Living with Temptation (7 page)

“Wow, you’re quite the chef.”

He shrugged modestly and watched as she shoved a handful of
fries in her mouth. When Chelsea ate, she didn’t eat delicately, he noticed. Dean
stopped himself from smiling. How could a small habit of hers affect him? She
was a houseguest, they were friends. It wasn’t like he’d fallen for her.

“I’m full of surprises,” Dean said wryly. He seated himself
opposite her.

Her eyes glittered as she looked at him from across the
room. “I know you are. Can I ask you something?”

“Lay it on me.”

In the light of the fire, he saw her blush. Then she cleared
her throat before asking, “I know it’s a personal thing to ask, but how did you
earn the money to live like this?”

“Since we’ll be spending more time together, I can answer,”
he relented. Chelsea glared at him for a moment, no doubt remembering how he
called her manager. “It was an inheritance from my parents. They co-founded a
law firm, Westley & Greene, in New York.”

“Oh!” Chelsea breathed, her face softening.

Seeing the recognition in her eyes, he continued. “It’s not
something I tell anyone, or the media. Luckily they haven’t been able to trace
my wealth to the firm. It shut down after my parents died, and with me being
out here in Jersey, they haven’t made that connection.”

“Why’d you tell me?”

He paused, knowing he had to choose his words carefully. “I
can trust you.”

Chelsea nodded, her face expressionless. “And I trust you.”

Dean almost flinched. He couldn’t tell her the truth. From
the look in her eyes, she trusted him without question. And he knew then that
he couldn’t tell her about the media, or his past. It was best that she
believed him to be a playboy millionaire.

“Aren’t you hungry tonight?” she asked, nodding at his half
eaten meal.

“Not for food,” he replied, flashing her a naughty smile. Immediately
he wanted to retract that. His flirty comments were out of habit, and knowing
that Chelsea wasn’t ready to sleep with him only encouraged it.
Always a
sucker for the women I can’t have.

Self-control? He didn’t have much of that.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You think I’m going to fall
into your arms and want to kiss you?”

He flashed her a playful smile. “Is that what I want?”

“It’s obvious. You showed me the other night.”

Dean stood up and walked towards her, observing her body
perched at the edge of the couch, the red dress clinging to her skin colored by
the glow of the fire. He had to stop himself from pulling Chelsea into his arms
and tasting her lips. She leveled her gaze at him, obviously intending on
seeing what he would do.

Standing less than a foot from her, he could feel himself
reacting. As his body started hardening, Dean quickly turned away from her.

“I’ll take you for a walk along the beach tomorrow,” he
decided.

“It’ll be cold,” she retorted.

Dean leaned towards her, noticing her breathing quickening.
He had to restrain himself from kissing her again as he took the empty plate
from the table and stepped away from her. The hardness against his pants
lessened, but his need for Chelsea raged throughout his body. He swallowed
heavily, inwardly cursing himself for not taking her, for giving the both of
them what they desired.

“With me you won’t be,” he shot back, before entering the kitchen.

“You’re so sure of yourself aren’t you?”

Dean smiled, hearing the playful tone in her voice. She
enjoyed their banter as much as he did. He put the plates on the counter and
turned back to face her, leaning against the doorjamb.

“Always,” he replied with a smirk.

Chelsea stood, her body illuminated by the glow of the fire.
She tentatively walked up to him and folded her arms. In her eyes, he could see
the defiance in them but as angry as she tried to look, her lips curled with a
subtle smile. He knew she liked the way he teased her.

“You think you can have whatever you want,” she snapped.
Dean watched her with amusement. He enjoyed seeing her get all fired up over
him. “You got my manager to extend my vacation, not because you want to help
me, but for sex. Typical millionaire arrogance.”

Drawn to the brilliance of her eyes, the gentle curve of her
lips, he reached out with his hand and cupped it around her cheek, unable to
stop himself.

“I’m arrogant for a reason.”

“Why?” she asked softly. “You want to push people away?”

“I don’t trust easily.”

“That’s not much of a life.”

As his eyes scanned her face, her features immediately
softened. He recognized the hesitant need within them. Dean traced a thumb down
her cheek, feeling her soft skin, longing to taste her lips again.

