Unleashed
Page 2
Her boss, Jack Ballinger, always said when he tried a case against Evan, the jury’s reaction to his opposing counsel concerned him more than their reaction to the defendant. More specifically, the women’s reaction. “One twinkle from that boy’s eye and they’re ready to throw their goddamned panties at him during closing arguments,” she’d overheard Jack say. Kelsey thought it was pretty damned misogynistic of him, but that was Jack.
She fidgeted in her seat, not wanting to prove her boss right just from a simple phone call from the man himself. Yes, she and Evan had been friends for years, but she’d had a raging crush on him long before she’d met and married his best friend. It had subsided…somewhat. From a roaring flame to gently smoldering embers. But now that she was single—and so was Evan—she hadn’t been able to stop it from flaring to life once again.
Did thirty-year-olds even have crushes?
Oh, this could not happen. There was no way. The idea seemed like pure bliss, but the reality, she knew, would be a nightmare. Another one, and she didn’t think their friendship could bear that kind of strain now. He didn’t know what he was doing.
“Evan, I think this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever offered me. But I can’t.”
He groaned playfully. “Please don’t leave me like this, Kelsey, with my vision of having you isolated and helpless in Waikiki so cruelly denied.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. It was all innuendo on his part, at least she knew that much. Impossible flirt.
A week with that kind of innuendo might prove to be her undoing.
Her phone emitted a muffled ring and, upon checking the display, it was her turn to groan, though there was nothing playful about it. Jack. “Evan, I really have to go—”
“Not until you at least give me a maybe.”
“Oh, you—”
“Give me an answer or I’m going to call Jack myself and request your time off.”
“No!”
“The reason I’m asking you is that no one else I know deserves this as much as you do. And we haven’t hung out in a while. I feel bad about that. Let me make it right. Come on.”
Maybe it was time for her to come undone.
“Evan?” She lowered her voice to a throaty phone-sex pitch.
“Yes, yes?”
“I’ll think about it.” Grinning like a fiend, she hit the button that disconnected him then put on her best professional voice to greet her boss on the other line.
Lisa Scott’s blue eyes were bright and ravenous as Kelsey finished filling her in on the strange conversation that had taken place that morning. “Evan Ross, whose pants you’ve wanted to get into since college, has invited you to Hawaii? Both of you now free and unattached—and your problem is…what, exactly?”
Kelsey sighed as she stirred sweetener into her iced tea, sweeping a glance around their favorite diner. It was hopping with the usual lunchtime crowd. Sometimes—rarely, though—she saw Evan in here. “I think you just summed it up.”
“Damn, girl. Please tell me you’re not still in the all-men-are-pigs stage. Because it’s just not true.”
“It’s not that. I know Evan’s a good guy. Can’t seem to sustain a relationship, though. And except with Courtney, he’s usually been the one to cut and run.”
“Uh-huh.” Lisa smoothed a hand over her very pregnant belly. They’d had to pull the table closer to Kelsey so Lisa could squeeze into the booth, the only available seating. It had been hilarious to witness. “I’m waiting.”
Kelsey shrugged, picking through her barely touched Caesar salad. “What? I caught his fiancée screwing my husband. You know this. I didn’t hesitate to call Evan and scream into his ear about it. I didn’t handle the situation well. It’s a miracle he still speaks to me at all.”
“But he does. He invited you on vacation with him. It sounds like the man is eternally grateful. He knows you probably saved him from a very expensive divorce on down the road.”
“Maybe.”
“And I thought you handled the situation exceptionally well, given that I’d have plucked every blonde hair from Courtney’s head, if I’d caught her with Daniel.” Lisa leaned forward—as much as she was able—and placed her hand over Kelsey’s on the tabletop. “Please go. I promise you, it’ll be all right. Could be just what you both need. He wouldn’t have invited you if he held anything against you. Or if he didn’t care.”
“I know he cares. But the way I see it, there’s only a couple of possible outcomes here. One: nothing will change, and it really is two friends just getting away together, though I’m sure I’ll fall hard for him again. Two: we’ll have a week of wild sex during which I’ll fall even harder and end up getting my heart broken. Neither one is very appealing right now.”
