Chapter 7

Seven

D aphne stood in Tristan’s driveway staring at his house for several long minutes.

“You can put a stop to all the lying by setting up and leaving,” she reminded herself. “Or you can keep kissing him.”

Just the thought of kissing him had her feeling tingly from head to toe. No man had ever turned her on so much with just a kiss and it bothered the hell out of her that Tristan had to be the man to do that to her.

“Damn the man…”

Naturally, that’s when he opened the front door, looking better than a man had a right to. The black trousers and crisp white shirt weren’t anything special, but combined with his lightly stubbled jaw, perfectly tousled dark hair, and his air of confidence, he looked like he just stepped off the pages of a men’s fashion magazine.

Stepping down from the front porch, he slowly made his way toward her, and Daphne felt a little smug herself. Tonight, she skipped the festive clothes and went for simple elegance—a little black dress. It was a wrap dress that exposed a hint of cleavage, and she paired it with simple black heels and tasteful silver jewelry.

When Tristan came to a stop in front of her, she swore she heard him moan softly before asking, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Shaking her head, she replied, “My mother’s driving the van over with all the food and should be here in five minutes. It made more sense for her to drive it over rather than me going to get it. We saved time, so I don’t have to rush to set up.”

They stood in companionable silence for a moment before he said, “You look…beautiful.” And yeah, his voice was a little gruff and sounded so sexy that her knees went a little weak. They started to sway toward each other when he took a step back. “Did you mention our…arrangement to your mother?”

“Arrangement?”

This time, he definitely groaned. “How my family thinks we’re dating? If she’s here when my parents show up, it might come up.”

“Oh. I didn’t think about that.” Nibbling her bottom lip, she considered their options. “I’d rather not get her involved. So when she gets here, let’s get everything unloaded quickly so she can leave.”

Luckily, that’s when her mother pulled up and, after making brief introductions, they all worked together to get everything into the house.

“Thanks so much, Mom!” she gushed. “I know you and Dad have plans tonight, so I’ll talk to you over the weekend.”

“We’re going to that Asian fusion place you were gushing about the other day! I’ve looked at the menu online about three times today!” Laughing, she added, “Is it okay if I take the van home or would you like me to take your car so you can have the van?”

“Oh, um…I guess leaving the van would be smarter. I can’t believe I didn’t think about that.” And after they swapped keys and her mom said goodbye to Tristan, Daphne immediately started setting things up.

“Tell me where you need me to be,” he said as he carefully pulled a tray of carrot cake shooters out of a box.

“I appreciate that you didn’t change anything like last time.”

He chuckled. “I learned my lesson. But I would like to see if maybe we can put the cocoa bar on the kitchen counter this time. I feel like there wasn’t enough space for it to be fully appreciated last weekend.”

“And yet we ran out of cocoa,” she reminded him. “But…you’re the boss, so…we can try that. The crock pot is over on the table and I brought an extra one so we can have a second batch warming at all times.”

They worked together for a few minutes before Tristan turned on some soft holiday music.

Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” set the perfect tone to get to work. After that, there was a little “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Last Christmas,” and then the classic, “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Each song had her dancing as she put the final touches on everything. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tristan trying not to dance and failing miserably. She was about to comment on it when he playfully moved beside her and they danced together through Mariah’s last note.

“That was…”

Michael Bublé’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” started and Tristan slowly pulled her into his arms. They swayed slowly to the music and the moment temporarily took her by surprise. The intensity in his gaze took her breath away. This shouldn’t be happening. Her servers would be here any minute, and yet she couldn’t look away.

“Tristan, I…”

“Shh…” he whispered. “This is nice. We tend to get in trouble when we talk.”

Ducking her head, she laughed softly. “That’s true.” The next thing she knew, they were dancing cheek to cheek. Humming quietly, she allowed herself to simply enjoy the moment. When the song ended, neither seemed to want to move apart. And for the first time in a week, she initiated a kiss—not because they were arguing or people were watching—but because she was caught up in the moment. Raking a hand through his hair, she noticed the way his eyes drifted shut. “This isn’t a good idea…”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he murmured, pulling her closer. “I think it’s a fabulous idea. Possibly the best idea.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to mention how he’s always disagreeing with her, but Tristan claimed her lips in an almost brutal kiss. Most of their kisses had been for an audience and a little chaste. The kiss in the parking lot earlier had been steamy. But this? This had Daphne wrapping herself around him with a passion she didn’t know she possessed.

