Secret Moves (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 3) (7 page)

"Hey, that was already agreed to beforehand as my thanks to these two girls for connecting me with you. Since you've invited yourself to join us, it would be rude of me not to include you in my generous gesture," she said in a teasing tone.

"Well, I have to thank these two girls as well, for finding me a talent such as you. I think lunch should be on me. In fact, I insist," Blake said with a wide grin directed at her.

She squinted her eyes, excitement bubbling within her. "If you think I'm such a talent, does that mean you're going to offer me the job?"

"Patience, Kris. Patience," Blake responded with a chuckle before taking on a serious countenance. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be such a tease about it but I do need some time before I can let you know my final decision."

"No problem," she replied. "Please take your time. This is your business and it's an important thing. I'm just mucking around as well. I'll fully respect whatever you decide."

Their drinks arrived and Jill proposed a toast for an enjoyable lunch—and that was what they had.

Except that it bothered Kris that Trey didn't seem to be enjoying his, judging by his aloof expression every time she glanced his way. A part of her wished she could go over to him and put a smile on that handsome face.

"You'll be there, won't you, Trey?"

"I'll try, Mum. I'm terribly busy with work," Trey answered his mother evasively. Seriously, the last thing he wanted was to go to her engagement party. What was the need for it when there was going to be a wedding not long after anyway?

"If you can't go, then maybe we can organise a dinner so you can meet Simon before the wedding. You and Rebecca can spend more quality time with him," his mum suggested.

He felt Rebecca kick his foot. His sister was just as underwhelmed as he was with all this "good news" from their mother.

"If I work hard this next couple of weeks, I'm sure I'll make it to the engagement party," he said with resignation. Being amongst a crowd would be much better than being in an intimate conversation with his soon-to-be stepfather.

He sighed, grateful that lunch was almost at an end. If Rebecca would only eat faster, they'd finish sooner. But his sister always ate like a turtle.

His annoyance was inflamed by the fact that Kris seemed to have forgotten about him. He'd sent her another text, but she'd ignored it.

Grow up, Andrews. What are you? Fifteen?
he berated himself.

He took another peek at Kris, and again she was in an animated conversation with the man sitting in front of her.
 
What was more telling was the fact that Sam—who hadn't noticed he was around—and the other woman with them seemed to be mere spectators to the yakking happening between Kris and the guy.

It irked him no end—an unusual reaction which he put down to his competitive nature being challenged.

He wanted Kris.
He
, and no one else, was going to be her fling partner.

*******

"I'll be with you in a second. I just have to say hello to friends at another table," Trey said to his mother and sister who were making their way out of the establishment.

As he approached Kris' table, she looked up and a grin appeared on her face.

"Hey, Trey," Kris said. "You're off?"

"Yeah. Just thought I'd say hello and goodbye."

"Hi, Trey," Sam said. "You've had lunch have you? I didn't even notice you were here."

"Yup. I was sitting right there," he replied, indicating to the table they'd vacated.

"Oh, right. This is my friend, Jill, Trey. And that's Blake, Jill's brother-in-law," Sam said. "Trey's a friend of ours," she explained to Jill and Blake.

Trey shook Blake's hand and smiled at Jill who was sitting further from him. "It looks like you guys ordered the best dishes they have here," he said conversationally. "Good choices."

"I know," Sam said with a sigh. "But I ate too much again."

"Me, too," Jill lamented.

"Well, I needed that after my heavy workout this morning," Kris said casually.

"You call that heavy?" Blake chimed in, grinning at Kris. "Wait till you see what else is in store for you."

Kris arched her eyebrows at Blake. "
If
you make the right decision," she said to the man.

Blake laughed in response.

Trey swallowed involuntarily as he felt heat spread to his face. Hell, he didn't like that exchange at all. What did that mean?

"Well, I'll leave you guys to it," he blurted out uncomfortably, not knowing what else to say that would be appropriate for the setting. "See you," he said, touching Kris' arm for a second before walking away.

"See you, Trey," everyone responded.

