Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

Truthfully, he’d want her even if he did. After last night, he knew there wasn’t anyone else. But did she feel the same?

  He swept his fingers over her shoulder, down her arm, until he reached her hand. It was curled below her chin, against his chest. One leg overlapped his and bent at the knee. The rest of her body wasn’t in view, but he felt her. Everywhere. She was stuck to him, had been all night, and he loved every single second.

  Pressing his hand to her back, he placed the other on her hip and thumbed over her skin. Holding her felt amazing, natural even. It was better than he’d imagined. The way their bodies fit together…it was as if she were created for him. Her body was so light that he could manipulate it with ease. He’d proven as much last night.

  The urge to pin her to the bed overcame him. He could spend a week in this same spot, taking her whenever he needed and still not get enough. She had to agree to be with him. He’d lose his mind if not.

  Cassie’s movements chased away his thoughts. Her body stiffened as she stretched her muscles and wiggled against him. The more he felt her, the harder he fought not to flip her over and begin round five.

  She batted her lashes then opened her eyes. They were aimed at his chest, but they made their way up to his. Part of him worried that the only reason she’d slept with him was because she’d gotten drunk. The liquor sure as hell gave him the courage to take the initiative.

  He searched her face for any sign of regret but saw none. Instead, she smiled, with her mouth, with her eyes, with the gentle way she sighed. She radiated with peacefulness, something he hadn’t felt since he left Savannah.

  “Morning, gorgeous.”

  “Good morning.” She glanced toward the window then back to him. “What time is it?”

  “I haven’t checked. I’ve been too busy staring at you.”

  Her cheeks turned a rosy shade as she gazed toward his chest. “How long have you been awake?”

  “Ten minutes at most. It hasn’t been long.” He raised up long enough to find the clock on the other side of the bed. The numbers he saw made him do a double take. “Would you believe me if I said it was eleven-thirty?”

  “After crashing at four? Yeah, I’d say that sounds about right. At least it’s Saturday.” She snuggled in closer as another rumble of thunder vibrated the window. “I hope it doesn’t rain tonight. The place we’re going has a gorgeous patio out back. It looks like a maze of hedges and is perfect for privacy. Maybe we’ll show it to Ally and Jonah then slip away so they can talk.”

  He nodded, concentrating on the soft skin under his fingertips. He trailed them over her shoulder, down her back, repeating the path as he answered, “I like the way you think.”

  “Only because my thoughts can be as devious as yours. You’ve met your match, Theo McCabe.”

  That he had, but he still had the upper hand.

  Without warning, he flipped her to the mattress and leaned up on his arm. Part of his body pinned her to the bed, the other remained at her side. He thought he’d caught her off guard, but she laughed, causing him to do the same. Then he leaned over and kissed her.

  He kept it short, sweet, and just tender enough that when he pulled away, her eyes remained closed. When they finally opened, he ran his finger over her lips. “I never had any doubt you were my match. You’re not like any woman I’ve ever known, Cassie Clarke. I like that about you. You are perfect for me.”

  The room grew quiet, minus the rain beating against the window. Something seemed off. She remained silent but kept focused on him. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I just… What are we doing, Theo?”

  “Laying in bed together.” He made light of the situation even though he noticed her tensing.

  “Yeah, we are, but what are we doing? Is this just a one night thing, or a while you’re in town thing, or what exactly?”

  The moment had arrived. She’d given him the opportunity to discuss where things could go. All he had to do was take the chance.

  “What if it’s neither, yet a hell of a lot more?”

  She drew her brows together and shook her head. “My mind can’t process riddles right now.”

  “Then answer this. What do you want this to be?” He nipped her lips. “What do you want us to be?”

  “I didn’t realize there was an us.”

  “There can be, if that’s what you want.”

  The seconds ticked away as she gaped at him. It was like being caught between desire and aversion. Either she wanted him as much as he wanted her, or he’d pushed things too far. He wasn’t sure which, and patience wasn’t his best trait. Quite the opposite. The lump forming inside his throat grew thicker the longer he waited for her response.

  Then she touched his cheek. “Yeah… I think I want there to be an us.”

  “Okay, but you have to decide what you want it to mean.”

  “What about you? Do you want the same?”

  Did she still need convincing?

  He worked his fingers through her hair and lowered his head. She had him in a haze again. The truth would come out no matter how much he resisted. So he didn’t.

  “I want you, Cassie. I want you now, tonight, next week, next month, next year. I’ve always wanted you. Nothing has changed that. Nothing will.”

  “But define want.”

  “I already have. I don’t want anyone else touching you. In my mind, you belong to me, but the choice isn’t mine to make. It’s yours.”

  “And your career?”

  The hardest part in all of this was giving her an answer to something he didn’t know. There was no way to know where his future was headed, but she was the one he imagined beside him. He wanted her in his life.

  “I don’t know what’s in store for the band. Things may be hectic at first, but we can get through it. When I’m not on the road, I’ll be with you.”

  The tension between them remained as she gazed off. “Women are going to throw themselves at you. Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Cassie, I don’t care about any other woman but you.”

