If only using the words seduce and Trip in the same sentence didn’t heat her blood.
“Anytime, sis.” Maura smiled. “Anytime.”
The sun had just peeked above the horizon when Kelsey pulled her car up to the Weenuche Inn to pick up her friend, Emma, for their six thirty yoga class. She scanned the windows, looking for signs of life, while wondering how Emma didn’t feel stifled working and living there with her mother year after year.
Kelsey checked her watch, then exited the car to hurry Emma along. She had just turned around when she spied Trip making a hasty exit through the inn’s front door. That man loved female tourists—fresh meat that didn’t hang around town long enough to expect a second date, let alone a commitment.
When he spotted Kelsey at the end of the walkway, his surprised expression quickly morphed from chagrin to something sly as his pace slackened. He called out, “Good morning, princess.”
If he thought he could embarrass her by bringing up last week’s costume incident, he was about to be taught a lesson.
“Don’t slow down on my account.” Kelsey leaned against her car, arms folded in front of her chest, verbal assault at the ready. “And while it probably will blow your mind, just consider this: the woman you’re so keen to sneak away from might not be all that interested in chasing you down.”
“In my experience, satisfied women always want more.” Undaunted, he came within a foot of Kelsey, his strapping frame casting hers in shadow. He leaned near, his eyes briefly dipping to her cleavage, which was scrunched together by the sports bra she’d worn for class. “And trust me, she’s more than satisfied.”
“Oh yeah?” She eyed his cowboy hat, half tempted to knock it off his head. Egos like his were the reason women like her were still single. “Well, in my experience, most men tend to overestimate their ability in the bedroom.”
“Lucky for me, I’m not like most men.” Trip’s lips curled upward in that sexy, arrogant way he’d perfected. When she rolled her eyes, he said, “If you need proof, just say the word.”
For just a second—a millisecond—she wanted to, badly. Attitude aside, he was hotter than a branding iron, even when mussed up and wearing last night’s wrinkled clothes. And it had been, ahem, a while since she’d been wrapped up in a man’s arms and legs.
Her slight hesitation ignited a spark of energy between them, which appeared to shoot an extra twinkle straight into his eyes. Her body flushed in response.
“No, thanks,” she finally managed. “I wouldn’t want to demolish your delusions of grandeur.”
He chuckled, his throaty laughter making her smile despite her best efforts. When her lips quirked, he raised one brow. Planting one hand on the roof of the car, he leaned forward and murmured, “If you ever change your mind, you let me know.”
It took a lot—a real lot—of resolve to hide the way her insides quivered as his voice skimmed across her ear. Thankfully, Kelsey saw the flash of Emma’s red hair emerge from the inn before Trip could break her down any further. He pushed off the car and faced Emma.
“’Morning.” Trip tipped his hat, smiling. “If you ladies will excuse me, I’ve got a busy day ahead.”
“Fancy seeing you here early in the morning . . . again,” Emma quipped. She narrowed her green eyes. “I might have to ban you from the property so people don’t start getting the wrong idea about this inn.”
“If you were smart, you’d use me to attract repeat business.” When Emma snorted, Trip winked and raised both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop. Don’t want to keep you two from your exercise class. Lord knows how much we men appreciate the results.”
Before Emma or Kelsey could form a retort, he winked and jogged away. Emma watched him for a moment, shaking her head. When she turned to get into the car, she looked over the roof and said, “I know things didn’t work out for you with Grey, but thank God it was him you liked instead of his partner. What a disaster a crush on Trip would’ve been!”
An understatement, yet Kelsey couldn’t deny that some demented part of her brain and heart and other body parts might’ve been willing to risk the fallout.
Trip stepped out of the shower and rubbed the steam off the mirror with his towel. He rested his hands on either side of the sink and stared at himself. The hot water hadn’t eased the tension in his shoulders or around his mouth. An hour from now he’d see his dad for the first time in nearly two years. He guessed the only thing that might loosen him up at this point was amber in color, came in a bottle, and went down the hatch with a bite.