Decidedly Off Limits

by Stina Lindenblatt

  That’s not to say I didn’t like the place. I did, thanks to the extra-large TV screen that I rarely had time to appreciate. But that was pretty much the high point. Even the artwork on the walls did nothing for me. They looked like something I could have created as a kid, with paint splattered onto a canvas by an artist I’d never heard of.

  A few minutes later a knock on the door distracted me from my thoughts. I strode to the door and opened it. Kelsey stood there, a small red pull-along suitcase at her heels.

  “Hi,” she said. “Sorry it took me so long. Slow-moving traffic because of the rain.” She sniffed the air. “Wow, what smells so good?”

  “You’ll see. It’s the surprise I mentioned on the phone.” I grabbed Kelsey’s suitcase. She followed me into the apartment and into the bedroom.

  Her gaze took in the tidy room, with its dark, masculine colors and modern furniture. “Wow, this place is amazing. You decorated it yourself?”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t attempt this at home without the help of a professional.”

  That brought a big smile to her face. “Are you telling me you hired someone?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  Most women who might’ve seen my apartment would instantly wonder about my earning potential—which was why I’d never brought the women I screwed back here. Not so with Kelsey. My income didn’t matter to her, which made me appreciate her even more.

  “Before I forget to tell you…” she said as I proceeded to show her around the condo, “Holly thinks you’re seeing someone.”

  “She knows about us?”

  She made a well-not-exactly face. “I was trying to let her know that you weren’t interested in her by letting her down nicely. Soooo, I asked her if she would be okay if you were dating someone. And before that, the tennis pro she had been trying to set me up with asked me out, and I told him I was seeing someone. He mentioned it to Holly…”

  “And now she thinks you have a boyfriend and I have a girlfriend.”

  “Yep, that pretty much sums it up.”

  Inwardly I groaned. “You know Holly and Erin are going to figure it out, right?”

  “Not if we throw them off.”

  “How do you plan to do that?”

  “Introduce them to our fake girlfriend and boyfriend.” She shrugged. “It might work.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that, but right now I didn’t really want to think about that or how we were going to continue sneaking around. Kelsey in my bed, that was all I cared about for now.

  I showed her around the apartment. We made it as far as the living room when Kelsey stopped and grinned at the TV. “You know what they say about the size of a guy’s TV?” she said, mischief gleaming in her eyes.

  “No, what?”

  “They’re compensating.”

  I parked my hands on her shoulders. “No compensating for anything needed here.” And then my lips crashed against hers—something I’d wanted to do from the moment she’d stood in my doorway.

  I didn’t have to coax her to open her mouth. It opened in an instant and I took that as a positive sign. My tongue slipped in, eager to explore. But it didn’t want to just explore her mouth. It wanted to explore every inch of her, except I didn’t think this was the time to do it. Her ex-fiancé, from the sound of it, hadn’t bothered to show her how special she was. And that dickwad she recently had sex with—the one who thought speed fucking was an Olympic event—hadn’t been much better.

  So my tongue remained on its best behavior and stayed in her mouth, savoring her taste. And it might have also sampled her jaw, the sensitive spot under her ear lobe (which, for the record, resulted in a delectable moan that had my cock hard in record time), and her neck.

  That’s not to say Kelsey wasn’t an active participant in our kiss fest. While her tongue enjoyed what my mouth had to offer, her hands did a little wandering of their own. One explored the terrain of my ass. The other cupped my cheek, then knotted in my hair. And shit, that was freaking hot.

  I’m not sure how long we had been kissing when she eventually pulled away, her breath ragged, like she’d just run a marathon.

  My breathing wasn’t much better.

  “So, are you going to show me the rest of the place?” She smiled, the move shy yet teasing.

  And instantly I envisioned the next stop on our tour, and what I fantasized doing to her there.

  On the countertops.

  I slipped her hand into mine and tugged her toward the kitchen.

  Most kitchens in apartments aren’t much bigger than the bathroom. You can barely fit one person in them, never mind two. And forget about doing any cooking that required space.

  Not so with my kitchen.

  Kelsey stepped into the room, and her mouth dropped open at the sight of the granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, and the two sinks, one located in the island in the middle of the room. “Wow.”

  “Impressed?”

  “I’d say.” Closing her eyes, she sniffed the air. The sweet smell of freshly baked banana bread filled the space. “Are you baking?”

  “Yep. And that TV you were appreciating? You should see the Food Network on it.”

  She opened her eyes and a sweet grin spread on her soft lips. “I can imagine it’s impressive. So you’re cooking now? One class and you’ve gotten into cooking?”

  “Cooking and baking.” And I was getting better at it. My scrambled eggs no longer looked brown and rubbery. They tasted better too.

  The Food Network? Best. Fucking. Invention. Ever.

  “I’ve got a special dinner planned,” I said.

  Her eyebrows went on a field trip north. “You do?”

  I nodded. “I didn’t just invite you to stay until your power returns.”

  She laughed, and the sound of it caused my heart to warm. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of that beautiful sound. “And here I thought you wanted me to stay for other reasons.” She didn’t say it, but I knew exactly what she meant.

