Foreign Affair

by Shelli Stevens

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re not used to people hitting on you?”

  Her head swiveled toward him in surprise. He might have a point, but she had no intention of acknowledging it. “Or maybe I’m not used to people being so vulgar about it.”

  Tyler laughed. “Vulgar? Oh, sweetheart, if you think that’s vulgar, you ought to see—”

  “I’d rather not,” she interrupted. “And please, lose the sweetheart part. It makes you sound like a redneck or something.”

  “Right. But I have to warn you, I go by Billy-Bob back home,” he drawled with a poor attempt at a southern accent. He smiled when she gave a reluctant laugh. “In any case, I’m glad we get to be alone.”

  She made to follow him as he crossed the street toward the bridge. “Oh really? Why is that?”

  “Because I never got to kiss you last night.”

  Before she realized what his intention was, he’d grabbed her around the waist and had dragged her body against his.

  “Wait.” She slammed her hands against his shoulders in panic. “Okay, listen. It’s not that I don’t want you to kiss me, because I do. Okay? I confess. It’s just that there are things you don’t know, things that make this whole situation—”

  “Do you ever stop talking?” His mouth came down on hers, and she gasped, bringing her hands down to push him away. The moment her palms touched his chest, she got distracted. Damn. Talk about hard.

  Her thoughts scattered and her resistance melted on a soft sigh. Lena fell into the light kiss, which was as teasing and addictive as any drug Amsterdam had to offer.

  Tyler gave a murmur of approval as she wound her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer to him.

  His hand buried into her hair, and he deepened the kiss. Lena moaned and opened her mouth to let his tongue take control of hers. Obviously more than willing, he tightened his grip around her waist and let his other hand reach down to stroke her neck with his strong fingers.

  When he let her go, she couldn’t catch her breath. She stared at him with wide eyes and touched her fingers to her lips.

  “You kiss like the men in the movies.”

  Tyler gave her a small smile and ran his glance over her again. “I don’t think you should fly home tonight. We could have a great time in Amsterdam together.”

  “Fly home…” The blood drained from her head. “Oh, my God. I’m flying home tonight. Jeez.” Guilt sliced through her. Sharp. Heavy. “What am I doing? What am I doing? Don’t kiss me, okay? We can’t do that again.”

  “Okay. What just happened?” Wariness flickered in his gaze. “Did I miss something? Unless I’m mistaken, that kiss had you as turned on as it did me.”

  No, he was totally right. Which terrified her.

  She sighed and bit her lip. “Don’t get me wrong, Tyler. I liked that kiss. I liked it a lot, but I can’t do it again.”

  “I’ve always felt self-deprivation to be a complete shame. But whatever makes you tick, lady.” His stiff shrug revealed some of his irritation as they resumed walking again.

  Another twinge of guilt made its way down her spine. She couldn’t really blame him. She had become that irritating yes-I-mean-no girl. But jeez, she couldn’t afford to be kissing men when she was engaged. Did that count as cheating? Lena gnawed on her lip. Wasn’t there that whole out-of-zip-code exception? And surely out of the country must count for something. Should she tell Keith when she got home?

  Her guilt grew, eating away in her belly. What was the right thing to do?

  The next hour passed in near silence, with only the occasional small talk being made about a tourist attraction they would pass. When the time for them to meet up with Stephanie arrived, she just about wept with relief.

  “How’s it going, Steph?” Lena gave her friend a strained smile.

  Stephanie gave a relaxed nod and a thumbs-up. “It’s going very, very well. Can we get some food? I just got really hungry.”

  Lena readily agreed and gave a silent prayer of thanks that she wasn’t alone with Tyler anymore.

  “I hope I don’t miss my flight.” Stephanie threw her clothes into the suitcase at an insane pace. “You shouldn’t have let me take that nap.”

  Lena shrugged. The truth was she’d lost track of time thinking about what had happened between her and Tyler.

  “You were tired.”

  Stephanie scowled. “I still can’t believe my shitty luck.”

  “Yeah, it’s a pretty bum deal.”

