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  “Only if you’re having some. I don’t want you to go to any trouble ‘cause of me.”

  Her mind tried to think of a snappy retort, to tell him he’d been nothing but trouble, but that wasn’t true. Not at all. Aside from making her struggle like hell with her emotions and hormones (something she was not going to tell him, retort or not), he hadn’t been any trouble, unlike a lot of other men she’d dated in the past. Well, that wasn’t true. Most men were easy until they moved into the boyfriend phase. That’s when they became a pain in the ass, and for all she knew, Riley would be no different.

  Oh, please, she heard a voice inside her say. This boy wouldn’t go that far anyway. Of course, he wouldn’t. He wasn’t looking for anything permanent, and he was probably only fascinated by her because she was different from his usual conquests. He’d asked her lots of questions at dinner about teaching and about her education, and he’d seemed fascinated. Again, though, she was sure it was because she wasn’t his usual flavor of female.

  She hoped her thoughts weren’t showing on her face, and she was glad part of the time her head was obscured by the freezer door on her refrigerator. She handed Riley one of the glasses and said, “We can sit in the living room, if you want.” Another stupid move. She should’ve invited him to sit at the kitchen table where she could make sure they were farther apart and the table could have acted as a barrier between them. But, of course, her desire was sabotaging her common sense.

  So when they got to the living room, she said, “Go ahead and have a seat. I’ve got to get these shoes off my feet. Be right back.” That would serve two purposes. She’d be able to choose how far away she sat from him when she got back, and she could put on her stupid fuzzy mule slippers to take away the potentially sexy aura. The slippers were black too so they wouldn’t be as noticeable, but at least they weren’t designed to look hot. If it wouldn’t seem rude, she’d even change her clothes into some of the most unflattering things she owned, but she didn’t want to push it.

  When she returned to the living room, she considered sitting in the chair, but even though she wanted to cool things off, put a little distance between them, she didn’t want to come off like a bitch. So she sat on the couch beside Riley, but she made sure there was plenty of space between their bodies.

  He’d removed his jacket and was taking off his tie. Erin noticed he’d already drunk half his glass. “Nice shoes,” he said, a smile on his face.

  She couldn’t help but grin. “They’re a lot more comfortable.”

  He nodded and draped his tie on the arm of the couch on top of his jacket as she sat down. Then he took another drink of water and set the glass on the coffee table. “Why are you clear over there? I thought we were getting a little friendly earlier.”

  She swallowed the water in her mouth. Shit. That was direct, no beating around the bush. She wasn’t used to that. But she couldn’t help but respect the hell out of it, even if it was the direct result of a guy like Riley used to getting what he wanted. Erin looked in his eyes and said, “Yeah, we were, but I think that’s a bad idea.” She placed her glass on the coffee table too but looked back at him.

  Riley moved over, not too close, but his knee touched hers. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all. You are…” He didn’t finish his sentence, instead running his tongue over the edge of his top teeth, as though sizing her up for a meal. His eyes were darker than usual, boiling over with desire, and it made Erin feel as though her heart had stopped. She swallowed and let the rest of the air escape from her lungs as he closed the gap between them and she felt helpless to stop him.

  God, yes, she wanted him. She wanted him desperately, but she knew it would be one of the most foolish things she could ever do in her entire life. And she thought that, even as his lips touched hers and she let him in, her traitorous hands avidly wrapping themselves around his neck to resume their exploration from earlier.

  The biggest problem was he was a really good kisser. He moved his tongue just the right way and he tasted good. He wasn’t sloppy and there wasn’t too much saliva involved. Some guys couldn’t stir her libido with just one kiss, but Riley had managed to twice tonight already. What the hell was she supposed to do?

  She felt his hands back around her waist, holding her gently, but she could feel the strength in them. He kissed her again and she could barely catch her breath. Oh, yeah, she wanted him. She wanted him badly. And that was the main reason why she knew she shouldn’t go through with it.

