Sin City Temptation (Kimani Hotties), page 11
“Trinity?” Gunner’s deep, hypnotic voice called out. “You okay?”
Her gaze met his, but jockeyed back and forth from his eyes to his penis that was struggling to break free. She swallowed, feeling as if she was slowly coming back to herself. But then...he adjusted himself.
Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod. She diverted her eyes. I have to get out of here before I do something I’ll regret.
“Uh...” She glanced at him again and pointed to the meal she had brought upstairs, “food...eat,” she stuttered, not missing the amusement in his eyes. She slowly backed away on shaky legs, unable to pull her gaze from his tempting body. It wasn’t until she bumped into the wall that she snapped out of the fog she’d been in. She quickly left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Gunner’s laughter followed her down the hall and she knew she would never be able to look at him the same way again.
Damn him.
Moments later, behind the safety of her bedroom door, she collapsed on top of the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I’m in so much trouble. I can’t do this. I can’t stay with him. Visions of his hard, naked body assaulted her senses and she squeezed her thighs together, trying to stop the throbbing between her legs. A whimper escaped her lips when she drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Squeezing. Deep breathing. Nothing worked.
She bolted up into a sitting position. “Okay, Trinity, calm down. Breathe. That’s it, just breathe.” She coached herself, repeating the words over and over aloud. When her pounding pulse slowed, she took several more cleansing breaths and then reached for her cell phone. She did what any woman on the verge of jumping off a cliff would do. She called her best friend.
After several rings, Connie picked up.
“Hey, girl. I was just thinking about you, wondering when you were going to call me. Tell me, how are things going with the hunk? Why—”
“I think I’m in trouble,” Trinity whispered, not missing the trembling in her own voice.
“Oh, my God! What? Where are you? Are you hurt?” her friend asked, her voice frantic. Trinity cursed under her breath, forgetting how quickly Connie jumped to conclusions. “Trinity, what happened?”
“Connie?” Trinity called out several times before her friend calmed down. “I’m okay...well, at least physically.”
“What? You scared me half to death. I thought you’d been shot or something. Don’t you ever do that to me again!” she fussed.
“I think I’m falling for my client,” Trinity said, knowing that would shut her friend up. Silence filled the phone line before Connie screamed into the phone. Trinity pulled it away from her ear, imagining her friend doing one of her stupid happy dances.
“Tell me everything,” she finally said. “And I mean everything. You know I’m not like others who might want you to leave out the juicy stuff. I want to know it all. Speak!”
Trinity rolled her eyes. “I only have a few minutes, but...but we kissed...” Another scream erupted from her friend and Trinity was starting to think that maybe it had been a bad idea to call her. “Would you calm down?”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Keep going.”
Trinity told her about the sexual tension brewing between them. It took her a while to calm her friend down when she explained how an offer to teach Gunner some self-defense moves turned into a heated kiss.
“I knew it. I knew it. There was no way that nothing could be going on between you and the hunk.”
Trinity didn’t bother commenting on the nickname that Connie had given Gunner. “What made you think anything would be going on with me and the hu...Gunner?”
“Don’t think I didn’t hear that near slipup.” Her friend laughed. “But I won’t go there. Let’s just say that I’ve seen the hunk. If nothing were happening between you two, living in close quarters and him being as gorgeous as he is, then I would think something was wrong with you. I’m sorry, but a man that fine should not be wasted.”
“You know good and well I can’t cross that line with Gunner. He’s a client!”
“But he’s a man first and apparently he’s interested.”
“I have to admit, Connie. I’m scared. I’m scared I’m going to ruin this business deal because I’m so attracted to him. And the worst part is—I like him.” Trinity felt sick. She couldn’t believe they were even having this conversation. And more important, she couldn’t believe that she was thinking about forgoing all professionalism to be with Gunner.
“Finally! I’m glad you’re finally admitting that you like him.”
“You act as if that’s a good thing! We leave for New Orleans in a couple of days. What if—”
“Girl, just go with it. Quit being such a goody-goody.”
“Connie, I can’t. We need this contract.”
“Yes, you can. You deserve to let your hair down for a change and get your freak on! Besides, you’ve already cashed his check. I say, get yours, girl!”
Chapter 11
“Looks as if you had a good run this evening,” a reporter said to Gunner when he stepped away from a poker table. Instead of participating in the tournament, he played a few cash games, walking away with three times as much as he started with. This was his and Trinity’s last day in New Orleans and he was more than ready to go home. “I take it that Roman Jeers’s trash talking didn’t distract you,” the woman stated, more than asked, before turning the mic to him.
“Not really,” Gunner replied absently, having a hard time keeping his gaze from lingering on Trinity. He’d spotted a poker player, Simon McCallum, earlier, trying to talk to her, and it looked as if he had returned. “I’ve played at the same table with Roman on a number of occasions and if nothing else, he’s consistent with his excessive talking.”