Ugh…why him?

At the moment, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting closer—feeling the heat of him, the muscles, smelling that citrusy cologne he wore…

Madness. It was madness, pure and simple, and as his hands roamed up and down her back and then cupped her rear, she decided she didn’t care. She just wanted more—more kissing, more touching, more everything.

Of course, that’s when the doorbell rang.

They breathlessly broke apart—something that was becoming a common occurrence—and the look of pure lust on Tristan’s face almost had her begging him to ignore the doorbell.

But…she couldn’t.

“The servers,” she said quietly, taking a step back. “I’ll go and…”

“I’ll let them in,” he told her as he closed the distance between them again. “Your lipstick is a little smeared. You can go into my bedroom and use the en suite to freshen up.”

Looking up at him, she used her thumb to gently brush his lips. “You’ve got a little on you too.”

His groan was part growl this time. “You’re killing me,” he said gruffly, nipping at her thumb. “Go.”

Glancing around, she spotted her purse as the doorbell rang again. Racing into his bedroom, she immediately went into the bathroom and, with a racing heart, shut the door. Her reflection showed a woman who was thoroughly aroused—flushed cheeks, swollen lips, plus the smeared lipstick. Daphne allowed herself a solid minute to catch her breath before letting out a long one and fixing her appearance.

Smoothing a hand over her blonde hair—which she opted to wear long and loose tonight—she wondered how she was supposed to go back out there and act like everything was fine. Because it wasn’t fine. Tristan Knight had unleashed something in her that she both loved and hated.

And right now it was too hard to figure out which emotion was stronger.

“And not enough time,” she murmured before turning and walking out to Tristan’s bedroom. Images of him in the king-size bed flashed in her mind and she had to force herself to think of something else as she sprinted from the room.

“Hey, boss!” Marcus called out. “Mr. Knight said we’re doing the hot chocolate bar here on the kitchen counter, but I can’t find the red mugs anywhere.”

“I put them in the pantry,” Tristan said as he made his way in that direction. “Sorry!”

“Ooh, look at you!” Jackie gushed as she set up dessert cups on the dining room table. “You look gorgeous! That dress looks amazing on you!”

Self-consciously, she smiled. “Thanks.”

“You don’t normally dress so fancy for these parties. You almost look too pretty to be the caterer!” Then she laughed. “I’m just kidding. You always look amazing, but this is definitely a new look for you.”

Daphne walked over to help her set everything up. “Tristan asked me to act as hostess again, so I decided to be a little more subdued than I was last weekend.”

“Pfft…that red dress was totally you! Personally, I love how into the holidays you get and so do most of your clients.” She shot a look in Tristan’s direction. “If anything, you spread joy with the way you dress and how you embrace all the festive stuff. You shouldn’t have to change who you are because someone’s uptight.”

That was completely accurate, but her change in wardrobe wasn’t so much because of anyone being uptight. This was because she was feeling a little desirable and was hoping to entice Tristan.

Mission accomplished judging by that last kiss.

Okay, that was getting her nowhere, and she needed to focus. So for the next few minutes, she walked around tweaking everything until it all looked exactly as she wanted it to, and when Tristan’s parents arrived, she was ready.

“Oh, Daphne!” Cynthia said as she hugged her. “You look stunning!” Then she glanced around. “And everything is just as festive as it was last weekend!”

“Well, there are some changes—a few different items on the menu and no ornaments on the tree—but I know everyone’s going to enjoy themselves.”

“How could they not?” Tristan asked as he sidled up beside her, wrapping his arm possessively around her waist. “There’s something sweet on every surface.” When his parents walked farther into the house, he added for Daphne’s ears only, “That applies to you too. There’s a surface or two I wouldn’t mind placing you on.”

