Page 27 of Decidedly Off Limits

“That’s great.” I waited for more, but there was either nothing more to him or he wasn’t going to tell me.

The conversation kind of stalled after that. I asked him questions about his gaming, even though I couldn’t have cared less about the answers. Unfortunately, once I began asking questions, he couldn’t stop talking about it. He failed to notice what was no doubt my glazed-over expression.

After dinner, we returned to my house. I handed Jeff back his helmet and he walked me to the front door. As soon as we were inside and the door shut behind him, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me hard.

I pretended the kiss was all kinds of hot. I also pretended that I didn’t wish it was Trent kissing me instead of Jeff.

Jeff pulled away long enough to kick off his shoes and ask me where my bedroom was. After returning my stilettos to the hall closet, I led him upstairs and had barely stepped into my room before he was all over me again.

He walked me backwards to the bed, until my calf brushed up against it. And before I knew it, my jeans and thong had been practically torn from my body to join his jeans and underwear on the floor.

Jeff rolled on the condom that he kept in his wallet. Before I could ask him what he liked, he was on the bed, leaning over me…then he was in me. I grunted more from surprise than discomfort. When it came to size, the god of penises hadn’t been his friend—not even close. Good news for me, I guess, given how long it had been since I’d last had sex and given that foreplay was not in his vocabulary.

He pumped inside me a few times and groaned his release.

He then pulled out of me, tossed the condom in my trash, and was dressed before I could even blink.

“That was great,” he said, zipping up his jeans without sparing me a second glance. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.” And then he left me on the bed, naked, exposed, empty.

A minute later, the revving of a motorcycle engine cut through the night. As stupid tears filled my vision, I pulled my blanket around me, shielding me from the world.

Shielding me from more rejection.

Shielding me from more crappy sex.

12

Kelsey

Needingto get started on my fabulous pity party for one, I snatched my underwear from the floor and slipped on my fuzzy white bathrobe. Downstairs, I grabbed an open bottle of Riesling from the fridge, a wine glass, and a bowl of strawberry ice cream.

Then my consolation food and I watched a romantic comedy. I know, weird choice given the situation, right? You’d think I’d prefer a horror movie in which the guys never made it out alive. But no, witnessing two people fall in love despite all odds gave me a smidgen of hope.

Yes, I chose to ignore the part about how this was fiction. Of course the heroine would live happily ever after. It wouldn’t be a romance if there was no happily ever after.

At least that was my opinion when I started the movie. By the third glass of wine, my opinion had completely twisted around. The only man I truly loved was the one I couldn’t have.

The one man no other man would ever measure up to.

That’s right—love sucked.

* * *

My cell phonepinged from my purse on the floor. I ignored it and reluctantly peeled my eyes open. They felt like the moisture had been sucked out and they hurt—but not as much as my head.

Daylight streamed through the bedroom window, torturing me with its cheerfulness. Easy for it to be so happy, its life didn’t suck.

Barely resisting the urge to stick my tongue out at the sunlight, I pulled the covers over my head and let myself drift back to sleep. It wasn’t like I needed to get out of bed anytime soon. I could stay here the entire weekend for all I cared.

My head wholeheartedly agreed.

I don’t know how long I’d slept when I stirred awake again, to the covers being slowly pulled away from my head.

“Hey, Kels.” Trent’s deep voice, which was soothing enough to calm even the crankiest of toddlers, eased my aching head slightly. “Are you okay?”

I peered up at him, grunted, then ripped the bedding from his hand and yanked it back over my head. “I’m not here,” I grumbled. “And how did you get in?” I could’ve sworn I locked the door last night.

“Liam gave me his key for emergencies. Are you sick?”