With the huge crowd of people standing near the entrance to the card room, Gunner had to lean closer to the woman, talking louder than usual. He answered a few more questions, then excused himself. He kept his gaze on Trinity and her admirer as he approached, getting more pissed the closer he got. Trinity was a beautiful woman, but he didn’t think he’d ever get used to men gawking at her. Normally he wasn’t the jealous type, but damn if he didn’t want to put a glass box around her and shut out all of her admirers. It was way past time he staked his claim.
Just before he reached her, she glanced up. Gunner wasn’t sure what she saw in his face, but when her gaze met his, she took a step away from her visitor.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Gunner slid a possessive arm around her narrow waist, his hand resting on her hip. Before she could react to his touch, he lowered his mouth over hers and the intoxicating scent of her perfume washed over him like a cool, gentle breeze. Lips so soft and sweet connected with his and he temporarily forgot that he was only trying to get rid of her admirer. Suddenly not caring who was watching, he tightened his grip around her waist and placed his other hand behind her head, pulling her closer, securing their bodies together. At this moment, nothing else mattered to him. He didn’t care that he had barely slept for the past three days because sharing a hotel suite with Trinity and not being able to touch her was too much. But tonight—tonight would be different.
Gunner’s heart lurched when Trinity moaned and wrapped her arm around his neck, pressing her soft curves against the hardness of his body, and deepening the kiss. She kissed him with reckless abandonment and he knew that tonight she would be his. He had been with plenty of women, but there were none that he wanted as badly as he wanted her. He didn’t normally participate in public displays of affection, but he wanted everyone to know that she was with him. With the way she was kissing him, she had just raised the stakes and there was no turning back.
“Excuse me, Mr. Brooks, who’s the lovely lady?”
“Is there wedding news to share?”
Gunner reluctantly ended the kiss when question after question from reporters bombarded him, yet he didn’t release Trinity. He couldn’t. Now that he had her in his arms, he never wanted to let her go.
“Wow,” Trinity mumbled, her fingers touching her lips as she stared up at him shyly.
Gunner kept his arm around her and turned his back to a couple of reporters. “‘Wow’ is right.” He placed a kiss against her temple. “You okay?” She nodded.
He ran his hands up and down her side, shocked that she hadn’t tackled him to the floor and maybe handcuffed him for kissing her. Or at the very least cursed him out. He wanted nothing more than to carry her out of there and go straight to their suite to finish what they both so clearly wanted. Unfortunately, he had promised a reporter friend of his a brief interview in the media room.
Holding Trinity close to his side, Gunner ignored the curious stares and the questions still being tossed at him, but he hadn’t forgotten about her admirer. Turning back, he noticed Simon had stepped off to the side, his gaze still on Trinity.
With Trinity in tow, Gunner walked in Simon’s direction, making sure the man was close enough to hear what he had to say.
“Stay the hell away from her,” Gunner said in a low, lethal voice. He didn’t stick around for a response; instead he guided Trinity out into the hall. Before they could get too far, they were stopped by yet another reporter. Gunner already didn’t enjoy talking to the media and he liked it even less now that they were asking questions about him and Trinity.
* * *
Trinity’s lips were still warm and moist from Gunner’s surprise kiss as she allowed him to lead her out of the card room. She didn’t know what the kiss was about, but Lord knows she didn’t want it to end.
So much for professionalism.
For the past few days, he had guided her around as if they were more than business associates, making it too easy for her to fall into the role of girlfriend. Since their dinner a week earlier, things between them had definitely changed. Connie’s words rattled around in her head and Trinity was starting to think that maybe her friend was right. Maybe it was time for her to let loose and accept the inevitable. Fate had brought her and Gunner together and God knows she wanted him.
“Let me talk to this reporter and then we can head back to the suite,” Gunner said against her ear, giving her a gentle squeeze before removing his arm from around her waist. “You’ll be okay?”
Trinity almost laughed. He so didn’t understand how this bodyguard thing worked. Considering the butterflies floating around her stomach and the way her body was responding to his nearness, apparently she didn’t, either.
I need to get a grip.
After assuring Gunner that she could take care of herself if any other unwanted admirers approached her, she took a couple of steps back. Observing him being interviewed by an ESPN reporter, she would have to agree with Connie. Gunner was a hunk. Sexy without even trying. At six-one, he had the smoothest dark skin she had ever seen on a man, and those eyes, those intense eyes that glanced her way every couple of minutes, made her feel not only cherished, but desired. And for the second time, she’d had an opportunity to taste those full, sensual lips. Everything about him oozed sex appeal. He was gorgeous in college, but tonight Trinity was seeing him in a different light. For the first time since meeting him years ago, she saw the man he was on the inside—the laid-back, funny, generous man who lived a rich, yet simple, life.
“That was quite a show you and Brooks put on back there.” Trinity turned to find the guy from earlier standing a little too close and gazing at her as if she were going to be his last supper. She remembered him from a tournament a few weeks ago. He was the one with the shiny keychain, the brass owl. “Was that for my benefit?”
