn’t touch her intimately, but the warmth of his hand seeped through the blanket. “Feeling better this morning?”

  If she responded they would have to talk about what she’d walked in on yesterday. If she stayed quiet he might think she was asleep.

  “You don’t have to talk to me. I must get going anyway. I need to get the vino up to my uncle. He’s left me three text messages already.” He pulled away and rolled off the other side of the bed. “Be careful on the long drive home.”

  She rolled over and met his steady gaze. “Why were you kissing her?”

  “Correction—she kissed me. I did nothing to encourage it.” Standing there in all his masculine glory, his jock shorts revealing his charms, he didn’t have a clue what he did to her libido. But her heart whispered, be careful.

  “Who is she, Brent?”

  He pulled on his slacks and slipped into his shirt but didn’t bother buttoning it. “I met her in college. We run into each other sometimes—”

  “For sex?”

  “No.” He slipped into his loafers and walked over to her side of the bed and sat beside her. “Yes. For sex only. We don’t share a damn thing in common, except we both like sex. Is there something else?”

  “At least you’re being honest.” She sat up, forgetting she didn’t have anything on, and gathered the sheet to cover herself. “Did you have sex with her this time?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear, his touch warm and inviting. “Because I told her I’m involved with someone. A woman I care deeply about.”

  It couldn’t be true. He would never give away his carefree ways for one woman when he could have so many. Could he? “You’re a playboy. You aren’t ready to settle down, and why should you when you can have dozens of women?”

  “I don’t want dozens of women. I only want one.”

  “Stop that.” She shifted under the sheets. He made her feel like he only had eyes for her, but that was impossible. He preferred blondes. That’s what everyone had told her, only she hadn’t listened. She was a freak pastime for him, a sideshow into what wasn’t his norm. Soon, he would lose interest and she would be hurt again. “You can’t lead me on and dump me when you get bored. I have a heart and feelings too.”

  “I know you do, mia bella. I love your heart and all those wonderful feelings.” He caressed her left breast.

  “That’s not my heart.” She pushed his hand down but held onto it. “I want to give you another chance, Brent. But you’re so far out of my reach—”

  “Now, you stop. I fell for you the moment I saw you standing in my office doorway. I’ll never forget that day.” He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “Or you.”

  She held out her arms and his warm breath caressed her cheek as he hugged her. He nibbled her neck, and she squirmed beneath him. One touch from him and she melted with desire. “Wait. I want to brush my teeth.”

  He laughed and stood. “Does this mean you’re inviting me to your bed for sex?”

  “Possibly.” She jumped up, not caring she was naked. He’d seen it all anyway.

  He followed her to the bathroom door.

  She caught him staring at her in the mirror and made a face.

  He grinned his awesome dimpled grin. “I’ll be right back. My room is down the hall.”

  Danielle freshened her face and hurried back to the bed to practice sexy positions. She wanted to wow him when he returned. The room phone rang and she picked it up.

  “This is your nine o’clock wake up call, Ms. Comb.”

  “Oh, my God! I have an appointment in twenty minutes.” She jumped up off the bed and remembered she was still on the phone. “Okay, thank you. Bye.”

  She dropped the receiver into its cradle and rushed to pull on a pantsuit. After running a comb through her short curls, she splashed water on her face. Snatching up her shoes and purse, she ran for the door. Oh crap! She didn’t have her car. She hurried into the hotel lobby, struggling to slip into her flats at the same time.

  She hugged the concierge counter in desperation. “Taxi please?”

  “This is a small town, Ms. Comb. We don’t have taxis here.
” He was young, maybe twenty-something, and his nervous grin told her he was new on the job. “We do offer a hotel car for guests only.”

  There was hope! “Good. When does it leave?”

  “That’s it parked right outside.” He pointed out the front doors to the unloading zone.

  “Thank you!” She rushed through the double doors and peered into the front seat of the car. Empty. She turned to run back inside as the desk clerk hurried toward her with a set of keys.

  “I’m all alone here, and I can’t leave. You can borrow the car. Just don’t forget to bring it back. My boss will shoot me, if I lose his car.”

  “Thanks so much! I’ll be back soon.”

  Danielle hadn’t driven a large vehicle in some time and this was a vintage Cadillac, complete with all the chrome and leather tuck-n-roll seats.

  Oh yeah, his boss would shoot him if I didn’t return the car.

  She laughed. The young man was funny but nice. Thank God, he had the car to loan her. She glanced at the old dial clock in the dashboard. She hoped it was accurate. If so she would be there in five minutes with time to spare. Whew!

  What was Brent going to think? She’d ditched him. There was no other way to put it. It was for a legitimate reason, but he wasn’t going to be happy when he arrived back at her room to find it empty. Maybe the clerk would tell him she borrowed the Cadillac. At least, he would know she planned to return the hotel.

  She turned the vintage car down the gravel lane toward Monarch Lavender Farm and Winery. Driving past all the lavender bushes in full bloom was relaxing, their aroma soothed her senses. She loved lavender. In fact, she loved love and everything that went with it—dancing and singing, hugging and kissing, romance and hot sex.

  Oh my gosh, I love sex with Brent.

  When she pulled to a stop in front of the winery office, she had a few minutes to gather her composure and took a moment to reflect on the past day’s events. Brent had explained why the blonde was on his lap. Funny thing was, this time she believed him. Was it his big brown eyes that peeked into her soul or his sweet Italian words of love? It didn’t matter. He had admitted he cared and they were going to make love—before she disappeared.