Living with Temptation (15 page)

Dean’s hands grasped her cheeks, pulling her mouth onto his
with a searing kiss that made her lose her hold on the bags. They fell onto the
patio as Chelsea stumbled inside, returning his kiss with a ferocity in knowing
it was their last moment together. His hands slid down her neck, his fingers
trailing across her skin, alighting her desire for him.

He broke their kiss to peel off his shirt, brandishing his
bare chest. Chelsea stared, her breath catching in her throat. He was
everything she’d desired, and the memory of their love making returned. Only
this time, it was passionate and desperate.

His lips were on hers again, his hands sliding the dress off
her body. Behind her, a gust of wind tore through the open door, chilling her
skin and intensifying Dean’s touch. He kissed her again, and leaned back to close
the door with the back of his foot.

Chelsea breathed against his lips, his tongue expertly
clashing against hers, every gentle movement burning into her mind. A moment, a
memory she never wanted to forget. Then his fingers were unclipping her bra,
and that fell to the floor along with her panties. Chelsea tore away from his
heated kiss, breathing heavily as she observed the look in Dean’s eyes, his
furrowed brow as he studied her face. Then he gently touched his nose to hers
in a gesture that pulled at her heart, at everything within her that longed to
be with him.

She’d fallen for Dean Westley. The notorious playboy
millionaire. And she knew deep down, that she acknowledged that feeling days
ago. And in his eyes, she could see it reflected back at her. He cared for her,
in his own way. His actions showed that he loved her. Each kiss only deepened
her feelings.
Actions speak louder than words,
Chelsea told herself.
But
is it enough for me? He’s not the only one who has to change.

He undid his pants before she could stop him. Not that she
wanted to, but this was over, the last chance they had together. She’d made it
final, and Dean didn’t object. Chelsea stared at him, wanting to take back
everything she said, even though she couldn’t respect him for lying.

Then his kiss drowned any doubts away, and she was swept up
in the passion she felt in his touch.

Dean’s hands slid down her bare thighs, and then cupped the
mounds of her ass as he lifted her up onto him. Feeling his hard erection
against her wetness, Chelsea gasped. He carried her to the couch. She draped
her arms around his neck and pulled away to look at him.

He lay her down on the couch, the cool leather sending
tingles across her skin. Dean’s lips moved down her chest, dampening her
stomach, then up to her breasts. He took each nipple in his mouth, sucking
slowly, teasing her the way he knew how to.

Then he released her.

His clothes were gone, discarded onto the floor as Chelsea
began stripping. Dean watched every movement, his eyes wide with fascination.
She bared her body before him, and he smiled.

“I’ll never forget you,” he promised.

Chelsea swallowed painfully, not wanting to distract herself
with painful thoughts and memories.

“I’m only doing this because it’s the last time,” she
admitted. The words hung in the air as Dean lowered his gaze, trailing it down
her body.

“And I’m doing this because I want you,” he breathed. His
lips met hers and she was swept away in the sensation of his heated skin
against hers, the warmth of his body intensifying her need for him, and the
love which burned within.

Their passionate kissing subsided, and became gentle, almost
hesitant. Chelsea pulled away and opened her eyes to stare into his.

“Chelsea…”

His voice sent a tremor through her body. She felt an
intense pulsing between her thighs. This wasn’t Dean as the arrogant
millionaire he once was. There was vulnerability in his eyes, and Chelsea
didn’t want to hold back from him.

“No more talking,” she whispered.

Dean slid into her with ease, and their bodies moved in a
gentle, heartbreaking rhythm. The last moment they had together and he was
making love to her so passionately. Chelsea’s breathing hastened as her orgasm
drew near. She clung to Dean, her fingers digging into his back as the pleasure
hit her and she became lost in it.

She gasped and shuddered, then Dean’s touch brought her back
to him. He ran his fingers across her cheek, brushing a stray part of hair
behind her ear.

“I’ll miss you,” Chelsea breathed.

Dean kissed her once more.

