by Judy Teel
He was attracted to her too, she was certain of it. Guys couldn't control things like that.
He was definitely the perfect candidate for a little R&R. All she had to do was talk him into it.
If she could just scare up the nerve.
* * *
"Pull around to the back of the restaurant." Dakota leaned forward to peer through the wind shield.
Something was up with Dakota and Trey couldn't figure it out. He couldn't figure out a lot of things like how the hell he was going to talk her into coming back to work for Jamison.
Usually he didn't have any trouble finding the weak link in a person's armor and figuring out how to exploit it. Dakota was different. She didn't seem to fit any mold. One minute she was a sophisticated and elegant woman mildly flirting with him over dinner, the next she was barely able to look him in the eye.
He felt like a squirrel on ice in a strong wind. Nothing short of luck was going to get him to solid ground.
Trey rolled up next to her VW bug. Dakota hopped out of the truck with her bag of leftover food before he'd even come to a complete stop.
She fumbled to unlock her car door. That's when he saw the dog.
It was rangy, but big. Some kind of spotted, scruffy lab mix...maybe. It came charging around the corner of the dumpster and headed straight for her at full speed.
Sheer panic shot through him. "Dakota!" He banged open his door and jumped for the hood of the truck, rolling across it and landing on the other side. He tackled the dog just before it got to her.
Grabbing it around the chest, Trey tucked his body and landed hard on the ground. The animal squealed and started yelping like he was killing it.
"Hamlet!" Dakota screamed. "Trey, are you crazy? You're hurting him!"
She dropped to her knees next to him and the dog struggled frantically to get at her.
"Get in the truck, Dakota," Trey snapped, squeezing down on the animal so it couldn't get away.
"Let go!" Her fingers dug into his arm and she pulled on him like she was trying to break his grip. "That's my dog!"
Was she serious? "It attacked you!"
"He was greeting me. He'd never hurt anyone."
"It has a funny way of showing it."
"He's not vicious."
Trey stared at her over the thrashing animal. "If it kills you, don't come crying to me."
"Okay." Was that an edge of humor he heard in her voice?
Irritated that she might be laughing at him, he let the dog go. It scrambled off him and took off.
Dakota watched it go and sighed. "It took me a long time to get him to trust me. I hope I don't have to start all over again."
Trey sat up. "Why does your dog live behind a dumpster?"
"My landlord doesn't allow pets." She stood up and brushed off the knees of her jeans. "I can't afford to live anywhere else, so don't even start on that."
Trey got to his feet, his heart still pounding from the scare her dog had given him. "How was I supposed to know it--"
"He."
"Was yours? All I saw was a stray charging you down like it...he wanted to rip your throat out."
She looked up at him. The corner of her mouth twitched like she was trying not to smile. "You move pretty fast for a pencil pusher, you know that?"
A flush of heat crept up his neck. "I haven't always worked for your father." He scowled, annoyed as hell that he felt embarrassed.
She shoved the bag of leftovers towards him. "Did you ever work with dogs?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to take the food. "I'm more of a cat person."
"He's watching us, you know."
Trey shifted his attention to the dumpster. Sure enough, the straggly animal was peering at them around the corner of the trash container. Now that he thought about it, the expression in the dog's eyes looked anything but aggressive. It looked sad, like he'd hurt its feelings. Guilt gnawed at his gut.
He snatched the bag from her. "I didn't mean to scare him," he muttered.
"See if he'll take one of the sausages from you."
"Just go up to him?"
"Nice and slow. With one of the sausages."
It took nearly twenty minutes to convince Hamlet he wasn't going to hurt him. But by the time the food was gone the dog was laying next to him licking the sausage grease off his fingers.
Dakota watched them, the look of approval in her warm brown eyes doing crazy things to his concentration. He knew he should be coming up with ways to turn this new regard for him into an advantage, but hell if he could.
All he knew was that it felt good to have her looking at him like he was a hero. It made him want to be one. Stupid.
A strange ache settled in his chest. He rubbed the spot absently and wondered what his next move should be. Two failed attempts and three days closer to Jamison's deadline didn't give him a lot of options.
When in doubt, retreat and regroup.
Trey ruffled the dog's ears and stood up. "I better get going. Will you be okay?"
Her mouth pulled down a little at the corners and she climbed to her feet. "Sure."
"You can send the clothes to the Dartmouth Hotel, 2A," he said over his shoulder as he headed to the Ford. "When Tony comes for his truck, I'll give them to him."
As he pulled out of the driveway, he found it surprisingly difficult not to look back.
* * *
Dakota climbed the stairs and wished she weren't heading for her apartment alone. She still couldn't believe Trey had tried to defend her from Hamlet. It was crazy and...romantic.
He'd looked like a hero from an action movie, flying over the hood of the truck like that.
When in her life had a man ever made any kind of effort to protect her? Never, that's when. Jack had been sweet and gratifyingly amorous, but only so he could exploit her, not protect her.
Her father had been no different. When Mom couldn't give him what he wanted, he'd divorced her and kicked them out to live as best they could.
