Snowbound Seduction (5 page)

Chapter Five

“I really don’t know what’s keeping me from coming back to Atlanta and kicking your arse,” Trevor said as he looked out over the falling snow.

He liked snow. It was one of the things he missed living in Atlanta. This, though, was different. This made him uncomfortable. It was probably stupid, but he felt as if it was his fault, and if anything happened to them…well, he felt as a man it was his duty to protect them both. Lainey would kick his ass if he told her that.

“Other than the blizzard, maybe it’s the fact you can’t beat me in a fight. At best, it would be a draw. Worst case scenario, I would make you cry in front of Elaine.”

“What does this have to do with Lainey?”

“Since when does anything you do or say not have to do with Elaine? You’ve been obsessed with her for months.”

Trevor turned away from the window and started pacing. He didn’t like to admit it was a little too close to the truth. It was the reason he hadn’t been dating. Well, one of the reasons. Okay, the main reason, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Mick.

“You’ve gone mental, my old friend.”

Mick snorted. “Maybe. Of course, working with you two arguing all the time, just to let off some of that sexual frustration, is enough to drive a man mental.”

He stopped dead in his tracks. “What the bloody hell do you mean about that?”

“Come on, Trev. I’ve known you both for years. I’ve known you since you were a sous chef. You’ve never gone this long without a woman in your bed.”

Trevor glanced up at the stairs, thinking of the woman in her bed at the moment. At least, that’s what he was imagining. He could see her there, lying back against the pillows, her soft blond hair undone, her face flushed…

“Trevor?”

Mick’s voice brought him back from the daydream. He started pacing again. “How do you know whose been in my bed?”

“If you have had someone in your bed, she’s not doing the trick. You’re constantly annoyed at work, and you’ve fixated all your irritation on Elaine. And she’s not any better.”

That brought him to another stop. This time, he stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows, which showed how much snow was accumulating. “Now what the bloody hell do you mean about that?”

Mick sighed. “I’ve known Elaine a lot of years, and she never really loses her temper. She yells at me, but she does it out of love.”

Trevor ground his teeth together. He knew there was nothing there…or assumed. When Mick had first said he wanted to open a restaurant and suggested Lainey as a partner, Trevor had been suspicious they were sleeping together. If she hadn’t had a stellar reputation, he would have refused. Trev didn’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. Now, though, every time Mick mentioned the depth of the relationship, Trevor felt a ping of what could only be jealousy. It was hard to admit, but Mick had a more intimate relationship with Lainey than Trevor. And, worse, it irritated him.

“And?” he asked when Mick didn’t continue.

“I thought I would wait for you to quit grinding your teeth first.” Then he laughed. “Elaine doesn’t expend energy on people she doesn’t like. She claims she doesn’t like you, but she uses the majority of her energy on you. That is, outside work, which up until we got our restaurant off the ground, was okay. But now she needs a life.”

“And I’m supposed to give it to her? Are you acting as a pimp?”

“Good lord, no, but you two need to deal with it.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in relationships with business partners.”

“I don’t. It’s not like you’ll ever settle down and especially not with someone like Elaine.”

“Now what the bloody hell does that mean?” And why was he getting so ticked off about it? There was no real reason for him to want to challenge his old friend on this particular subject, but for some reason, Trevor did.

“Hey, I love Elaine, but she’s not exactly your cup of tea, right, boy-o? She’s not one of your supermodels or the newest pop superstar. But for some reason she’s gotten under your skin.”

That and more, but he didn’t like the assumptions his friend was making. Trevor knew he usually went for women who were different—okay, polar opposite—from Elaine, but he did like a bit of variety, and it wasn’t as if Lainey wasn’t a woman he could love.

Dammit.

Make love to. Not love.

The moment he had that thought, his mind went back to the kiss the night before. It had been so innocent, but it had kept him up longer than he wanted to admit. The thought of deepening that kiss, lifting her up on the counter, and really showing her what he would like to do to her in the kitchen had been bothering him since the night before. He wanted to taste…to savor…hell, he just wanted her. Now. He shook his head, trying to clear the image. Falling in love or making love…both options were bad.