  Lena pulled out her own bag. It was a bad turn of events, but it would also be a relief to put, say, an ocean between herself and Tyler.

  “Look, I’m going to take a quick shower. My flight is in three hours.” Stephanie grabbed a clean pair of panties and a more comfortable outfit.

  “All right. I’ll give Keith a call and let him know I’m going to try and catch a flight out tonight.”

  “I wish you’d stay.” Stephanie stopped at the bathroom door and turned to face her.

  Me too. But she couldn’t risk a repeat incident with Tyler, and the temptation around him was too great. Take yourself out of the equation.

  Lena gave her friend a slight smile and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, Steph. Go get your shower.”

  Stephanie sighed and disappeared into the bathroom, and Lena reached for the phone.

  She used her phone card and then waited to be connected. The phone rang and rang, until the voicemail picked up. She scowled and hung up. After a moment’s hesitation, she picked it up again and dialed Keith’s parents’ phone number. A moment later the gentle voice of her future mother-in-law answered.

  “Hi, Maggie, it’s Lena.”

  “Oh, hello, Lena.” The voice on the other line chirped with animation. “How are you two doing?”

  “Great. But I was hoping to talk to Keith. Is he around by any chance?”

  Maggie paused. “Lena, have you been drinking?”

  Lena gave a short laugh and flipped through the magazine on the table. “Not recently, Maggie. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, did you two get in a fight? What’s this all about?”

  Lena felt the first sense of unease and closed the magazine. “What do you mean?”

  “Lena,” Maggie hesitated. “Keith told us you two were going to spend a couple weeks in Maui. You left yesterday.”

  Lena shook her head and frowned. “What? That doesn’t make any sense. Maui?”

  “Lena, I’m not sure what this is about. Are you two playing a joke on me?” Her future mother-in-law went quiet for a moment. “I saw him off yesterday. He came to say good-bye.”

  Lena swallowed with a little more difficulty. She reached behind her to sit down on the bed, her knees going weak. “He went to your house before he left for Maui?” Ask the next question. Ask it. “Was he alone?”

  “No, of course not. You were in the car,” Maggie said, clearly exasperated. “You had a headache and didn’t want to come in.”

  Lena closed her eyes against the roar in her head, and it took moment before she could speak again. “I wasn’t in the car, Maggie.”

  “Of course you were, Lena. I saw you.”

  Lena’s hand closed over her mouth. She wasn’t hearing this. This just couldn’t be happening. Damn it, they were engaged.

  “You saw me? Me, Maggie? Or could it have been another woman?”

  Another long, awkward silence.

  “But I saw blonde hair…and he said it was you.” Maggie hesitated, and then almost in a panic she asked, “What are you saying, Lena?”

  “Maggie, I’m in Amsterdam. I can’t be in Maui and Amsterdam at the same time. So what am I saying? I’ll let you figure it out.”

  Chapter Four

  When Stephanie came out of the bathroom, Lena had curled up on her side on the bed.

  “Ummm, Lena? What’s going on?” Stephanie sat down next to her and touched her shoulder.

  Lena didn’t look up, her face smashed against the pillow, eyes unblinking as she stared across the room. The ang
er grew thick in her throat, and she had to force the words out. “Keith is cheating on me.”

  Stephanie stayed silent for a second and then a short burst of laughter. “What? Of course he’s not. Keith? That boy is as straight and narrow as they come.”

  Lena rolled onto her back. “Well, Mr. Straight-and-Narrow is in Maui right now screwing some other woman.”

  Stephanie shook her head. “How did you figure that out?”

  “His mom told me.” Lena sat up and hugged her knees, a harsh laugh escaping her. “His mom had a complete breakdown when she realized she’d unintentionally informed me that her son was cheating on me.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Stephanie repeated, her voice growing with rage. “What an ass. What a dumb-ass prick.”

  “I can think of better things to call him.” Memories of this afternoon floated through her head. “I don’t know…maybe its karma. I cheated on him too.”

  “Excuse me?” Stephanie’s head swiveled back to her, and her eyebrows rose. “You cheated on Keith? Bullshit. When?”

  “Earlier today.”

