Living with Temptation (5 page)

There was a brief silence as they began eating.

“So, where’re you from?” he asked.

“Born and raised in Newark. Not much of a story there.”

“I’m from Brooklyn. My parents moved here a few years before
the accident.”

She nodded, scooping food into her mouth. The roasted meat
was incredibly juicy and tender. “Do you have any siblings?”

When he didn’t answer, she began to wonder if Dean heard her
over the crackle of the flames.

“I have a younger brother. Jake.”

“Does he live in Spring Lake?”

Dean lowered his gaze. “No, he’s in New York, occasionally
takes business trips over to Canada.”

Chelsea bit her lip, noticing how he seemed hesitant to talk
about him. “I don’t have any siblings.”

“Lucky you,” he joked. He shoveled a large amount of food
into his mouth. Chelsea noticed how he ate quickly, before she was halfway
through her meal, Dean had already finished.

“This is nice,” she commented. “Did you cook it?”

“I taught myself. I don’t want to depend on anyone. It’s how
I was raised. My father always said people are selfish, too hard to trust.”

“Sounds like he had trust issues.”

“You could say that. I don’t know if he was truly happy with
my mom.” Pain briefly clouded his eyes. Dean cleared his throat. “I figured
just because money makes things easy, doesn’t mean I’m letting go of my
independence.”

Chelsea quirked an eyebrow. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Neither are you,” Dean retorted. “You’re…”

His voice trailed off and Chelsea looked into his eyes,
feeling her cheeks warm under his gaze. He was staring at her intensely.
Is
he thinking about kissing me?
When Dean leaned forward, she was drawn to
him, recalling how they almost kissed.

“Why do you really want me here?” she breathed, trying not to
succumb to the temptation to kiss him.

“To help you.”

She smirked. “There has to be more to it than that. You’re a
millionaire. You wouldn’t give money to a homeless person.”

Dean flinched and leaned back from her. She held her gaze,
knowing he wouldn’t be offended. Her words were nothing compared to what the
media would’ve said about him.

“My motives are my own. This is a personal arrangement.
Something made
you
accept my offer.”

She frowned. “Because I had no other choice!”

“Is that so? Or is it because you want me?”

Chelsea scoffed, stunned by his arrogance. “Like I would!
Haven’t you noticed I’m not throwing myself at you? I’m not begging for you to
take me. You’re just a…playboy millionaire!”

Dean grinned, raising an eyebrow at her. “And you like
that.”

“I don’t.”

He stood up from the couch, suddenly leaning over her. His
arms were raised on either side of her, his hands resting against the couch. With
her body enclosed within his, Chelsea pushed her dinner aside. She stared up at
Dean, feeling a sudden heat of desire and frustration. He knew she wanted him.
This was his way of playing with her. As much as she hated it, she didn’t want
him to stop.

Her heart was racing as his breath touched her skin. Dean
lowered his mouth, slowly, hovering above hers. Chelsea could see the glimmer
in his eyes, his skin tinged orange from the flames. His lips lowered, inches
away from a kiss.

Fear froze her against the couch.

I’m afraid to give into him.

“I-I don’t want you,” she breathed, struggling to compose
herself. Her gaze lowered to Dean’s chest, where she could faintly see the
outline of his muscles through the shirt. Before she could look any further,
his mouth was suddenly on hers in a rush of heated passion.

Chelsea cried out against his lips, but made no move to push
him away. Her mind was still. All she could feel was his firm lips on hers and
the flicker of his tongue as he gently ran it across her pouted flesh.

Her body burned for him. An intense tightness claimed her
below, weakening her resolve. Chelsea fell back against the couch, tasting Dean
passionately, their lips meeting again and again in a wild, desperate need for
each other.

His rough, warm hand slid underneath her top. A delicate
shiver danced across her skin. Dean moved his hand, every inch of his touch
heating her. His lips pressed harder against hers, overwhelming her. He
tantalizingly began to caress the small of her back. Chelsea reached for his
chest, longing to feel him.
I need you, Dean Westley,
she thought
fervently.
I need you inside…

He tore away from her, breathing heavily. Chelsea stared in
disbelief, her hand reaching up to her lips where he had kissed her so
desperately. It was over.

