Page 54 of Decidedly Off Limits

And…yoga was definitely out.

My cell phone rang from the coffee table. Trent, who was no doubt checking that I was still alive.

“I’m fine,” I told him.

“Good to know. I’m home now and just heard that the power is out in your area because of a downed tree. So I figured you might as well come over and spend the night, since you don’t know how long your power will be out for. And just so you know…I spent all last night fantasizing about everything I want to do to you, Kels, and I don’t think I can survive another night just thinking it.” His husky voice left my panties ready to sacrifice themselves to a greater cause.

Hot and dirty and definitely-not-nice thoughts took up residence in my head. How I managed not to moan was anyone’s guess.

He did have a point though about the power. The last time the power went out in the area, it had remained off for four hours.

“And Kelsey?” The last part came out all hot and bothered and all male. God, he wasn’t playing fair.

“Yes?”

“Don’t take too long. I’ve got a surprise for you.” He hung up before I could find out what it was.

23

Trent

The intercom rangand I let Kelsey into the building. I glanced around the apartment, seeing it the way she would for the first time. Unlike her house, which was homey and reminded me of pictures I’d seen of Scandinavian-style homes, with their clean white interior designs, my apartment screamed professionally decorated bachelor pad. My boss had recommended the designer, and yes, I did end up screwing her. The interior designer, not my boss. My furniture was modern, sophisticated, and nothing like me.

That’s not to say I didn’t like the place. I did, thanks to the extra-large TV screen that I rarely had time to appreciate. But that was pretty much the high point. Even the artwork on the walls did nothing for me. They looked like something I could have created as a kid, with paint splattered onto a canvas by an artist I’d never heard of.

A few minutes later a knock on the door distracted me from my thoughts. I strode to the door and opened it. Kelsey stood there, a small red pull-along suitcase at her heels.

“Hi,” she said. “Sorry it took me so long. Slow-moving traffic because of the rain.” She sniffed the air. “Wow, what smells so good?”

“You’ll see. It’s the surprise I mentioned on the phone.” I grabbed Kelsey’s suitcase. She followed me into the apartment and into the bedroom.

Her gaze took in the tidy room, with its dark, masculine colors and modern furniture. “Wow, this place is amazing. You decorated it yourself?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t attempt this at home without the help of a professional.”

That brought a big smile to her face. “Are you telling me you hired someone?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Most women who might’ve seen my apartment would instantly wonder about my earning potential—which was why I’d never brought the women I screwed back here. Not so with Kelsey. My income didn’t matter to her, which made me appreciate her even more.

“Before I forget to tell you…” she said as I proceeded to show her around the condo, “Holly thinks you’re seeing someone.”

“She knows about us?”

She made a well-not-exactly face. “I was trying to let her know that you weren’t interested in her by letting her down nicely. Soooo, I asked her if she would be okay if you were dating someone. And before that, the tennis pro she had been trying to set me up with asked me out, and I told him I was seeing someone. He mentioned it to Holly…”

“And now she thinks you have a boyfriend and I have a girlfriend.”

“Yep, that pretty much sums it up.”

Inwardly I groaned. “You know Holly and Erin are going to figure it out, right?”

“Not if we throw them off.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“Introduce them to our fake girlfriend and boyfriend.” She shrugged. “It might work.”