Friends With Benefits (5 page)

“Sela, you should go home to your family,” Kerri admonished. “They must not ever see you any more.”

Sela smiled distractedly. “Yeah, it’s been busy, but we’re on a deadline here and everything has to be perfect.”

Kerri rolled her eyes. “The world won’t end if every little detail isn’t finished by Monday morning. Just make sure you’re ready for the basics; make sure you have nail polishes for pedicures.”

“It’s not that simple,” Sela replied. “But I’m just about finished for today anyway. And I have to take the girls shopping for dresses for the party next weekend.”

Hailey and Miguel helped carry things in, then left Kerri and Mitch to finish arranging things.

“Thanks for your help!” Kerri hugged her friends. When they were gone, she stood in the middle of the studio, surveying the mess. Actually, it wasn’t that bad.

“Just tell me where to put things,” Mitch said.

She smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks for your help, too. Let’s move the plants over there…no, wait. That big palm tree—can you take it into the reception area?”

Mitch lugged the potted palm out front and Kerri directed him where to put it. She studied the result. Yes, that was a little better anyway. A few more small changes and things would be great. She had another idea.

They hauled her bronze Buddha statue into the waiting area along with another plant and some scented candles. She had tons of candles. She loved the scent and how the warm, flickering light of candles soothed and balanced.

Soon they had arranged everything to Kerri’s satisfaction and looked around.

“I guess I’m ready,” she said. A thrill of excitement shot through her at the thought of her first class Monday in the new space. It was going to be awesome. “Want some herbal tea?”

Mitch rolled his eyes but said, “Sure.”

She went to her office and a few moments later returned with two small cups of steaming, fragrant tea.

The excitement of moving to her new space helped the minor depression she’d been feeling lately. It had been weeks since she’d asked Mitch to help her find a husband, and she had gotten nowhere. Damn, it was frustrating. Patience was
not
one of her strengths.

She sank down onto the hardwood floor, leaned against the white brick wall, and sipped her tea.

They were silent, and she was trying hard not to blame Mitch for all the dating disasters she’d had over the last few weeks. It really did seem like he was doing it on purpose. How could he have accidentally come across so many losers?

“It looks nice in here,” he said.

“Yeah.”

Again, silence.

“Thanks again for helping me,” she said, now somewhat glumly, staring at her cup.

“You’re pissed off at me, aren’t you?”

Mitch slid down the wall and sat beside her, long legs in faded jeans stretched out in front of him.

She turned her head and looked at him. “No.”

He laughed. “Yes, you are. I can tell. Just get it out…tell me. The date didn’t go well last night, did it?”

“No.”

“What went wrong this time?”

“Well. First of all he stuffed his pockets full of sugar packets in the restaurant. Then when we were eating nachos, he grabbed my hand and started licking it.”

Mitch choked on a laugh. “Uh…wow.”

“Then he called you a slacker.”

Mitch sat bolt upright. “What? A slacker?”

“I know! I couldn’t believe it either.”

“Asshole,” he muttered.

“Yeah. I can’t believe you’ve set me up with all these guys and every single one of them has been all wrong for me. Not just wrong for me…like, not even close.”

“Uh…Kerri. I didn’t set you up with Eric. You met him at the golf tournament.”

“Well. You invited me to the golf tournament.”

Mitch sighed.

“It’s not just a coincidence, is it? You
are
doing this on purpose because you don’t want me to get married.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he corrected her.

“So you admit it!”

“No! No, I don’t. You’re twisting things.”

She snorted. “How do you tell when a lawyer is lying? His lips are moving.”

At that moment, Sela poked her head in to say she was leaving.

“I thought you left hours ago!” Kerri exclaimed. “What about your shopping?”

Sela glanced at her watch. “We still have time. Doug is bringing the girls to Paseo Nuevo and I’m meeting them there.”

“Go, go.” Kerri waved her hands. After they heard the door close behind Sela, she sighed. “That woman really has to learn to balance. Her family is paying the price for this move.”

Mitch nodded. “She is kind of driven, isn’t she?”

Kerri studied him. “Like you aren’t.”

He shrugged. “I balance fine.”

She glanced at him, remembering they’d been interrupted while starting to have a big fight.

“Look, Kerri,” he said. “I know you’re not happy, but you can’t blame me for all this. You have a role in it too.”

She gaped at him. “What are you saying? Are you saying I’m such a loser I can’t manage to attract a guy?”

“Jesus, no! That’s not what I’m saying.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“So you’re saying I’m deliberately sabotaging things for some strange subconscious reason of my own?”

He stared at her. “What drugs are you on? You’re acting nuts today.”

“Yeah, I’m crazy, that must be why I can’t find a husband.”

“Aaarrrgh!” He slid down the wall until he lay on the floor and covered his face with his hands. With his arms up like that, Kerri could see the paler skin on the underside, which emphasized the bulge of his biceps below the sleeves of his T-shirt. He stayed like that for a moment, dragging big, slow breaths into his lungs.

Kerri rolled in her lips and scooted a few inches away. Mitch had a temper, but he’d learned to control it over the years. And okay, she was acting like a bitch and hated herself for it, but the words just kept coming out of her mouth. She was just so frustrated and disappointed and Mitch was there to poke at, take out her frustrations on. A shiver trickled down her spine. Maybe she’d pushed too far.

She bit her lip as she looked at him. With his arms raised, his snug T-shirt had ridden up and she could see tanned, ripped abs and a hint of golden brown hair just above the low-riding waistband of his jeans. His hair was all tousled from running his hands through it. She swallowed.

