by Jamie Beck
Trip’s expression grew pensive as he considered her advice. She tapped the keys again and Powder magazine’s online site appeared. “Submit articles or guest blog posts here. Getting your name out a couple of times a year will build a following among your main client base.”
“I’m impressed, Kelsey. Beauty and brains.” Trip studied Kelsey with a wide smile, as if for the first time he noticed she was more than perky body parts. Not that she minded his appreciation of her appearance, but she liked being seen as something more, especially by a guy like Trip, who probably never thought of women as anything more than sex dolls. “It all sounds great, but how do I design a site or set up all those other things?”
Kelsey patted the manual to her right. “Between this book, YouTube videos, and other free information, you can get this all done with very little cost if you’re willing to put in the time.”
“I thought you were going to help me do it.” Trip murmured in the smooth tone she recognized as one of a man trying to woo a woman into doing his bidding. Like a full-bodied red wine with a lingering finish, his seductive voice could lull her into all kinds of trouble.
Kelsey didn’t want trouble. Or rather, she couldn’t afford to waste time on trouble, not at her age.
“More like you hoped I was going to do it for you. Well, I’m not. I’ll help a bit, but I’ve got my own business to deal with, plus the homework Wade gave me.”
Trip sat back, arms crossed, head shaking. “Homework from Wade? What harebrained scheme are you using now to get his attention?”
Kelsey kicked Trip’s calf.
“Hey, those shoes hurt!” He rubbed his shinbone.
“Sissy.” Kelsey shot him an arch look. “It’s no scheme. I’m expanding my business and getting into real estate investing, too.”
“Don’t tell me you’re in favor of what he’s doing to this town?” Trip’s playfulness fled.
“Of course I am. I’m making great money from Wade, plus his developments will bring in more tourists and create jobs, too.”
“Temporary construction jobs and low-paying retail jobs.” Trip’s peeved tone stunned her. “This town already gets plenty of tourists—people who come for its antique charm and natural beauty. If guys like Wade keep destroying the land to put up new buildings, tourists will start going elsewhere to ‘get away’ from it all.”
She hadn’t considered that before, but she wouldn’t concede anything to Trip. “Fancy hotels and luxury shops won’t drive tourists away. Look at Aspen.”
“Yeah, look at Aspen—a once great, funky ski town that has slowly been transformed into a ‘see and be seen’ place for posers. In my opinion, it’s lost all its personality.”
She resisted the urge to frown. He wasn’t totally wrong. Aspen had kinda lost some of its magic. Still, Sterling Canyon needed a boost. This old mining town wouldn’t be destroyed by one high-end retail development. And maybe she couldn’t control making her dreams of family come true, but she sure as heck would take control of her career.
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree, Trip,” Kelsey said. “I’m all for more options in this little town. And I’m counting on the commission from this deal to set me up to invest in some rental properties of my own.”
“I wouldn’t rely on that if I were you.” His tone and posture issued a warning, but what did Trip know about investing?
“Leave Wade and real estate to me, cowboy. Stick to what you know best—the slopes and women.”
He shook his head before he cocked it. Studying her thoughtfully, his eyes never drifting below her chin. Perhaps she’d gained a little of his respect? Then his facial muscles relaxed and he ruined the moment by wiggling his brows suggestively. “Tell the truth, your real interest in Wade’s got nothing to do with these deals, does it?”
“Why is your mind always in the gutter?”
“It’s fun in there.” He lazily leaned back in his chair, which he’d turned to face her, stretching one leg forward until his foot nearly touched hers, like the snake in the Garden of Eden. “In fact, I think you should join me for a while before you wind up married and bored.”
“Bored?” She cocked her head, annoyed. When he started fiddling with a pink eraser, she asked, “Why would I be bored?”
“Because everyone who gets married ends up bored. One person—forever?” He tossed aside the eraser he’d been tapping on the desk. “Good God, I’m bored even thinking about it.”
“Naturally you’re bored. You can’t even be with the same woman for a whole weekend.” His unrepentant shrug prompted her to lean forward. “You may be proud of that fact, but it tells me you only have a few moves and no imagination.”
His cocky expression transformed to heated indignation and then something . . . else. He hooked his foot around the leg of her chair and yanked it toward his own. After planting his hands on the arms of her chair and caging her with his body, he murmured, “Honey, you can’t throw down a challenge like that unless you’re willing to let me prove you wrong.”
Before she could respond, he unclipped her hair and ran his fingers through her curls. Every hair on her body vibrated in anticipation as his gaze dropped to her mouth.
Bewildered. Excited. Confused. A little terrified. The conflicting emotions coursed through her veins, making the one at the base of her neck throb so hard she thought it might burst.
“Tri—” she began, but he silenced her with a breathtaking kiss. Firm, a little rough, a whole lotta hot. She didn’t want his kiss, or at least she hadn’t been angling for one, and yet its carnal power swept her away.
He groaned, making her heart thunder. In a fluid movement, he lifted her as if she weighed no more than a Styrofoam cup, plunking her bottom onto the desk. Settling his hips between her legs, he dragged her to the edge of the desk, using his hands to coax her legs around his waist. He crushed her against his body while hungrily kissing her mouth, jaw, and neck.