“Don’t.”

And with that, he swung off her and went to gather his
clothes. Chelsea sat up against the couch, staring at his firm, taut body. Her
heart pounded against her chest, her stomach sinking as she realized what he
meant.
How can I not miss him?

Dean dressed himself, then returned to her with her clothes
in his arms. There was nothing more to be said as Chelsea pulled on her dress. Dean’s
actions, the way he’d made love to her, showed his true feelings. She wasn’t
blind to that. But she wanted to hear him say those three words she needed to
hear. The only words that would allow her to stay.

This hadn’t changed anything, and her heart felt heavy.

She pulled on her boots and stood, her legs shaking from the
force of the orgasm he’d given her. Dean gave her a gentle smile, but she
couldn’t read the expression on his face, nor did she recognize the glimmer in
his eyes.

Chelsea walked to the door, her heart heavy with the
realization that it was over. She felt Dean come up behind her, but he didn’t attempt
to pull her into his arms again. He’d shown her how he felt, and she’d given as
greatly as he gave. But it wasn’t enough.

Chelsea turned to look at him, a brief pain stabbing through
her as she looked upon his face.

“Thank you for letting me stay here,” she managed to say.
After all, that was what they’d arranged to do. She never intended on falling
for him, or allowing herself to give into the pleasure they’d shared together.

Her skin still tingled from the sex on the couch, and
Chelsea glanced back at the living room as if it were a final reminder of
everything she was about to lose.

“My pleasure,” he responded with a smile. Chelsea didn’t
look away until a car pulled up behind her, and she heard the sound of the horn
blaring loudly.

She turned away from Dean, trying to hold back the tears she
wouldn’t allow to fall. Chelsea grasped the bags on the patio, leveling the
weight in her grip, and walked over to the gray sedan. Ryan opened the
passenger door, motioning for her to dump her bags in the front.

She did so, and slumped into the front seat, noticing Nicola
at the back. An attractive woman with light blonde hair and olive skin. Chelsea
didn’t think much of her, or of anything that was happening at that moment.

She glanced back at Dean, watching as he leaned against the
doorjamb like he always did. Then he was gone.

When they were halfway to Newark, Ryan pulled out the
divorce papers. Chelsea glanced at the blank expression on his face. He
couldn’t care less about what happened between her and Dean. And she didn’t
care about seeing him again, or what was happening now. She signed without
hesitation.

“If you need somewhere to stay,” Nicola offered. “we have a
sofa bed you can sleep on.”

Chelsea pressed her lips together. All that had been on her
mind was Dean. She took a deep breath and tried to push him out of her mind.

“I’ll stay at a motel. Don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it,” Nicola insisted. Ryan’s
annoyed glare at her via the rearview mirror didn’t go unnoticed. “Stay with us
for a few days.”

Chelsea wondered why she’d offered. Perhaps it was out of
guilt, knowing that she was Ryan’s former wife. The woman looked to be in her
early twenties, her eyes wide with emotion. Chelsea shot a glance at her,
recognizing the guilt on her face.

“Thanks,” she finally said. Nicola’s pleased grin lit up her
face.

Remembering the house she’d inquired about, Chelsea knew she
had to sort it out. This was her life now, and Dean was only a brief escape. A
man she loved but could never have.

When they pulled up outside her former home, all of the old memories
came rushing back. Each one hurt as much as the next. She didn’t care about
staying with Ryan and Nicola. Home felt like being in Dean’s bed, falling
asleep in his arms. Waking up to the ocean view, the grand Victorian style
house. She would miss the daily walks out to the center of Spring Lake. Here it
was too busy, the stores too plain and commercial. Nothing seemed the same.

Ryan’s new girlfriend set up the sofa bed for her in the living
room, and offered to get a coffee from Starbucks. Before Chelsea could ask, Ryan
added that they went to Starbucks every morning. She stared at him in
disbelief. Months ago, he claimed he hated it.
Maybe I was the one he
disliked.

