For Seven Nights Only (Chase Brothers)

by Sarah Ballance

  “This isn’t a good idea,” she managed. “We were drinking.” Rain fogged her glasses, but something else fogged her head. Something that had absolutely nothing to do with the alcohol she no longer felt and everything to do with the kiss she still did. Touching her fingertips to her lips didn’t erase the mark he’d left on her, and she had a feeling that no amount of standing in the rain would remedy that. She swallowed hard under his silent, lingering scrutiny and fought an ache that shouldn’t be anywhere near their corner of the rain-soaked world. “We just shouldn’t.”

  “Yeah,” he said, his voice impassive.

  Clearly they were on the same page.

  So why did she suddenly feel so alone?

  …

  The rain had significantly thinned the foot traffic on the sidewalk, lending to the surreal and odd romanticism of a lightly traveled New York side street. The cool water hitting the warm pavement gave birth to a mist that clouded the reflection of city lights, but nothing could dim the effect Kelsie had on Sawyer.

  Nothing.

  With the first taste of her lips, the contact light and teasing, he’d expected her to tense or remind him for the umpteenth time that they had a hands-off deal. But instead of the brush-off, he’d tasted her whimper. Felt her hesitance roll away like so many raindrops finding a course against her heated skin, and then her. Kelsie Reed, falling into him. Clutching at his nape, her back convex with the effort to get closer.

  Wrecking him.

  Like just a kiss could possibly matter.

  It was a precursor…to nothing.

  He didn’t just kiss for hours on end. He barely kissed on the mouth during sex. It was too intimate. Too much of a promise he refused to make. It never bothered him before. Had never been anything he wanted—always a means to an end. Only a means to an end. But standing there on that damned street with her, he wanted to kiss her while the rain poured and washed away the last of his resistance.

  Only he needed it now more than ever.

  She was still looking at him, eyes shining intensely from behind rain-streaked lenses. He wondered what she saw…if she still wanted him out of her life.

  He hoped like hell not.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that.” And he meant the words, no matter how empty they made him feel.

  She swallowed. “It’s okay. I’m not throwing myself into your bed, so of course your drunk self is up for the challenge.”

  He took her hand and tried like hell not to notice, for the second time in as many days, the points of her nipples straining against the clingy fabric of a soaked dress. No granny bra this time around. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” he asked. “Or would you rather go back inside? It didn’t look to me like you were having any trouble finding prospects. One of them might be your guy, and I promise this time to keep my hands to myself.” As long as no one touches you. Yeah, whatever.

  She held out her free hand, and rain splattered off the little purse thingy she held. “Are you kidding me? I’m drenched.”

  He’d just bet she was. But that wasn’t his problem. What was his problem was how one stupid kiss had been better than sex. But he had a feeling that was an avenue left better unexplored. “Coffee it is.”

  He flagged down a cab, and they tumbled inside, wet, laughing, and headed straight for hell. Time for a detour. A big one.

  “Can you take Monday off?”

  Her eyes narrowed but didn’t dim her smile. “I’m working remotely for now, so sure.”

  “Good.”

  There, that was better. That gave him a whole day to gain some distance and get back his equilibrium, and if that didn’t work, at least there was a bright side.

  Come Monday morning, at least he wouldn’t be the only one climbing the walls.

  Chapter Six

  So much for equilibrium.

  Kelsie took Sawyer’s fucking breath away.

  His tongue had been dragging the floor since she’d opened her door to him bright and early Monday morning, her body smokin’ and tight in a pair of stretchy pants that hugged every curve. He caught the barest glimpse of her tank top as she yanked on a stupidly oversized tee that hung past her hips. “You’re early,” she said.

  He stared, exceptionally grateful she hadn’t put on the shirt before opening the door.

  “What?” she’d asked. “Is this okay? You told me to dress for a workout.” Her eyes narrowed. “Was I supposed to be naked or something? Is that what you meant by workout?”