“I want to give into you,” Chelsea admitted quietly. “I
want
you, Dean Westley.”

Dean pressed his lips together before saying, “I don’t want
you to.”

The very words he didn’t want to bring up, but knew he had
to. He couldn’t have Chelsea Levin, because for the first time, this was a
woman he was developing feelings for.

Chelsea stepped onto the patio, dressed more conservatively
in her brown woolen coat. Last night she’d regretted wearing the revealing
dress. Part of her wanted to tease Dean, to show him what he couldn’t have. In
some way, she enjoyed having that power over him, but now she felt guilty.
Another simple mistake she should’ve avoided.

The dress had been too beautiful not to wear. She felt
warmth spread through her body as she recalled finding it on her bed. A simple,
expensive gift. Now Dean was firmly lodged in her mind. For such a gallant
gesture, she couldn’t help but like him.

Knowing that Dean had overconfidence and wealth, everything
she’d desired, hurt. If it was any other situation, he would’ve been her dream
man. But since this was a professional, temporary arrangement, any feelings had
to be kept at bay. Chelsea cared about him enough to make the rash, uninhibited
decision to sleep with him, believing it was their last night together.

Last night she was willing to give into him, and he wasn’t.
Dean was proving himself to be different than what she’d expected. He seemed to
be a decent man, even with his flaws. And spending more time away from the city
was a good way to escape her failed marriage and unfulfilling job.

Chelsea exhaled into the cool, winter air and noticed him
step into view from the pool side of the house.

“Ready to go?”

Chelsea nodded. She noticed the look in his eyes – he wanted
her, and the sexual tension between them only added to her frustration. Now it
would lead to agonizing moments of standing close to his broad, firm body,
unable to give into the attraction and fall into his arms. All thanks to Dean
extending her vacation without permission.

The nerve of him,
Chelsea thought angrily. But amidst
her anger, she felt flattered. The only reason he did so was to keep her around,
and whether it was just for sex or company, she appreciated it. No man had done
that for her before. As an added bonus, there was more time to look for a
decent place to move into.

Chelsea followed him to the garage, occasionally lowering
her gaze to his firm ass. She couldn’t help but look at him every so often - her
guilty pleasure. No harm in looking since they weren’t going to sleep together.
After all, he was definitely eye catching.

Suddenly Dean turned to look at her, and she hurriedly
raised her head.

“Enjoying the view?” he teased.

“I…” Chelsea hesitated. “I’ve seen better.”

She didn’t want to flatter his ego any more than she already
had. In spite of herself, she smiled.

The garage door slid open automatically, the keys dangling
from Dean’s hand. He was dressed in tight fitting black pants and a casual
white shirt, his hair tousled from sleep. She wondered if he had gotten much of
it after her display in the dress last night. Dreams of him coming into her
room with his naked chest bared had been enough to give her a restless night.

In the dim light from the overcast sky, Chelsea noticed the
sleek black Mitsubishi Lancer. A smile lit up her face as she got in, sinking
into the leather seat. She almost jumped out of it when she felt the warmth emanating
from it.

“Heated seats,” Dean remarked, a smile on his face after seeing
her reaction.

“I noticed.”

He pulled out of the driveway and they drove along the
coast. Her gaze fixated out towards the ocean. The view was stunning, the water
a deep blue underneath the dim gray sky.

Dean’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Have you found any
places to move into?”

 “I’ve had one before you went and extended my vacation.”

“Ah, I won’t make any apologies for that.”

Chelsea glanced at him. “No, you won’t. You got what you
wanted.”

“Why don’t you tell me what
you
want?”

She pursed her lips. Dean was definitely frustrating when he
wanted to be.

“You already know,” she said lightly. “A place to move into.
Maybe a better job.”

Dean stopped the car in the parking lot and turned the
engine off. Chelsea reached for the door, expecting them to get out before he
asked, “Don’t you have any dreams? Something you’ve always wanted?”

“Money,” Chelsea joked. Then she lowered her tone. “I tried
love with Ryan, and that didn’t work.”