But it could be so good
.

“Trevor, are you listening to me?” Mick asked, interrupting those thoughts.

“No. Mainly because you aren’t making a bloody bit of sense.”

“Listen to me now. Be nice to Lainey. She’s not as strong as she likes to think she is. If she’s a little tense about the situation, just give her a break.”

“It’s not like I’m some kind of bastard or something. I’m not going to beat her if we fight.”

Mick didn’t say anything at first, and Trevor started to wonder what his friend thought of him. They’d always been honest about things, sometimes too honest, and for a moment Trevor was worried Mick would tell him he did, actually, think he was a real bastard.

“No, you wouldn’t do that. It’s just that she doesn’t like to be… It’s hard to explain, but if she feels like she’s trapped there, she might freak a little bit.”

It was Trevor’s turn to be quiet. “What are you talking about? The woman has a backbone of steel.”

He could attest to that. They both had shown their ability to handle stress the last few months.

“Her childhood wasn’t great, and there were a few things that made her feel powerless. She doesn’t like that feeling, and she tends to get really upset when she feels that way. And don’t tell her I told you. She would have my ass for it.”

Trevor wanted to dig more, but he knew there was only so much Mick would tell him. It was one of the reasons they were such good friends. Trevor knew he could trust Mick with every secret.

“Okay, I promise not to be a bastard to her.”

“And make sure you’re careful. Check in if you can.”

“Sure, Mum.”

“Get bent, Trevor.”

“Night, Mick.”

He hated to admit that his best friend knew him too well. He had been obsessed with Lainey. Every day was a lesson in his control. He had never had a woman who knew just how to slip under his skin like she did. Worse, he knew she didn’t do it on purpose. It was effortless on her part. And he was standing there obsessing about her again.

Trevor finished chopping the onions just as she started down the stairs. He was trying his best to ignore her, but it was getting harder by the minute. He glanced down and inwardly sighed. From the moment he had touched her the night before, his body had been urging him to act. And for once he ignored his instincts. It probably wasn’t healthy, but he was pretty sure it was best for his mental wellbeing.

Lainey was uptight and a pain in the ass. Being involved with her would end badly. It would be sweet when they were together…that much he was sure of. But when it fell apart, it would mess with the business. He had worked too hard—they all had. As he thought back over the last few months of work, he realized part of her attraction was her work ethic. She had been there all the way. Her commitment to the restaurant was as deep as his and Mick’s.

“Hey, Trevor, are you there?”

She broke into his thoughts.

“Sorry. Daydreaming.”

She nodded. “Easy to do here. I don’t know how anyone can live here all winter.”

They had kept power, thankfully, but he had turned the lights down a bit. There was something about soft lighting with the snow falling outside that pulled at him. It reminded him of home a bit.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

He shook his head and smiled. “No.”

“You looked a bit nostalgic.”

“Being here in this weather reminds me of England.”

She nodded as she sat at the breakfast bar. “I liked England. I was there a couple times when I was in school.”

“About that…you started in food service later than some.”

She frowned. “I’m only thirty-one. You make me sound like I’m nearing retirement.”

He laughed. “No. It’s just you said you didn’t come from money so I was wondering how you got to Le Cordon Bleu.”

She shrugged. “I saved up for it, got a scholarship.”

He nodded.

“You?”

“I had a trust fund I wasn’t allowed to touch without permission before I was twenty-five, so I took out loans. My father wasn’t thrilled with my selection in careers.”

“But he’s proud now.”

He cocked his head as he studied her. “I suppose.”

She gave him a sad smile. “No, he is. I saw his reaction when they came to visit. He’s very proud of you. As is your mother.”

“I was always my mother’s favorite child.”

“Are you an only child?”

For a second he thought she was serious. Then he saw her lips twitch and realized she was joking.

“I do have a sister, but we pretend she doesn’t exist.”

“Oh, you mean the one your parents were doting on when they came to see you.”

