“You dressed up like that for friends?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She clucked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “Maybe I was feeling a little lonely, a little pissed off.”
“Because we’re so wrong?” He traced his fingertip over her collarbone, barely touching her. “And if we are, why can’t we stop?”
“Easy access to good sex addles even the best brains.” With a casual shrug, she stepped away.
Spencer cupped her elbow and shifted her back. In the dim glow from the living room, his face was nearly unreadable. “It’s not just sex, Kelly.”
Her heart didn’t skip and her breath didn’t catch. But her knees weakened, literally. “So come to dinner.”
He moved in and slid his hands up her spine. Only when she heard her zipper did she realize he was closing her dress. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
Clearly amused, he nodded. “Yeah. I’ll go. Where?”
“Retreat.”
For the first time since she’d known him, his eyes actually lit. She thought maybe she imagined it, but when they moved into the living room, his expression didn’t change. “They have the best chocolate cake.”
“You have a sweet tooth?” she asked, picking up her purse off the coffee table.
“Why do you think I work out so much?”
Now this was surprising information. She remembered the bag of Twizzlers she’d found on his desk and smiled. “Because you’re hopelessly anal?”
He dipped his hands in his pockets. “Keep it up and I won’t share my cake.”
“Oh you’ll share. You’ll share whatever I ask you to.” She patted his stomach and strolled past him. Did he have any clue how much effort it took for her to act as if he didn’t turn her world upside down? “You can drive.”
* * * * *
Spencer didn’t expect to enjoy himself. He also didn’t expect to enjoy watching Kelly quite so much. She tried to pretend she could handle anything but her knuckles whitened on the strap of her purse when they walked into the restaurant together. For an instant, nerves dimmed the flush in her cheeks as her friend Alana rushed toward her. Kelly recovered quickly but glimpsing the man at Alana’s side sent such a riot of emotions over her face Spencer had to battle back his jealousy.
Apparently she, Alana and Carter had been friends in high school. The way she and Carter, or “Nicky” as she called him, hugged he half expected her to start fumbling for a tissue. Whatever Kelly was, “emotionally stifled” wasn’t it. She shared herself openly. Not with everyone, and she still employed methods to keep people at a distance—men, specifically. Why else would she make her relationships so cut and dried by making a list? And then ranking the guys as if they were consumable goods.
Nice ass. Plus one. Bad breath. Minus two. Not that he knew her system—nor would he lower himself to ask—but he could only imagine. With her friends at least she seemed genuine and willing to bare all.
He wasn’t her friend yet. She didn’t trust him and he definitely didn’t blame her. Oddly enough, seeing her act so freely around Carter and Alana loosened him up too. Somehow being with her and her friends he felt as if he were in some sort of safe zone. And this one didn’t involve losing his clothes or standing by while others dispatched theirs.
The four of them commandeered a corner table and conversation flowed smoothly. He noticed Alana throwing a couple speculative looks in his direction, but otherwise they all talked as easily as if they’d known each other forever. Soon dinner had been ordered and eaten and all that was left was the rest of the bottle of pouilly-fuisse and dessert.
And quite possibly a trip to the ER if Kelly didn’t stop rubbing her bare toes along his calf.
At first he’d thought maybe the move was unconscious. Then he’d caught her watching him from under her lashes and he’d gone rock-hard.
That was two hours ago.
“Do you really want to see my pictures?” Alana asked Spencer, leaning forward so her generous breasts were an inch from indecency. She wasn’t trying to flirt—her attention had been solidly on her boyfriend all evening—but she couldn’t help being amply endowed. “I have some on my phone.”
“Sure,” Spencer replied, not quite sure why Carter seemed to be smothering a smile as he dabbed his napkin over his mouth. “I’m a bit of a photography buff myself. I used to take pictures years ago.”
“Really?”
“Of what?” Kelly asked at the same time.
“Well, actually it was in college.” Good move, bringing up this subject. “I answered an ad in the paper.”