His breath was warm and sent shivers of delight down her spine. Before she could comment, the doorbell rang again and the rest of his guests began to arrive. Tristan gave her a sexy grin before walking away to answer the door.

After that, it was the weirdest form of foreplay. There were sultry looks and flirty touches, and it left her feeling more than a little flustered.

“Here. You look like you need it,” Cynthia said as she walked over with a frosted brownie on a plate. “I’ll bet you didn’t take the time to eat dinner before you got here.”

Smiling, she accepted the plate. “I meant to, but I took a quick nap instead.”

And dreamed naughty dreams of your son…

“I know this schedule you’re on is only for a few more weeks, but you really need to take better care of yourself. Having a strong work ethic is one thing, but not at the expense of your health.” Turning her head toward the kitchen, she added, “I’m sure Tristan must have something to make a sandwich with. Let me go see.”

“Oh, Cynthia, please don’t,” she begged softly. “We know everyone will be gone by nine and I promise to go home and make myself a sandwich or something. I don’t want to look like the oddball eating a sandwich instead of a dessert I’m hoping everyone here will eat. It would embarrass Tristan.”

Waving her off, his mother laughed. “My son is too uptight for his own good. Why do you think I made him host these parties?”

“Um…because you needed help this year?”

“Well, there’s that, but I could have cut back. Everyone would have understood.” Leaning in, she went on. “Tristan’s brothers are married and have their wives to help with social situations. It was very eye-opening as a mother to discover how clueless they were on their own. Luckily Tristan has you, but he didn’t when we first threw all of this at him.” Pausing, she gasped. “Please don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not saying it’s the only reason the two of you are together.”

“I didn’t. You’re fine.”

Only because it’s exactly the only reason we’re together!

“Still, I know he’s not fully comfortable hosting like this. That’s why he begged his father and me to be here tonight. Honestly, Dan and I had planned on having a quiet night in. Tomorrow night we have a holiday party at the country club, but Tristan insisted we be here. I hope you were okay with that.”

So many thoughts were swirling through her head, but she kept on smiling.

“Are you kidding? I think it’s incredibly sweet of you to give up your plans to support him.”

Cynthia visibly relaxed. “Please don’t tell him I told you all that. I’m sure he’ll be embarrassed.”

As much as she hated lying, sometimes it was necessary. So, picking up her brownie, she replied, “Don’t worry. It will be our secret.” Then, to stop herself from saying anything else, she took a giant bite of the brownie while mentally telling herself how delicious it was.

At some point over the course of the evening, something changed.

And not for the better.

Daphne had become more aloof, and every time he got near her, she suddenly had to help one of the servers. It was maddening and he couldn’t wait for the party to be over. By the looks of things, that would be soon. Lawrence Cane and his wife were sitting with Tristan’s parents, and if he could just nudge them toward the door, he could get to the bottom of whatever was going on with Daphne.

“The kitchen’s all cleaned up, Mr. Knight,” Jackie told him. The room was immaculate to where you would never know it had been filled with food and drinks just minutes ago.

“Thank you, Jackie. Have you seen Daphne?” He was looking all around, but didn’t see her anywhere.

“She’s helping Marcus put things in the van. Is there anything you need?”

Yes. Daphne.

Dammit.

“I’m fine. Just curious where she went. Thanks.”

It took another fifteen minutes before the Canes, his parents, and the servers were gone. Daphne was trailing closely behind them out the door when he stopped her.

“Would you mind staying for a few minutes? I’d like to discuss how the evening went.” It was a lame excuse and the look on her face confirmed it, but it was all he could think of.

“It’s been a really long day, Tristan, and I’d like to go home.”

But she stepped back inside and walked stiffly back to the living room. Closing the door, he quickly followed. He found her pacing with her coat still on and her arms wrapped around her middle.

“Okay, can you please tell me what changed here tonight? Before everyone arrived, things were completely different, and I thought we were on the same page. I know I’m asking for trouble, but…did I say something wrong?”

“You lied to me,” she said flatly, coming to a halt.

“Excuse me?”

Nodding, she repeated herself. “You lied to me. You said your mother asked to be here when the truth is, you begged her and your father to be here.”

“Um…and that’s a problem…why?” Because honestly, he was confused.

