Fair Play (8 page)

“I guess I had more to drink than I thought.” I can feel my speech is still a little slurred because my lips feel like Jell-O.

What happens next shocks me and I’m rarely shocked. Evan lifts me into his arms and carries me to his doorstep. I think he’ll let me go when we get to the door but he somehow manages to unlock his condo and get us inside with me still in his arms.

He’s massive and I’m tiny, so to him I’m probably like carrying not much more than a large doll but just the thought of him wanting to make sure I’m safe and cared for makes my heart flutter a bit.

I nestle myself against his chest for a moment and he pulls me even closer. I breathe in his scent which is still vaguely like
the cologne he wears, although much of it seems to have worn off throughout the day. I like the smell of him; it’s clean and masculine at the same time.

“I don’t deserve you,” I mumble. “I don’t deserve this.”

I don’t think he hears me, my voice is so muted against his solid chest until he says, “You’re probably right. But I still want to do it.”

Then he places a soft kiss on the top of my head which sends little shivers through my body.

“Are you cold?” he asks as we cross into the bedroom.

“A little,” I reply.

He places me carefully on his enormous bed. “Wait here,” he says as if I’m going to try and make a run for it at any moment. It’s probably not an irrational fear given my penchant for fucking and running, although I get the feeling I won’t be doing either of those things tonight.

Tonight is about something completely different. There is a part of Evan that is good. I know that. But he can also be as cold and cruel and calculating as I can. I think there’s also a part of him that is trying to do whatever it takes to make me fall for him.

And I hate that it’s totally working.

Evan returns with a huge glass of water, which he hands me, along with two aspirin. “Try to drink as much of the water as you can otherwise you’ll get dehydrated. Do you feel like having some toast?”

I shake my head. The thought of eating anything makes my already queasy stomach twist and roll in protest.

“One piece?” he asks again.

The toast seems really important to him, so I agree.

Before he exits again, he goes over to his dresser and removes a tee shirt and a pair of boxer shorts and hands them to me. “Put these on.”

I stare at his clothes for a moment wondering how they’ll fit.

“Do you need help getting out of your clothes?” he asks.

I look up at him and lift an eyebrow.

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” he says. “I’m just talking about helping you get changed. It wasn’t a come on.”

“I think I can handle it.”

“I’ll go make you some toast,” he states as he exits.

“One piece,” I remind him.

A few minutes later, I’m swimming in his clothes but I also like wearing them. They make me feel close to him and I kind of feel like I’m his.

Then I have to remind myself that I don’t want to be Evan’s girlfriend.

I want to be with Aaron.

Everything with Evan is temporary. Just for the day. Or just for the night. He knows it and I know it. But if that’s true, why do I have to keep reminding myself?

When Evan returns with the slice of toast, he gives me a
little grin. “I love the way you look in my clothes. You’re tough as nails but still vulnerable.”

He sits down on the bed next to me and hands me the toast. I take a small bite but the piece gets stuck in my dry throat and I gag a little.

“Did you drink any water?” Evan asks as he grabs the still-full glass from the nightstand.

I shake my head.

Evan hands me the water and I take a small sip.

“Drink up,” he says. “Did you take the aspirin?”

I nod and take another bite of toast. This time it goes down a little easier. Evan gives me a kiss on the cheek.

“Did you get to eat?” I suddenly remember that Evan picked me up right from work.

“I’ll get something later,” he says dismissively. “I want to make sure you can keep that toast down first.”

“You don’t have to take care of me.”

“Maybe I want to.” There is so much warmth in his eyes it tugs at my heartstrings a bit.

I take another bite of the dry toast.

“Do you want to watch some TV?” Evan asks and it occurs to me that in all the time Evan and I have spent together over the years, we’ve never actually just
spent time together
without it involving sex.

“Okay,” I agree although it feels strange.

“Why don’t you get under the covers?” he suggests.

Evan’s bed is so inviting, with his thick comforter and ove
rstuffed pillows, I dive in. Evan grabs the remote and clicks through the stations until he finds a movie channel.
Pretty Woman
is playing.

“Romance movie?” he asks.

“Is that what you really want to watch?” I ask skeptically.

He furrows his brows. “I like romance movies.
The Notebook
is one of my favorites.”

“You like
The Notebook
,” I scoff. 

“Why is that so hard to believe?” He actually sounds a little hurt.

I feel a twinge of sadness that there’s so much I don’t know about Evan. I know his reputation as the womanizer, Evan the Conqueror, which is well-deserved and I know quite a lot about how he performs in bed, which usually borders on amazing. I know about his family and all of the things that they want the world to know about Evan: that he’s a champion skier, that he graduated from an Ivy League school with Honors and that he now works for one of the most prestigious accounting firms in the world.

How can I know so much
about
Evan but not really
know
Evan, the person inside?

“Let’s watch
Pretty Woman
,” I agree.

Evan hops into the bed with me. “Come here,” he says as he taps his chest.

I rest my head on his chest and he puts his arm around me and pulls me close. I snuggle into him and it feels comforting and scary at the same time.

I’ve never actually been held by a guy when it didn’t involve sex. It’s a new feeling to just relax into Evan’s strong arms. Before I know it, my eyes start to feel heavy and I fall asleep.