  “What? But you were with Tyler and me all morning.” Her eyes widened. “Shut up. What happened in that hour alone together? Did you guys have sex?”

  “Sex? Are you kidding me? Of course we didn’t.” Lena paused to bite her lip. “But we did kiss.”

  “You kissed.” Stephanie’s expression dimmed and her lips curled downward. “That’s it?”

  “Yeah.” Lena touched her mouth, which started to tingle as she remembered the kiss. “And it was absolutely amazing. So romance novel cliché. I say no, and he still kisses me, and damned if I didn’t enjoy it.” She shook her head. “But it was wrong. It shouldn’t have happened.”

  “And you consider that cheating?”

  “Well, yeah, I suppose.”

  “It doesn’t even compare. Kissing a guy is like breaking a nail to me.” Stephanie flung her hands up in the air. “It happens all the time. And for the record, you know I’ve always thought Keith was a complete idiot.”

  Lena pulled herself off the bed and walked to the mirror hanging above the dresser. She stared at her reflection—her pale appearance. What the hell was Keith thinking?

  The fury that had been simmering inside her boiled over. She closed her hands around a hairbrush on the dresser and threw it across the room.

  “You know what, Steph? Besides that kiss, I’ve never once cheated on him. And I’ve wanted to. I’ve had opportunities, but did I? No. Because we were in a committed relationship. Doesn’t that mean anything to anyone anymore?”

  Stephanie stood up and walked over to her. “Of course you didn’t cheat on him. You’re too good for him. I’ve been telling you this all along, but you just didn’t get it.”

  Lena moved to the sink to splash some cold water on her face. She wanted to slam her fist through the mirror.

  “Look…something’s bothering me here, Lena.” Stephanie began in a cautious tone. “You’re very angry, and have every right to be, but you’re not crying. You don’t seem very…heartbroken.”

  Of course she was. Wasn’t she? Lena braced her palms on the sink and stared down the drain. Or maybe Stephanie was onto something. Why wasn’t her heart cracking into a billion little pieces? She didn’t want to acknowledge the possibility out loud.

  She shook her head and averted her gaze. “The tears will come later, I’m sure.” But would they?

  “So what are you going to do? Do you want to go back home?”

  “Not with Mr. Happy Pants away getting laid in Hawaii.” Lena dragged a damp towel down her face and then met Stephanie’s gaze in the mirror. “So what am I going to do? Besides get really drunk, because, hello, that’s a given.”

  Stephanie came up behind her and placed comforting hands on her shoulders. They stared at each other in the mirror. “You’re going to go to Paris and stay at the apartment I’ve rented.”

  “I couldn’t do that.” Could she? The idea of retreating to Paris to lick her wounds had appeal.

  “Of course you can. And you will.”

  “Will I now?” Though it would be good to get away and think. Or not think about a certain bastard fiancé.

  “Yes, you are.” Stephanie suddenly grinned. “And you’re going to have Tyler take you all over Amsterdam for the next few days before you leave.”

  “Tyler is going to show me around? You think I should have Tyler show me around?” Lena started to laugh and then faltered. Oh. Now there was an idea… “I think I just made up my mind what I’m going to do.”

  Stephanie nodded. “Oh, now see, there you go. That sounds positive. What are you going to do?”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t say what I’m going to do, but who I’m going to do.” Lena folded her arms across her chest. “Tyler.”

  Stephanie choked, and her eyes widened. “I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just tell me you’re going to do Tyler?”

  Lena turned around, determination pumping through her blood. “If my fiancé thinks he’s the only one who’s going to have a last-minute fling before the wedding, then he’s an idiot. I’m going out, and I’m getting laid.”

  “What are you already drunk?” Stephanie exploded. “Lena, don’t tell me you’re still going to marry him.”

  Lena blinked, taken aback. Cancel the wedding? The thought hadn’t even occurred to her. “I don’t know. Maybe we could go to counseling. This could be our seven-year itch thing. We’re way too invested to just call it off, don’t you think? But first…” She gave a slight smile. “Maybe I should have some fun. If he can do it, so can I.”

