by Lea Hart
Letting out a huff, he grabbed a new toothbrush from a drawer and put toothpaste on it. She snatched it out of his hand and started brushing, so he moved past her and flipped on the water. The overhead shower heads opened, and water fell in soft sheets.
Bending over, she rinsed out her mouth and then straightened up. “Better.”
A smile lifted the corners of her lips, and he was surprised how satisfied he felt. “Do you have your balance?”
Letting out an un-ladylike snort, she took a step and swayed. “Never better.”
“Yeah, right.” Following her into the shower, he accepted how screwed he was and prayed for mercy. He watched her step under the water, and the small scraps of cotton that were covering her body became immediately transparent.
Which proved two things: one, there was a God and two, he had a hell of a sense of humor because the temptation before him tested every ounce of decency he had. Yes, getting turned on was wrong on a million different levels, but what the hell was he supposed to do?
Debating furiously with himself, he decided that standing there salivating was only going to ensure his place in Hell, so he stepped back. “Call me if you need me.” He started to turn and saw her list to the left and immediately put his arms out and caught her just in time. “Sweet Jesus, that was close.”
He looked down and saw her eyes close as she tightened her hold on his shoulders and smiled. And even though she was trashed, it was one of her good ones. Feeling the weight of his wet clothes, he let out a laugh and knew karma had finally come to call.
Lifting her into his arms, he did his best to ignore how amazing she felt as her soft, wet, warm curves pressed into his chest. He set her down carefully on the bench and let out a breath of relief.
Better.
Except her eyes were closed.
Shit, he couldn’t leave her and have her pass out. “I’m going to Hell, no doubt about it,” he mumbled as he leaned against the wall, peeling his jeans and T-shirt off. Grabbing the shampoo, he washed her hair as quickly as he could and tried to keep his eyes away from her luscious breasts.
Knowing he was doing a crap job, he let out a groan and grasped the detachable shower head from the wall, and tilted Kelly’s head, rinsing the shampoo out.
Why the hell was his heart beating so fast?
Sure, she was a beautiful, desirable woman, but she sure as shit wasn’t the first one he’d ever seen naked. This was Vegas, after all, and he’d taken advantage of all it had to offer over the years and knew more women intimately than he could recall. But this one…this one was doing funny things to his emotions.
And it was a lot more than carnal desire.
“Cole…”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Don’t forget the conditioner.”
A bubble of laughter erupted from his chest, and he somehow wasn’t surprised she could give him orders even when she was half in the bag. “Okay, conditioner coming up.”
He squirted some in his hands, and as he massaged it into her scalp, she fell forward, and her head rested against his chest.
There had never been a better moment in his whole life.
The intimacy that swirled around them in the steamy enclosure had his heart battering mercilessly and made him wonder if a heart attack was imminent.
Had he finally gone soft?
Not able to answer, he finished with her hair and decided there was no way was he going to run soap over her body. If she wanted to bitch him out, then she could, but he was a man, not a machine, and he’d hit his limit.
Flipping the water off, the sudden silence was deafening. He cleared his throat, lifted Kelly into his arms, and stepped out. Setting her down, he peeled off her wet panties and bra, then did his best not to stare.
Which was impossible.
Every dream he’d ever had about a perfect woman was before him in human form, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Wrapping her up in a towel, he lifted her into his arms again and tightened his hold as her head fell against his chest. Her soft breath brushed across his skin, and the situation in his wet jockeys hit critical mass.
Clearly, this was God’s way of punishing him for all the sins he’d committed over the years.
Or his way of rewarding him for the good things he’d managed.
Either way, he was suffering.
He walked over to the bed, flipped the covers off, and deposited her gently against the sheets. The towel covered her sufficiently, but he knew it wouldn’t stay in place, and if she woke up naked, then hell was going to break loose.
Stalking over to his chest of drawers, he pulled out two T-shirts, along with a pair of athletic shorts. He changed quickly and then got Kelly into a T-shirt and out of her towel without losing his mind or his load and let out a strangled breath.
Give him a direct-action mission in Karbala because it would be a lot easier than what he just managed.
He scooped up his wet underwear and then went into the bathroom and picked up their wet clothes and headed to the laundry room. Once he got the load going, he walked into his living room and stared out the window. He loved the view of the city lights and let the familiar sight calm his nerves.
Deciding that a shot of bourbon couldn’t hurt, he walked over to his wet bar and poured himself two fingers. He opened the slider, stepped out to the patio, filled his lungs with the dry desert air, and thanked God he’d been around for Gio’s call.
Hearing something, he stepped back into the house, set his drink down, and headed back to his room.
“What happened? Where am I?”
“Babe, I’m right here.” He got into bed and took her hand. “You’re okay; just sleep.”
“Cole?”
“Yeah?” No response, just her fingers tightening around his. His chest constricted further, and he slid down, shoving a pillow under his head. “Guess we’re sleeping together.”