As midnight came and went, Chelsea reached for her cell
phone, almost expecting to have missed calls or messages from Dean. But there
was nothing. Mittens slept at the end of the bed, a warm ball of fur against
her toes.

“Did you ever miss me?” Chelsea wondered. Mittens slept
soundly, with not even a movement.

And in the dark, loneliness of the night, she knew her
question had been for Dean. If he was lying in bed, questioning what had
happened. If he longed to kiss her, to finally admit that he loved her.

Sleep came late, and she didn’t get much of it for the next
three nights.

Chelsea poured the steaming boiled water into the cup, the
aroma of cheap instant coffee hitting her. She felt movement behind her, and
for a moment she almost believed it was him.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” Chelsea acknowledged.
Behind her, Nicola seated herself at the dining table.

It felt so familiar living in her old place again with Ryan.
She’d barely spoken to him, and had no interest in striking up a friendship.
Nicola had been too nice for her to dislike, and she was grateful to have
someone to talk to.

Andrea didn’t know about Dean. Chelsea couldn’t bear to tell
her, not yet. Once she felt composed, stronger, then she would call.

“I really am sorry to hear about Dean,” Nicola announced.
Chelsea felt her heart tug at the memory of his voice, the curve of his smile.
She carried her cup of coffee to the table, and seated herself opposite Nicola.

“It would’ve happened eventually,” Chelsea murmured, even
though she only partly believed that. As time had passed, she’d hoped her
feelings for Dean would fade.

She loved him.

But she couldn’t know if he felt the same. If Dean genuinely
cared for her, or if it was only to feel the chemistry between them. Even now,
after days apart, she longed to see him. It had to be love. The fact that it
wasn’t diminishing over time only affirmed her belief that she’d fallen for
him.

But I can’t,
she told herself.
I can’t have
feelings for someone like him. He hurt me. It’s over.

With Ryan, it wasn’t love. She never felt that burning
attraction to have him close. Dean was the only man who’d given her that, but
his lifestyle and his choices hurt her more than she expected.

As Chelsea recalled his statement to the media, her frown
deepened. Perhaps it was all a façade. Dean told her it was only sex, after
all. Before he’d made love to her so tenderly, as if afraid he was going to
hurt her, to break the bond between them forever.

And their bond hadn’t faded, at least not to her.

“I haven’t known you for very long,” Nicola said carefully,
interrupting her thoughts. “But I can tell you care for him. I hope he’ll
realize what he had, and try to get you back.”

She bit her lip, glancing at Nicola as she absentmindedly
tapped her cup. Chelsea tentatively took a sip of coffee, wishing she could be
drinking espresso from Spring Lake.

“I know I’ve fallen for him,” she admitted quietly. “But I
don’t know if it would’ve worked out.”

It felt strange to be discussing her innermost feelings to a
stranger, and Ryan’s new girlfriend of all people. But the need to talk to
someone overcame that.

“Did you tell him how you feel?”

A smirk curved her lips. “I guess I was too stubborn. Too
afraid to admit something like that. I mean, he’s Dean Westley. I figured him
to be the type to end up with a celebrity. Not me.” She hesitated before
continuing. “And after what happened with Ryan, I don’t think I was ready for a
relationship. Maybe, subconsciously, I was pushing myself away from Dean.”

Nicola sighed. “I’m sorry. And I know this must be
uncomfortable for you. You don’t have to tell me anything, it’s not my place to
be nosy.”

“Sorry about Ryan? Don’t be. It didn’t work out with us, and
I’m glad it didn’t. But with Dean…”

Chelsea expected to cry, but the tears never came. She gave
Nicola a grateful smile, then stood and went to the kitchen, refilling her mug
with cold water. She took a hesitant sip when her phone started ringing,
blaring a high pitched tone that made her wince.

She answered quickly.

“Hi, Chelsea.”

Dean’s voice struck her hard, and she almost lost her grip
on the phone. Chelsea clung onto every word he said.

