Friends With Benefits (10 page)

She had no idea what was going on between them. Sure, he’d left her with a warm kiss on the mouth and a hand sliding caressingly over her butt, but what did that mean?

They were friends. Now they were friends with benefits. She grimaced at the expression she hated. What else to call it? Fuck buddies? Was that what they were now?

So she found herself agreeing to meet Liam at seven for dinner.

She glanced at her watch and had to get moving to get to the spa. She’d arranged to meet someone there that afternoon, while the spa was closed, one of her clients who was a photographer. In exchange for some free yoga classes, Neta had agreed to take some pictures to put on the website. Despite Sela’s assertion that they needed a professional, Kerri had decided to try her hand at working on it. Although she knew she could do it, she also knew that taking professional-quality digital photographs was beyond her talents.

She tried to make sense of what had happened the night before as she drove to the spa. Admittedly it had been a while since she’d even been on a date, prior to Mitch’s help, let alone had sex. Maybe this was what happened when you went too long without. Anyone would do.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be a situation where any man would do. Mitch was the only one who did it for her. In fact, Mitch was the one who made her that horny. She’d been perfectly happy in her celibate world before this all started. Sad, but true.

She’d have to study up on tantric sex and sexual continence. Wasn’t it supposed to be good for you to go without orgasms? Supposedly improve your immune system or something like that.

Like that was possible. With Mitch, she needed an orgasm like she needed oxygen. Even more, she needed to give
him
an orgasm. That melting sensation in her womb drizzled through her again and she sighed.

“I’ll need to light it properly,” Neta said as they wandered around. “Sunday is probably the best day, as you’re closed.”

“Yes,” Kerri said. “Can you do it next Sunday?”

“Sure. I’ll bring all my gear. I’ll shoot lots and you can decide which ones you want to use.”

“Excellent.”

“Hi!” She took the hand he extended. To her surprise, he pulled her in and kissed her cheek. She sat down at the small table. “How are you?”

“I’m great.” His eyes moved over her like it was the first time he’d seen her. “You?”

“Very well, thank you.”

“How was the party last night?”

“It went really well. I was exhausted but it was good. Tons of people came, lots of clients and maybe some new ones. It was really nice to feel all the support from our family and friends and clients for this new spa.”

“You must love your work. How many classes do you teach in a week?”

“Well, right now I’m doing three or four classes a day except Sunday. I’m just hiring some new instructors. I want to expand how many classes I offer and maybe offer some different types of classes, so I definitely need some help. I have other ideas of things I want to expand into as well.”

“Wow. You must be in great shape doing that many classes.”

She laughed again and shrugged.

The waitress came and took orders for drinks. They ordered dinner, ate, engaged in some interesting conversation. Liam seemed nice—intelligent, sensitive, maybe a little cynical, jaded. But after the things he’d seen and done, who could blame him.

The evening passed pleasantly and Kerri always enjoyed getting to know someone new, but she found herself feeling…bored. Restless. Wishing for a little sizzle, a little excitement.

Like with Mitch.

Heat flared low in her tummy.

She shouldn’t have gone on this date. She had absolutely no interest in seeing Liam again, even if he wanted to. Unbelievably, he was the first guy Mitch had set her up with who seemed normal and nice—actual husband potential. And she couldn’t care less.

Liam didn’t seem to feel the same, though, and when they left the restaurant he invited her out again. She didn’t know what to do. She had no idea what was going on with her and Mitch other than hot sex. So she asked him to call her closer to the weekend.

He kissed her cheek again after walking her to her car, very sweet but completely bland.

“So, did you recover from the party?” Sela asked. She looked up at Kerri. “Holy shit. Are you okay?”

“What?” Nervously, Kerri put a hand to her hair.

“You look…I don’t know. Different.”

“Bah.” Kerri waved a hand dismissively. “I just had a really good class.”

Sela was still looking at her strangely.

“So, the party went well,” Kerri said. “All your planning paid off.”

Sela nodded and smiled with satisfaction. “Yes, I thought it went well. Lots of high-profile clients came. It’s good for getting word out about the new spa. Hopefully it will spark some interest, maybe bring in some new clients.”

Kerri nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.”

“So what’s up for you today?”

“I’m working on hiring some new instructors,” Kerri replied. “I’m adding new classes, but I’m pretty much maxed out. I know some girls who are interested in teaching, so we’re going to talk.”

Sela frowned. “Don’t you have a structured interview process? How will you know if they’re qualified? Or suited to the job?”

Kerri grinned. “I’ll just know. Trust my instincts.”