Arms dropping to her side, Daphne sighed. “What are we doing, Tristan? I mean…the whole kissing thing was just supposed to be for show, but I think we can both agree that sometimes it’s not. Right?”

He nodded.

“I feel like you’re…you’re…manipulating our situation and making sure there’s a reason to be kissing or touching and it feels…icky.”

“Icky? Are you seriously using that word to describe our situation? We’re adults, Daphne. Adults don’t say…icky.”

“Icky! Icky! Icky! Gah! You are so condescending! And don’t try to deflect, okay? The fact is that you’re playing puppet master with this fake dating thing, and I don’t like it. Obviously there’s an attraction between us—God only knows why—so stop doing icky things!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he mentally counted to ten.

“Could you please just stop saying…that word?”

It was the wrong thing to say because she let out a loud huff of annoyance and immediately headed for the door.

“Daphne! Wait!” he called out as he strode after her. Grabbing her arm, he turned her toward him. “This is ridiculous! You’re accusing me of playing puppet master even as you’re intentionally baiting me!”

Their eyes met and he muttered a curse just as her hand reached up to anchor in his hair. Then neither was talking. The kiss was angry—almost violent. Spinning her around until her back was against the wall, he poured every ounce of anger and frustration into the kiss, and she was doing the same.

She yanked on his hair and broke the kiss. “Every time you open your mouth and say something, it just makes me mad.”

Then she pulled him back in and kissed him hard.

Tristan broke the kiss next to respond. “Oh yeah? That gingerbread house belongs at a carnival, not as part of a business. It’s ridiculous.” And he dove back in for another kiss.

“You’re bossy and infuriating,” she panted when he moved from her lips to her throat, arching against him. “Why couldn’t you just be a nice guy?”

“For the same reason you’re too cheery and act like some sort of Christmas elf. Why can’t you just…”

Daphne roughly cupped his jaw and forced him to look at her. “Choose your next words very carefully,” she warned him. “The night could end right here, right now.”

It was so unlike her and yet the power in her words and the expression on her face just added to her appeal.

“Stay,” he demanded. “And not because of anything else other than the fact that I want you. You’re all I think about.” He nuzzled her neck. “This dress has been making me crazy all night. You’ve got a fantastic body—all delicious curves—and I want you in my bed.”

She gasped at his words, and he thought he’d certainly screwed things up.

The next thing he knew, Daphne gave him a gentle shove before sliding her coat off and walking back toward the living room. He was hot on her heels and moaned with pleasure when she tossed her coat onto the sofa as she kept walking toward his bedroom.

This girl…

It didn’t matter that they normally irritated the crap out of each other. The fact was that there was an attraction that neither of them could deny.

And right now, he certainly didn’t want to.

He wanted her.

Striding into the bedroom, he found her sitting seductively on the edge of his bed, looking sexier than he ever imagined. Dropping to his knees in front of her, he slowly ran his hands up her legs, from her ankles to her knees. Her skin was so smooth and warm, but he paused before sliding them under her skirt.

“Be sure, Daphne,” he said gruffly. “Because I’ve been waiting for this moment all damn night.”

Her response? She kicked off her shoes and leaned forward, raking her hand through his hair again. “I’m very sure,” she whispered. “But I have one request.”

Of course she did.

“No business talk. Nothing negative. This is simply about…um…sex.” But she didn’t sound quite so confident when she said the word. “You know what I’m saying. No personal digs. Deal?”

Reaching up, he cupped her face. “Deal.”

Then they were both done talking. His hands slid up her thighs before he got up and joined her on the bed. Feeling her pressed up against him from head to toe was so much better than he imagined. The kiss went on and on. He let his hands roam all over her body as hers did the same to him. He had no idea how much time had passed when he finally lifted his head. Daphne looked like a sexy, tousled vixen—the complete opposite of the woman he saw almost every day.

And that sight nearly took him over the edge.

“We’re both a little overdressed, don’t you think?”

She nodded as her hands smoothed up over his chest. “Definitely.”

He smiled wolfishly. “Then let’s remedy that.”

