Back In His Ex's Bed

“This conversation is ridiculous and it’s time it ended,” Keely told him, walking across the room to pick up his suit pants from the floor. She tossed them onto the bed and plucked his dress shirt off the occasional chair, resisting the urge to put the fabric to her nose, inhaling his unique smell.

Dare found his boxer briefs, pulled them on and reached for his pants. Keely didn’t like the contemplative look on his face, knew that his sharp brain was working a mile a minute behind those gorgeous navy eyes. Yeah, he was up to something and she suspected it wouldn’t be anything she liked…

She hated to be kept waiting. “Just spit it out, will you?” Keely demanded.

Dare pulled on his shirt and left the sides unbuttoned, pushing the tails back to slide his hands into the pockets of his pants. He sent her a steady look. “Do you want to stop sleeping with me?”

“No! Hell, no!” Okay, maybe she should not have responded so quickly, been a little cooler, played a little harder to get.

“Good to know.” Dare’s mouth tipped up at the corners. “The thing is, Keely, I still want to sleep with you, too, but I also want more.”

More? How much more? Oh, crap. Keely lifted her hand to her throat, feeling her windpipe constrict. “Uh…what…um…”

“I’ve rendered you speechless. I’m impressed,” Dare commented. He lifted his hand at her hot stare. “Okay, here’s the deal…”

She didn’t like the determined look in his eyes, the tension behind his genial expression. “I’m a guy, so obviously, I don’t want to stop sharing your bed and exploring your amazing body…”

“But?” Because an enormous but had just strolled into her bedroom and plopped itself down, looking expectant.

“But, if you want to sleep with me, you’re going to have to give me something first.”

Ah, like what? Did she even want to know? Keely wasn’t sure she did, mostly because she suspected there wasn’t a hell of a lot she wouldn’t do for sex with Dare.

Damn him.

“If you want sex, then I want a date.”

A date… What?

Keely wrinkled her nose, confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Dare tucked his shirttails into his pants, did up his expensive ostrich-skin belt. “For every hour we spend in bed, I want two hours where we talk, dance, interact.”

Keely’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. “Do you dance?”

“I can shuffle.” Dare walked over to where she stood, gripping the back of her chair for support. He picked up her hand, skimmed her knuckles with his lips. “You look like I’ve just asked you to experiment with whips and chains and leather chaps.”

“I… I…” Dammit. Where had all her words gone? She was never at a loss for words.

“You are determined to keep our relationship bedroom-based, Keely. I’m determined to take it up a notch.”

“How much more?”

“I want to marry you and for you to have my babies.”

Shock must’ve jumped into her eyes because Dare laughed, his blue eyes turning softer, gentler. “Okay, the look on your face was priceless. I’m just kidding, Killer.”

Keely narrowed her eyes at his use of the nickname, but then quickly turned away, hoping he couldn’t sense her disappointment at the quick retraction of his marriage-and-kids offer. Because it was her dearest dream. Marriage and a family were all she’d ever really wanted.

A proper place to belong…

Dare rolled his big shoulders, looking pensive. “We’re not kids anymore, Keely, and the enemies-with-benefits thing is getting old. I just want to see if the spark can build into a fire.”

She’d experienced many sparks, a few fires, but they’d been quickly smothered or doused by her strong personality or her partner’s inability to deal with it.

No, she couldn’t do this. Not with Dare. Not with this man who would, she was convinced, make mincemeat of her heart. “It won’t work, Dare.”

Dare slid his thumb over her bottom lip. “Of course it will, Keels, just trust me.”

She couldn’t; she had too much to lose. Her heart had already taken far too many knocks. She had to protect herself.

Keely pushed steel into her spine, stepped away from him and wrapped her arms around her torso. She made herself shrug. “Okay, no deal.” She held out her hand for him to shake. “It was fun while it lasted.”

Dare had the temerity to grin. He took her hand and yanked her into him, his lips sliding across hers. Keely was about to sink into the kiss when he pulled away. “I don’t think so, sweetheart. You want what I do, you’re just too stubborn and scared to admit it. I bet you won’t last two weeks before you call me up and invite me to dinner.”

“When pigs fly.”

Dare kissed the tip of her nose, still openly amused. “And I expect you to pay for dinner and for us to talk, Keely. Only if I think you’ve tried will I allow you to have your way with me.”

Keely wanted to slap him senseless. “You are such a jerk!”

“Because I’m done with you dictating the parameters of this relationship?” Dare asked, and she saw the hint of the ruthless lawyer he was. “Because I want more than just your body?”

“Because you’re pushing me.”

“I’m pushing you because you are braver and better than this, sweetheart.” Dare bent down to pick up his shoes and sent her a tight smile. “I’ll wait for your call.”

“When hell freezes over.” Keely tossed the words at his back.

Dare stopped and looked over his shoulder, sending her a slow, sexy smile. “Is that before or after pigs fly? I look forward to seeing both.”

Argh. Keely released a wail of frustration and noticed her hairbrush on the side table. By the time she picked it up and launched it in his direction, the infuriating man had left her room.

She would not call him, buy him supper, spend hours talking to him. He was out of his mind if he thought she was that weak…

But dammit, the thought of not seeing him again made her heart feel empty, hollow and cold.

But that was better than having her heart broken.

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