Sela’s frown deepened. “You can’t run a business on instincts, Kerri. What…”

Kerri interrupted, losing her patience a bit. “I’ve been doing okay so far, Sela. Just because I’m leasing space from you doesn’t give you the right to tell me how to run my business.”

Silence expanded between them, then Sela held up her hands and leaned back in her chair. “You’re right,” she said. “But it also doesn’t give you the right to try to tell
me
how to run
my
spa. Or how to decorate it so the ‘energy flows’.”

Kerri’s chest tightened. She couldn’t believe Sela had said that. She’d just been trying to help. And she knew what she was talking about. “It’s not exactly the same,” she said slowly. “The reception and waiting area are where
my
clients come, too. I want the atmosphere to be warm and welcoming for them, too.”

They just looked at each other, and then Kerri shrugged and turned and left. Sela was so dominating, always the big sister. Even though Kerri knew she should stand up to her, her mind went empty when she had to argue with Sela. It had always been like that.

This arrangement wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d thought. Sela’s offer had initially seemed heaven-sent, coming at the exact moment she needed help. She’d been having such a hard time finding appropriate commercial space for her studio when her lease had been cancelled, she’d almost thought she was going to lose her business. But when Sela had made the proposal, Kerri had never anticipated conflict between them.

She should have known, though. It was always like this between them. She could never measure up to Sela’s perfection—in Sela’s eyes or in their family’s. Or even Mitch’s eyes when it came to business, apparently.

Mitch had just finished a Monday morning meeting with another collaborative lawyer and a couple who were divorcing, curiously amicably. He was happy about that though, because his mind wasn’t fully functional. He was having a hard time getting Kerri out of his head and the law in.

So what were the rules in a situation like this? If it had been any other girl, he would have already called. But it was Kerri. They didn’t talk every day. Sometimes a week would go by without them talking, although they almost always saw each other on weekends when they got together with friends.

Should he call her? What would he say? Christ, this was stupid.

He was completely blown away by how sexy Kerri was. They’d been friends for so long, and he knew she was attractive, but over the years he hadn’t pictured her in bed like he had in the last few weeks. Who knew she was so hot?

God, he was getting hard again thinking about her. The way she’d responded to him like he was hottest thing going, the way he’d made her come so hard. So many times. Jesus. It was all he could do to stop himself from getting up and leaving work to go find her. He’d do her in the middle of her yoga studio if he could.

Which thought led his dirty mind to another: how much impact did her yoga have on those muscles of hers? She could squeeze him like a fist when he was inside her. It was insane.

Maybe she knew some kind of tantric secret. Oh man. Now he was really hot and he had another client meeting in five minutes. A good workout at lunch time would help.

He called Garth Layton back, the lawyer who’d approached him about reopening the custody agreement for Mariah and Bob Sinclair.

“I talked to her on Friday,” he told Garth. “And exactly as I thought, she totally rejected the idea. There’s no way in hell she’ll let him have the kid for her birthday this year.”

“He’s willing to go back into court to fight for this,” Garth warned him.

Mitch sighed. “Yeah, I figured that. I told her that was a distinct possibility. She’s willing to take the chance of having to go through that again.” He didn’t mention to the other attorney the fact that the legal system was slow enough that they wouldn’t even have a court date until well past the girl’s birthday. Especially if Mitch took his time with things. His gut clenched again.

“You’ll hear back from me,” Garth promised.

After hanging up, Mitch really wanted to talk to Kerri. She’d always been the one he could talk to about pretty much anything. Enough of not seeming too eager. He was fucking desperate.

“Hi,” he said when she answered.

“Hey!” she said, sounding pleased to hear from him. “How are you?”

“Really busy,” he said. “But okay. You?”

“Yeah, busy,” she said. “I’ve been talking to some girls about instructing, so I can offer more classes.”

“Really? You’re going to give up teaching?”

“Of course not!” She laughed, recognized his teasing. “I just can’t do any more. Part of my plan with this move was to expand, take advantage of the new location.”

“Why don’t you tell me all about it tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah. Let’s go out. Drinks…dinner? What would you like to do?”

“Um…I was just out last night. How about I cook dinner at my place?”

“Even better,” he said fervently. “What time?”

“Six?”

“See you then.”

After work, he went home and changed out of his suit and tie into a pair of baggy cargo pants and old UCSB T-shirt. He stopped on the way to Kerri’s place to pick up a bottle of wine. Then, as he drove past Long Drugs, he suddenly braked and turned sharply into the parking lot. He ran in, purchased a box of condoms, then sprinted back to his car and continued on to Kerri’s place.

The box of condoms stayed in the car, but a few went into one of the roomy pockets of his pants with a grin.