Dean swallowed and leaned away from her. His eyes still
glimmered with desire, but there was something unreadable on his expression.
Then he stepped back and moved away from the couch, leaving her breathless with
her legs wide open.

“You didn’t stop me,” he pointed out, his voice husky and
sensual.

Chelsea quickly closed her legs. She gaped at him,
struggling to form thoughts again. How could one kiss leave her breathless and
desperate?

“You just took me by surprise!” she countered.

Even that didn’t sound genuine to her. Again she’d allowed
him to overwhelm her thoughts, her body. She wanted to feel angry but instead
Chelsea was flustered. As she looked at Dean, her lips felt naked without his
kiss. It was their first – but she didn’t want it to be the last.

Dean shook his head. “Now I know where we stand. You want
me, but I can’t do this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Chelsea stared up at him, her stomach turning heavily. He
made it sound final, as if there was no promise of a relationship. That wasn’t
what she wanted from him – was it?

“It was just a kiss.”

“On our first night together.
Living
together,” he
corrected himself. “If we continued, you know what it would’ve led to.”

She tried to shrug it off, but inside she was still
recovering. Chelsea knew very well what would’ve happened, and she wanted it.
Who cared about reasoning? She’d never felt so passionately for another man
before.

But Dean’s words struck her deeply.
He doesn’t want to
hurt me.
 Perhaps he’d hurt many women before, and she was just another.
The bitter truth stung, but they’d barely spent a day together and it had
already come to this.

Chelsea’s cheeks burned. What an impression she was giving
him. Only a few months ago she’d ended her marriage, and now she was trying to
get Dean into bed. Feeling embarrassed was an understatement.

“You sleep with other women. Probably within minutes of
meeting them,” she pointed out. Like that justified what she’d allowed him to
do.

“Yes, I did. That was my lifestyle, still is. But I don’t
want to do that to you.”

Chelsea glowered at him. “And why am I any different?”

“You’re vulnerable!” Dean insisted, running a hand through
his hair. “I may be able to have any woman I want -” Chelsea snorted from that.
“But I’m not taking advantage of your vulnerability.”

She said nothing.

Vulnerability
.

He’d made it clear he pitied her. Like she was desperate for
him now that her marriage had ended. But amidst her sudden flare of anger,
Chelsea knew he was right. Her insecurity made her feel uneasy, and since Dean
was the next guy to come along after Ryan, all of her suppressed desires were
passed onto him.

I’m treating him like a rebound,
she realized. Love
hadn’t worked out. Dean had money she’d only dreamed of, and now she’d seen a
moment’s opportunity to feel something.

Chelsea got to her feet and absentmindedly brushed her hands
against her pants. Dean had his back turned to her, facing the fireplace. His
way of ignoring the situation, she thought. And she was grateful. How could she
possibly talk to him with all of the feelings coursing through her? She didn’t
want to snap at him out of anger.

Chelsea walked away from him, slowly ascending the stairs
away from the warmth. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Dean told her to move out.
They couldn’t get along, as she’d initially hoped. Such a strong attraction
wouldn’t fade so easily, yet being away from him eased it.

She stopped halfway and looked back.

Dean was a playboy millionaire, as she’d blatantly said, yet
he was reluctant to sleep with her – a surprising notion indeed. But also hurtful.
After meeting Dean, Chelsea couldn’t help but harbor the hope that something
would happen between them. Something that would ease all of the pain she’d kept
locked away.

Not that she wanted him now. But being around Dean, Chelsea
knew she wouldn’t be able to resist. That was the problem. She needed to harden
her resolve against him.
I need to get over him.

Only three days to go until she would return to work and
then move out, leaving Spring Lake and Dean out of her life.

“At least you have a heart,” Chelsea said quietly, not
knowing if he heard her or not.
Does it even matter if he did?