“Three: you have a week of wild sex and live happily ever after. Or four: you get him out of your system and you’re totally free from the burden, end of story. Or! Five: you meet the man of your dreams in Hawaii, and send Evan home to tell us you’re never coming back.”
“It’s far more likely that he’ll find a girl and send me back alone. I didn’t even think of that. Thanks a lot.”
“Shut up. You don’t have to buy a pair of shoes just because you tried them on. They may look great sitting on the shelf, but that doesn’t mean they won’t feel like medieval torture devices on your feet once you wear them around for a few days. It’s the same thing with men.”
“I know me, though. If I sleep with him, I’m done for.”
“You think too much. And you’d really better go to Hawaii or I’m giving up on you. Your divorce is final. You look great. You’re ripe, girl, and we’ll go shopping for a new bikini, and you’ll look gorgeous in it and I’ll hate your guts. Don’t you dare hesitate to let him take it off you, should he feel so inclined. You’re over He Who Shall No Longer Be Named and you’re ready to have fun. Right?”
“Yeah, I’m over it. Not sure about the fun part.”
“Sweetie, you had such a long, cold winter, but it’s over. It’s summer. You’ll never have a better opportunity to get half naked around Evan Ross.” Lisa lowered her voice and leaned farther across the table. “Come on, Kelsey. You know as well as I do that your vibrator can only do so much until you start craving a warm body to hang on to again.”
For the second time that day, Kelsey nearly spit out her drink. “Yeah, well I don’t even own one of those.”
“Now I know what to get you for your birthday. Unless Evan removes all need for one between now and then. I demand that you go and get laid. Get drunk and have sensational toe-curling sex on the beach while I freaking sit at home and gestate.”
Kelsey barked with laughter. “You’re crazy. I’d rather sit at home gestating with a wonderful husband than go through this turmoil. You don’t know how lucky you are.”
Lisa sat back, an utterly satisfied smile on her face. She patted her swelling belly again. Her friend was the most adorable pregnant woman Kelsey had ever seen. She had such fun with it. “Well, you’re not behaving in a manner conducive to landing a husband, woman. You generally have to leave your house for that. Evan is certainly a keeper. Maybe someday…”
She fidgeted in her seat, not wanting to prove her boss right just from a simple phone call from the man himself. Yes, she and Evan had been friends for years, but she’d had a raging crush on him long before she’d met and married his best friend. It had subsided…somewhat. From a roaring flame to gently smoldering embers. But now that she was single—and so was Evan—she hadn’t been able to stop it from flaring to life once again.
Did thirty-year-olds even have crushes?
Oh, this could not happen. There was no way. The idea seemed like pure bliss, but the reality, she knew, would be a nightmare. Another one, and she didn’t think their friendship could bear that kind of strain now. He didn’t know what he was doing.
“Evan, I think this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever offered me. But I can’t.”
He groaned playfully. “Please don’t leave me like this, Kelsey, with my vision of having you isolated and helpless in Waikiki so cruelly denied.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. It was all innuendo on his part, at least she knew that much. Impossible flirt.
A week with that kind of innuendo might prove to be her undoing.
Her phone emitted a muffled ring and, upon checking the display, it was her turn to groan, though there was nothing playful about it. Jack. “Evan, I really have to go—”
“Not until you at least give me a maybe.”
“Oh, you—”
“Give me an answer or I’m going to call Jack myself and request your time off.”
“No!”
“The reason I’m asking you is that no one else I know deserves this as much as you do. And we haven’t hung out in a while. I feel bad about that. Let me make it right. Come on.”
Maybe it was time for her to come undone.
“Evan?” She lowered her voice to a throaty phone-sex pitch.
“Yes, yes?”
“I’ll think about it.” Grinning like a fiend, she hit the button that disconnected him then put on her best professional voice to greet her boss on the other line.
Lisa Scott’s blue eyes were bright and ravenous as Kelsey finished filling her in on the strange conversation that had taken place that morning. “Evan Ross, whose pants you’ve wanted to get into since college, has invited you to Hawaii? Both of you now free and unattached—and your problem is…what, exactly?”