“I wanted to hear your voice again. And I want to apologize
for everything I did. I was so stubborn to push you away.”

As she gathered her thoughts, one feeling stuck out: the
pain from his dishonesty. Now he was being impersonal by talking over the
phone.

“Thanks,” she muttered. “Charming of you to tell me this
way.”

“I’m standing outside.”

Her eyes widened and she quickly placed the phone on the
kitchen counter, all doubts leaving her mind as she thought only of him.
He
came after me.
Chelsea ran to the door and pulled it open to see Dean
standing there, as he’d said. His imposing figure was clothed in a dark navy
shirt and black pants. The same clothes he’d worn when they first met. Her
breath caught in her throat as she observed him, taking in his ruggedly
handsome looks.

“Dean!” she breathed.

He lowered the phone and pocketed it with a smile. “Chelsea.
Good to see you.”

Realizing her mouth was open, she quickly shut it. “How did
you…?”

“Andrea told me where you lived. Thought you would’ve moved
to another house.”

She swallowed, then shook her head. She was stunned by Dean’s
effort to find her again, and how Andrea chose to help him.

“I-I plan to,” she said. “This is just a temporary setback.”

“Same with us. Come back with me to Spring Lake. There’s
something I need to tell you.”

Chelsea folded her arms, trying to be defensive. But all she
wanted was to throw herself against him. “Why can’t you say it here?”

Dean glanced behind her. Chelsea shot a look over her
shoulder to see Nicola standing in the kitchen, watching them. She turned away
when she noticed they’d seen her.

“This is something I only want you to hear,” he breathed.

Chelsea nodded. Dean’s hand closed around hers and he led
her out onto the sidewalk, where he’d parked his black Mitsubishi. Chelsea
smiled in recognition. Everything she’d experienced with Dean came rushing
back.

She climbed into the car with him.

“Why’d you come back for me?” Chelsea wondered. “You didn’t
try to stop me when I left.”

“As I said, I was stubborn and stupid,” Dean replied,
flashing her a sensual grin. “Jake made me realize that.”

Her eyes widened. “You talked to him?”

Dean nodded. “And he’ll be coming back to Spring Lake. Thanks
to you, my brother and I are good again,” he hesitated. “You changed a lot of
things for me, Chelsea. I’ve missed you something bad since you left. I know letting
you go was a mistake. I was stubborn, unwilling to let go of everything my life
had come to. My image. My reputation. When I was at the grocery store, getting
all the alcohol…”

Chelsea winced as she recalled how many bottles he’d brought
back.

“I stumbled into Rachel. My financial advisor. She helped me
see I was making a mistake. But when you were moving out, I froze. It was so
easy to just let it all go, to let
you
go. And I let it. I couldn’t
bring myself to tell you how I really feel.”

“This was a professional arrangement we’d agreed on. And I
knew that was how we had to leave it. But when you were out of my life, I
realized I’d been too stubborn letting you go. I was dumb as hell to turn my
back on you, on myself. I hated what I’d done.”

“Fear, huh?” Chelsea mused, trying to lighten the tension.
“I can relate.”

The drive back to Spring Lake didn’t feel like an hour.
Chelsea couldn’t help but glance at Dean, overcome by all of the feelings
burning through her. The pain from losing him, the passion the last moment they’d
made love, it was all culminating together and she had to stop herself from kissing
him right there.

“Dean, I…”

“Let me say it first,” he said with a grin. He pulled into
the driveway and turned the engine off.

“To be blunt, I
was
using you for sex.” At her look,
he raised a hand and quickly added, “Hey, I’m being honest. You’re a temptation
I couldn’t resist, and I couldn’t stop myself from giving in. Everything I am, it
all just didn’t matter around you. I intended on using you to improve my image,
but I didn’t plan on falling for you.”

Then Dean was out of the car, and he opened the door for
her. Chelsea stepped out and then she was in his arms, feeling his breath
against her hair, his strong arms protectively embracing her.