She put a hand on his arm tentatively, wanting to apologize, fearful she’d pushed him too far and now he’d be really mad at her. She knew she could get away with a lot with Mitch and he just laughed at her, indulgently let her act all princessy, then called her on it and brought her back down to earth. But maybe this time his patience had run out.

His arms jerked away from his face at her gentle touch and she jumped back. He grabbed her hand, held it tightly. Now she could see his eyes flashing dark gold, his jaw clenched so tight she was sure it must hurt.

“M-mitch…I’m…”

“Kerri.” He growled, low and rough. “Just stop right now.”

She nodded a bit frantically. “I’m sorry. You can let go of my hand now.”

His fingers actually tightened on hers, crushing them, and she yanked on her hand. “Ow! Mitch, you’re hurting me! Let go.”

His hot gaze held hers as she tried to pull free.

“Jesus, Kerri.” His voice still sounded low and rough. “You can only push me so far.”

Her eyes wide, she watched a vein throb in his temple. She again tugged her hand away from his but he wouldn’t let go, rather pulled her toward him. She put her other hand out, palm flat on his chest, hot and hard under the soft T-shirt, to push him away. The warm scents of laundry detergent and male skin mingled as she breathed in, and she trembled.

She pushed ineffectually at him as he dragged her toward him, right up against him, practically on top of him.

“Mitch.” She struggled against him, but he was stronger than she was, and his powerful arms held her there. God, he was warm.

One big hand slid into her hair and cupped the back of her head. They stared at each other, Kerri’s heart banging against her ribs, tension crackling between them like static electricity, and then he pulled her to him and her mouth met his.

“Mmmph.” She tried to protest, shocked to her toes at Mitch’s actions. She dragged her mouth away from his. “Mitch! What are you doing? Are you—”

He kissed her again, his hands holding her head against his mouth and her body against his. Again, her palms pushed on his chest, but something happened inside her and to her shock and horror she was…aroused.

The liquid warmth between her legs and the flippy feeling of excitement low in her tummy stunned her. No! This was Mitch, her friend! She couldn’t be feeling like this. And what the hell was he doing?

He was kissing her. And kissing her again. And God, he was a really good kisser, his mouth firm and warm on hers, opening over hers, and her mouth parted for him. Astonishingly, she was kissing him back.

The room spun around her as he flipped her gently so she lay on her back, and he shifted beside her, so he was almost lying on top of her, his body big and heavy and warm against hers.

His mouth continued to devour her—long, consuming kisses, his tongue licking into her mouth, filling her mouth, and it was so exciting she thought she might burst into flames. God, it had obviously been a long time since she’d been with a guy if she was responding like this to
Mitch
. But she had
never
been so turned on as she was right then, and helplessly she arched into him, her hands clutching his shoulders through the soft cotton of his shirt and she kissed him back. Her tongue stroked his and he tasted faintly of the tea he’d had earlier and delicious warm male, so she opened wider, letting his tongue in, sucking his tongue, devouring him.

No, no, no. This should not be happening. The thought intruded into her foggy brain. But dear God, it felt so, so good.

“No,” she managed to moan, pulling her mouth away from his warm, wet one. “Mitch. This is wrong…”

“Christ, Kerri,” he muttered, burying his face into her neck, breathing deeply. “Christ.”

Her hands stilled on his shoulders as she felt him regaining some control, then she pushed hard and wriggled out from under his weight. She scrambled away from him on her hands and knees, half afraid he was going to grab her again, but he didn’t. He lay there, one arm covering his eyes, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths.

She sat on the floor, trembling. She put her fingers to her mouth and stared at Mitch in shock, unable to formulate any words. What had just happened?

Finally Mitch spoke. “Jesus, Kerri, I’m sorry,” he ground out.

“You damn well better be!”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “You pushed my buttons…you just kept at it and I just…lost it.”

“But, Mitch…”

“I know. I’m
sorry
.”

Anger flared in her, hot fury that he would do that, that he would jeopardize their friendship like that, that he would actually use her like that—and he was her best friend!

She jumped to her feet and rubbed her hands over her face. She twisted her hands together. Then she went over and punched his shoulder, as hard as she could.

“Ow!”
He was totally unprepared, eyes still covered, and he jerked up. “What the hell was that? Jesus!

“You stupid, horny idiot! What the hell do you think you were
doing
? You’re supposed to be my friend!”

He stared at her, rubbing his shoulder. “Do not ever hit me again,” he bit out, eyes narrowed, jaw tight.

Her fury faded as she viewed Mitch in a different light and she took a step back when he stood and moved toward her. She tried to back away but wasn’t fast enough.

He grabbed her wrists and hauled her up against him, his body still hot and rock-hard. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He pushed her away from him in frustration and turned his back on her, shoved his hands back through his hair. He stood like that for a moment.

“I better go,” he said tightly.

“Good idea. Because if you don’t, I’ll kick you out.”

He glanced around at her and the intensity and heat flaring in his eyes startled her again and she swallowed. But he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

She sank back down onto the floor, trembling, legs weak. She put her hands to her mouth again, and just stared into space.

Okay, that was so bizarre. She had no idea why Mitch had done that. They were friends, for God’s sake. Just friends, never more than friends. It could only be that she had made him so angry he’d lost control, and instead of punching her like he maybe would have if she were a guy, he’d kissed her. So it didn’t really mean anything.