Three days went by quickly. Chelsea kept herself busy by
going for daily walks out to the center of Spring Lake, enjoying the moment as
she wandered along the boardwalk facing the beach. Dean didn’t accompany her,
but she didn’t mind. Keeping away from him was helping her clear her mind, and
that was what she needed.

Out in the cool winter air, the sun was shining but Chelsea
could barely feel its warmth. She strolled past the various shops, and stopped
to look at Jean Louise Homemade Candies. It was almost tempting to buy a batch
of candies to bring back. She needed the sugar fix, and wanted to show Dean her
appreciation. He was letting her stay at no cost, and his generosity only made
her feel worse about the other night.

Spring Lake was a quaint, peaceful town compared to the bustle
of the city life. Now Chelsea understood why Dean came out here. But it was
definitely out of her league in regards to house prices. Just looking at some
of the places she passed by only confirmed that this was an expensive area to
live.

Remembering what Dean told her about his parents, she
wondered about his childhood. Living in Spring Lake was a dream she’d never
considered, and even now she couldn’t believe she was here. Temporarily, of
course.

As her thoughts returned to Dean, she couldn’t understand
him. He wanted her, she visibly saw it that night in front of the fireplace.
And when he took the opportunity, he stopped. Chelsea felt a smile curve her
lips. Perhaps Dean Westley wasn’t a complete playboy after all.

If he went any further, she couldn’t have stopped him. Why
would she? It was a once in a lifetime chance to be living with him, and even more
so to end up in bed together. But Chelsea knew she was blinded by lust, as any
other woman. Perhaps she was vulnerable, but there was more to Dean than his
image. Over the past few days she was slowly starting to get to know him.

She’d had time to let go of her insecurities, and as badly
as Chelsea wanted him, she was grateful he pulled away from their kiss. Having
sex with Dean to relieve herself of the pain wasn’t an ideal situation.

They hadn’t spoken about that night, and Dean kept to
himself most of the time. Chelsea leaned against the boardwalk railing, staring
out at the waves crashing against the shore, sending foam across the sand. The
sound was relaxing, and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

Until she heard his voice behind her.

“I wanted to take you out here,” Dean announced. She threw
open her eyes, feeling her stomach knot from nervousness. She felt him come up
behind her until he was standing beside her, dressed in a black winter coat.
White fog emerged from his breath as he turned to look at Chelsea, regarding
her with a plaintive look.

“I don’t mind the walk alone,” she responded, brushing her
hair behind her ears, her fingertips slightly numb from the cold.

“It’s not much of a day to be out here,” Dean added. “Snow
will be on its way.”

“I’ve always loved snow.”

He shot her a rueful grin. “I never did. Too cold, and it’s
always dark. The good part? It’s a perfect time to be in front of a fire.
Preferably with someone.”

Chelsea swallowed uncomfortably. No doubt there was a
different woman with him every winter. “Ryan never liked it either. I used to
tease him about it.”

She felt Dean’s eyes on her, but didn’t look directly at
him. Did he feel uncomfortable mentioning her former husband? Part of her
wondered why she cared what he thought.

“Your ex? What happened?” he asked. “Andrea didn’t fill me
in about it.” The tone of his voice almost made her want to tell him
everything.

Because it wasn’t your business,
Chelsea thought
automatically. But she couldn’t know how close Andrea and Dean were. At the
start of the year, she drifted apart from her and lost contact. If Andrea met
Dean then, it was several months that they’d known each other, and Andrea
didn’t make friends easily.

She could trust him. And she needed someone other than
Andrea to talk to about it.

“He had an affair. Well, more than one. He moved out about a
month ago,” Chelsea explained briefly, finally allowing herself to look into
his gentle eyes. “But I’m glad it happened. I can move on. I swore to myself I
wouldn’t want any man again.”

“A tough promise to keep around me.”

Chelsea laughed, shocked by his ego. The man had confidence,
which she hated but also admired. It was something she could never find.
Despite herself, she smiled.

“How can you be like this?”

“Like what? Charming and handsome?”

She rolled her eyes. “Positive. And confident.”