He shrugged. “Mom likes me more.”

“So, a mama’s boy.”

He laughed. “How about you? Any siblings?”

Her smiled faded. “No. Not that I know of.”

He realized she hadn’t had one person show up at their opening. No close friends or family to celebrate with. Of course, Mick hadn’t, either, but then, his relatives were probably not allowed in the U.S.

“You don’t know if you have any siblings?”

She shrugged, and he knew she was trying to brush him off. He had allowed her to do that too much. He wanted to know more about her, needed to know. That wall she kept erecting was about to get a few holes in it.

“Lainey.”

When she looked at him, he wanted to let her have her way. Unshed tears shimmered in her big blue eyes, and he couldn’t stand to see her cry. He never had, but for some reason, he was pretty sure he would fall apart. She shielded so much from him, from the world.

Her shoulders sagged. “I was a foster kid. I really never had a family.”

“Oh.” He didn’t know what else to say. It was a foreign concept to him. Growing up without an irritating extended family had been one of the best things a kid could ask for. At least in his family. But going from home to home and living with strangers sounded like a nightmare to him. Then it hit him. “That’s why you and Mick understand each other.”

She sighed and nodded. “When I first met him we hit it right off. When that happens, I usually think the guy is gay.”

He snorted then started laughing. She smiled. “You thought Mick was gay?”

She shrugged. “How was I to know? I was basing my assumption on my past experiences.”

“He sleeps with more women than I do.”

“Yes, but he has reasons.”

He didn’t like her defending Mick. Sure, the bugger was his best friend, but at the moment he was getting irritated with her protection of him. She gave Mick a pass for his actions, but she put Trevor’s under a microscope. Why the bloody hell did she think Mick had a right to his behavior?

“And those reasons would be?”

“You don’t understand. You have a family.”

“A family that drives me crazy. Just last week my father called to ask me when I was getting a real job. Then my mother called to tell me my sister is dating a wanker by the name of Sid who apparently has tattoos, a Mohawk, and a motorcycle.”

“First, I doubt your sister is dating a man with a Mohawk. She’s a little too…well, I can’t see her doing it anymore than I would do it. Secondly, you have your family so it’s hard to understand. Both Mick and I know what it’s like to be completely alone in the world.”

“You have no one?”

She shook her head. “Mick has some cousins at least, but he says they aren’t dependable.”

That was the nice way of saying it. His cousins were in the Irish mob but there was no reason to tell Lainey that.

“What did you mean about him being gay?”

Her gaze drifted away. “Men who find me attractive are usually gay.”

He blinked and waited for her to smile. When she only stared at him, he realized she wasn’t joking. “Bollocks.”

She shook her head. “It’s true.”

“Plenty of men find you attractive. You don’t notice.”

She sighed and rose, picking up the dishes. “I don’t want to go into this right now, Trev.”

When she said his name like that, it did something in him. It was more intimate, like when he called her Lainey. It was insane that the use of his nickname had his libido raging and ready to go. Hell, the last woman he dated was an up-and-coming supermodel with a long list of conquests. She had been known for her flirty ways, but he couldn’t remember her ever getting him this hot. Lainey would make one little comment, say his nickname, and he wanted to take her upstairs and claim her for his own. Hell, he was right now thinking about what it would be like to peel away that fussy shirt of hers and touch the flesh beneath it.

Trevor chided himself. Thinking about her that way would do nothing more than frustrate him. One thing he did know was that her skin would be soft, silky… Dammit. He needed to keep his mind on the conversation, especially now when she was staring at him as if he were crazy. He knew he could push her more, but they had to get through the night. The fact that she was already calling him by his nickname was enough for him at the moment. If that wasn’t sad, he didn’t know what was.

“So, what were you doing up in your room?” he asked.

She shifted in her chair and played with the stem of her wineglass. He hated that she was keeping things from him again. It was as if she wanted to shield anything personal about herself, and Trevor realized he wanted to know more. No, wrong. He didn’t want more. He wanted it all.

“Lainey.”