“I’ve never seen you cry, princess.” He shocked her again by pulling her against his chest and murmuring, “Gotta say, I don’t like it.”
Her muscles relaxed in his embrace. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth and strength he offered. The soothing sound of his strong heartbeat pounded against her ear, so she stayed there for a few extra seconds before easing away. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine, really. But why are you here?”
Trip cocked his head, looking like he might continue to press the topic, but then he backed down. “Honestly? I didn’t plan on coming. I bolted from the office to blow off steam and ended up here.” The look on his face proved he was as surprised as she by that admission.
“To blow off steam?” She unlocked her door, already knowing she would let him come in. She didn’t want to be alone just yet, and apparently neither did he.
“Among other things.” Trip restored his playboy persona with the innuendo of his words and delivery. He followed her up the stairs and into her apartment and then proceeded to pace back and forth.
She tossed her purse to the floor, switched on a lamp and the gas fireplace, then grabbed a bottle of zinfandel and two glasses.
“Got any beer?” Trip asked while picking up various pictures and knickknacks to study them with a curious smile.
“Wine or water, sorry.”
Trip motioned for the bottle with one hand then poured them each an extra-large glass. “Not sure who needs this more, you or me.”
He clinked his glass with hers and proceeded to gulp it down like whiskey. When Kelsey slunk onto the sofa, Trip flopped beside her. He sank his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes, resting his hand on her knee.
Her body responded to his touch like a match to a striker. She watched the muscles in his face relax as his thumb massaged the outside of her knee. Despite her mood, his presence and signs of affection lightened her heart. But she couldn’t let her heart misread Trip.
After a minute or two, he opened his eyes and faced her with a grin before sitting up.
“So what got you so riled up you had to take off?” She took another sip of her wine, but then he reached out for her glass.
He set it on the table and tugged her hand, drawing her closer to his body, his eyes clouded by trouble, his jaw clenched. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to escape.” He kissed her gently. “Want to take a ride with me?”
Before she could fire off a snarky reply, he kissed her again. Unlike their previous explosive encounters, this kiss simmered. His hold on her—the touch of his fingers along her jaw—was tender, like a kiss from a man who cared. He drew her lower lip into his mouth and gently bit down on it before kissing her again.
Like before, she opened her eyes, but his remained closed. He breathed deeply, his chest rising and falling as he pulled her across his lap and pressed her against his body. His desire fed hers and, if she wasn’t careful, might trick her into believing he felt more than lust.
He caressed her back before his hand swept across her hip and up her waist to her breasts.
“You feel so good, princess.” He opened his eyes and smiled, then kissed her again on the mouth before pressing kisses against her neck and down to her shoulder. He then stroked along the inside of her thigh. “I like this skirt, but I’d rather see you naked.”
Part of Kelsey knew another go-round with Trip would seriously mess with her head, but the rest of her just didn’t care. He tasted like heaven, and made her body resonate like no one else ever had. Maybe he couldn’t love her, but he sure could make love like a champ, and that sounded pretty perfect at the moment.
She reached for the hem of his shirt and helped him tug it over his head. Then she kissed his shoulders, enjoying the way his breathing became uneven, the way the muscles in his chest twitched under her tongue.
Grunting, he kicked off his shoes and then began unbuttoning her blouse while kissing her. When she removed her shirt, he shoved her coffee table aside several feet and then laid her down on the carpet in front of the fireplace. Braced on his knees, he slowly removed her skirt and panties, his fingers skimming along her thighs. The flickering light caught in his eyes, which were glinting with their own heat.
Heat for her.
She slid her hands inside the elastic of his sweats and tugged them down until he yanked those off, too. She sat up and fondled the length of his erection before taking him in her mouth, making him gasp and grunt with pleasure.
He was a big man, so she couldn’t accommodate all of him, but he didn’t seem to mind. He dug his hands through her hair as he pumped into her mouth and uttered a breathless, “Kelsey.”