by Lucy Francis
Worse, number two, he didn’t want more than friendship. She knew she got to him. The flashes of heat and desire in his eyes told her so, as did the possessive way he sometimes pulled him to her, only to let it turn into a friendly hug because he didn’t want anything more. And she hadn’t forgotten a single detail of his kiss after their first date. But he had his own reasons for staying just friends. He bore the weight of huge responsibilities right now, and she knew he’d been hurt before.
Number three, Danny. He was a great big roadblock all on his own.
Enough already. There was no sense in twisting herself into knots when going with the flow was the only option she really had. They were friends, definitely. At the moment, Andri couldn’t reconcile where benefits would fit into their lives without creating additional problems neither of them needed. That idea went back on the furthest, coolest burner on her mental stove. She released all her thoughts to the warm evening breeze, losing herself in the rushing fountain’s music.
****
Night spread through the sky above Travis. In the light of old fashioned lamps on posts throughout the hotel’s gardens, small groups of people still gathered, talking, laughing. Travis quickened his pace, his need to feel Andri beside him increasing as the minutes passed. He ignored the warning in his head. Being with her, talking with her, touching her filled him up, brightening his dark soul, and his internal mantra of keep it light, don’t get too close grew quieter.
He got a lucky break. One of the couples he’d introduced Andri to earlier in the evening had seen her recently, and pointed him in the right direction. He passed through a vine-covered arch and spotted her standing by a fountain. He crossed the walkway quietly, trying not to disturb whatever her thoughts might be. He stopped a few feet from her, letting the vision of her fill his senses.
She faced away from him, staring at the tumbling water. Her gown swirled around her in the evening breeze, outlining her legs, the curve of her hips. The bare skin of her shoulder and upper back made his fingers ache to touch her, to caress the silkiness of her shoulder, the curve of her neck, to catch her vanilla scent as he kissed her nape. The tiny lights dancing on the trees glinted off her dark hair, the thick, loose twist calling to him. Her hair should be loose, free, in his hands.
He got less than a foot from her before she realized someone was there and stiffened. Before she could turn around, he shushed her. “It’s just me, Andri.”
She relaxed and turned her head slightly, watching him in her peripheral vision. He grasped one of the few stray tendrils of hair floating across her back, twining it around his finger, the strands silky smooth, then released it. He set his hands on her shoulders, and she shivered. Her soft skin tempted him. Travis trailed his thumbs gently down her spine to her waist, then ran his fingertips up again. The silken texture of her skin matched that of her dress, a sensation nearly too much for his control. His breathing quickened, his heart pounding like he’d run here to the fountain. He tightened his grip on her shoulders, winding in his desire a bit.
“You owe me one for leaving me by myself with the most annoying client of the decade.” He tried to mask the edge of want in his voice, and knew he failed.
She trembled when he shifted nearer, so close behind her yet not quite touching. “It seemed best to let you talk business alone,” she said, her grainy voice wavering.
Travis laughed softly. “I think I’ve talked enough.” He ran a hand along her throat, up under her chin, tilting her head to the side to give him access. He couldn’t resist tasting her there, to see if she was still as sweet as he remembered.
The sound of her gasp sent a tremor down his spine as he pressed his lips to the heated, tender skin along the side of her neck. The vanilla fragrance, so completely hers, wrapped around him as he slid his other hand down her arm and across her waist, pulling her tight against him, his chest pressed to her back.
He trailed kisses along her neck and jaw, his pulse roaring in his ears, his groin stirring. Her soft, small hand spread against the back of his hand, pressing his palm hard to her abdomen. Every muscle in his body cranked tighter and he rested his chin on her shoulder, fighting inside to master his desire before he lost it completely.
He released her chin and raised his hand to her mass of hair. His fingers found a pin and eased it from the thick strands. As he released the second one, she shivered in his arms. His awareness of her grew acute and he refused to think, to reason beyond this perfect moment.