  “I don’t think you have the slightest idea how fucked up that sounds. But let’s focus on the other point for now. Tyler.” Stephanie shook her head, seeming to choose her words with consideration. “Hon, you’re not exactly the type to just go in for casual sex. I mean, you’ve only ever been with one person.”

  “And, hey, maybe that’s my mistake. I’ve been sheltered my entire life by trusting the only man I’ve been intimate with. Maybe this is my opportunity to try someone else on for size. Sure, the circumstances aren’t exactly ideal—”

  “You want to try Tyler on for size?”

  “Yes. No, that’s not what I mean. Crap, can we not over-analyze this? Please, Stephanie…” Lena’s determination wavered a bit with her best friend showing such disapproval. “Okay, I get that you’re not going to give me the thumbs-up on this decision, but could you at least pretend it’s a good idea?”

  “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Lena gave a slight smile. “That’s pretty much the trade phrase for the best friend. So let me answer that with another familiar line. I’m a big girl, Steph. I think this is something I need to do. Besides, you’re not the only one who’s been fantasizing about riding the Tyler-go-round.”

  Stephanie’s lips twitched, and then she smiled. “Well, then have a good time. Go get a piece, and don’t think about Keith for the rest of the week. I know you’re on the pill, but you’d better use a condom too.”

  “I will, I promise. I’m only going to stay in Europe a couple more days. I don’t want to go to Paris alone. I just want to experience a little more Amsterdam, and a little more Tyler.” She knew her next words were a total lie. “And please, don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.”

  Lena walked through the streets of Amsterdam, her mind fighting a fierce battle on whether to stick to her morals or trash them in the nearest dumpster. Sure, she’d talked the talk with Stephanie, but now, with her fury fizzling, and currently on her way over to Tyler’s hotel room…

  Yes, Keith was cheating on her, but did that make it acceptable to go out and do the same to him? An eye for an eye. A lover for a lover. She shivered and wished she’d remembered to grab her jacket.

  Kissing Tyler had been like peeking behind a door that had always been locked. The one with the big Keep Out sign hanging outside. She’d opened the door and, damn it, why shouldn’t she go in?r />
  It had been amazing, that kiss. It had made her think things she’d never thought. Feel things she’d never felt. He’d made her want to rip off both of their clothes and go at it like porn stars. And Lena Richards never had porn-star-like thoughts. More like Mary Poppins and Mr. Rogers getting it on thoughts. This feeling with Tyler was pure, unfiltered lust.

  And if used with caution it should cause no long-term damage and therefore wouldn’t be such a bad thing, Lena added her own silent disclaimer.

  Her resolution came back full force. She would do this, but she wouldn’t tell Tyler about Keith. As far as Tyler, he would just believe her to be a woman taking a vacation who decided to have some fun. Knowing about Keith would be immaterial to him and to their situation.

  Besides, if she told him and he got all weird about it, then it would just be embarrassing.

  This is a good idea. She took a deep breath and quickened her stride, trying to recall the last time she’d shaved her legs.

  Tyler flipped open his laptop and logged into his email. His interest in Lena had hit a roadblock, seeing as she was on a flight over the Atlantic right now. Disappointment clawed at his belly, but he swallowed it, not wanting to linger on the emotion. It didn’t do an ounce of good to wallow in what might have been.

  He adjusted the hotel robe and tried to focus on work stuff, but his thoughts were still on the kiss from this afternoon. The way her body had melted into his while his mouth had explored hers. Damn, she’d tasted sweet.

  He shook his head to clear the image. “You’re a fucking sap, Tyler. It didn’t happen, so get over it.”

  As he opened an email from his boss, a knock sounded on the door.

  Who the hell…? His brows drew together, and he shut the laptop. He slid off the bed and made his way toward the door.

  He took a deep breath and peeked through the peephole. The blood in his head rushed south, and he blinked. Well, would you look at that? His lips curved into a smile as he opened the door.

  She stood before him in that same sexy, schoolgirl-like outfit she’d worn this morning. He couldn’t read her expression, but she twisted her hands in front of her, looking adorably nervous.