A flush rises from her chest to spread across her high cheekbones. “Any more rules?” Her voice cracks, her breaths heavier than they were moments before.
Swallowing hard, I run my hands up her delicate arms. “Just one more rule. The most important one,” I reply. I pause for a beat or two then say, “You can’t fall in love with me, Malena Winterset.”
She jumps a little when I say the wordlove, and rears out of my grasp. I’ve shocked her. I meant to, because she needs to know it’s integral to whatever might happen between us. “Okay,” she agrees. “You definitely don’t have to worry about that.” Except the tone of her voice tells me I do have to worry about that. There’s a softness about her demeanor that signals weakness.
“We’re in agreeance?” I confirm, closing the distance between us once more, leaning my head down. She smells like coconut and clean hair. My mouth waters and my balls ache. “To explain further, I’m not the type of man you fall in love with. I’m the kind of man you use for a bit and then toss.” I shake my head. “I’m sure my life will be short, and I don’t want to leave any threads behind when I go in a blaze of glory. Do you understand?” While my statement makes it seem as if I’m being altruistic, I’m not. Life is easier when you live with your guard up. My career has also taught me that some guards should never be lowered.
“Yes,” she says, interrupting my thoughts. “We’re in agreeance.” Licking her lips, her brown eyes widen, her frame leaning in closer to my chest.
“Now that the details are out of the way, I’m going to kiss you.” Her smile is wide and white as she sets her hands on top of mine. “If you’re up for it,” I add.
“Let’s go to my room,” she replies, tugging one of my hands. My stomach flips as her eyes finish the sentence for me. “If you’re up for it?” Malena uses my words, grabbing the monitor from the table.
Guiding me to the opposite side of the house, she opens the door to a wing of the house that looks like it was added after the fact. “This is my space,” she says, spinning on her toe to face me as I take in my surroundings. “I had it modified when I realized I’d probably be spending the rest of my life here,” she says, glancing at the device in her right hand. She sets it down on a bookshelf to her right. “When my dad left, I knew it was up to me to take care of things. He left a good amount of money in our checking account. I used some of it to make this section of the house my own and left most of it untouched to pay for Mom’s care. The day and night nurses and stuff. The treatments and medicines are expensive,” she rattles on, her demeanor changing completely. Shaking her head, she whispers, “Shut up, Malena.” Looking at me she grins. “I’m sorry. You don’t want to know that. It’s one of my flaws. I over explain things. Instead of a ‘this is my room,’ I give you my life run down.”
It’s warmer in here, and I see why she’s wearing her bathing suit. The windows are cracked and the ceiling fan is wobbling out a staccato beat, pushing around the heat. There are books, and antique toys sitting on shelves and tables. “As much as I want to kiss you, learning about you comes in a close second. You can over explain anytime you want. This is really nice,” I exclaim, walking in a few more steps.
“You’re just saying that,” she says, eyes focused on the light hardwood beneath her bare feet. “I live with my mom. That’s not sexy.”
I laugh and reach behind my head to shrug out of my T-shirt. It slides off, and I toss it on the giant, pale purple bedspread. “And you have toys in your room. Lucky for you, sex appeal isn’t something you have to worry about, Malena.” Cocking my head to the side, I let my gaze wander over her body very obviously up and down. “I’d want you if you lived in a convent.” Clearing my throat, I walk to the window. “Was this a garage?” One of the walls is exposed red brick. It lends a loft-like feel that isn’t typical for single-family homes.
“Yeah,” she says, dragging a finger along the rough wall. “I liked the brick and didn’t want to cover it up. Makes it feel a little bit like a city apartment or something,” she explains. “Something of my own.”
I raise one brow. “You like the city?”
Clearing her throat, she shakes her head. “I’m indifferent,” she says. The questions are there. Behind her chocolate colored eyes. “Why do you think you aren’t going to live a long life?” Her question is aimed like a dagger.
“Still thinking about that, huh?” Facing the wide window, I readjust my dick and try to will my libido to slow down. This room smells like her and it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a woman’s bedroom. The only time I’m ever in one, it isn’t to talk. “My career is dangerous. It’s not a foregone conclusion that I will die young, but it’s also more probable given statistics that I’m in more risky situations on a daily basis.”
She nods, lips pressed into a thin line. Stop thinking, Malena. Stop thinking and kiss me. Give me what I need.
“When you say you’re the kind of guy you toss? What exactly does that mean?”
Sighing, I approach her. The buzz of chemistry strengthening the closer I get to her body. “There are keepers and tossers in life. Good guys and bad guys. I’ve spent too much time with bad guys, you understand? I’m not in the business of letting people down. I have a one-track mind that doesn’t leave much space for anything other than what I’m focused on in the moment. It’s why relationships in my past have failed. I don’t know how to compartmentalize the different areas of my life. I’m okay with that, you have to understand it, though. We can have fun. Just you and me. For as long as it works out.”
Her eyes flare. “It’s doomed before it begins. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the type of girl to ask for more, but I haven’t been in anything committed for a while and this isn’t the typical way of things.” She waves a hand between us. Pausing, in thought, she adds, “You know what? Never mind. Never mind. Kiss me,” she orders. “If you still want to.”
Narrowing my eyes, I wish I could read her mind. “Do I want to?” I grin.
She smiles back, her cheeks bubbling out on the sides. It’s adorable and hot at the same time. Leaning down, I set my hands on the top of her shoulders and brush my lips against the corner of her mouth. Malena lets out an audible sigh, and I pull her in closer to feel her warm skin against mine. The heat is immediate—the scent of her skin hitting me like a flood. Tilting my head down farther to make up for our height difference, I brush my nose and mouth along the side of her face, grazing her ear. “I want to,” I tell her, growling the words one at a time.
“That feels so good,” Malena sighs. “Kiss me now.” Her face turns, seeking my lips, the kiss that I so desperately want to give her.
I hear soft footsteps. “Does Dylan know about this?” Ms. Winterset screeches from the doorway, an accusing finger aimed at me. Malena pushes away, her palms holding me at arm’s length, except her fingers are tangled in my ab muscles and that makes my dick harden even further. The situation looks bad, rather, what Ms. Winterset assumes seems worse than it actually is.
Dropping her hands, Malena says, “Mom, I told you Dylan and I have been over for years. Remember? This is Leif. He brought over lunch. He wants to take me out on a date?”
Her mom purses her lips. “Looks like he’s doing far more than taking you out on a date. What did I tell you about giving away free milk? No one is gonna buy the cow that way, sweetie. This is so…confusing. I’m confused.” That makes two of us, wait, no three of us. My dick is pretty damn stumped right now, too.
So much for taking a nice long nap. Irritation laces through my veins like fire. Using the patience I reserve for my own family, and my annoying sisters, I say, “I was just leaving, Ms. Winterset. I was merely giving her a quick kiss goodbye. Surely you don’t think I’d do anything untoward with your daughter, with the door open.” I make a mental note for next time to shut and lock the motherfucking door. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I put it on vibrate when I got here, and this is the second time I’ve felt it. I take it out just enough to see a text from Eva.
“I have work to do anyway,” Malena says, convincing her mother of my departure. “Maybe you can help me, Mom? I need to check some availability of the beach pavilions down by Sandy Tides beach,” Malena explains, trying to calm her mother by distraction. That’s a tactic I use with Eva, so I applaud her efforts. “You can help me choose which photos are best to send to the client?”
Ms. Winterset seems pleased to be asked to help, her posture changing, easing. “Does Dylan know about him?”
To me, Malena holds up one finger and says, “Wait here, one second, please.”
I nod, stifling my irritation.