He nuzzled her ear, the scent of her sweet and exotic and entirely intoxicating. “I want my hands in your hair,” he murmured, then flicked his tongue along her earlobe. She said nothing, her breath catching, but her hand met his, pulling pins loose. He took the pins from her, dropping them in his pocket. She sifted through her hair with her fingers, and the heavy dark waves tumbled down across his shoulder and neck, touching a chord deep inside him, drawing a groan past his lips. Heated memories of his dreams, of her wrapped around him, surfaced hard and strong.
Travis pulled her around to face him, the need to taste her more than he could bear. Her eyes, huge and deep, searched his and she curled a hand around the back of his neck. Her touch yanked his control over the breaking point. With his arm around her waist and his other hand knotting into her mass of hair, Travis lowered his mouth over hers.
Their lips touched, held, then melded. Electricity ripped through his body when she responded to him. He felt her slip a hand inside his jacket and up his back, and Andri wrapped her other arm around his neck, pulling him securely to her. The pressure of every sweet curve filled him, overwhelmed him. He drew the tip of his tongue across the seam of her lips.
A whimper escaped her. She parted her lips beneath his, and he deepened the kiss. The faint taste of cola and chocolate on her tongue overloaded his already buzzing senses, and he lost awareness of anything beyond her mouth, her body. He felt her weaken in his arms, her fingers flexing and tightening on his shirt, his neck. He slid his hand down from her waist, pulling her hips flush against him. Her breath hitched, and in that moment he knew he was lost.
Panic clamped around his heart. He broke the kiss and lifted his head, suddenly unable to breathe. God, what had he done? He’d allowed himself to blur the borders of their friendship and the price for both of them loomed in his head. He gently, deliberately disentangled himself from her arms.
She looked up at him, dark eyes still hazy with desire, a smile on her soft lips. Her expression told him she had no idea she’d stripped his heart bare, no idea she held the power to crush him. God help him, he didn’t want her to know. He’d known he was flirting with danger, but spending time with her felt so damned good. She was everything he needed, everything he wanted. But the potential they had to hurt each other sent the scale so far out of balance, how could he possibly justify anything other than friendship?
The breeze kicked up stronger then, cooler, sending a shiver through her, giving him the way out he desperately needed. “It’s getting chilly. I’d better get you to the car.”
“You do a fine job of keeping me warm,” she said, her low, whiskey voice luring his body.
Panic shifted into higher gear. He took a deep breath, searching inside for something to barricade himself. Anger at himself for allowing things to go a little too far rose, but he refused to wield that against her. Instead, he reached for a grin. “Andri, it’s time to take you home. Chivalry isn’t dead, you know. I’m supposed to protect you from things that lurk in the night.”
Her dark eyes flashed and she smiled again. “Things like you?”
Oh, if she only knew. He shook his head and took her hand. “Come on.”
Chapter Nine
Travis regretted kissing her. Andri watched him during the drive home from the fundraiser, and the regret flickered in his eyes and threaded through his voice, even as he laughed and talked with her. She kept the conversation light for his sake, though his obvious remorse tore at her.
No one had kissed her like Tr
avis did. Ever. Not even close. His heat still imprinted her, searing her all the way to her toes. She struggled to keep her mind on the conversation, not on the memory of his strong hands or the sure way he had taken possession of her. He could have taken her right there in that secluded spot in the garden, if he wanted to. Could have her now, if he asked.
He’d never ask.
She replayed the scene over in her head, reliving the sensations of Travis holding her, the need she felt in his kiss. She lingered on the heat of his mouth, the hardness of his muscles under her fingers, the possessive way he pulled her to him.
It left her aching, body and soul. But something had yanked him out of the moment, and she wished she understood what. The ugly little thoughts that fed her inadequacies filtered into her head.