  And maybe she was right about that too.

  “How’s the photography going?” I asked, purposefully switching topics.

  Her face brightened and the warmth in my heart intensified. “I bought a camera today. The manual’s huge,” she said, not looking all that impressed. “But once I’ve figured out how to use the basics, the guy at the store said I’ll be set. I also bought a tripod and a lens for close-up photography.” The words gushed from her mouth, an unstoppable train heading for the final station of the day. It was easy to see she had finally found something to be excited about. “And I’ve registered for a class on portrait photography. So I have to do a lot of studying and practicing of the basics before it starts.”

  The excited look on her face was my undoing. I pulled her back into my arms. She let out a small squeak.

  Then I savored the taste of her once more.

  And in case you were wondering, there might have also been some exploring of her ass this time.

  24

  Kelsey

  Nothing was sexier than watching a man cook. The way his muscles flexed and rippled as he chopped the vegetables. I could spend an entire afternoon watching Trent cook and I’d be one very happy woman—one very happy turned-on woman.

  And this was Trent with a T-shirt on.

  Could you imagine if he was shirtless?

  Or wearing only a towel wrapped low around his hips, with the delectable low cut V of his abs showing?

  I licked my lips at the steamy image now implanted in my head.

  Trent said something, snapping me back to my current reality. “Can I help you with anything?” I asked, watching him chop vegetables for a stir fry.

  “No, I’m good. You can either stay and watch or go play with your camera.” Which I had brought with me just in case.

  Hmm. That was a tough one. The idea of both was appealing—but watching Trent was even more so.

  “Did you want to watch something on Netflix after
dinner?” he asked.

  The idea of cuddling with him sounded appealing, although I had no idea if he was the cuddling type. From what Erin had told me, there had been plenty of girls in his life, but I had assumed they were all one-night stands or had been very short-term relationships.

  “You know about my dating past and my failed relationship.” I grabbed a carrot from the counter and pretended to be fascinated with it. “What about you?”

  He was silent for a moment, to the point where I thought he wasn’t going to answer. “I dated a girl in college for a while.” Freezes in Antarctica were warmer than his tone. “She got pregnant in our senior year and I decided to do the right thing and marry her. Because she wanted to be married well before the baby was born, we had planned to get married in Vegas. Then I found out, by accident I might add, that she had lost the baby and was stringing me along, knowing my upcoming job with an investment bank had the potential of being high paying.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, mentally cursing the bitch for hurting him. “Erin never told me.”

  “She doesn’t know. None of my family does. Call it stupidity on my part, but we were going to get married and then tell our families. I knew my mom wouldn’t be thrilled. She wanted a big wedding for all of her kids, but it just didn’t feel right and there wasn’t enough time…or so I thought. Anyway, it’s no big deal.” He might have said it, but I could tell it was a bigger deal than he let on. “After I graduated Columbia, I studied for my CFA designation and didn’t have time for dating.”

  “CFA?”

  “Chartered Financial Analyst. You have to pass three levels of exams, but the failure rate of each is high and the amount of material to study is extensive. I needed it for what I wanted to do, and couldn’t fail even just once. Each exam is offered twice a year, and I didn’t want to risk having to wait another six months to retake it.”

  “So she was your only girlfriend?”

  “No, there were two others after that. None of them much better than the first one. That’s when I decided being a workaholic was better than wasting time on relationships.”

  Imagine for a second that you’re riding up in an elevator and the cable suddenly snaps. Now you know exactly what my stomach did at his words. Yes, I know, it shouldn’t have mattered. We had both agreed we weren’t looking for a relationship. But a part of me had secretly hoped for more.

  Only now that he had revealed this part about his past…well, the Titanic had a better chance of not sinking than I had of having something more—something wonderful—with Trent. He was incapable of trusting a woman after what his past girlfriends had done to him, and without trust he wouldn’t be able to love.

  After eating the delicious dinner he’d made, we took our wine to the living room and Trent found a movie we both agreed on. As for the cuddling? Before I had a chance to sit, Trent pulled me down between his legs and wrapped his arms around me. It was nice.

  Correction. It was like bathing in a tub of melted chocolate.

  Nothing else could compare.

  Half way through the movie I became more aware of his warm breath against my neck, his familiar spicy scent, the feel of his strong hands tracing a path up and down my bare arm, the movement a teasing caress.

  And for the past few minutes, everything about me had become supercharged, right to my core. I bit my lip to keep from moaning. Owen had never had this effect on me. He was more the lets-get-down-to-business type. Yes, there had been foreplay, but there had never been any seduction involved. Nothing like this.

  The moment Trent’s tongue found the shell of my ear, my plan to keep from moaning died. At his firm stroke, everything inside me caught fire and I arched against him, pushing my butt against his hard length. Closing my eyes, I moaned. He groaned, playing harmony in our sexual symphony.

  Trent’s thumb brushed against the side of my breast. I don’t care how great a movie is, no one could pay a hundred percent attention to it with Trent doing that to them.