  Even while his tongue was titillating her nerves, her brain did a dance with the facts: she’d only known him for a day, and that was way too soon; plus Riley had a tendency to be an ass, and, Erin suspected, he might even have a sociopathic streak in him—she didn’t know for certain, though, because she hadn’t spent enough time with him; he was a serial bad boy, and this she knew from the media; and, finally, he was going to be gone in a week. So the only reason she should even decide to give in would be if she was okay with just a one-night fuck. Already, though, she knew she liked Riley too much to do that. Why and how had that happened? She had no idea. Besides that, she knew she’d feel guilty as hell if she just fucked a rock star. She’d feel dirty and ashamed, and there was no way she was going to do that.

  So when his lips moved to her neck, one of her most sensitive erogenous zones, probably directly connected to all her body’s nerves that tied directly to the act of lovemaking, she knew she had to put a stop to it.

  She moved her hands to his chest and said, “No, Riley.”

  He didn’t move away but instead just asked, “What?” The heat of his breath on her neck didn’t help.

  “Stop. I…I can’t.”

  He did move his head then, moving his face to in front of hers. His nose touched hers and he looked directly in her eyes. “Why? What did I do wrong?” A slight smile crossed his face. “We were just getting to the good part.”

  She inhaled a deep breath. His eyes held her and she couldn’t look away. That wouldn’t be a problem except that his eyes were seductive too. Yeah, they were just getting to the good part, the biggest reason why they had to stop.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong. Just…no.” She shook her head and found some deep inner resolve, something she hadn’t even known she had in her. “And I shouldn’t have to explain it to you. Just…no means no.”

  He blinked then, as though letting the words sink in. Then she noticed his jaw move slightly. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to say anything or if he was fighting against it. His eyes narrowed and then his focus dropped from her eyes to her chin. God…why wouldn’t he say something? Finally, he nodded and pulled his hands off from her waist. She took that as a signal to drop her hands from his chest…his chest that had felt rock solid and well-defined underneath her slender fingers.

  And the look on his face, one of betrayal and pain, made her feel instantly guilty.

  But no. She shouldn’t. She should be able to tell him how she felt without his manipulating her, whether his feelings were genuine or not. It was a woman’s right to say no, right? And they weren’t even going hot and heavy yet, so it’s not like she was leaving him in a desperate state.

  He nodded his head again and stood. He grabbed his jacket and tie off the arm of the couch and said, “Well, then, bye.” She wondered the last time he was told no, because it was almost like he didn’t know how to take it. And she didn’t necessarily want him to leave, but she didn’t know how to stop him and she didn’t want to send mixed signals. He walked toward the door and she stood but found herself mute. “It was nice meeting you, Erin,” he said, opening and closing the door before she could even say goodbye herself.

  Well, that was fucked up, and she didn’t quite know what to think of it, except to realize that now not only did she feel sexually frustrated but she felt guilty as hell, and she didn’t know if there was any way to fix the situation.

  One thing was clear: there would be no fixing it tonight.

  Chapter Ten

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nbsp; RILEY WAS IN the backyard of his parents’ house late Sunday morning. It had been nothing short of a miracle dodging church with his mom and dad. He didn’t feel like getting into the real reasons with his parents why he hadn’t wanted to go, but he’d managed to convince them to stop pestering him when he told them about how, everywhere he’d gone in Winchester, he’d been not only approached but even detained by mostly young girls (not to mention other interested parties). “Coming home should feel like a vacation, not more of the same bull…oney,” he’d protested, avoiding a curse word that would have made his mother cringe and then insist he go to church, all while she piled his plate with homemade French toast, hash browns, and bacon.

  So, while his mom and dad were at church, he was tossing a basketball in the hoop his dad had put back there on the concrete patio, complete with a picnic table, when his older brother had been in high school. Riley had played sports in school but never basketball. That was his brother’s thing, but he still liked shooting hoops once in a while anyway.