She’d told Rachel she didn’t have any man skills. She never kept a man’s interest beyond a few of months. Men seemed to like her, or at least like part of her, until they got to know her better. Some drifted away, with calls or texts or online messages dying off gradually. Others were more direct, and she’d heard ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ enough to figure it probably was her. Seeing them move on to someone else who really did make them happy solidified it. Her man skills sucked. She shoved the mental snakes to the back of her mind, refusing to feed them as they coiled and hissed.
Parked in front of her apartment building, Travis switched off the ignition, leaving them in the dark, his face outlined by the sidewalk light. He stared out his window, tension filling the air between them. “Travis,” she said softly. “Look at me.”
His gaze met hers as she ran her fingers over his where they clenched the steering wheel. “It was just a kiss, Travis. It was a great kiss, but that’s all. Don’t regret it, because that just makes me feel inadequate.”
She couldn’t breathe, watching distress and a hint of anger cloud his eyes. His gaze went to her mouth and held. He reached over and drew his fingers along her cheek, pulling the ache inside her to a peak. Oh, please kiss me.
Travis ran his thumb across her lower lip, then dropped his hand from her face and got out of the car. He gave her a smile that didn’t gleam in his eyes when he helped her out, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm as he walked her up to her apartment.
Andri’s thoughts churned. She wasn’t sure what to do, but instinct told her if he left with this uncertainty hanging between them, something vital in their relationship would be irretrievably lost. She unlocked her door and turned back to him.
Travis said, “I had a great time, Andri. The best ever at one of my mother’s events.”
His broad shoulders were stiff with tension, his dark blue gaze conflicted. Her heart pounded, pulsing in her ears, as he stared at her mouth for a moment, then shifted back on his heel, ready to turn away. Watching him leave suddenly became unbearable. “Travis?”
He froze. “What?”
What did she think she could say? Please don’t leave? I want you? She’d hit something inside him, something he pulled back to protect. How did she work past that?
She drew a shaky breath, then stepped forward and smoothed the lapel of his jacket. “Come in for a while.”
He watched her, his expression clouded, the muscle in his jaw clenching. A man at war with his thoughts. Finally, he stepped forward, pushed the door open, and waved her in.
Travis followed her, sinking onto the sofa with her. He sat stiffly, hands on his thighs, and she wondered how to proceed. She was making this up as she went along, and now she wondered what she was doing. As much as she feared sacrificing herself in a relationship that would be a ménage between her, him, and his pain, she wasn’t ready to let the possibility of being with Travis vanish.
She took his hand in hers, feeling the calluses on his palms under her fingertips. He ran his thumb over her knuckles and a slow burn ignited deep inside her belly, swirling in time with the motion of his thumb. She licked her lips, a thrill shivering across her skin when his gaze focused on her mouth. Then he shook his head once. He lifted her hand, pressed his lips to her knuckles, and released her. “I’d better go.”
No, that’s not what she wanted. Her brain flew through options in the seconds between when he spoke and she responded, “Why?”
He laughed softly. “Why? Honestly? Because if I stay, I don’t think we’ll be friends for long.”
Her stomach flipped. He felt the heat, too. Good. For once in her life, she was going to dig into the source code of a relationship and program it to do what she wanted it to. “I have an idea.”
His brows lifted. “What sort of an idea?”
She sat up, leaning toward him slightly. “Neither one of us is looking for a serious relationship right now.”
“True.”
“But I’ll be honest with you, Travis. I’ve been really lonely for a long time now, even before I found out my engagement was a farce. Feeling alone when you’re with someone hurts even more than just being alone, you know?” She laid her hand on Travis’s thigh and watched the hunger she’d been hoping for fill his gaze. “I’d bet my life savings that you’re every bit as lonely.”
He swallowed hard. “I am. But I see where you’re headed with this, and it’s not a good idea.”
“Oh, you think not? Tell me something. Do you think about kissing me in your truck?”
His expression grew pained. “Constantly.”
“So do I. Look, we’re both intelligent adults here. We like each other, we get along, we clearly have chemistry. We don’t have to fall into anything if we choose not to. We can take care of each other, enjoy each other’s company. Like, friends with benefits.”