Never in his life had Tristan eaten in bed—and certainly never dreamed of doing so after making love—and yet…here they were.

“You should have let my mother make you a sandwich,” he told her before taking a bite of his own midnight snack.

“Please,” she murmured around a mouthful of her ham and cheese sandwich. “We all know how uptight you are. If anyone had pulled cold cuts from your refrigerator and started making sandwiches, you would have freaked out.”

Apparently, now that the sex was over—temporarily, hopefully—they were back to speaking freely with each other.

“Had I known you didn’t have dinner, I would have been fine. No one expects you to starve yourself for the sake of a catering.” Pausing, he took another bite. “And I never would have reprimanded my mother. I’m not a monster.”

“That’s debatable…”

Sighing loudly, he twisted a bit to look at her. “Seriously? The sheets are barely cold and you’re back to name-calling?”

“You’re right. Sorry. That was incredibly rude of me.” Putting her sandwich down, she faced him. “In my defense, that’s been the foundation of our relationship. I wasn’t expecting…well…this.” Motioning between the two of them, she continued, “But I’m an adult and I should be able to control the things I say, so again, I’m sorry.”

Leaning in, he kissed her softly. “Thank you.” When he straightened, he grinned at her. “Now eat up. I have big plans for dessert.”

Eyes wide, she questioned, “Really? I would have thought you were done with all the cake after the last two parties.”

Leaning in again, he murmured, “I wasn’t referring to any cake. The only dessert I want is you.”

Her blush was adorable and even though the urge to kiss her was strong, he refrained so they could both finish eating.

The silence wasn’t awkward, and Tristan reveled in it. This last week had him completely out of sorts. Everyone knew he was uptight, and he liked everything to be neat and compartmentalized. Nothing about Daphne fit that description. She was his opposite in every single way and yet he was beginning to enjoy it. He was finding that there was a certain appeal to having someone who kept you on your toes and challenged you.

As long as it wasn’t in business.

No, if a client or colleague gave him the kind of grief she did, he’d cut ties with them. But with Daphne, even before he realized he was attracted to her, there was a small part of him that looked forward to their interactions. They made him feel alive when the rest of his days—especially lately—were boring.

And he hadn’t obsessed about the downtown project all week either.

Glancing at the woman beside him, he couldn’t help but smile—something he rarely did before he got to know her.

“Oh my God,” she said before falling back against the pillows. “I know it was only a sandwich, but it was so good!” Turning her head, she smiled at him. “Normally I love having chips with my sandwich—barbecue is my favorite—but this just totally hit the spot. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Carefully, Tristan gathered their plates and napkins before sliding out of the bed. “Do you want another drink?”

“I’m good,” she told him before yawning. “Sorry! I’ve been up since four, so this is way past my usual bedtime.”

He knew that and should just let her get some sleep, but…he wanted her again.

Walking out to the kitchen, he placed the dishes in the sink before heading back to bed. Daphne was lying down with her eyes closed and a pang of regret hit him hard. Slowly, he slid back under the blankets and shut off the bedside light. She was exhausted and, as much as he was hoping to make love to her again, there was no way he was going to wake her up when she was sound asleep.

I wish I could fall asleep that easily.

Sighing softly, he faced her and got comfortable. Unable to help himself, he reached out and gently caressed her shoulder and then down her arm. She hummed quietly—the cutest sound he’d ever heard—but didn’t move. He’d never felt the need to simply watch someone while they slept, but he was fascinated by Daphne. Right now, she looked a little like a sleeping princess. She was sexy and beautiful, her skin was so soft, and he couldn’t make himself look away.

“If memory serves, someone mentioned dessert,” she whispered as she slowly rolled onto her side to face him, and he heard the humor in her voice.

“I thought you were sleeping and I was trying to be respectful.”

Shifting closer, her hand rested on his abs and then slowly moved up over his chest before sliding around to the back of his neck. “That was very nice of you, but…I have the rest of the weekend to catch up on sleep. Tonight, I want everything you promised.” Gently, she pulled him closer. “And more.”

Tristan rolled her beneath him and loved the way her legs immediately wrapped around his waist. “Brace yourself, love. Dessert is about to be served.”