  But while he threw the ball absentmindedly, his thoughts were on Erin and the prior evening’s activities. It had seemed to be going so well, but then she grew cold all of a sudden. Or at least that’s the way it had seemed. How the hell had he misread her signals so badly? When he’d kissed her in the parking lot, he was pretty damned sure it had been as electric for her as it had been for him. There was some spark there he’d ignited. That’s what he’d thought anyway. And then at her apartment too…he’d kissed her again, and it still felt magical and right, but then she’d called him off, just like a high school girl afraid of losing her virginity.

  And that thought made him feel guilty. He’d deflowered a couple of girls in high school, and they’d all wanted it, but one girl in particular had been the worst move he’d ever made in his life. Her name was Katie Logan, and she’d been a nice enough girl. He’d never really noticed her before his senior year in high school. In fact, his best friend and former band mate (Johnny, now known to the rest of the world as axe hero J. C. Gibson) had loved the girl forever, but he’d never made a move…had felt like he wasn’t good enough for her. Well, little Katie had her own crush on his buddy, but Johnny had kept inadvertently breaking her heart, and that’s when Riley decided to move in. She willingly dated him and even willingly gave her virginity over to him. But he’d always felt guilty about it and even let his best friend beat the shit out of him because of it.

  Something he’d never admit to, though, was that he’d really cared about Katie. And when he realized that, even after having sex, she’d never love him like she loved Johnny, he decided maybe it was time to walk away and protect his heart as best he could. He even let her think he’d just used her, but she had no idea. And that hurt had stayed with him a long time. He didn’t feel good enough, and why was that? It certainly wasn’t for lack of trying.

  And why the fuck had last night’s incident with Erin made him feel the same way?

  For the first time in years, he even considered having a drink.

  But instead he chose to shoot hoops, hoping to wear himself out. A day or two’s perspective would maybe help ease the pain, but for now he just had to get through one day.

  He was sweating out his pain, ready to jump in the shower before his folks returned home, when he heard his cell phone make the annoying sound it usually did when he received a text. But that text changed his entire mood. It was from Erin, asking if it was okay to call.

  He didn’t want to seem pathetic, but he did want to talk to her…badly. So he sat at the picnic table and closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath of the cool spring air. Instead of texting her back, he just dialed. Before that, though, he channeled the most confident version of Riley he could. He didn’t want her to know the depths his mood had been in.

  “Riley?” she answered.

  God, he loved the way her mouth wrapped around his name. And she didn’t sound upset or angry, so he felt some relief. “Yeah, I just wanted to let you know it’s okay to call.”

  He heard her giggle and he couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, um…I wanted to talk to you about last night.”

  He swallowed an imaginary lump in his throat threatening to make it impossible to speak. What the hell did she want to say? He really didn’t want to talk about it…at all. But he might not ever have another chance with this girl. “Okay…what did you need to say?”

  He heard her let out a breath of air slowly. “I…uh…” She giggled again. “Let me start over. I…really like you, Riley, in spite of my better judgment, and I don’t think I did a very good job last night explaining where I was coming from.”

  He felt his smile widen and his chest surged with real confidence instead of the fake stuff he was trying to muster. He chose his words carefully. “Yeah…you definitely didn’t do a good job explaining where you were coming from.” He chewed his lip and said, “I really like you too…but what do you mean, in spite of your better judgment? I’m not a bad guy.”

  He could tell she was smiling when she talked. “Look…why don’t we start over? Including that comment. Maybe you could come over this afternoon and we could just hang for a while.”

  Riley still felt the need to be cautious. “When?”

  “Well, I have to finish grading some papers. Maybe in an hour or two?”

  That would give him plenty of time to shower and clean up…and come up with an evil plan, which involved a trip to Colorado Springs. “Make it three.”

  “See you then.”