He shook his head, his tension visible. “It won’t work. Do you know how many movies have been made with that premise? We won’t stay friends. The whole thing will implode.”
“No, it won’t. We’ll be careful. We won’t abuse the privilege of benefits.” She traced her fingers up his arm, along his shoulder, down to his chest. She reveled in the hard heat of the muscles beneath his snowy shirt. “Travis, I haven’t been touched in four years. I need your hands on me.”
He ran his fingertips down the side of her face, then slid his hand into the mass of hair at her nape, his stormy gaze locking onto hers. The intense desire radiating from him was unmistakable and cranked her own to a fever pitch. Please say yes, please, please.
Travis wrapped her hair around his hand and her breath caught. He shifted closer, tilted her chin up with his other hand, the warmth of his skin feeding the flame inside her. He brushed his lips over hers, once, twice, then held, sinfully gentle. The rushing sound of her pulse grew stronger in her ears, as he caressed her lips with his own.
“Promise me you won’t hate me in the morning.” His words vibrated against her mouth.
Could she ever hate him? “I promise.”
His mouth captured hers again, harder, his tongue seeking entry. She moaned, deep in her throat, as her lips parted, welcoming him.
He tasted her, exploring her mouth in a slow seduction that made her ache for more. Travis held her to him, kissing along her jaw, down her throat as she dropped her head back. The heat of his mouth sent Andri’s pulse soaring, and she reveled in the iron grip of his arm around her, curling her fingers around the hard bicep beneath his tuxedo jacket. Goosebumps shivered onto her skin in the wake of his hand caressing her back, her waist, her bottom. She pressed her palm to his jaw, bringing his lips back to hers.
The rasp of his tongue against hers, the nip of his teeth on her lower lip sent waves of delicious tension rippling through her, coursing over and under her skin. He drew his fingers up, tracing her rib cage, finally closing over her breast, and her flesh tightened in response, every nerve ending alive and tingling. She gasped, arching into his touch. Oh, she’d needed this, needed him, so much! He swirled his thumb over her taut nipple through the layers of silk separating his skin from hers, sending white hot bolts of desire straight through her belly, leaving her throbbing.
Breathin
g hard, he pulled back, his eyes hot. “Come on.” He rose from the sofa, pulling her up by the hand. He kissed her, then grabbed her, swinging her up into his arms. “I’ve dreamed of doing this since I caught you when you fell.”
She loosened the knot on his tie, sliding it from his neck as he carried her down the hall and pushed open her bedroom door with his foot. He set her on her feet at the side of the bed, shrugging out of his tuxedo jacket and letting it drop to the floor as she worked the buttons of his shirt and vest. Soon, those fell to the floor as well, and she ran her hands over the smooth skin and hard muscles. She’d enjoyed her own little lust-fest over his chest since the day she’d watched him coat his firm pecs and golden skin with sunscreen. Touching him beat the hell out of any fantasy.
His hands settled at her waist, fingers stroking along her sides until his left hand found the zipper of her dress. He tugged, growling with obvious frustration when the zipper refused to move. She smiled and threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him down to kiss him while she gripped the top of the dress with her other hand, allowing the zipper to move when he tugged again. “There,” she said. “Teamwork.”
“I like teamwork.” He ran his fingers under the edge of the strap on her gown, pulling it over her shoulder. He drew it slowly down her arm and she shuddered as the fabric slithered over her hips, puddling at the floor when he released it, leaving her bare except for silky pink panties and the shoes she started to slip off.
He stopped her with a hand on her waist. “Keep the shoes.”
The erotic suggestion melted her, leaving her wet and wanting.
“Andromeda.” The rough edge in his voice, the near reverence in his tone, sent a delicious shiver down her spine, matching the electricity generated as his calloused hands skimmed over her bare breasts. “You are beautiful.”