Whatever happened in the future, she could no longer make wisecracks about his skill. Her entire body burned like she’d been thrown in front of a bonfire.
His hands were everywhere—seeking, touching, kneading—turning her on way more than she could handle. Granted, it had been a while since she’d been with a man, but the way he overpowered her, took what he wanted, and knew what to do with it, well, it unleashed yearning buried deep inside, which took hold like some kind of drug.
He broke the kiss to catch his breath, then immediately pressed his mouth to her neck. She gasped as he pulled her closer to his body. He practically growled when the hard ridge of his erection rubbed against her panties, making her wet and needy and panicked.
This could not happen. Not here and now.
Not with Trip, of all men.
That thought broke through her lusty haze so she shoved at his chest. “Wait.”
“Why?” He barely got the word out as he continued his hot assault on her body, his thumbs now circling her nipples through the fabric of her dress. “Let’s do this, Kelsey. We both want it.” He kissed her again, and like the hungry fool she was, she kissed him back. “That’s my girl.”
His cocky tone coupled with the little smirk she felt against her cheek gave her the strength to push him away.
“Trip, please. Stop.” She kicked him again, this time in the thigh.
“Hey, those damn heels are lethal, especially in this vicinity.” He waved his hand in front of his crotch.
She jumped off the desk and backed away. “I don’t know what that was about, but it never happened. You are never going to tell Grey or Avery or anyone else.”
“First of all, barely anything happened.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Secondly, why the hell does a kiss have to be a state secret?”
“Look, Trip. I’ve grown up being thought of as some kind of blond bombshell, making it impossible to get a man to see me any other way. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but if I get associated with you, no decent man in this small town will ever take me seriously
. And whether or not you think it would be boring to be ‘stuck’ with the same person, it’s the one thing I want more than anything else. So I will not muck it up just for twenty minutes of pleasure.”
“Oh, at least an hour, darlin’.” He was hard and horny and stunned that she’d shot him down. She looked damn gorgeous standing there, fired up and flushed, chest heaving, hair wild and flowing.
Kelsey rolled her eyes. “Go ahead, joke. It’s what you do best.” She straightened her dress and then bent over to pick her purse off the floor. “Return my book when you’re done with it, please.”
“Wait a second.” He held up his hands. That little taste of Kelsey had only whet his appetite, confirming what he’d suspected all along. She would be H-O-T. Now he needed to convince her to loosen up and have a little fun . . . with him. “Tell me why you’re so desperate to get married. I mean, shouldn’t you actually meet someone and fall in love first? Maybe the reason you keep failing is because you’re going about it all backward.”
Kelsey hugged her purse to her chest, frowning. “Is this the part where you try to give me relationship advice again?”
“Now there’s an idea.” He smiled as he took a small step toward her.
“I don’t want your advice.” She stepped back. “I don’t trust you.”
“Ouch.” He grabbed his chest, mocking the insult. “Between the shoes and that sharp tongue, I’m losing a lot of blood this morning.”
“Look, I’ve got to go.” She turned to leave.
“Go study for Wade?” The thought of her and Wade curdled in his stomach like sour milk. Wade wasn’t a strong enough personality for Kelsey. She’d be bored within a month, no matter what she thought right now. Kelsey needed someone bigger, stronger, and more fun than Wade to keep her interested for a lifetime. Someone more like Trip—not that he was vying for the honors.
“No, not for Wade!” She whirled around, eyes blazing, and stepped toward him. “For myself, Trip. Expand my horizons. Fulfill my potential. Any of these concepts mean anything to you?” She shrugged one shoulder. “Of course, if it makes me more appealing to Wade and other men, then all the better. Eventually I’ll find my happily-ever-after with someone who wants a family. Someone who won’t be bored by the idea of a woman who adores him and supports him and loves him above all others.”
“Settle down, princess.” This time he inched closer. “I’m here to help.”
“Yeah, right.” Her nose wrinkled, skepticism written all over her face. “Help how?”
“When you find your next target—” She scowled at his word choice, so he stopped and rephrased. “When you meet the next guy you want to date, I’ll help you reel him in.”
“Oh, really?” She tipped up her chin, narrowing her gaze, apparently unaware that he’d taken another step closer. “How, exactly, will you perform that magic act?”
“By keeping you from making the mistakes you made with Grey and Wade, and whomever else, that pushed those guys away. I’ll be your gatekeeper.” Now he was close enough to touch her again, but he didn’t dare just yet.
“And why would you take on that role?”
“I love a good challenge.” He chuckled at her outraged expression and held up his hands to fend off the whack she aimed at his chest. “Seriously, Kelsey, I think you’re a sweet girl and I know I can help you. But while you’re looking around for Mr. Right, there’s no reason you can’t have a no-strings fling with me. Memories to keep you warm on those cold days in the future when you’re bored.” He winked.
“You don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“Nah, that’s no fun. Besides, last night you admitted it’d been too long since you had a ‘good time’ with anyone. We get along. If the past few minutes prove anything, it’s that we’d be combustible. Let’s enjoy each other’s company without all the BS that screws up serious relationships. In the end, we both wind up happy, satisfied friends.”