*

He joined his mother and sister who were waiting patiently for him near the door.

"Who were they?" Rebecca asked.

"Two of the girls are friends with Dylan's girlfriend and Kane's wife."

"So what happened?" Rebecca queried as they walked out.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"Well, you look…I don't know…mad." Rebecca leaned closer to him. "As mad as you were that we had to have lunch with Mum," she whispered in his ear. Fortunately, their mother was on the phone and wasn't listening to them.

He snickered. "It was nothing. You're giving Mum a lift home, right?" He was keen to change the subject.

"Yes," Rebecca answered without enthusiasm.

He patted his sister's shoulder in compassion, knowing their mother would put Rebecca's love life—or lack of it—under the spotlight once they were alone in the car.

"Do you want to spend the rest of the afternoon with me?" Rebecca asked imploringly. "We haven't hung around together in weeks."

"Nice try, Bec," he said at his sister's attempt to avoid being alone with their mother. "But even if I wanted to, I can't. Work's really busy. I even asked Dylan and Adam not to contact me this afternoon unless it's urgent."

That was the truth, although he knew he would struggle to concentrate. All he could think about was the night he would soon be spending with Kris.

*******

"Hi." Trey greeted Kris with a soft peck on the lips as she opened the door for him.

"Hey! I told Sam you're accompanying me to places where I can pick up a man. Kissing me on the lips would make her think I found my fling partner."

"Well, you have, haven't you?" he asked, giving her his best sexy smile.

Kris' lips tugged into her version of sexy. "Are you up for the job? I can be very demanding."

"Since we're fling
partners,
if you can demand, so can I," he informed her.

"Oh? What would you be demanding of me? That I be at your beck and call?" she teased.

"That's got a nice ring to it."

Kris laughed. "Well, I'm giving you fair warning that since you look like you're going to make me work hard, I expect double the effort from you when it comes to your dance lessons. Speaking of which...We should head off so we can start as soon as possible."

He groaned, although curiously, the idea of dancing didn't hold the same level of distaste as it used to. Maybe it was all psychological, after all. "Okay, let's go."

"Let me say goodbye to Sam first," Kris said.

"What's she doing tonight?"

"She's helping Ari pack for the move to Dylan's on Saturday," Kris responded as she walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Sam? Trey and I are going!"

Sam came walking down the stairs. "Hi, Trey. Where are you taking my cousin tonight?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Sam. It has to be a secret in case you get panicky and turn up there to look for her. You'd cramp her style," he teased.

"I'm going to trust you, Trey Andrews," Sam said, wagging a finger at him. "Make sure whomever she ends up with tonight is—"

"Healthy. We know, we know," Kris said, her eyes twinkling. "You make me feel like a teenager, Sammy. Why are you so worried? You're not usually this bad."

"Because when you had your two one-night stands in the past, they were with guys you'd carefully picked from a bunch of decent acquaintances. You've never done it before with a total stranger!"

"Don't worry, please. Trey will look after me. Have fun with Ari tonight. Tell her I'll make it up to her by helping her tomorrow."

"Yeah, don't worry about her, Sam. I'll make sure she ends up with the right man for the job," Trey said teasingly, curiously feeling privileged—or was it elated?—at the thought that Kris picked him when she seemed quite selective with sexual partners.

*******

"Wow, nice place you have here."

"Thanks. Feel free to look around," Trey said as he watched Kris inspect his apartment. He was still feeling unsettled at the fact that he took her there. He had strict rules about whom he invited to his home. So strict, in fact, that apart from his sister, his grandmother, and his mother, no other female had stepped foot in his place since he bought it two years ago.

When his mother had ooh'd and ahh'd over it when he first took her there, he'd made Rule Number One—his home was off-limits for his sexcapades.

"Oh, Trey, this is just simply marvellous,"
his mum had said during her first visit.
"I'll bet you'll have a hard time getting women to leave once you bring them here—what with your pretty face and that breathtaking view."