Closing his eyes, he prayed she didn’t kill him in the morning when she woke up and discovered she had no panties on. There was a damn good chance she wouldn’t remember a thing, and the questions she was going to have were not going to be a lot of fun.
He let out a long breath, looked over, and noticed that the moon slicing through the shades made her even more beautiful.
He was fucked; no doubt about it.
This woman was going to have him by the nads eventually, and it was up to him how easy the process was going to be.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Opening one eye, Kelly felt her head pound and wondered how one martini had knocked her on her heinie. Feeling something solid and warm beneath her arm, she opened the other and gasped. She was draped over Cole McCallan.
She closed both eyes immediately and said three fervent prayers and hoped it was all a dream. Did she get black-out drunk and sleep with the man who’d been the star of her fantasies?
And not remember?
Slowly, opening both eyes, she looked around the room and then at the man sleeping peacefully. His massive chest rose and descended gently, and she did her best not to lick her lips.
God, he was gorgeous.
The tattoos on his arms were as intricate as the one on his neck. She thought about studying them but knew she should probably make her escape instead.
Sliding her arm slowly off his chest, she prayed he wouldn’t wake up. When his breathing didn’t change, she let out a silent halleluiah. Now, if she could just get off the bed, grab her clothes, and find her car, she’d be golden.
Moving toward the edge, she felt the bed dip and glanced over, seeing Cole’s smile.
Guess the sex must’ve been decent since he didn’t look disappointed. Too bad she couldn’t remember anything. “Morning.”
“Morning,” he croaked. “How do you feel?”
“Head is pounding.”
“Do you remember anything?”
“Uhhh…”
Sitting up, he ran his hand over his chest, and she dug deep into her brain to see if the
re was any flicker of a recollection.
Nada.
Leaning up on her arm, she studied his face to see if there were any clues. “The last thing I remember is having a drink at the Red Door and listening to a man tell an excruciatingly boring story about his trip to Antigua.”
“You were roofied, and Gio called me.”
She sat up and felt a sharp pain in her head. “What?”
“Some asshole roofied you and Gio didn’t want to send you home with one of his guys, figuring you’d freak out. So, he got in touch, and I brought you home.”
“I got roofied?” she asked again as she stood. Feeling the T-shirt flap against her bare behind, she pulled it down and felt her face heat. “How did I lose my panties?”
“Well…”
Covering her face with her hand, she groaned. “Just tell me.”
“After you threw up a bunch of times, you insisted on having a shower and stripped down to your skivvies. They got soaked, so I took ‘em off you after we got out of the shower.” He stood, stretching his hands over his head. “I’ll go throw them in the dryer.”
The throbbing in her head increased, and she felt like she was about to fall over. Swaying, she covered her mouth and ran to what she hoped was the bathroom. Once she was inside, she slid down against the wall and covered her face.
There had to be a lot more to the story, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the gruesome tale or just live in blissful ignorance.
Thank God, she was almost done with her work at McCallan.
Burying her face in her arms, she wondered how long she could stay in the bathroom. When there was a soft knock on the door, she knew it wasn’t going to be long enough. “Be out in a minute.”
Cole opened it slowly, walked in, and shook his head. “Didn’t take you for a coward.”
Tucking the T-shirt around her legs, she sat up and squared her shoulders. “I’m not; I’m just gathering my composure and taking a minute to process.”
“You’re hiding in the bathroom.”
“Am not.”
He collapsed next to her and moved her around until he tucked his arm around her shoulder. “Yeah, you are!”
“I’m mortified; is it too much to ask for a couple of minutes alone?”
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” He tugged her closer and let out a huff. “Some asshole gave you shit so he could do God knows what, and you’re worried about what I think?”
“No, well…maybe a little.”
He kissed her head and laughed. “Not sure what kind of world you grew up in, but that’s some crazy shit.”
“We’re business colleagues, not friends. Not only did you nurse me through the night, but I apparently threw myself at you. If that doesn’t call for a wee bit of regret, then I don’t know what does.”
“We are friends, Kelly, and you’re kind of like my work wife, so last night wasn’t a big deal.”
“That is such a lie.” She fiddled with her rings and then scrunched her eyes closed. “I’m sure you had some plans and watching me throw up wasn’t part of them.”
“I was working when I got Gio’s call, and the only thing I had planned was ordering a pizza and catching some games.” Looking down, he grinned. “Instead, I got to see my hot accountant in her pink panties and matching bra, so it wasn’t a total loss.”
Covering her mouth, she started laughing and looked up to see his eyes dancing. “Guessing you saw a lot more than that.”
“Yeah, like I said, not a total loss.”
“Did I try and kiss you or anything else embarrassing?”
“You really don’t remember anything?”
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “No.”
She felt his hand on her face, and she looked over. When his bright blue eyes sparked with mischief, she sucked in a breath. “Just tell me.”
“No kissing. But you are a hell of a snuggler and like to hog the covers.”
Letting out a breath, she nodded. “Okay, I can live with that.”
“And if you had kissed me?”