“You’d get what you want, but I won’t. I just told you, a fling with you will make me undesirable to most of the men around here.”
“We’ll keep it a secret, then.” Worked better for Trip anyway, considering Grey’s request. “Hell, that’ll even make it hotter. And Kelsey, don’t pretend that kiss didn’t make you hot.”
At least she didn’t argue that point. He noticed her cheeks turn pink even as she tried to feign indifference. “This is still not a good deal for me.”
“Deal? It’s not a transaction, princess. Just two single people having fun.” He stepped closer still, sensing some interest on her part. “But if the broker in you is more comfortable treating it like a deal, negotiate your terms.”
“Well, you get everything you want right up front, but you can’t guarantee I’ll ever get what I want most.” Her voice wobbled a little as she registered his body crowding hers.
“I sure can. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re successful. You’re kind, or at least you are to everyone else. And you’re savvy. There are plenty of men out there who’d want you if you didn’t scare them all away by coming on too strong.” Her disbelieving expression spurred him on. “In fact, I’m so sure I’m right, I’d even be willing to make a bet.”
“A bet?” She tapped her fingers against her bicep.
“Yep.”
“I get to name the prize?” One corner of her mouth lifted.
“Wait a sec, you’ve got to promise you’ll follow my instructions to the letter. I can’t have you purposely screw up just to win the prize.”
“I want a husband and kids more than anything you could give me, Trip.” She tilted her head, assessing him. Her grin suggested something between suspicion and daring. “Since you’re so confident, then I’m thinking your grandfather’s Stetson should be sufficient motivation.”
“You must have lost your mind when I kissed you.”
“Hey, this was your proposition.” She poked her index finger at his chest. “You’re the one who seems so interested in a secret sexual relationship. You’re the one who claims to have all the answers. You’re the one who came up with the bet.” Her grin transformed to some smug flirty expression. “If you want to call it quits, that’s fine with me. I’ve got other things to do today, anyway.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder, releasing the perfumed scent of her shampoo into the six inches of space separating their bodies. Whether the aroma infected his brain, or those pouty lips of hers made him stupid, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he heard himself saying, “Hang on. How about a thousand bucks instead of the hat? That should make you comfortable I won’t renege on my promise.”
“You’re serious?” Her mouth fell open. “You’d actually pay me a grand if you fail?”
“I’m not going to fail.” He refrained from touching her while he waited for her answer. His heart dropped a bit when she started shaking her head.
“Why are you suddenly so interested in my love life?”
“I’m not interested in your love life. I’m interested in your sex life, but I’m happy to help you with your love life, as a friend—one with benefits.”
“You’re going to an awful lot of effort just to sleep with me, Trip. Have I just stumbled onto the real reason why so many women fall into bed with you—do they all get this same deal? Or is there some other reason you’re so intent on taking me to bed?”
“You want me to admit to fantasizing about what it’d be like to strip you down and heat you up? Fine. Busted. I want you. Now that I know you’ve got no interest in a relationship with me, that makes you the perfect woman.” Trip linked his fingers with hers and tugged her against his body. He could feel her heart beating faster, which totally turned him on. Instinct urged him to grab her and kiss her into submission, but he refrained. “So are you down with this?”
Her eyes searched his as if she were trying to solve a puzzle. “Okay, cowboy. But forget the money—that makes me feel tacky. It’s the hat or nothing.”
Hell no.
“The hat is off the table.�
�� His mouth set in a grim line.
“Guess you’re not so sure you can help me, then, which means everything else is off the table, too.” She patted his shoulder, taunting him. “See you ’round.”
She got about three steps away before he found himself chasing after her. He reached out and yanked her back so her heart-shaped ass smacked against his pelvis. “You win.” Snaking one arm around her waist, he set his mouth right beside her ear while gently wrapping her hair around his other wrist to expose her neck, just the way he’d been yearning to do for months. “Or maybe I’ve won.”
When she shivered, he kissed her neck to remind her of their explosive chemistry and ensure she didn’t back out. Her body softened but then she braced against him, a little breathless. She cast a haughty gaze over her shoulder. “Know this: you’re not winning anything I wasn’t willing to give before I suckered you into that bet.”
“Oh, really?” He chuckled and released her, slowly unraveling his wrist from her hair. “Go on and study. But get some rest, ’cause I’ll be dropping by later tonight.”
As she headed out of the office, she stopped briefly at the door. “You’ve talked a lot of smack since we’ve met, so I’ve just got one piece of advice. You’d better bring your A game, Trip Lexington.”
And then she was gone, leaving him alone with a painful hard-on.
Trip read several pages of the social media book, but his mind kept getting distracted by visceral memories of the way Kelsey smelled, the texture of her hair and skin, the warmth of her mouth. By the mounting anticipation of seeing her again tonight—all of her.
Potent stuff. Intoxicating.
Enough so that she had gotten the upper hand and convinced him to risk losing his most treasured Stetson just to be with her. Dammit, he hadn’t won anything. Somewhere in the middle of his attempted seduction, he’d lost control of the situation.