The last thing he wanted was another gold-digger crashing through his door. The shock and embarrassment of being jilted at the altar by an angel-faced opportunist was enough to make him swear never to invest his emotions in another girl ever again. That was why his apartment was closed-off to women, apart from family, although he was now prepared to make exceptions for a handful of select friends, like his best friends' girlfriends.

He rubbed his jaw with his hand. He guessed he considered Kris one of his select female friends, then. What else could have prompted him to invite her to his sanctuary? He usually had sex with girls in their homes or, at times, in hotels.

But it didn't feel right to do that to Kris. Kane and Jasmine's place wasn't her house and a hotel just seemed too…seedy, even if it was five-star. Kris wasn't someone he'd just picked up at a club.

"You know," Kris said as she stood gazing out the floor-to-ceiling glass window of his living room, "this is my favourite view in all Australia. There's something so soothing, yet vibrant about Sydney Harbour. I have a panoramic print of it hanging on my wall at home. When I'm stressed, I'll stare at it and pretend I'm on a Sydney holiday away from my problems."

"Really? Well, right now you have the real thing," he said, his lips curling into a smile.

She turned around to face him, her face incandescent with…happiness? Contentment? Peace?

Whatever it was, it took his breath away.

"Well, shall we start with your lessons, Mr. Andrews?" she asked, switching gears.

"We just had dinner," he said in laughing protest. "Shouldn't we sit around for a few minutes first?"

"You're not trying to get out of it, are you?" she asked sternly, hands on hips, although he could see she was trying to cover up a smile.

"No! I'm still very much your keen and committed student."

"Good. 'Cause if you're not, you know what will happen."

"I know, I know. I, Trey Andrews, will have to dance solo with a hundred strangers watching and laughing at me."

Kris shook her head in censure and stepped closer to him. "Seriously, Trey. You. Are. Not. That. Bad," she said, poking a finger at his chest. "It's just your ego, you know. You're probably just scared you won't look cool and that the women would get turned off by your dancing."

"How did you know that? Did Dylan tell you?"

Her eyes widened. "Really? I hit the nail on the head? Well, from experience, most people hate dancing because they don't want to look like fools. In reality, as long as you're having fun, no one really cares."

"The truth is, I get more girls sitting on my ass than shaking it," he said.

Kris narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, I see." After a brief pause, she walked toward the lounge facing the view outside and sat there. "You're right, let's sit for a while. Give our tummies some time to digest our food, first."

"Okay. I'll pour us some wine," he said, frowning.

Kris' expression made him think he'd said something wrong.

Kris slumped on the sofa as Trey headed to his kitchen. She inhaled deeply before slowly letting it out, as she tried to make sense of her emotions.

Why did it hurt when Trey so casually mentioned not wanting to dance because he got more girls just sitting around? She could see how that happened, too. The last time they were at a club, the redhead and another girl had approached him in a span of no more than thirty minutes since they'd arrived there.

She tapped her foot, a habit she had when she wanted to distract herself from unwanted thoughts.

Damn it. She was jealous.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Come fucking on, Kristen McCann. What were you expecting?

She chewed her bottom lip and forced herself to pay attention to the vista—the one that always calmed her. Like Trey said, right now she was staring at the real thing and not some big picture on her bedroom wall.

But her eyes couldn't focus. She stared unseeingly outside as her mind's eye pictured Trey getting chatted up by girls at the club just a few minutes' walk away from this apartment. Geez, how many women had he brought up here? Countless, she guessed.

The thought was like ice water poured on her libido.

She shook her head. She'd been so looking forward to tonight, but now she didn't know if she could go ahead with it. Sure, she could still take him through his dance lessons. She was a professional, after all. But sex? When she knew she'd just be one of the others?

Oh, for heaven's sake, Kris. Why should that matter?

Of course, she'd just be one of the girls.
And
Trey would just be one of the guys. Why limit herself to one fling partner? There was nothing stopping her from having more than one.

Hah! If she was going to let her hair down, she might as well go all out. Trey would have other women. That was as sure as the sky was blue. No big deal, she would have other men after she finished with him. Things were really that simple. Right?