She knew Trey ultimately had his own best interest in mind, just like all the others. But in that moment, when he tackled poor Hamlet, that had been purely instinctive and she couldn't help but feel it showed something of the man underneath the armor.
The urge to be with him rose up through her body like a warm gust of summer air.
She knew he was a player; win-at-all-costs kind of guy like her father, but in the last twenty-four hours she'd also seen another side of him. Relaxed. Open. Even a little heroic.
When she was with him, she felt things she'd never felt with anyone before. Challenged. Desired. He was intoxicating.
Dakota unlocked her door and flicked on the switch, flooding her cozy apartment with light. How freeing it would be to enjoy a man like Trey with no illusions as to what he was after. If one knew a man's agenda then how could she be used by him? And if she in turn stated very clearly her own intentions, what was wrong with a few, mutually enjoyable encounters?
She closed the door and set her fake glasses down on the telephone table. She'd be free to explore these crazy, compelling feelings that had tormented her ever since she saw him again.
She'd be free to explore him.
Wasn't that why she'd disappeared? To be free? Free to discover who she really was? What she really wanted?
Was she brave enough to make good on the bold action she'd taken when she walked out on her father? A shimmer of excitement ran through her.
Yes.
And now was as good a time as any.
* * *
Dakota pulled her wind coat more tightly around her and knocked on the door of the Dartmouth Hotel, number 2A. The mornings were cold now, and the icy wind swept over the nearly empty parking lot and along the open walkway, making her shiver.
Or was it just a case of nerves?
All the way over to the Dartmouth, she'd rehearsed in her mind what she would say. Now that she was about to face him, doubt chilled her to the bone.
What if he really was
n't attracted to her? What if he'd just been kidding around? She probably should have thought of a good reason for showing up at the hotel before bolting out of her apartment like she had.
She was just about to chicken out when she heard the lock being thrown on the other side of the door. Suddenly Trey was there, his jeans snug around his hips, his feet bare, his hair still wet from a recent shower. And no shirt.
Puzzlement shot through his eyes, quickly followed by concern. "Dakota. Is something wrong?"
Excitement quivered low in her belly as her gaze skimmed over the ripped muscles of his chest and stomach.
She shouldn't have come. She should have waited until she'd had a good night's sleep, worked out the pros and cons, and met him at some neutral place where they could discuss the option of an affair calmly and rationally.
At the very least she should have come up with that ulterior motive for being there.
"Dakota?" Questions shadowed his eyes.
"Um. I..."
"You're pale. You better come in and sit down." Trey took her arm and gently guided her into the room.
He eased her down onto the nearest double bed and shut the door behind her. The hotel room seemed suddenly very intimate. Dakota's heart jumped into high gear.
Trey sat on the other bed, opposite her. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward. Her eyes traced the intriguing contours of his biceps. "What's happened? Is it Hamlet?" he asked.
What did her dog have to do with...."Oh. No, he's...of course not. This...has nothing to do with Hamlet." She felt her cheeks grow hot. Her nerve was failing her. Fast.
His expression darkened. "Did the reporters follow us? I was careful but--"
"No." She looked away. Cleared her throat awkwardly. "I was just.... I thought maybe..." She couldn't do it. She just couldn't ask him flat out. She'd have to figure out some other way.
Dakota jumped up, planning to bolt. Suddenly he was there between her and the door, his frown making a deep inverted V between his eyes.
"What's going on?" Trey demanded.
His eyes were so green. She stared into them, wondering about the man hidden within. She sensed there was more to Trey than he wanted anyone to know. Was asking for a casual affair the right thing to do? For either of them?
Then her gaze dropped to his lips and she remembered how they felt moving across her mouth. The urge to kiss him hummed through her.
Dakota swallowed. She wanted him. She really did. Was it so wrong for two adults to find comfort and pleasure together, no matter how short lived that time was?
She moved toward him quickly, determined to see her plan through, right or wrong. His eyes widened and he stepped back.
His quick dodge threw her off balance. She caught herself, inadvertently trapping him against the door, her hands braced against the cold metal on either side of his shoulders.
His pupils dilated and his gaze ran over her face, touching her mouth, and then locking with her eyes. Her breath quickened.
He smelled intriguing, compelling--fresh with soap and an underlying male scent that was uniquely his. She leaned in, thinking he would meet her halfway, but he didn't. He waited, his back pressed against the door, utterly still.
She covered his mouth with hers just like that first time.
Soft. Warm. He opened to her.
Passion burst to life low in her being and ran through her body like wild fire. She gripped his shoulders, digging her fingers into his thick muscles, trying to find some stability in a world that was spinning. Spinning and aching with need. She swept her tongue into his mouth. Sweet. Hot.
He held still against her onslaught for a fraction of a breath and then his arms came around her, crushing her against his chest. He pressed his groin into hers. He was thick and hard and ready for her.
His mouth devoured hers, his tongue trading her thrust for thrust. Then he was gone, his hungry mouth tracing along her jaw, down her neck, nibbling and gently biting. His tongue plunged into her mouth, again.