“Cole, forcing yourself on someone is never okay, and it would take me a long time to forgive myself if I’d done anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“Babe, if you puckered up, there would be no forcing. We both know there’s attraction simmering between us and, as I told you at lunch the other day, I’m ready to see what it means.”
“Well, that’s very…”
“Interesting, hot, hard to resist, or the best damn idea you’ve heard in ages?”
“Dangerous.”
“The best stuff in the world usually is.”
“Mmmm.” Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the wall and let his words roll around and decided her brain was too fuzzy. “If I could borrow a pair of shorts, then I’ll call an Uber and get out of your hair.”
“Yes to the shorts, but I’m not letting you get in an Uber. I’ll make some breakfast and then take you home later.”
“Cole, you’ve done more than enough and, once I send you an obscenely expensive gift basket, we can both forget this.”
“Kelly, don’t be an idiot. I don’t need a gift basket or anything else.” He stood and held out his hand. “I’ll grab a pair of shorts for you, and then you can park your ass on the couch and drink coffee while I put together some food.”
“Turn around.”
“What?”
“Turn around; I can’t get up without flashing you.”
“Babe, I saw all your business.”
“Doesn’t mean you need to see it again.” She waited until he did as she asked and then quickly got up. “I should really go home, Cole.”
He slung his arm over her shoulder and guided her out of the bathroom. “Not before we get something in your stomach and see if it stays down. The effects of the drug can last twenty-four hours, and I’m keeping you here until I know you’re okay.”
“That is more than kind, and I appreciate it, but…”
“This is not the hill you want to plant your flag on, babe.”
Moving out of his hold, she slid her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “I will plant my flag wherever I want and will not be dictated to by the likes of you.”
“There’s my girl; knew you were in there someplace.”
She dropped her hands and hung her head. “Why do you always poke and prod until I lose my temper?”
“Because I like your fire and hate the professional mask you always try to keep in place. I’d rather have you irritated than give me fake, polite bullshit.”
“It’s called being professional and behaving like an adult.”
He leaned in and lifted her chin. “Like I said, I much prefer when your tail is twitchin’ and you’re about to spit fire.”
“I’m your accountant, not your…”
“Lover?”
Feeling her head throb, she rubbed her hands against her temples. “I think…”
“Coffee. Let’s get a cup in us before we continue this conversation.” He walked over to a chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of shorts and held them up. “You’re going to swim in these, but it’s all I have.”
She took them out of his hand and nodded. “I’ll just roll the top.”
“Roger that.” He gave her a wink and then walked out of the room.
Letting out a sigh, she pulled the shorts on and prayed she could escape before the lover subject came up again. He’d hinted at it on Friday, and it wasn’t anything she was ready to deal with.
No matter how obscenely sexy she found him.
Taking Cole McCallan on as a lover was the equivalent of getting into a pool of sharks.
Dangerous and more than likely deadly.
She knew he was a man who went through women as quickly as she went through paper towels and she wasn’t interested in being part of the parade. And it was a hell of one if all the charges on his corporate American Express account were any indication.
He seemed to hav
e a new girl every two weeks, and always followed the same pattern. It would start out with several nice meals, then move on to nights at the clubs. After that, it was something from a lingerie shop and, when it all ended, a nice arrangement of flowers.
Very neat and tidy.
And meaningless.
Not what she was interested in. It was time for a real relationship, and until someone came along who wanted that too, she was keeping her knees crossed and her panties on.
Walking out of the bedroom, she pushed her hair over her shoulder and decided whatever work she had left to complete for McCallan Security was going to be accomplished from her home office.
She and temptation needed to stay away from each other, and Cole McCallan wasn’t going to make that possible.
***
Cole heard footsteps and watched Kelly enter the great room. How was the damn woman still appealing after spending most of the night losing her cookies?
Handing her a cup of coffee, he gave her a smile and watched the fake one she gave him in return. The cloak of propriety was back in place, and he could see she was dying to leave. Which wasn’t going to happen because if they didn’t get over the awkwardness now, then they never would.
“Thank you, Cole.” She looked around and then walked over to her purse and dug her phone out. “I appreciate everything, but I’m going to head out.”
He stalked over, took the phone out of her hand, and shoved it in the pocket of his shorts. “We’re going to have breakfast and then sit out on the patio and read the paper. After I’m convinced you’re okay, then I’ll take you home.”
Her cheeks reddened, and he knew he was pushing but didn’t care because he wasn’t going to let her turtle. “Scrambled or fried?”
“What?”
“How do you want your eggs?”
“You are so pig-headed.”
“Quit trying to sweet talk me.” He took her hand and led her over to the island and pulled out a chair. “Drink your coffee.”
“If you give me one more order, then I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“You don’t scare me, woman. Go ahead and give me what you’ve got.” He watched her eyes narrow and felt a hundred times better. He could take her mad; he just couldn’t stomach her polite, fake shit. “Gio had your car delivered to your house last night and has taken care of the man responsible for slipping you the drug.”