  “I heard it gets lonely out there, even for people in committed relationships. Temptation arises, and—”

  He silenced her with another kiss and wedged himself between her legs. When he felt her relax, he eased back on his knees. “I don’t care if some woman lays down in front of me and spreads her legs. It won’t affect me.” He grabbed underneath her knees and bent them toward her waist. “These are the only legs I want to be between.”

  He lowered his chest to hers and rocked his hips. One slow, steady thrust sent his cock deep. Her mouth parted, then she released the sexiest moan he’d ever heard.

  Sinking deeper inside, he filled her completely and swept over her lips again. “No one else can make me feel what you do. I wouldn’t risk losing you for a moment of pleasure with someone else. Not even for a night. Not even if I knew I could get away with it.”

  Her breathing increased as she wiggled her hips beneath him. “How can you be sure you’ll always feel that way?”

  “Because”—he withdrew slowly then drove back inside, repeating the motion until a steady rhythm formed—“I’ve never wanted anyone but you. I swear, I never will.”

  She rolled her body with his. Each time he plunged inside her, she bucked against him. Her nails scraped across his ass. Then she gripped it. The tighter she squeezed, the harder he thrust.

  Her hips gyrated with his. She was panting, moaning, and whispering his name. As much as he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to hear her voice more. He focused on the sound and quickened his pace.

  His original plan to conquer her was over. The victory lay beneath him, but he was far from collecting his prize. Her heart would be the ultimate one. If he wanted her forever, owning it would be the only way.

  He had to remind her of why she should say yes. Every thrust he gave her was meant to do just that, but not because he wanted her hanging in a web of desire only he could unweave. She had to see that no one else would worshi
p her the way he did.

  Whatever she decided, he would have to accept, but he’d fight for his chance to convince her until the end. Five rounds of mind-blowing sex should be sufficient enough. And if not, there was always the chance she could change her mind before he left.

  He’d hold on to that thought, regardless of what the odds told him.

  ***

  Time was the enemy. Theo realized that fact the minute he woke this morning and found Cassie in his arms. He knew this moment would come, the one where he had to release her. He couldn’t keep her locked up in his room all day and night no matter how tempting the thought might be. At least the separation was temporary. Come evening, they’d be together again.

  The glass cooled his skin as he pressed his forehead to the window and stared toward the street. Cassie was opening the back door of a cab. He didn’t miss the way she peeked over her shoulder and smiled toward the hotel before she ducked inside and closed it.

  He savored his last glance.

  The time they’d spent together was burned into his mind, never to be removed. Watching her walk out the door was the hardest thing he’d done in a while. Probably harder than the day he left Savannah. Consequently, he let her go back then too. Yet this time, things were different.

  For the first time in his life, he was getting everything he wanted. He and Cassie may not have made it official yet, but he knew it wouldn’t be long. She liked the idea of them, even said as much when he asked if she did.

  As the taxi disappeared up the street, he gazed over the city. The sun began descending into the horizon. It cast its rich red and orange hues around the last of the storm clouds drifting toward the ocean.

  If the rain had left sooner, he would have taken Cassie back to the studio to get her car. As much as they drank last night, he was glad she’d left it there and asked him to walk. Had things turned out differently between them, she may have left for home and ended up in an accident. She could have been hurt. Or worse…

  He gritted his teeth and studied his room but remained in front of the window. Losing Cassie was not an option. He refused to let anything take her away. Not death, not his uncertain future, not some asshole that thought she belonged to him.

  The only thing capable of screwing this up was his failure to keep a promise, the one that brought them together from the start. He couldn’t let a simple conversation keep him from getting everything he’d longed for.

  It was time for the final round of this game he was playing. All he had to do was allow the pieces to fall into place. That wouldn’t happen until a certain conversation occurred.

  Luckily, he didn’t have far to go to make the verbal exchange. The hands on the clock were dwindling down, closing in on the hour of their date. Only it was more than a date. It was his chance at having the life he’d always wanted. He couldn’t fuck it up now.

  It was time to find Jonah.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Damn it, Theo, I wish you would have come.”

  Cassie grumbled the words under her breath as she stood outside her door, fumbling with the lock and key. There was too much to carry. She realized as much when she walked onto her porch. The items she’d grabbed at the grocery store were hard enough to lug inside. That didn’t include the item awaiting her arrival.

  As helpful as it would be to have him there, it wasn’t the only reason she wished he’d come. She hated leaving him at the hotel. They could have hung out before they left to meet Ally and Jonah, but the last twenty-four hours convinced her it was best they didn’t. They had to separate until evening. If not, they’d end up right where they left off.

  Tonight was about her friend, not her.

  A minute later, the knob twisted enough that the door opened. Once she slid around it, she closed it with her foot. A few items fell to the ground with a thud. Luckily, there was nothing in her bags that would break, unlike the glass vase in her hands.

  She stared at the arrangement as she proceeded to the living room. Pink petals and deep green leaves filled the vase, along with a tiny card. She itched to open it and see who had sent the camellias. It was nowhere near her birthday so it couldn’t be from her parents.