Kelsey sighed as she stirred sweetener into her iced tea, sweeping a glance around their favorite diner. It was hopping with the usual lunchtime crowd. Sometimes—rarely, though—she saw Evan in here. “I think you just summed it up.”
“Damn, girl. Please tell me you’re not still in the all-men-are-pigs stage. Because it’s just not true.”
“It’s not that. I know Evan’s a good guy. Can’t seem to sustain a relationship, though. And except with Courtney, he’s usually been the one to cut and run.”
“Uh-huh.” Lisa smoothed a hand over her very pregnant belly. They’d had to pull the table closer to Kelsey so Lisa could squeeze into the booth, the only available seating. It had been hilarious to witness. “I’m waiting.”
Kelsey shrugged, picking through her barely touched Caesar salad. “What? I caught his fiancée screwing my husband. You know this. I didn’t hesitate to call Evan and scream into his ear about it. I didn’t handle the situation well. It’s a miracle he still speaks to me at all.”
“But he does. He invited you on vacation with him. It sounds like the man is eternally grateful. He knows you probably saved him from a very expensive divorce on down the road.”
“Maybe.”
“And I thought you handled the situation exceptionally well, given that I’d have plucked every blonde hair from Courtney’s head, if I’d caught her with Daniel.” Lisa leaned forward—as much as she was able—and placed her hand over Kelsey’s on the tabletop. “Please go. I promise you, it’ll be all right. Could be just what you both need. He wouldn’t have invited you if he held anything against you. Or if he didn’t care.”
“I know he cares. But the way I see it, there’s only a couple of possible outcomes here. One: nothing will change, and it really is two friends just getting away together, though I’m sure I’ll fall hard for him again. Two: we’ll have a week of wild sex during which I’ll fall even harder and end up getting my heart broken. Neither one is very appealing right now.”
“Three: you have a week of wild sex and live happily ever after. Or four: you get him out of your system and you’re totally free from the burden, end of story. Or! Five: you meet the man of your dreams in Hawaii, and send Evan home to tell us you’re never coming back.”
“It’s far more likely that he’ll find a girl and send me back alone. I didn’t even think of that. Thanks a lot.”
“Shut up. You don’t have to buy a pair of shoes just because you tried them on. They may look great sitting on the shelf, but that doesn’t mean they won’t feel like medieval torture devices on your feet once you wear them around for a few days. It’s the same thing with men.”
“I know me, though. If I sleep with him, I’m done for.”
“You think too much. And you’d really better go to Hawaii or I’m giving up on you. Your divorce is final. You look great. You’re ripe, girl, and we’ll go shopping for a new bikini, and you’ll look gorgeous in it and I’ll hate your guts. Don’t you dare hesitate to let him take it off you, should he feel so inclined. You’re over He Who Shall No Longer Be Named and you’re ready to have fun. Right?”
“Yeah, I’m over it. Not sure about the fun part.”
“Sweetie, you had such a long, cold winter, but it’s over. It’s summer. You’ll never have a better opportunity to get half naked around Evan Ross.” Lisa lowered her voice and leaned farther across the table. “Come on, Kelsey. You know as well as I do that your vibrator can only do so much until you start craving a warm body to hang on to again.”
For the second time that day, Kelsey nearly spit out her drink. “Yeah, well I don’t even own one of those.”
“Now I know what to get you for your birthday. Unless Evan removes all need for one between now and then. I demand that you go and get laid. Get drunk and have sensational toe-curling sex on the beach while I freaking sit at home and gestate.”
Kelsey barked with laughter. “You’re crazy. I’d rather sit at home gestating with a wonderful husband than go through this turmoil. You don’t know how lucky you are.”
Lisa sat back, an utterly satisfied smile on her face. She patted her swelling belly again. Her friend was the most adorable pregnant woman Kelsey had ever seen. She had such fun with it. “Well, you’re not behaving in a manner conducive to landing a husband, woman. You generally have to leave your house for that. Evan is certainly a keeper. Maybe someday…”