  If only he’d thought of that. Hell, if only he’d thought about anything else. Despite her fully logical interpretation of his request, he’d wholly expected her to be back to buried-under-fabric status. Not…whatever this was. “No. It’s just a good thing I don’t have to wear tights like that.”

  “They’re not tights. They’re compression pants. They’re great for working out. You should try them sometime.”

  He wasn’t sure if he was looking at her with lust or disbelief, but regardless, there was one thing that remained true. “There’s only one way my dick is getting into those pants, and it won’t be because I’m wearing them.”

  “Noted,” she said. But instead of the Friday-night glare or the Saturday-night uncertainty, he got a Monday-morning smile. A little curious and a whole lot cautious, but definitely warming to him. And damn, she looked good. He couldn’t get that glimpse of her body out of his mind. He’d just taken a solid breath when she threw a scarf into the mix.

  Catching his expression, she grinned and loosened the wrap just a little. Great. Of all the times for her to give him an inch—literally—it had to be right then, when she’d already driven him to distraction.

  He’d skipped the coffee this morning, opting instead for ice water. Much better for a workout, and in a pinch, he could pour it down the front of his track pants. He was still on that plan twenty minutes later when the bus dropped them off in front of the rock climbing gym. It was his favorite place to blow off steam, and in fact, he frequented it so often they’d jokingly given him a T-shirt and a name tag.

  Kelsie stared at the front door, amusement slanting her lips. “So tell me again how this is going to get me noticed?”

  He snorted. “Trust me, if you take off that shirt, there’s no way anyone is going to miss that ass in those pants.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re just charming, you know that?”

  He grinned. “Hey, you wanted to know how to attract a man.”

  “A decent one,” she shot back. “Preferably one with a job. Which is probably not going to be a guy hanging out at a rock gym on a Monday morning.”

  “Yet you and I will be there,” he pointed out. “Both gainfully employed.”

  Her lips settled into a firm line.

  He thought better of laughing. “Look, this place is a zoo on weekends. You’d stand out in any crowd, but I do want you to enjoy yourself. Fighting someone else’s sweaty ass or dirty foot for space on the wall isn’t exactly fun, and it’ll be harder to get noticed in the weekend crush. This way, every guy in the room will be checking you out.”

  She sighed. “Okay, that’s a good point. Does it matter that I’ve never in my life touched a rock wall?”

  “Not at all. We’ll hook you up with an instructor.”

  To that, she glanced at him and raised a brow. “Hook me up, huh?”

  “For a lesson.” Realizing they were in the throes of lessons themselves, he elaborated. “A rock climbing lesson. But you’re going to have to take off that baggy shirt. It’ll get caught on the crags. Not safe. Same with the scarf.”

  “Not happening,” she said. Probably just to piss him off, because she couldn’t actually think she could climb wearing that stuff.

  Two things happened when Sawyer followed Kelsie through the door he held open for her. First, he was approached by the blond, blue-eyed, breast-implanted twins with whom he’d flirted a half dozen times. His every conversation with them had involved a threesome joke, and while he�
�d yet to sleep with either one—both had boyfriends—he doubted Kelsie would believe that. Her expression left little doubt about what she thought of his sudden fan club, and by the time Sawyer shook them off, thing number two had happened.

  Brock Edelson.

  Decent friend if you were a guy, but under all those muscles and that spray tan, he was a complete ass when it came to women. Whereas Sawyer was upfront with his pursuits that he was only down for a one-night rodeo, Brock pulled the candlelight and wine and forever bullshit, only to stop calling after sex happened.

  And that was not going to happen to Kelsie.

  Sawyer left the twins behind him—but fuck, did one of them just bring up a threesome?—and barged into the quiet exchange between Kelsie and Brock. The one during which Kelsie had removed her scarf and her tee, and she was nowhere near the damned rock wall. She glared when Sawyer slid his arm around her waist.

  He glared right back.

  Brock’s Neanderthal brow lifted, but he didn’t say a thing.