Dean shrugged. “It’s how I was raised.”

“I don’t buy that.”

“Okay, how about I earned it? Life for me has been a bumpy
road full of potholes and shit I don’t want to deal with.”

“Same for everyone.”

“But not everyone’s a millionaire featured in the
Times
.”

Chelsea laughed. “Now I see where it comes from.”

Dean hesitated, and for a brief moment, they looked into
each other’s eyes before Chelsea turned away. “How do you know that kiss wasn’t
a moment of temptation? I was vulnerable, like you said.”

Dean leaned closer to her, and she could feel his breath
against her face, warming her skin. Oh, how she longed to feel his touch, the
heat of his lips on hers.
A kiss is an understatement,
she thought.
He
touched me.
Her heart was racing, and Chelsea was drawn into the glimmer of
those green eyes, the playful smile curving his lips enticingly.

Dean’s smile widened as if he knew what she was thinking.

“It was more than a temptation.”

His voice was teasing; every word seemed to linger in her
mind. Now she understood how easily he could seduce women – it wasn’t just his
looks.

Chelsea shrugged, and turned away to face the beach. He
wanted to be blunt, then she would play along. “You’re a sexy millionaire. It’s
only lust.”

An awkward silence settled between them and as Chelsea shot
a look at Dean, a frown had deepened on his face, his lips pulled back in a
bitter expression. Had she finally managed to offend him? She glanced away
before he noticed she was watching him.

Then something occurred to her.

“Haven’t you been married before?” she asked gently. She
wanted to ask if he’d been in a long term relationship, but putting it in that
way might hurt his feelings. Chelsea was his houseguest after all, and didn’t
want to get on his bad side, if he even had one.

 “No,” Dean replied without hesitation. “It never appealed
to me. But sometimes, you wonder. If it’s something worth pursuing. If there
really is a woman out there for me.”

“There’s someone for everyone,” Chelsea intoned. Months ago,
she’d believed Ryan was The One. Her statement seemed so perfect, but after
experiencing the bitter fallout of her marriage, she doubted there was anyone
for her.

Dean didn’t want marriage. That was understandable. She
didn’t think it was something she wanted again, and definitely not with a
playboy like him.

Chelsea swallowed, shivering slightly from the cold. The motion
of her body seemed to draw Dean’s gaze and for a moment, she wanted to lean
against him. Desire heated her body again, and she felt herself getting tight
with need.

“Was that Ryan in the van when you moved in?” Dean asked.

Chelsea stared. It almost sounded like jealousy in his
voice.

“No, of course not,” she replied. “That was Matt. He’s my
cousin Leanne’s husband. They’ve been together for three years now. They live
out in Brooklyn, but he traveled all this way to help me out.”

“Nice of him.”

“He’s a nice guy. What about your family? Don’t you talk to
your brother much?”

Dean’s brows furrowed. “Not anymore. Haven’t said a word
since my parents died.”

“Must’ve been hard on you both.”

“For Jake it was the hardest. He was only eighteen when it
happened. It was an accident – they were taking a vacation to Canada, one of
their annual visits. Their private plane went through a storm, they didn’t make
it.”

Chelsea saw pain in his eyes, even as he gave her a weary
smile. This wasn’t something he was used to talking about.
But he’s opening
up to me,
she realized. It meant as much to her as the passionate kiss
they’d shared – not that kissing him would ever happen again.

“I’m…” Her voice faltered. Chelsea knew nothing she said
could ease his pain. “So they went to Canada quite a bit?”

“Dad called it his second favorite country in the world. My
parents used to travel a lot, but when I got to high school, they cut back.”

“Have you been there before?”

“Once. We stopped at Toronto, during one of the hardest
winters. Hell, it was freezing. Nothing to do but sit in front of the fire all
day, looking outside through the ice forming on the window. The dullest vacation
ever. Jake loved playing in the snow, pelting me with snowballs. I never got
him back for it.”

