“This,” he answered right before his lips descended on hers. Kinsley felt the current of electricity on her lips, the heightened awareness of her own body as Jarred’s lips molded against hers. She could smell his cologne swirling around her, the taste of him something exotic and forbidden. But she wanted more. She needed more. His tongue traced her bottom lip and she gasped, allowing him entrance to the inner recesses of her mouth. His tongue touched hers and Kinsley saw sparks, her hands blindly reaching out and grabbing his shirt to pull him closer. She was on fire and it was all because of Jarred.
Jarred’s hands gripped her shoulders, sliding down her arms until his hands covered her breasts through the material of her dress, the laciness of her bra now becoming an erotic feeling against the rock-hard nubs of her nipples. Jarred’s tongue was doing wonderful things in her mouth and Kinsley didn’t want to pull away, instead leaning into his touch as his tongue stroked hers. His hands inched down to the hem of her dress and before Kinsley knew it, Jarred’s hands were sliding up her bare thigh, touching the silkiness of her panties around her hip area. His hand was warm and she felt her own body flood with wetness at the thought of his hand sliding just a few inches and touching the very core of her. Her knees weakened as Jarred’s hand started toward her aching center, the slowness of his hand filling her with agitation. She could just shift slightly and he would be there.
But before she could, he broke their kiss, his breath harsh against her cheek as he backed away. Kinsley stood there, feeling slightly embarrassed at the wantonness of her body, wanting to throw her arms around him and beg him to continue.
“I-I should go,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “Go inside.”
“I,” Kinsley started, her body throbbing with need. What was she going to do, ask him inside? Did she dare to do that?
“Good night,” he said, stalking down the hall instead of opening his door. Kinsley watched him go, some of the heat dying down now that he was leaving her, panting with need. What had just happened?
Jarred entered the lift and waited until the doors were shut before he drew in a breath, his body rigid and heavy with need. He had almost shagged Kinsley in the fucking hall. Of all the stupid things he could do, that had to be at the top of the list. It would prove to her that he was the loser, the playboy everyone thought he was and she would regret ever helping him in the first place. He couldn’t do that to Kinsley. He didn’t want to do that to Kinsley. He wanted her to see him in a different light, maybe even the good guy that no one believed he could be. Stopping himself tonight had taken a feat of strength and self-control that he didn’t know he had, but Jarred considered that most of that strength had come from his respect for Kinsley. She was much more than just a shag in the hallway. She deserved flowers, candlelight, a bed.
The lift doors opened and he walked out in the direction of his car, his mood black and his cock hard as a rock, demanding release. He had been so close to having her, to burying himself in her warmth. There was no way he could go to his flat knowing she was right next door, no doubt ready and willing. He had felt her need in her kiss and it was just as strong as his had been. No, it would only take a few steps for him to bang on her door and have his way with her, which was why he had to get out for a while. Where, he didn’t know but it couldn’t be here.
The next morning, Kinsley grabbed her suitcase and walked out of the flat, closing the door behind her. Her own flat was now ready for her to move back in, which was a relief, and with the money she would get from Jarred in a few days, she could make the entire payment to make the place hers. The feeling was beyond explanation and would have been enough for her to go back, but now, she needed space from Jarred. After last night, Kinsley knew they were treading on dangerous ground, very dangerous ground. She still couldn’t understand why he’d left her like that, when she would have gladly dragged him into bed for as long as he wanted to stay.
Stopping in front of his door, Kinsley took the piece of paper she had written on this morning and slipped it under the door before continuing to the lift. It was a short note, one that just told him she was going back to her own flat and the address where he could find her. Kinsley had not heard him come in last night and while she didn’t want to think about him or his safety, the nagging voice in the back of her head told her she cared about her fake fiancée. She cared about whether he got back to his flat. She cared if he had gone home with another woman last night. It also terrified her. She would have slept with him last night if he hadn’t stopped them. She’d been spinning in a spiral of lust.
“Buck up Wells,” she said to herself as she pressed the button for the lift. Jarred wasn’t her problem. They weren’t even in a real relationship. He was paying her to be with him, not to worry about him. She was best served to keep that in her mind.
The lift arrived and Kinsley stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor. Her phone rang, causing her to fish it out of her bag. “Hello?”
“So, how did it go?”
Kinsley sighed into the phone, grateful that it was Rachel. “It went well. I think we pulled it off.”
“How did he like the yellow dress?” Rachel asked, the sound of the tube in the background.
Kinsley smiled as the lift arrived at the ground floor and she stepped out. “I wore the black one.”
There was a beat of silence. “Oh my,” Rachel said, surprise in her voice. “I can’t believe you wore that one. I thought you were going for demure.”
Kinsley thought about why she wanted to wear the black dress. She had wanted to see that heated look in Jarred’s eyes, to at least pretend that for a moment he wanted her. Mission accomplished. “I wanted to be sexy.”
“Oh Kinsley,” Rachel sighed. “You know I love you like a sister, so I am going to tell you to be careful with this one. He’s way out of your league and will break your heart.”
“I know,” Kinsley said. Her cousins words rang true, but it stung that Rachel pointed out that she was nowhere in the league to be playing with billionaires. Hastily, she blurted out, “He kissed me last night.” She was going to keep the rest to herself right now.
There was another pause. “God, I hate you now,” Rachel laughed. “You were kissed by Jarred Maloney. How was it?”
“It was wonderful,” Kinsley admitted as she walked down the sidewalk toward the tube that would take her home. It was irrelevant that they had been forced to do so. “His ex was there last night too.”
“I need all the details later,” Rachel said. “I gotta go, but drinks tomorrow? Don’t forget to pick up your dress. I can’t believe the wedding is so close.”
“Me neither,” Kinsley said before Rachel rang off. She wanted that excitement that her best friend was feeling, she wanted to feel as if she was the luckiest woman in the entire world.
With a sigh, Kinsley entered the station where the hustle and bustle of the morning was evident, the passengers hurrying to catch the tube that would take them to their destination. What destination was she looking for in her life? When she got the money, some of her worries would instantly disappear. But was that enough? Didn’t she want to experience some of the love and affection that Rachel was experiencing in her life right now? Her best friend didn’t know how lucky she was.