  “I guess you two have met,” Sawyer said. Even he noticed the warning tone in his voice. Kelsie would probably shred him for interrupting her moment with the dumb-as-bricks bodybuilder, but he could handle that a lot better than he could knowing she was going out with Brock, even if it was only to some froufrou wedding. But he also knew Brock would never let it get that far. He’d come up with a reason to nail her way before two weeks was up, and she’d never hear from him again.

  Not. Happening.

  “Yes, we have met,” Brock said. “I understand Kelsie is in need of some lessons?”

  “I brought her here for a little action,” Sawyer said tersely, “but the lessons are taken care of.”

  Kelsie looked pointedly at Brock’s employee name tag and then presumably Sawyer’s lack thereof. He could have kicked himself for forgetting Brock would be there, as he was all weekdays, but Kelsie had him twisting in the wind. Regardless of his mistake, there was no way he was letting that man touch her.

  “Really?” Brock asked. He flipped idly through the legal pad on the counter where the personal training appointments were listed, but never even glanced in the direction of the pages. “Who’s she training with? Because I don’t see her on the list.”

  She could have been on it in neon flashing lights, and he wouldn’t have seen her name. He hadn’t looked. His eyes were glued to her. “Me,” Sawyer said. “I’m going to spot her.”

  “You don’t work here.”

  “Take it up with the owner.” Sawyer had him there, and they both knew it. Sawyer was more than qualified to train Kelsie, and the owner was a friend of his. Which left one problem. Instead of watching Kelsie’s amazing ass wriggle across those rocks at a somewhat safe distance, he’d be right there with her.

  Definitely not safe. Definitely not the plan.

  Once they were out of Brock’s earshot, Kelsie glared at Sawyer. “What was that about? He seemed like a perfectly nice guy.”

  “He’s a womanizer.”

  She gave him a look so pointed he felt the ache between his eyes. Skeptically, she asked, “And you are…?”

  “Not willing to lie to a woman to get her into bed.”

  “Oh.”

  “Good to see you came around to my way of thinking on the baggy garments, though.”

  She graced him with a guarded scowl, so he changed the subject. “When you start to kick ass at this,” he said of the rock climbing, “you’re going to need the harness and all the other gear, but for now, you can get a feel for it by what’s called bouldering. You’ll stay fairly close to the ground with a crash pad to keep the ground from hurting. Warm-ups first.” He led her through the basics. He drank in the distance, knowing it was in short supply. Soon, he’d be so close to her and so turned on by that proximity that he’d need a junk cup to keep himself safe from the crags on the wall.

  “I hate to admit it,” she said, “but this looks like fun.”

  “I hope it will be, but I’ve got to warn you. Even though you’re clearly in bangin’ shape, tomorrow you’re probably going to feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.”

  “Well, that is sexy,” she muttered.

  She had no damned idea.

  He took her to a beginner’s section. Already, she drew the attention of a number of men, but she didn’t appear to notice, and he wasn’t in any hurry to point it out. Despite Sawyer’s assurances that she’d meet someone this way, he hoped they’d stay away from her.

  “This couldn’t be easier,” he said. “In theory. Most newbies want to look up as they climb, but it’s kind of hard to figure out where to put your feet when you do that, so keep an eye down. It’s not crowded today, but in general, you want to respect other people’s space and be aware someone could come crashing down from above at any moment.”

  Her eyes widened. “That’s comforting.”

  “There are ropes to prevent crashes from higher up, but you still don’t want to be right under anyone else, and keep in mind that goes for their immediate surroundings as well. There’s some lateral movement required to work your way up.”

  “And how far up, exactly, are we talking?”

  “As far as you’re comfortable, but a foot off the ground will give you the same workout as twenty. You can get a good feel for it with lateral moves and no worries of plummeting to your death. But even if you plummet, I’ll be here.”

  Her mouth tilted into a wry grin. “I’ll keep that in mind. In case I plummet.”

  “You’ll be fine. Go up a couple of feet and work your way sideways. I’ll be right behind you.” And if it got to be too much, he could take six steps back, and a half dozen men would be there to spot her. No question.

