How could I have been so stupid?
I slipped my key card into the lock and pressed my back against the door as it closed behind me. I almost fell for it. The convincing act he put on. I thought it was real.
He was good, I’d give him that. I replayed our evening, trying to figure out what I’d missed. The way he held my hips as we swayed to the music. The subtle hand on my lower back. The intimate hand-holding. The gentle kisses on my neck.
I thought he cared about me, but it was all an act. I should have known his intent was to get me back into bed. I wasn’t against sleeping with him again, but I wanted it to mean something. I didn’t want to be just another fuck.
I should have followed my instincts and refused to go out with him. Put a hard line between us. He was my boss, and he had a reputation for being a ladies’ man. Why did I think I would be any different than the dozens of women that came before me? I couldn’t lie, I had a great time wandering around the city with him. It felt like we were building something.
But it was a lie.
My phone buzzed in my purse. It could only be one person texting me at two in the morning and I didn’t have the heart to listen to any more of his lies. I put my phone on the charger and went to bed. I had the rest of the weekend to rebuild my armor against Trent.
Starting Monday, we’d be back to business only.
With last night playing on repeat, I barely got any sleep and now the pounding in my head wouldn’t go away. I only had one drink, yet the constant beat, beat, beat wouldn’t stop. The light coming through the partially closed drapes nearly blinded me and the pounding began again, only this time I realized it wasn’t in my head but coming from the front room.
I dragged myself out of bed, pulled on a robe, and cracked the door. A food cart covered in silver trays was set outside. “I didn’t order any food. You have the wrong room.” I yawned, ready to go back to sleep.
“It’s the right room.”
You’ve got to be kidding. I opened the door fully. “You can leave the cart and see yourself out.” I headed to the bathroom and locked myself inside. There was no way I was getting more sleep this morning, so I brushed my teeth, threw my hair up in a ponytail, and washed my face.
The smell of bacon lured me out, only to find Trent still in my room, setting the dishes on the table with a vase of beautiful wildflowers. “What is all this?”
“It’s an apology. I fucked up last night.” He removed the silver lids and placed them on the empty cart. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a little bit of everything.”
I blew out a breath in frustration. “It’s not necessary. Last night was what it was. I had fun, but I think it’s better if we cut our losses now. I can’t be another one of your flings. I don’t do casual.”
Trent pulled out a chair for me. “At least have breakfast.”
“Fine.” I sat and scooted my chair in. “You might as well join me. There’s enough food here to feed a third-world country.” I scooped scrambled eggs, bacon, and half a waffle onto my plate. No need to let good food go to waste.
He pulled up another chair and filled his plate. “I’d like to renegotiate your terms.”
I dropped my fork, letting it clatter on my plate. “This isn’t a business deal. I’m not another client who can be manipulated.”
“I’m not trying to manipulate you.” He held up a hand to stop my retort. “I know it seemed that way last night, but I really wasn’t. It was an involuntary response.”
I laughed at his absurdness. “So, your finger involuntarily hit the button to your fuck pad after I specifically said no sex?”
He shook his head. “That sounds terrible.”
“It does, but they’re your words, not mine.” I cut off a chunk of waffle drenched in syrup and stuffed it in my mouth, mostly to keep myself from saying what was really on my mind. That he was a manwhoring, presumptuous asshole.
Trent finished chewing his eggs. “I’m not going to lie. I did want to have sex with you, because you’re sexy as fuck, but… I wasn’t trying to manipulate you into something you weren’t ready for. I enjoyed our evening and would have been satisfied with kissing. Last night was the first actual date I’ve had in a long time that didn’t take place in the bedroom. My old habits kicked in and I’m sorry. I haven’t had a relationship in a while. The last time I got burned, so I’m a bit out of practice.”
I appreciated his honesty, but I was still mad. “This ought to be good. Please tell me how the great Trent Dorsey got taken advantage of by a woman.”
“I’d really rather not rehash it.”
“If you want me to entertain renegotiating, then I’m going to need the fine print. It’s Business 101.”
He groaned. “Why do you have to be beautiful and smart?”
I waved a piece of bacon at him. “Flattery will only get you so far. Spill the tea.” Despite being pissed about his misstep last night, I was curious.
Trent grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and poured a glass for each of us, setting mine in front of me. “When I was twenty-five, I dated a dancer. I met her in the club and fell for her immediately.”
“A stripper?”
“An exotic dancer who, yes, worked in a gentlemen’s club. Don’t be judgy.”
I mocked zipping my lips and waited for him to continue.
“Anyway, we dated for a while and when she needed a place to stay, I didn’t hesitate to let her move in with me. Two weeks later, she disappeared with my grandfather’s watch, my wallet, and the cash in my bank account. Cleaned me out.”
My eyebrows rose. “Well, that sucks.”
“To put it mildly. Since then, I’ve had trust issues.”
“Hence, no relationships.”
He gave a curt nod.
I took a sip of my juice and set the glass back on the table. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” I stared at the tattoo on his arm that mystified me for weeks and ran my finger over the ink. It was a snake wrapped around a dagger, fangs biting into an apple. “What does this mean to you?”
“Temptation. It’s always been my downfall and I’ve paid the price. I didn’t want to put myself in that position again. No woman was worth the risk.” Reaching for my hand, Trent folded our fingers together. “Until you.”
“Why me?”
“There’s something about you I can’t resist. I knew that first night if I ever saw you again it would be game over for me. It was supposed to be one night. Then you showed up in the conference room and blew my self-control to shit. I didn’t want to like you. I didn’t want you to be good at your job. And I sure as hell didn’t want you to be so damn gorgeous.”
“I’m sorry?” What else was I supposed to say to him. “If it helps, I didn’t want to like you either.”
“I wanted you to hate me.”
“Is that why you were an arrogant jerk?”
“Yes, but I’m done with that. I want to give this a try. I can’t promise you a relationship, but it won’t be a fling.”
“Terms of negotiation… I’m never going back to that room and as long as we’re giving this a try, neither are you. There won’t be anyone else.”
“Terms accepted. Come here.” He pulled me onto his lap and cradled my face in his hand. “I didn’t get to give you a good-night kiss.”
Staring into his dark-chocolate eyes, I was hypnotized just like I’d been that first night. “What are you waiting for?” I whispered.
“Not a damn thing.” He pressed his lips to mine in a possessive kiss that made my toes tingle and my heart race. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His tongue ran along the seam of my lips, begging for entrance. There was no denying the chemistry between us. I opened willingly, letting his tongue tangle with mine. We devoured each other with a passion I hadn’t felt in years. Both of us were breathing heavily when he pulled away. “Goddamn, you’re perfect.”
“I like the kissing. Why are you stopping?”
Trent pressed his forehead against mine. “I knew you were trouble from the moment I set my eyes on you. If I don’t stop now, I’m not going to, and it will ruin all my planning.” He picked up a piece of bacon and held it to my lips. “Finish your breakfast and then get dressed. I’m taking you sightseeing.”
Moving to my own seat, I finished the food on my plate and nodded to the vase. “Thank you for the flowers. That was sweet of you.”
“You’re welcome. Am I forgiven?”
“Yes.”
The man made my head swim, but I couldn’t resist him either.