  Ignoring what was happening on the screen, I shifted around and straddled Trent’s hips. His hands cupped my butt. I gazed at his gorgeous warm green eyes, which sparked with mischief and desire, then leaned down to kiss him.

  One thing I can say when it comes to kissing Trent—no other experience equals it.

  Scaling Mount Everest. No biggie.

  Seeing the Seven Wonders of the World. Who cares?

  But Trent’s kiss? Absolutely sublime.

  My hands traveled down his body, exploring the T-shirt covered surface of his chest. It wasn’t enough. I wanted to touch his warm skin, feel it against mine.

  Still kissing him, I hooked my fingers under the hem of his T-shirt and slowly pulled it up, my fingertips grazing his smooth skin. I shifted away from him, just far enough to get a glimpse of his taut stomach muscles.

  His dark, dilated eyes focused on my lips, then his hands crept under the hem of my T-shirt. He flattened his palms against my stomach and curled his fingers around my waist.

  His touches…his touches were like heaven—each one a new treat.

  With my core rubbing against his hardness, he rocked me against him. A breath rushed from my lungs and I paused in my attempt to strip his clothing off him. We both wanted this. Nothing short of a natural disaster could prevent it.

  I pushed away all thoughts of Holly, Erin, and Liam, locking them in a safe place for now. I’d worry about them later.

  Instead new terrifying thoughts happily took their place. For starters, so far so good when it came to the kissing. But what about once the clothes were off? Sure I’d been reading erotic romances, but was that enough? Would I be able to please him—or would I be a major disappointment between the sheets?

  No, my horny inner voice said, channeling the Joy of Sex book Erin had loaned me. It’s like riding a bike. You’ve got this covered!

  Trent reached behind his head, further exposing his abs (and distracting me from my fears). He grabbed hold of his T-shirt and a second later it was on the floor next to the couch. It had barely touched the ground before my T-shirt snuggled up to it—and a pleased grin curved onto Trent’s lips.

  With an equally pleased grin on mine, I reached behind me and unfastened my bra. It too joined the growing pile on the floor.

  Trent’s expression was priceless—and hot—as his gaze took in my breasts. He positioned his hands on either side of them and scraped his thumbs across my nipples, the look of awe still there.

  Liquid desire shot through me. I gasped and unconsciously arched my back, pushing my breasts against his warm palms. And before I knew what was happening, one of my nipples was in his hot, wet mouth and he was sucking.

  “Oh, God, Trent,” I somehow managed to breathe. “We should go into your room.”

  Trent’s mouth left my breast and he pushed himself up to stand, keeping a firm grasp on me. Without thinking about what I was doing, I latched my legs around his waist and he walked us to his bedroom.

  Once there, he shut the door behind him and lowered me onto the bed. I sat on the edge with Trent standing in front of me, wearing nothing more than a faded pair of jeans. I’d seen him in his expensive suits and he looked fine, but nothing could compare to this Trent.

  This Trent was too breathtaking for words.

  I reached out, my gaze locked onto his, and fumbled with the button on his jeans. Somewhere in the back of my mind the one-night stand with the gold medalist in sprint fucking replayed in glorious color.

  Trent must have sensed my fear. He kneeled in front of me and took my hands. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but I promise I’m nothing like the last guy you were with. I would never treat you like that.” He lightly squeezed my hands.

  I nodded. “I know.” And somehow I did. No matter what happened between us, even if this was just a temporary fling and he would disappear tomorrow, he would never treat me the same way the jerk had.

  Trent stood and before I could reach for his jeans again, he leaned fo
rward, placing his hands on either side of me, his dark eyes intense. I laid back on the bed, vertebra by vertebra.

  And then Trent was kissing me again.

  The kisses weren’t filled with hunger and need. They were gentle and filled with a million promises—and they contained one simple question: Do you trust me, Kelsey?

  I responded to each kiss, letting him know that I did trust him. I always had and I always would.

  The kisses quickly deepened and there was no denying the hunger now consuming us. Trent moved away from my lips and I almost groaned in protest. But then his mouth moved to my jaw and his tongue traced its way to my ear. My groan was quickly forgotten, to be replaced with a moan begging him not to stop.

  While his mouth was busy turning me into a heated mess, my hands were back to their original mission of undoing his jeans. This time they weren’t shaking and it didn’t take much effort to pop the button loose from the hole. With growing confidence, I unzipped his jeans and slipped my hand through the opening.

  My fingers brushed the thickness straining against his boxers. Trent sucked in a sharp breath and rested his forehead in the nook of my neck. “Jesus, Kels.”

  Erin’s words of wisdom replayed from my lessons on sexual confidence, although I was pretty sure she hadn’t meant for me to practice them on her brother.

  Ask him what he wants. Guys like that.

  I turned my head and murmured in his ear, “What do you like?”

  “You’re killing me,” he moaned softly. “You know that, right?”

  I giggled. “I aim to please.” I reached for his jeans again.

  Trent stopped my hand. “Not yet.” He moved off the bed, then offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes.”

  He traced his fingers along the top of my jeans and slipped them slightly under the waistband. My heart thump-thump-thumped contentedly, while my clit silently pleaded for his fingers to travel farther south.