“Listen,” she began, “I have already told you that I’m not interested. What’s it going to take for you to move on and stay away from me?” Trinity had dealt with plenty of jerks like him while working for the LAPD, but what she didn’t want to do was make a scene. She hoped that talking to him would get him to move on. Instead, he moved in closer, his offensive breath smelling of liquor. Trinity gave him a once-over. He really wasn’t a bad-looking guy. His skin was the color of mocha; light brown eyes and wavy black hair accented his full face. He smiled, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. Actually, he was quite handsome. She just wasn’t interested.
“Why don’t you let me kiss you? I’m sure I can top that punk-ass kiss Brooks planted on you.”
He placed his hands on her arm and instinctively, Trinity grabbed his wrist. She twisted her body, and flipped him to the floor. A loud thud caught the attention of a few. Not wanting to draw any more attention, she moved away.
“Why, you little bi—” He jumped up and charged toward her.
“I told your ass to stay the hell away from her!” Gunner growled. He grabbed Simon by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.
“Oh, no. Gunner!”
Trinity tried to pull him away before he did something he would regret. Camera flashes temporarily blinded her and she moved to the other side of Gunner, hoping to block him from any other photos. She wanted to step in and take over, but she remembered the speech that Gunner had given her about him being a man. She definitely didn’t want to do anything that would make him feel like less than a man, but...
“Gunner, let’s just go. Security is headed this way.”
The reporter he’d been talking to, as well as a few others, crowded around, hoping to get a big scoop.
“Come near her again and I won’t be responsible for what I do to you.” There was a lethal edge to his words, which caught Trinity by surprise.
“Babe, please, you’re making a scene,” she reasoned. “Let’s just go. He’s not worth it.”
Gunner scanned her from head to toe, still not releasing the man. “Are you okay?” His voice was low and raspy, his eyes sharp and assessing. Both were doing wicked things to her. She was attracted to the quiet, unpretentious side of him, but this side of him was a serious turn-on. So used to being independent and the one who usually took out the bad guy, it was refreshing to feel like the damsel in distress for a change.
“I’m fine. Just release him.” She yanked on Gunner’s arm, feeling his muscles contract beneath her touch. He didn’t let go of the man. “Gunner...please.”
Gunner gave the man one more glare before he released him and turned to Trinity. “Let’s get out of here.”
Gunner made eye contact with security, but said nothing; only a head nod was exchanged. Trinity didn’t know if that was some type of secret language, but whatever it was, security didn’t stop them. Gunner had a tight grip on her hand and pushed his way through the small crowd that had formed, again ignoring questions thrown at him.
“All right, nothing to see here,” Trinity heard the security guard say as Gunner hurried them away.
Too shocked to say anything, Trinity allowed him to hasten her to the elevator. She didn’t speak until they were safely onboard.
“You really don’t get this whole bodyguard thing, do you?” she said to lighten the mood. She stood in front of him, but he kept his attention on the numbers above the door. “I can’t believe you’d risk your reputation and...and your life tussling with some jerk. He could have had a knife or anything. Then where would that have left you with regard to the PPO? When are you going to let me do my job?”
The elevator doors opened on their floor and Gunner still hadn’t spoken. He grabbed hold of her elbow and pulled her in the direction of their suite. It wasn’t until they walked into the room and closed the door that he exploded.
“What the hell was going on with you and Simon?” he yelled. “Why were you entertaining anything he had to say?”
“Me?” She slammed her hands against her hips. “I was about—”
“He put his damn hands on you, Trinity!”
“And I was about to beat his ass until you came over like a madman! I had everything under control.”
“Well, it didn’t look like that to me.” He paced the length of the living room like a caged animal, his chest rising up and down as if he were trying to control his anger.
Trinity dropped down in one of the upholstered chairs and swiped her hands down her face. She smiled to herself at the irony of the whole situation and then a laugh erupted from the back of her throat.
Gunner stopped in the middle of the floor and looked at her with concern.
“Don’t worry, I’m not crazy,” she said still laughing. “It’s just that I’ve never had a client come to my defense the way you did.” She wiped at the tears from laughing that had slipped through her eyes.
Gunner blew out an exaggerated breath. “Listen,” he drew closer and grabbed her hand, pulling her up from the chair, “I’m sorry for overreacting and if I embarrassed you, I’m sorry. I know you’re more than capable of handling assholes like the guy downstairs, but the thought of him putting his hands on you...” He backed away and adjusted the baseball cap on his head. He eventually turned back to her. “I didn’t like it.”
Trinity only stared. “I don’t know what to say. Except for ‘thank you.’” She slowly approached him. “In my line of work, guys that I date just assume that I can take care of myself. So coming to my rescue or shutting down advances from other guys never happened. Your chivalry made me feel...special.”
Gunner pulled her into his arms. “You are special. Very special.”
He lowered his head until his lips covered hers. His tongue dueled with hers and Trinity knew she should push him away, but she couldn’t. She wanted him so badly. The more time she spent with him, the weaker her defenses became. Desire and need swam through her as the battle in her head continued. It wasn’t until Gunner gripped her butt that common sense kicked in.