  * * *

  Wow. That hadn’t been as hard as Erin had thought it would be. How she’d managed to sleep at all last night, she’d never know, but her dreams had been addled with visions of Riley. If she wasn’t begging him to kiss her in one dream, she was hurting him in another. And she woke up feeling guilty as hell, wanting to make amends.

  Worse yet, she decided she wanted to see where this would go, good or bad.

  Riley couldn’t hurt her worse than she’d been hurt in her last two relationships, especially if she was consciously protecting her heart. And, of course, she would. With a rock star like Riley Schultz, she’d be stupid not to be on guard. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun. After all, how many women had the chance to say they’d not only had sex with a rock star but had been courted by one? It was an experience she really shouldn’t pass up. Besides, if he was as good in bed as he was a kisser, she’d be in for nothing but fun.

  And, if she was careful, she wouldn’t get hurt at all. So she had to just go into it planning to have fun and nothing more.

  She had two hours before Riley would show up, so she took a long hot bubble bath. Then she smoothed sweet papaya-scented lotion all over her body and touched up her toenail polish. She realized he’d never seen her with her hair down or in casual clothes, so she wanted to choose what she wore carefully. She ultimately decided on an ultra-short-sleeved lime green top with a v-neck made of soft cotton, much like a t-shirt, and jean shorts with sandals. She looked cute while showing a little skin. And she couldn’t resist pulling her hair back in a ponytail…it lent itself to a casual look, even though she still wasn’t wearing her hair down. And, just in case, she put on a matching set of lacy panties and a bra in hot pink.

  She even called Jackie and gave her friend an update on the entire situation, including telling her how Erin had sent him home, his tail between his legs, and had felt guilty (and stupid) ever since. Jackie said, “You realize what’s gonna happen, don’t you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, honey, by the time I get home, you will have been laid. Expertly and thoroughly, I hope.”

  Erin started giggling. “Not necessarily. I invited him over just to talk.”

  “Uh-huh. Well, I’d place a bet right now, but I know you can’t afford it.”

  So Erin was nervous again by the time Riley arrived. But God…he was a sight to behold. And then she realized she’d never seen him in daylight before. He didn’t look as brooding
or dark, not that, with his rock star attitude, those qualities were a bad thing, but seeing him literally in a different light made him all the more intriguing.

  And he looked fantastic, even though he was back to his usual look. His hair was a little mussy but in a sexy way, and he was wearing a black Deftones t-shirt over newer jeans with sneakers. Goody! She could see some of his tattoos again.

  “Hi,” she said, pulling the door back and inviting him in. She saw that he had a board game in one hand and a grocery bag in the other. “What have you got there?”

  “Just…stuff.” He pulled a six-pack of soda out of the bag. It was Jones Pure Cane Cream Soda. “The good stuff.” He handed it to her. “Mind refrigerating that? We’ll break it out later to celebrate.”

  She couldn’t stop the smile that crossed her face. “Celebrate what?”

  He flashed her a wicked smile back. “Whatever.”

  She chose to let it go and started walking to the kitchen. “Can I get you something else to drink right now? I made some iced tea.”

  “That sounds great.” She heard him arranging a Monopoly game in the other room. That was weird and funny…she hadn’t played Monopoly since she was in high school, but, she supposed, it was innocent fun.

  While he did that, she filled two glasses with ice and poured tea in them both. Then she asked from the kitchen, “Do you like your tea sweetened?”

  “I don’t care. Whatever’s easier on you.”

  Not was easier, so she put the pitcher of tea back in the fridge and picked up both glasses, heading to the living room.

  Riley was sitting on the couch, the lid of the game and the money, pieces, and cards all scattered all over the cushions. He had the board opened on the coffee table…and two pairs of handcuffs. They looked real too. She decided not to say anything about them yet and asked, “Do you need any help?” She sat in the chair next to the couch. She was still close, within touching distance, but she couldn’t have fit on the couch with all the crap on it anyway.