Dean looked at her intensely, and she could tell he was
unsatisfied with her answer. “But he cheated on you. He wasn’t a decent man.”

Chelsea shrugged. “Few people are.”

He paused for a moment. “Anything at all?”

“Well,” she hesitated. He wanted to know more about her
which was flattering but also disheartening. She couldn’t become too attached
to Dean before moving out.

“Before I worked at Walmart I designed websites. But after a
year, business died off. Ryan lost his job. I know money doesn’t bring
happiness but it affected ours. When we were both working, we had money to see
the world. We went to Hawaii once. It was beautiful.”

“It is,” Dean agreed. Of course he would’ve been there, she
noted. With all the money he could want, he had the freedom to do anything.

“People say life is hard when you don’t have money, but for
us, it was a matter of having it, the good life, and then it all disappeared
overnight. We had to go backwards, and it affected our marriage,” Chelsea
paused, lost in thought. “Maybe it’s because we let it. And when I found out he
cheated on me, that was it. It was over.”

“Sounds tough,” Dean murmured, his voice low. Chelsea met
his gaze and found herself lost in his eyes again. Even though he said little,
she could hear the sincerity in his voice.

“It was the complete opposite for me,” he added. “When my
parents died, I didn’t expect to get the amount of money I did. None of it
meant anything to me. I wasted thousands. Drinking, sex, gambling. The whole
lot.”

Chelsea quirked an eyebrow. No surprises there, he
was
a playboy. “Didn’t Jake get anything?”

“At least a million. He refused the rest.”

Chelsea held back her other questions, curious to know why
his brother had done that. Did Jake feel guilty receiving the money? Dean
didn’t seem to have a problem with it, but if he had, she couldn’t tell. And
his initial question to her only amplified her curiosity.

“Isn’t there anything you want in life?” she asked.

“I tend to go with whatever comes along. Probably why I
ended up the way I am now.”

There was a hint of sadness in his voice, as if he knew his
choices had led him down a path he never expected to be on. Dean’s assistance
helped her more than she realized, and now she wanted to comfort him.

“You’re a good man, Dean Westley. If it weren’t for you, I don’t
know where I would be.”

Chelsea reached forward and gently placed a hand over his.
The touch of his warm skin sent a delicious thrill through her body and she
swallowed, her lips tingling in anticipation of him kissing her the way he had
all those days ago. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted to feel that way again.
Wanted, desired.

Something she never experienced with Ryan.

Dean’s gaze was steady, and feeling his eyes on her made her
tighten below, her body longing to feel him inside her. Her skin was warming,
her body longing for his touch. She didn’t want to take her hand from his, but needed
to distract herself before she became too tempted.

 “Why don’t you try talking to Jake?”

His face hardened. “I know you mean well, Chelsea, but my
family is my business.”

Dean looked away from her out onto the beach. He seemed to
have lost interest in the conversation as he announced, “We should take a walk
before it starts to rain. Or snow.”

He withdrew his hand from underneath hers and stepped out of
the car. Chelsea stared after him as he turned his back, a gust of wind pushing
his shirt even tighter against his body. It clung to his figure, revealing the
outline of muscles underneath the fabric. She swallowed and followed after him,
letting the door slam shut.

Her hand was still warm from his, the sensation of his skin lingering
as she walked over to Dean.

“It would be really nice here in the summer,” she remarked,
trying to keep her voice steady.

“Oh it is,” Dean said, as they walked side by side towards
the pavilion. “Looks like there aren’t many people on the beach today. Just two
miles of sand, and us.”

Chelsea wondered what he meant by that. They entered the
pavilion and she watched as he presented a badge, allowing them to enter the
main beach.

“It’s my annual pass,” he explained. “With a place like
this, it isn’t free. Gives me access to the saltwater pool. Feel like a swim?”

Chelsea laughed. “Not until summer!”

She didn’t want to admit it’d been many summers since she
wore a bikini. And wearing something revealing in front of Dean wasn’t an
option.

They stepped out onto the sand. The Jersey Shore was the
cleanest, tidiest beach she had seen, the boardwalk clear of any commercial
stands. She stared out across the vast ocean, stretching out to meet the
overcast sky. They walked in silence for a few moments. She felt her shoes sink
into the sand, leaving footprints alongside Dean’s.

