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.”