Chelsea lowered her gaze and looked out to the beach. It was
obvious by the tone of his voice that he missed his brother. Not that it was
her business to know what stopped them from talking, but part of her wanted
Dean to realize what he could lose. She lost her father, and having a distant
relationship with her mom wasn’t enough.

“Why don’t you try talking to him again?”

“I can’t,” he said, his tone defensive. “There’s no reason
to. Whatever friendship we had has long gone.”

“But talking to each other is the only way to heal it.”

“Some things are better left alone.” Dean gave her a warning
look. “You’re inquisitive. Don’t want you telling the media any of this.”

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. That wasn’t what she expected
him to be defensive about.

“I wouldn’t.”

“Good,” he said quietly. Then he flinched. “Sorry, I know you
aren’t a reporter. But it’s hard to trust people. When the media gets hold of a
scandal, or anyone they consider newsworthy, they don’t let go. I’ve had to put
up with it.” Dean shook his head and laughed bitterly. “You’d be surprised how
much the media pays for information. You think you trust someone, a friend. But
a friend can easily be bought with money.”

“You can trust me,” she assured him. Thinking of how she
almost lost Andrea, she added, “And I think friendships matter more than money.
You can have all the money in the world and still be lonely.”

Dean was silent. Chelsea involuntarily shivered again. This
time, he stepped close to her. His firm arm pressed against hers as they both
leaned against the railing. A simple touch, probably unintentional to him.

She swallowed, longing for him to move his arm and place it
protectively around her. He hadn’t touched her since their initial handshake,
and she hadn’t realized how strongly she wanted to feel him again.

So much for keeping her resolve.

Her gaze went to the crashing waves, and in her mind she was
brought back to the night she learned of the accident. Unlike Andrea, Dean
could relate. It was a connection Chelsea needed to feel, for the both of them
to share. Something that would ease the loneliness in her chest, to take her
mind off the constant need to feel the warmth of Dean’s body.

“My dad was in a car accident,” she explained. “He had a
drinking problem. He wasn’t an alcoholic, but it was a problem for the rest of
us. Mom barely survived but after it happened, she changed. Life was all about
money, about experiences. That’s why she left for a married man. I think it was
the only thing that could bring her happiness after losing dad.”

Dean’s tight smile was sympathetic. “You didn’t have to tell
me that.”

She glanced at him. “Why? Life’s too short to bottle
everything up. Why repress and hide things when it’s so much simpler to just
put it out there?”

He was silent for a moment. “You have a point.”

Chelsea knew there was nothing more to say, but she welcomed
the respectful silence that followed. No doubt Dean was lost in past memories as
she was. She knew their conversation had brought them closer together – but how
far could they go? Tomorrow she would be back at work, and she needed to find a
place to live.

Dean drew in a deep breath then chuckled briefly. “You know
more about me than anyone who reads the tabloid reports.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed he’d been looking
at her. Maybe her sadness had shown in her eyes, but either way, Chelsea was
thankful for his light hearted tone. Hearing his voice brought her from the
past to the present.

“I’m honored,” she joked.

Dean’s arm moved. He draped it around her back, resting
firmly against her. Chelsea stared in surprise. In his eyes she saw torment,
but over what, she didn’t know. But she knew what Dean’s gesture meant. He was
offering the comfort of friendship, nothing more.

Chelsea fell into his embrace, letting her troubles fade
away along with the sound of the waves.

When they returned to Dean’s house, Chelsea went up to her
temporary room while he lit the fire again. Sitting on the bed, Chelsea could
feel her heart pounding in her chest. Dean’s embrace had been comforting, but
it did more than comfort her. It wasn’t just lust which attracted her to him. It
was possible to have a friendship, to be more than just a temporary houseguest.

Chelsea intended on living here and moving out with no
emotional connections. But Dean was both sexy and troubling. He was in pain,
just as she was. And Chelsea wanted to help.

She leaned over and picked up her cell phone from the
nightstand. She had been texting Andrea occasionally, but she wanted to talk,
not type out a message. It didn’t take long for Andrea to answer.

“Chelsea! How’s life in Spring Lake going?”