Chelsea listened to the gentle lull of the waves rolling
against the shore, allowing herself to relax. Dean stood closely beside her,
almost protective. If she moved her hand, she could touch him. Being alone with
him on the beach almost made that temptation irresistible. She glanced at him
as he looked ahead, his brows furrowed.

“As for what you said about my typical millionaire arrogance,”
he began, a grin causing dimples to crease his cheeks.

Her eyes widened. So now he was going to bring up something
she’d said in the heat of the moment? “I didn’t mean to -”

“I’ve heard worse,” he said dismissively. Dean exhaled
loudly. “The inheritance I earned came with a price. With all of the wealth I had,
it changed me. I became so involved with my image, what the media thought of
me. I earned my playboy reputation as a way of distancing myself from the
truth. I lost who I was.”

Chelsea frowned. It sounded as if he’d wanted to get that
off his chest. Perhaps she was the only one he’d confided in about it. As Dean
met her gaze, she felt comforted that he trusted her.

“I don’t see that. You helped me out. You’ve shown you’re
decent.”

There was a flicker of pain in his eyes before he gave her a
gentle smile.

“You always see the good in people?”

“I try to. Even with Ryan,” she said boldly, thinking of her
own life, how she drove Ryan away in pursuit of the money they once had. After
his affairs, she lost all respect for him. And now there was Dean. Even with
all the media reports about him, she could see through that. He may be a
playboy millionaire, but there was more than that to him.

“I prefer to see the good rather than the bad,” she added.
And there was definitely more good than bad with Dean.

“Don’t try to have sympathy for Ryan after what he did,” he
said. “People can’t change for others, they have to take that step to change
themselves alone. And a guy like him won’t change for you.”

“When you’re in love with someone, it can change you.”

“You believe in love?”

She paused. “Yes. I mean, I know Ryan’s only one guy. But
now that it’s over, and I look around me and see who’s available, who I could
end up with…I’m afraid.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know what will happen. How it’ll happen.
Who I’ll meet, if it’ll even be love, or just a waste of time.”

“No relationship is a waste, just an experience.”

She glanced at him. “Would you think that if someone cheated
on you?”

“I would. Hell, I’d be glad to have someone like that out of
my life so I can move on.”

Chelsea bit her bottom lip. “So if relationships aren’t a
waste of time, why don’t you try having one?”

He chuckled. “Oh, I’ve had plenty of experiences…”

And then she felt his firm hand touching her, his fingers
entwining around her own. Chelsea stared down in surprise. She slowed to a stop
with him beside her.

“But nothing like this.”

His words pulled at her. What did he mean?

She felt warm under Dean’s gaze, her eyes captured by his as
they looked at each other, alone on the beach with nothing but the call of
seagulls, and the sound of the waves. What if she told him her feelings right
now? Fear locked her true feelings away, out of reach. Change was good, but
telling Dean she cared about him could ruin it all.

“I can’t sleep with you, Dean Westley,” she whispered.

Sleeping together was a way of putting it politely. And
looking at him, she knew the sex would be hot and erotic, at a level she hadn’t
found with Ryan.

When Dean tilted his head to look into her eyes, Chelsea felt
alive, burning for the touch of his skin and the feel of his lips on hers. She
swallowed, aware that her breathing slowed as she waited, desperately yearning
to feel him close.
Who cares about a relationship? Why should I hold back?

Dean closed the gap between them, his face lowering as he
studied hers. He seemed reluctant to take her. Being so close to him, with the
wind throwing her hair around her face, she felt enclosed, as if it were only
the two of them locked in their own private desires.

And Chelsea realized if she didn’t act now, she could lose
this moment. The chance to make a memory with him. Hesitantly, she reached out
to touch him, tracing his jawline with her fingers and feeling the rough
stubble underneath her skin.

There was so much they could have, so much they could share.
The notion of being with Dean was tangible. She could see it. But as much as
she wanted it, it couldn’t happen, not with the way his life was. How could
there be a relationship with all the media scrutiny? Was it even what he was
looking for?