“I missed you,” Chelsea breathed. “It never stopped.”

“I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I hope you forgive me
for the mistakes I made. Time apart from you…it’s given me a clearer mind. I
want to spend the rest of my life with you. We can live here, together.” He
paused to caress her face. “I love you, Chelsea Levin.”

“Oh, Dean!” Chelsea breathed. This time, she allowed her
tears to fall, but they were of happiness, not the pain she’d felt since being
apart from him. He brushed them away with his thumb, then silenced her with a
kiss.

A kiss that stole the anger, all the doubts she had with
him. She’d never hated him, but herself for hiding her true feelings. This was
the man she’d fallen for, the one she would be with for the rest of her life.

Dean gently pulled away.

“I’ll take you around the world with me. There’re so many
things I want to experience with you, and we have the freedom to do anything
together. I thought I had to change my past to make myself better, but a future
together is what matters. That’s what’s perfect.”

Chelsea regarded him with a wary look. “And what about the
media?”

A sensitive subject for him. His concern for what the media
thought had caused the rift between them.
If it still affects him,
Chelsea
realized
, then it won’t work out.

“What about them?” he retorted. “They know we’ll be
together. Reputation and image means nothing compared to you.”

A small smile curved her lips. “If only you realized that
sooner.”

Dean’s fingers entwined in her hair and he stepped closer.
“It’ll be the only roadblock with us, okay? I promise you that nothing will
lead us apart. I’m yours, Chelsea, always.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing else?”

“I can help you with your website designing,” he continued.
“Money’s the last thing you’ll need to worry about.”

Chelsea smiled, reaching up to touch his face. “I don’t care
about money. That’s not why I wanted you. So many times I wanted to tell you
everything…”

“And I wanted to too,” Dean said. “I’ve been a damn fool,
Chelsea. It seemed so complicated, but it was clearly simple. All I wanted was
you. You’re the only woman I really love.”

Then she leaned forward into a kiss, and with his lips on
hers she knew it wouldn’t be the last time. There was no more fear, nothing
holding them back. In his arms, it was where she belonged. Her heart was with
Dean, with their home in Spring Lake.

When she pulled away, his breath touching her face, Chelsea
noticed the pain in his eyes.

“I didn’t tell you about my father,” he began.

“You don’t have to.”

“I do. Years ago, a woman blackmailed him, claiming they’d
had an affair. If he didn’t pay up, she’d make it public. My mom never knew if
it was true or not, but he kept quiet and the woman got her money. After that,
I was always wary. She helped raise Jake and I after the accident, and with the
money from my father, she lived a good life and ended up getting married
herself.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It caused a lot of pain between my parents. I don’t believe
it was true, but it just showed me that people can seem truly nice when they’re
after something else. I found it so hard to trust anyone again.”

“I’ll be here for you,” Chelsea promised. She reached a hand
forward and one of his closed around it, warming her skin.

“I’m going to marry you.”

His words startled her. She never thought he would want
marriage, that she’d even consider it.

“Thought it didn’t interest you?”

“It never did, before you.”

A smile pulled at her lips. “Then I’ll be happy to be your
wife, Dean Westley.”

She fell into his embrace, not wanting to let go. His body
was firm, protective, everything she missed. Chelsea quickly pulled away and
looked up into his eyes. “Oh, I can’t forget about my cat Mittens.”

Dean chuckled. “She’ll live with us too.”  His smile was
slow and sensual. “I love you. I don’t think I’ll get tired of saying that. Now,
there’s something I’ve been meaning to do since you came back…”

Dean’s voice trailed off as he squeezed her hand gently.
Chelsea laughed loudly and carefree, her heart soaring knowing that they were
finally together.

“I’ll see you in the bedroom,” she teased, laughing as she
stepped inside.

“Oh, we won’t make it there.”

Dean kissed her once more, the heat from his body warming
her skin. When he pulled away, Chelsea stared into his bright green eyes,
content that he was hers.
I’ve finally found The One.