  Three minutes later, with her ass at eye level, he entertained some serious regrets over his suggestion that she hang out two feet above the ground. He couldn’t do his job as a spotter and not watch her, but he couldn’t get the slurry of pornographic images out of his head. Her legs, all long and lean and tight, belonged across his back. Those well-defined, utterly feminine arm muscles would be perfect for dragging him close and holding on while he drove into her.

  Threesome, hell. He needed to get a grip.

  He noticed her foot waving without purchase, so he guided it to a crag. “Don’t forget to look down,” he said, letting his hands linger much longer than necessary on her calf. When he realized it, he asked, “You got it?”

  “Yes. This is harder than it looks.” But she was smiling. Gorgeous. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and all he could think about was letting those strands loose to fall on his pillow. Try as he fucking might, he couldn’t see another woman in his bed. Every face was hers.

  Which would only last until he’d finally had her. He didn’t do relationships. He’d long ago made a habit of not analyzing why—too much internal drama to stomach on a regular basis. It was just something he knew about himself, like he knew he had green eyes and seven percent body fat.

  Looking up, he caught sight of a friend. One he trusted…probably even enough to be her date for the thing. Before he could talk himself out of it, he waved the guy over. “Hey, man. Do me a favor and spot her for a minute.”

  “Sure thing.”

  The last thing Sawyer saw was the bewildered look on Kelsie’s face as he made tracks away from her. He wanted air, but he didn’t want to completely bail, especially not with Brock likely circling for the kill. Sawyer had probably put a big ol’ target on Kelsie’s back by acting territorial. He imagined the only thing Brock would like better than getting her into his bed was doing it knowing Sawyer had staked a claim.

  And for what? Now he genuinely liked her, so he probably couldn’t have sex with her even if she actually did beg. Not when he knew she wanted more than he’d ever have to give.

  Not when he had no idea what it would do to him. He was in uncharted territory.

  Drowning.

  Avoiding.

  He hit the men’s room and threw water on his face, then s
tared at himself in the mirror, wondering what kind of person he’d become. Or maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe he just wasn’t used to being around a woman who wanted something more than a night. Had to be it.

  Back in the hallway, he headed in the direction opposite the open gym. There was a training room in the back, but he opted for the employee lounge, knowing it would probably be empty this time of day. He dropped onto the leather sofa, cracked open a water bottle, and stared mindlessly at some outdoor adventure channel while he calculated how long he should wait before going back out there to Kelsie.

  He didn’t have to calculate long, because the door flew open. It was her.

  “Employees only,” he said. How the hell had she found him in there? Clearly his buddy had told her. That was the problem with a decent guy… They were usually too decent.

  Her eyes flashed with irritation. More than that. She was pissed. “What the hell was that? Why did you leave me out there?”

  “To meet men,” Sawyer said, feigning nonchalance and fighting his own irritation. His reasons may have been a bit skewed, but ultimately he’d given her what she wanted. So what was her problem? “He was nice, right?”

  “Yeah, he was nice.” It sounded like sarcasm, but it couldn’t have been. The guy really was nice. He probably owned a basketful of kittens. At minimum, he’d be able to remember her damned dog’s name. He’d probably even choke down her food. He was just straight-up fucking nice. Just like she wanted.

  Nothing like Sawyer.

  “You here to thank me?” he asked.

  She crossed her arms. “What exactly do you have against forming any kind of non-sexual connection with another human being?”

  “Mostly conversations like these,” he said dryly.

  Unrelenting, she asked, “What is that supposed to mean?”

  He blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m doing what you wanted, okay? I saw that guy, and I know he’s decent. I know you’re looking to meet a decent guy—one who can look at your ass and not want to tear off your clothes right there on the dirty fucking sidewalk.”

  She frowned. “That’s pretty much what every woman wants. To be wanted, I mean. But most of us want to be wanted exclusively and not just until the next woman passes by.”