"Dakota," he groaned against her lips. "Say no. Say no before I can't stop."
"I won't." She sighed, reveling in the desire coursing through her. "I want you."
"Please say, no." Trey moved her back a step and she thought he was going to send her away.
But before she could protest, he swept her up into his arms in one swift movement and carried her to the bed. He followed her down onto the soft mattress, his hard body covering hers, his mouth moving along her collarbone, while one hand plowed into her hair and the other covered her breast.
Dakota arched her back, exposing her neck to his mouth.
Heaven.
He swept his hand under her shirt, under her bra and laid his palm over her. Hot. So hot. He rolled her nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger and she groaned as the glorious ache shot from her breast to her womb, tightening it. She felt on fire for him.
She swept her hands up and down his back, his skin silky, his muscles hard. He rolled partly off her to shove her shirt up and she fumbled with the snap of his jeans. He flicked open the front closure of her bra and swept the lacy cups aside as she struggled with his zipper.
Trey pulled one nipple into his mouth and she gasped as the fire of his tongue shot through her. Moisture damped the juncture of her thighs. She tugged frantically at his zipper, desperate to feel him. The closure gave with a jolt and his erection sprang free, filling her hand with its smooth, hard power.
"You're...not wearing...underwear." She moaned as he suckled her other breast, making her head light and her body rage with want.
Squeezing his erection gently, she slid her hand down the length of him, pushing his jeans out of her way, making him groan. He undid her pants and she kicked them off impatiently, followed by her panties.
His hand ran up her hip and waist and down again and she moaned, her impatience for him building to near pain. She pushed his jeans lower and then cupped him fully in her hand. Trey growled and gently bit the side of her breast.
Nearly beyond reason, all she wanted was to feel him inside her. She needed him filling her with his passion. His hardness.
Bending one leg at the knee, she opened herself to him and circled her wet and swollen core with the tip of his erection.
Trey released a sharp breath and then his fingers were touching her, skillfully circling, rubbing, sharpening the hunger building within her.
Her body screamed for him to fill her. Dakota pressed him into her, thrusting with her hips as she pulled his hand from between them.
She cried out with relief when Trey rolled onto her and drove himself home.
He pulled out and plunged into her over and over, rocking her against the mattress, building the ache within her until she thought she would die from it.
Dakota buried her hands into his soft hair as he brought his mouth back to her breasts. He pulled on the swollen nubs, sharp and sweet, and drove into her with a fierce, desperate thrust.
She shattered.
Pleasure rocked through her again and again. With every press of his pelvis against hers, her body greedily rode the bliss erupting in her.
She reveled in him and the storm he'd released--a storm like she'd never felt before.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Trey sank fully into her, his body and its primitive hunger driving him mindlessly.
Scorching and sweet, Dakota squeezed him as she came. She threw back her head, her face filled with the same nearly painful pleasure building through him. Her sheath pulsed around him with every thrust he made against her and his ecstasy built until his world became a storm of sensations focused on her.
A rhythm of need echoed by Dakota rocking up to meet him.
His pleasure crested as he pulled out from her body's grip and plunged in again. Ecstasy burst over him, tearing a shout from his throat, exploding his universe into paradise.
As the sweet waves faded, he reveled in the deep sense of satisfaction filling him. Burying himself in her one last time, he
collapsed half on her, half off, to keep from crushing her. He sucked in gulps of air like he'd sprinted a mile, oblivious to everything except the scent of her satiation and the feel of her soft body beneath his.
Gathering his strength, Trey pushed up onto one elbow and stroked her damp hair away from her forehead. Her chocolate brown eyes, still glazed with passion, skated over his face and something shifted inside him. Something he'd never felt before. A longing for...more. Only he didn't know what.
She turned slightly toward him and his cock slipped out, wet and hot from being inside her. He smiled, remembering them together. Skin to skin.
...Skin to skin.
His chest tightened. Realization slammed into his gut like an icy fist.
"Oh, my God. What have I done?" He sprang away from her, scrambling off the bed, panic forcing him to his feet.
Her brows drew down. "Trey, what's wrong?"
He paused in the act of pulling up his pants and gestured at himself, naked, exposed.
Vulnerable.
His panic turned to horror. "We forgot a condom!"
And he'd forgotten to pretend.
"Is there something you need to tell me about?" Her frown deepened.
"I always use protection! Always!"
Why had he let his guard down?
Her expression cleared. "So you're clean. Me too. What's the problem?"
He could never let her know.
"What's the...? My God, Dakota!" He zipped up his jeans and scanned the room for her clothes. "What if you...." He spotted her jeans and panties. Scooping them off the corner of the other bed, he tossed them to her.
She caught her clothes against her chest as she sat up. "What if I get pregnant?"
A different kind of panic started tightening in his gut. "Yeah."
"I'm due in a couple days. It's fine." She stepped into her panties, stood, and wiggled them up over her hips.
His damned dick stirred with interest. What the hell was wrong with him?
Trey shoved his hands through his hair, feeling trapped. He looked up to find her watching him, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
"What?" he snapped, offended that she thought his natural concern so entertaining.