  The coffee table came into view as she passed through the room. The bare top provided plenty of space to set the vase. The flowers would make a great centerpiece anyway. They were beautiful.

  When they were in place, she tugged the envelope off its holder. Anticipation bubbled within as she loosened the flap and slid out the card. Black font spread across the paper, forming letters and words into a short message.

  I want to be your permanent weekend guy.

  No name accompanied the message. Neither did any initials. The florist might know who purchased them but it didn’t guarantee they’d give her the information. Besides, it was too late to call.

  Perhaps Theo sent them…

  She gazed at the clock and checked the time. It was nearing the two-hour mark since she’d left his hotel room. She doubted he had enough time to order them. Aside from an occasional bathroom break, they’d barely been apart since she walked into his room last night. Besides, she’d never given him her address.

  It was possible that he followed her home, or he found her info somewhere online. As far as she knew, her personal information was unlisted. Of course, it wasn’t impossible to get—for a price. Would Theo go to the trouble?

  Mike wouldn’t need to. He’d been to her house before. Not long after their first hookup, he joked about being her weekend fling. The things he said and did last weekend, as well as last night, were proof that he was thinking about something more. She’d been too caught up in thoughts of Theo to realize it then.

  Though he’d never sent her flowers before, she’d never kept her distance from him the way she had the past week. Was he getting desperate for ways to communicate?

  Easing onto the sofa, she shrugged her purse straps from her shoulder and leaned into the cushions. Whether Mike sent the flowers didn’t really matter. She had to speak with him. It was time to set him straight. No matter how unsure she was about Theo, she knew for certain the casual thing with Mike was over.

  Texting him as much would be the easy way out, but she wasn’t a coward. He deserved to be told to his face. Anything else seemed cruel. She didn’t hate him. He just… He wasn’t Theo.

  Brushing off the thoughts, she focused on her task. She wouldn’t tell him the news over a text, but she would set up a time for them to meet. The sooner they did, the better.

  Hopefully, he wouldn’t make a scene. He wouldn’t if they were in public. They could meet somewhere downtown, even outside of Midnight Blues if they had to. She would be in the general vicinity when she met Ally anyway.

  Opening her purse, she grabbed her phone and removed it. The light caught on something inside, drawing her attention to the camellia hair comb. She hadn’t worn it since the prior weekend when she first ran into Theo. The next day, she was questioning the legend behind it.

  As she typed a message to Mike, she gawked at the comb and cursed herself. It only took a week to fail at her mission on debunking its legend. If anything, her reaction to Theo validated it. Was it possible he was her true half?

  They were a lot alike…

  After she finished typing Mike’s message, she read over it once more then tapped the send button. There was no turning back now, not that she wanted to. Mike was never meant to be the permanent man in her life. She knew that going into their agreement. Why he changed his mind, she didn’t know. Probably never would.

  People changed. Certain things became less important. New goals were made. It was the evolution known as life. She and Mike were among billions of people doing the same thing. Living.

  Theo was a different story. He was the same guy she knew since childhood, except the passionate side of him had fully emerged. Every minute they’d spent together convinced her as much. They weren’t just living. They were hanging on a moment that could lead to forever…

&
nbsp; As good as it all seemed, she hadn’t forgotten why this all started. She and Theo were supposed to be working on Ally and Jonah’s relationship, not one of their own.

  Still, Theo was hard to resist. The way he kissed her, touched her, and savored every part of her was more than anyone had. It awoke a desire inside her that she never knew existed.

  “Holy shit… It’s true,” she whispered the words as reality slammed into her, but there was little time to consider what it all meant.

  The doorbell chimed throughout the house.

  She shoved her phone inside her purse, covering the comb, then proceeded to the front door. Just as she gripped the handle, a familiar knock resonated. The door swung wide, then Cori brushed past her. Her sister grumbled something under her breath about being inconsiderate, along with a few obscenities. Whatever had her in a tizzy was still unclear, but judging by the way she glared in Cassie’s direction, Cori was about to unleash a full-fledged rant.

  “It sure is nice to know you’re alive. I guess it’s okay for you to treat me like I’m still five and demand I check in, but the moment it’s required of you, it’s a different set of rules.”

  Cassie closed the door before joining her sister. “What in the world are you talking about, Cori?”

  “Uh, last night. I saw the whole thing, Cass. Then you were gone. I couldn’t find you. I tried calling but got your voice mail. When all else failed I went searching. I’ve been all over this damn city looking for you at places I know you frequent. I’ve been worried sick.”

  Once Cori paused for a breath, Cassie motioned for her to follow. As they entered the living room, she glanced at the camellias before she responded, “You should have tried Midnight Blues. You would have found me.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about. I was there.”

  “When?”

  “Last night.”

  Cassie stopped short of the coffee table and faced her sister. “You were at Midnight Blues last night?”

  “Are you fucking hard of hearing? I said yes.” Cori rolled her eyes but continued. “I had enough time to get a drink before I spotted you and Theo McCabe on the dance floor. I didn’t know you were into him, sis.”