Kelli.” He stretched his arms out in a mock attempt to look harmless.
Kelli snorted in disbelief at the image. “Remi, you may be a lot of things, but harmless and innocent aren’t on the list.”
Dropping the wounded warrior look, he pinned her with the heat of his black gaze. “At least I got you to admit there’s more to me than a vain, asshole player.”
The sheer sincerity in his voice drained her resistance and she sank to the cold floor, the wide folds of her robe keeping her covered from neck to knee. If he looked sincere, sounded sincere and acted sincere, then either he was an Oscar-calibre actor or the man actually meant the wonderful things he said.
Kelli was a natural risk-taker. She’d never have been able to succeed in this business if she hadn’t been willing to take a chance now and then. But business was one thing and her personal emotions a totally different thing. As a young child, her heart had taken many a beating after she had been rejected by foster home after foster home. Kelli had learnt to keep her vulnerable side protected from the harsher realties of the world.
Now Remi lay there, covered in nothing but a sheen of water, asking her to allow him past her well-honed defences. To trust him, trust he wouldn’t hurt her or use her growing feelings against her.
“I need to start drinking more,” she muttered to the room in general.
“There’s a bottle of wine in your future if you ditch the robe.”
“Lech.”
“Tease.”
“Sex fiend.”
“Goddess.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks at his words. God, Kelli didn’t think her heart could take it if he wasn’t sincere. But if he was…if he was, then maybe there was a chance for the happily-ever-after she’d always secretly dreamed of.
He clasped her shoulders in his strong hands and drew Kelli to her feet. “Come on. I need to take you home. You’re about to fall down on your feet.”
Chapter Seven
Tentative hope still blooming in her chest, Kelli allowed him to dress her and followed meekly while he gently tucked her into the front seat of his large, black SUV. She didn’t speak except to direct Remi to her house on the outside of the art district.
The big vehicle pulled to a stop in the long, secluded driveway. The two-storey house was softly lit, a beacon of safety in the shaky instability of the night.
“This is not necessary,” she protested, digging into her purse for her keys, thankful Remi had remembered to grab the bag from the drawer in her desk.
“My mother would be horrified if I didn’t act like a gentleman,” he told her with a wink and a seductive smile. Familiar heat built in the air between them. Kelli sucked in a breath and jerked the door open.
“And you’re always a gentleman, right?” She couldn’t stop the taunt from leaving her lips, even though she’d already forgiven him. She’d be a nitpicky bitch if she held a grudge when he’d done everything but bend over backwards to gain her forgiveness.
“Maybe not always, but I do try. Am I forgiven yet, Kelli, chèrie ?” he asked. “Are you willing to forgive a stupid man for a stupid mistake?”
How could anyone stay mad when his Cajun voice dripped with sincerity? When those deep, midnight-black eyes burnt with genuine emotion? It was impossible. She needed to go. To hide from him and her traitorous emotions.
Get inside, Kelli , she told herself. Take an ice cold shower and have that bottle of wine waiting chilled in your fridge . Yep, she’d wash him out of her system and freeze her rampaging hormones.
“No, Remi, I’m not mad at you anymore. I believe you regret what happened and, in the broad scheme of things, it’s not a huge deal. You can go home and sleep with a clear conscience.”
“You don’t want me coming in?” he asked.
“You asked a question, I answered.”
”And now I should crawl away with my tail tucked between my legs, like a good trained dog?” He moved closer with each word until he completely
Kelli snorted in disbelief at the image. “Remi, you may be a lot of things, but harmless and innocent aren’t on the list.”
Dropping the wounded warrior look, he pinned her with the heat of his black gaze. “At least I got you to admit there’s more to me than a vain, asshole player.”
The sheer sincerity in his voice drained her resistance and she sank to the cold floor, the wide folds of her robe keeping her covered from neck to knee. If he looked sincere, sounded sincere and acted sincere, then either he was an Oscar-calibre actor or the man actually meant the wonderful things he said.
Kelli was a natural risk-taker. She’d never have been able to succeed in this business if she hadn’t been willing to take a chance now and then. But business was one thing and her personal emotions a totally different thing. As a young child, her heart had taken many a beating after she had been rejected by foster home after foster home. Kelli had learnt to keep her vulnerable side protected from the harsher realties of the world.
Now Remi lay there, covered in nothing but a sheen of water, asking her to allow him past her well-honed defences. To trust him, trust he wouldn’t hurt her or use her growing feelings against her.
“I need to start drinking more,” she muttered to the room in general.
“There’s a bottle of wine in your future if you ditch the robe.”
“Lech.”
“Tease.”
“Sex fiend.”
“Goddess.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks at his words. God, Kelli didn’t think her heart could take it if he wasn’t sincere. But if he was…if he was, then maybe there was a chance for the happily-ever-after she’d always secretly dreamed of.
He clasped her shoulders in his strong hands and drew Kelli to her feet. “Come on. I need to take you home. You’re about to fall down on your feet.”
Chapter Seven
Tentative hope still blooming in her chest, Kelli allowed him to dress her and followed meekly while he gently tucked her into the front seat of his large, black SUV. She didn’t speak except to direct Remi to her house on the outside of the art district.
The big vehicle pulled to a stop in the long, secluded driveway. The two-storey house was softly lit, a beacon of safety in the shaky instability of the night.
“This is not necessary,” she protested, digging into her purse for her keys, thankful Remi had remembered to grab the bag from the drawer in her desk.
“My mother would be horrified if I didn’t act like a gentleman,” he told her with a wink and a seductive smile. Familiar heat built in the air between them. Kelli sucked in a breath and jerked the door open.
“And you’re always a gentleman, right?” She couldn’t stop the taunt from leaving her lips, even though she’d already forgiven him. She’d be a nitpicky bitch if she held a grudge when he’d done everything but bend over backwards to gain her forgiveness.
“Maybe not always, but I do try. Am I forgiven yet, Kelli, chèrie ?” he asked. “Are you willing to forgive a stupid man for a stupid mistake?”
How could anyone stay mad when his Cajun voice dripped with sincerity? When those deep, midnight-black eyes burnt with genuine emotion? It was impossible. She needed to go. To hide from him and her traitorous emotions.
Get inside, Kelli , she told herself. Take an ice cold shower and have that bottle of wine waiting chilled in your fridge . Yep, she’d wash him out of her system and freeze her rampaging hormones.
“No, Remi, I’m not mad at you anymore. I believe you regret what happened and, in the broad scheme of things, it’s not a huge deal. You can go home and sleep with a clear conscience.”
“You don’t want me coming in?” he asked.
“You asked a question, I answered.”
”And now I should crawl away with my tail tucked between my legs, like a good trained dog?” He moved closer with each word until he completely
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