***

I bolt awake and realize I have no idea where I am or what time it is. I have a vague memory of being in the hotel bar with Roxie drinking my face off then passing out in Evan’s arms.

Then the memories flood back to me: Evan bringing me back to his place, making me toast, holding me until I feel asleep.

I scan the room in search of a clock. It’s 3:00 a.m. I seriously consider making an escape until I remember that Evan drove me here and my car is still parked in the hotel lot.

“Are you okay?” Evan mumbles half awake. “Do you feel sick?”

“I’m fine,” I whisper. “Go back to sleep.”

“You can’t leave,” he says. “You don’t have a car here.”

Did Evan plan it this way? Was this a plot for him to get me to spend the entire night with him? He knows better than anyone my fondness for making a quick exit.

I heave a sigh of defeat. It looks like Evan is going to get what he wants this time. It also occurs to me that maybe it’s not such a bad thing when what he wants is me.

“You’re letting all the warm air out of the covers,” Evan complains and I have to smile. He’s like a big kid in some ways and I find it oddly endearing.

I slip back down into the bed and Evan grabs me by the waist and pulls me toward him so that the two of us
spoon together.

“That’s better,” he says as he nestles his head against my neck.

It isn’t long before I hear his breathing even out and he’s asleep again. The panic I feel about waking up with him in the morning is quickly overshadowed by the comfort I feel in his arms and the peacefulness of being in his bed. 

***

I feel like someone is punching my head from the inside out. And there are strong arms holding me in bed. I try to wriggle free but the arms grasp me tighter.

“I have to pee,” I whisper, which isn’t a lie but it’s not an emergency either. I want to escape more than I have to relieve myself.

Evan heaves a sigh and finally relenting
lets me go. I squirm out of the bed and hurry into the bathroom.

Shit! I can’t believe I spent the entire night with Evan, in his arms, and we didn’t even have sex.

I’ve never woken up in a guy’s arms. I’ve never spent the whole night with someone. I always manage to escape.

I want to escape now but I don’t have a car.

I
could
phone a cab. But where’s my phone? I have to think about where Evan put my purse.

I can’t believe how he took care of me and how much he seems to care
about
me. It completely scares the shit out of me. My flight instincts are now in overdrive.

I remind myself how much I want to be with Aaron, how much I’ve always wanted to be with Aaron and how much it means to our families for Aaron and me to be together.

But I can no longer say Evan is just a fuck buddy because something more is happening between us. I just don’t know what it is or what to call it.

I find a washcloth in one of the drawers under the sink and I run it under cold water. I place the washcloth on my forehead and try to calm the drumming in my head.

After a minute or two, I hear a light tap on the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”

I don’t respond because I don’t really know if I’m okay. I’m definitely hung over. But I’m more freaked out about Evan.

“Can I come in?” he asks.

When I don’t respond, he slowly opens the door. “
Keira, what’s going on?” He’s by my side within seconds. “Are you sick?”

I shake my head. “Just a little hung over.”

“Would you like me to make some coffee?” he suggests.

“Would you just take me home?”

He looks a little disappointed but quickly recovers. “Sure, let me get dressed.”

“Or I can just phone a cab,” I offer.

He jaw clenches. “You’re not phoning a cab. I’m taking you home.”

From the tone of his voice, I know not to argue. But I want to make sure he knows the score. “This doesn’t change an
ything.”

He looks at me with scorching eyes. “I know,” he manages to say through gritted teeth.

“I’m still going after Aaron.”

He’s still staring at me, his eyes filled with emotion. I can’t tell if he’s more angry or hurt. “I know,” he says finally.

“But I appreciate you taking care of me.”

His eyes soften a bit. “I’ll always take care of you,
Keira.”

The emotion in
Evan’s words is much more than I can handle, and since it’s too early to use alcohol to numb my feelings, I decide to do the next best thing.

I close the distance between us and place my hands on his
solid abs. I look up at Evan and lick my lips suggestively. Then I give him a sexy little grin. “Would you like to take care of me before you take me home?”

He takes in a sharp breath and I can see a little twinkle light up his eyes.

“Or maybe you’d like me to take care of you before I go?” I say seductively as my hand roams down toward his growing erection.

I’m surprised when he grabs my hand and shakes his head. “We’re doing this my way,” he whispers into my ear.

Before I can protest, he lifts me into his arms like a rag doll and carries me back to the bed. With one quick motion, he removes the boxer shorts of his I’m wearing and pulls me close to the edge of the bed. He gives me a wicked little grin and says, “I want to show you exactly how well I can take care of you.”

Then he begins to tease me with his tongue, playfully licking and nibbling the most sensitive parts of my inner thigh. When my breath catches, I let out a little moan of pleasure.
I glance down and I can see Evan looking up at me, gauging my reaction to his
oral abilities
. I close my eyes and enjoy the magic.

It isn’t long before his
talented tongue makes its way into my folds and I lift my hips to meet his mouth.

He licks and sucks me with such expertise I wriggle in delight as he pleasures me. His tongue feels like pure bliss as it thrusts inside me
.

It
doesn’t take long before I let out a scream as I reach climax and my entire body tenses. I’m still shaking when Evan looks up at me and wipes his hand over his mouth.

“So, did I take care of you?” he asks playfully.

“You know exactly how to take care of me in every way,” I reply. I raise an eyebrow. “So, now do you want me to take care of you?”