Tonight her usual black yoga pants tied with a loose drawstring hung low on her hips. A snug pink tank top outlined clearly braless breasts, and her nipples drew his helpless gaze. She smiled when she opened the door to him, but her eyes held a hint of reserve. Things weren’t going to get weird again, were they?

He wanted to grab her, kiss her—basically jump her sexy bones—but instead he leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on her luscious little mouth.

She’d been preparing food in the kitchen but hadn’t actually started cooking yet, and he took a seat at the small counter that separated her kitchen from dining room. “Should I open the wine?” he asked. She handed him a corkscrew and got two glasses out.

“This is nice,” she approved after taking a sip. “Good choice.”

“Thanks.” He had no clue what it was. He’d asked the guy at the store for a nice twenty dollar bottle of white wine. He sipped his own.

“So tell me about your expansion plans,” he invited. He watched her move around, turning on the stove to start water boiling for the pasta. In another pan she drizzled some olive oil. She picked up a big chef’s knife and deftly flattened a couple of garlic cloves, then minced them with rapid, sure movements while she talked about her plans.

“There are so many great things about the new place,” she said, lifting the lid to check the water. “The reception area, changing rooms, the parking…this is the time to expand. But like I said, I can’t take on much more myself. I have some ideas for different types of classes, too.” He nodded, admiring her smooth graceful movements as she cooked.

“That sounds great, Kerri. Your business has grown consistently since you started, so you obviously know what you’re doing.”

She looked up at him, seeming a little surprised, but touchingly pleased. “Thank you, Mitch. That means a lot to me.”

Kerri could seem flaky at times, but she had a sharp brain and solid business training. She also had the right personality for teaching. She made it fun. Why’d she seem so surprised by the compliment?

She dumped a package of fresh pasta into the water and stirred it, then reduced the heat under it. The garlic sizzled in the pan and she added some huge shrimp, a splash of the wine, some chopped tomatoes and fresh herbs.

“That smells incredible,” he said. “I’m starving.”

She pulled a bowl of salad greens out of the fridge and tossed it with a dressing she’d already made, then popped a tray of crusty rolls into the oven to warm.

“Bread?” He raised his brows.

She laughed. “Just for you, big guy.”

She drained the pasta, tossed it with the sauce and in moments they were sitting at her small dining table, feasting on perfectly al dente fettuccine, shrimp, warm bread and a tangy salad.

“Wow,” Mitch said, after devouring two huge plates of pasta, a couple of rolls and a big bowl of salad. “I used to make fun of you for being a bad cook, but I think I was mistaken.”

“It was just that food poisoning incident with the deli salad,” she insisted with a laugh. “Really.”

He grinned. “What’s for dessert?”

Her face fell. “I didn’t make dessert.”

“Hey, I’m kidding. I’m so full, I couldn’t eat a bite more. Besides, I know what I want for dessert, and it’s
not
food.”

He looked at her as she got his message and her eyes grew hot. “Oh,” she said.

He reached out for her hand and pulled her out of her chair and onto his lap. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since I got here,” he growled. Spearing his fingers into her hair, he pulled her mouth to his and kissed her.

She tasted sweet and warm, her tongue teasing his, sucking gently as their mouths slid over each other, wet and open. He deepened the kiss, feeling her body soften into his as she wound her arms around his neck. “I missed you,” he groaned, breaking the kiss to press his face to her exotic-smelling hair.

“I missed you too,” she whispered. She stroked her hands over his shoulders, then her fingers slid into his hair and grabbed hold, pulling his mouth back to her.

They kissed again, slow, sensual kisses. Mouths clinging, lifting, their breath mingling, then kissing again, deep and lingering.

Kerri broke away, gulping air into her lungs. “Whoa.”

“Yeah.” He paused, swallowed hard. “Want me to help with the dishes?”

“I don’t feel like doing dishes right now,” she confessed. “But I guess we should clean up a little.”

Reluctantly he let her off his lap, his hard-on throbbing. He watched her cute little ass as she walked away from him, carrying their plates. He gathered up the rest of the dishes and helped load the dishwasher, both of them eyeing each other hungrily, the air thick around them. As she bent over to put a plate in the dishwasher, he moved up behind her and pressed his erection into her lush little behind, slid his arms around her. She straightened, put an arm up behind her to curve around his neck and he nuzzled her ear.

“You said you went out last night,” he murmured, inhaling her scent. “Where’d you go?”

“Oh. Um, I went out with Liam. Remember?”

He froze. He abruptly released her and stepped back. She turned to face him and he stared at her. “You…what?”