CHAPTER 21

Thank God the hotel had another room available. Because if they’d had to share a room…

Ares didn’t have one damn ounce of willpower left after sitting next to Kelsey all day, surrounded by her fragrance, her heat, her

voice, her laughter. Just the five-minute drive to the hotel had been almost more than he could bear.

“Let’s have a drink in the bar,” she said after the young man at reception had given them their room keys.

It wasn’t a five-star hotel, but Ares had wanted to stay as close to Sally and George’s as possible. This place was well-maintained,

with soft music playing and modern décor. It had a bellhop, and he’d already sent their suitcases up to their rooms. The bar next to

the restaurant was fairly full, populated by tourists and business people.

Having a drink with Kelsey? Not a good idea. She was too much temptation, her lips too kissable, her scent too mind-altering.

But how the hell could he possibly resist her invitation when what he wanted above anything was to spend more time with her?

Exquisite, torturous, amazing time with her. “Sounds good.”

Kelsey looped her arm through his. Her soft curves were tantalizing, making him recall his brief, accidental touch along her calf

when he’d leaned down to find the fallen die.

Although he could have avoided touching her if he’d really wanted to. Ares Lowells was a Baddrick, after all. A master of control.

Except when it came to Kelsey.

Everything inside him ached with a desire he’d never known. It was like the warm waters of the bright blue Caribbean Sea, all-

encompassing. It was more than want, more than desire. It was complete and total aching need. She was the only person who made

him feel whole and good. The one person who made him feel like he had a prayer of figuring out his family, his failed marriage, his

life, so that he could actually find true happiness one day.

And still, he knew he couldn’t have her. Couldn’t be with her. Knew it was impossible.

After they’d found a small table, he asked, “What would you like to drink?”

“Champagne.”

He cocked a brow. “Are we celebrating?”

She smiled up at him, her face so beautiful and hopeful in the flickering light from the table’s candle. She was one of the most direct

people he’d ever known, which was why he wasn’t surprised when she said, “I hope so.”

He knew what she wanted to hear: that he’d forgiven Tessa and they would all live happily ever after. But he couldn’t give her that.

Not when happily ever after had let him down so badly.

The waitress was inundated by the other tables—and he was in dire need of some space to get his head, and heart, back in rational,

working order—so he went to the bar himself, returning a few minutes later with champagne and a beer. It wasn’t that he didn’t

enjoy champagne. But drinking it together seemed so romantic. Too romantic, if he wanted even half a hope of resisting her.

Which he most certainly had to do.

However, considering the way Sally had all but forced Kelsey to come to the hotel with him, Ares wondered if that hurdle—the one

where his family disapproved of him being with his soon-to-be ex-wife’s sister—even existed anywhere but in his own mind.

Kelsey shot him a mock frown as he sat beside her. The chairs were close, his knee brushing hers as it had all afternoon while they

played Yahtzee. He felt the headiness of her proximity like the bubbles in her champagne.

“You’re not celebrating with me?”

“Beer has fizz.” He clinked his mug against her glass, then drank, licked the foam off his lip, and noticed the way her gaze locked on

his mouth.

Like she wanted to do the licking.

Jesus. She wasn’t just invading his dreams, she was inside his head, his body, his heart, every second of the day.

“Today went extremely well, don’t you think?” She looked at him over the rim of her glass as she sipped the champagne.

“It did,” he agreed, even though he’d rather be leaning close and whispering hot nothings in her ear and closing his eyes to steep his

senses in her.

“Are you going to give me two- and three-word answers all night?”

Kiss me. Those were the two words he wanted to give her. And then three more. I want you.

Instead, he said, “No.” And thought, I shouldn’t be having these feelings for you. “Tyler and Kathy are great.” But I can’t stop

thinking about you.

“And what about your mom? Does her story help at all?”

“Some.” If I kiss you right now, you won’t be able to ask a single other question. And you’ll taste like heaven. “If she’d tried to get

me, if my dad had caught her trying to leave him, she might not have been able to run at all.”

“Do you feel you could ever forgive her?”

One kiss is all it will take to clear your mind of everything but how good I can make you feel.

Before he could formulate a response to her extremely weighted question, her phone rang from the depths of her purse. Her pupils

dilated slightly as she looked at him.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“No,” she said flatly. Then she swallowed and said, “I’m sure it’s Keira.”

Keira. Always goddamned Keira between them. “How can you be sure?”

Without taking her eyes off him, she fished out her phone and showed it to him. “I’ve been ignoring her calls.”

“That’ll come back to bite you.” He knew that better than anyone.

“I don’t care.” Her gaze was militant. “She won’t ever listen to reason or take responsibility. No matter what I say to her. No matter

what anyone says. Like I told you before, I’m done with her games.”

So was he. But would Keira let either of them ever be done with her?

“This is why I don’t see forgiveness in my future,” he said, “because people never change, do they? Take Keira. She was always a

liar. And I was always the idiot who didn’t know it.”

Kelsey put her hand over his, and he realized his fist had clenched. “You weren’t an idiot. She’s just so good at—”

“Manipulating me.”

“She manipulated me too.” Her thumb stroked the back of his hand.

God, her touch. It made him insane. Filled him with so much desire that there was barely any room left in him to care about how bad

his marriage had been. All he wanted was to drag Kelsey onto his lap and ravage her mouth until she forgot everything else. Until all

that mattered was her, and him…and pleasure.

“Tomorrow.” The word came out hard. Partly out of frustration over how badly she wanted him to forgive Tessa. But mostly because

of the battle between his conscience and how much he wanted Kelsey, no matter the consequences. It was his mistakes with Keira

that made a relationship with Kelsey an impossible fantasy. “We can talk more about all of this tomorrow.”

Her face dropped all expression, her eyes grew shuttered, and her hand slid from his. She pushed her drink away, picked up her

purse, and headed for the elevator, Ares close at her heels.

The elevator door was closing as she said in a stilted voice, “The only thing I truly want is to help.”

“I know that.” He wouldn’t let himself look away from her beautiful eyes. “But maybe I can’t be fixed.”