Perfect Partners(24)
Author: Carly Phillips

A far cry from the withdrawn man she dealt with on a daily basis, this man represented pure danger. She wanted him as much as she needed to resist his magnetic pull. Resisting would be easy only as long as he slept on.

Turning her attention to herself, she realized she needed rest. Though she felt like a thief, she rummaged through his bureau drawers. She doubted Griff would appreciate being awakened while she asked if she could borrow a T-shirt.

She ducked into his bathroom and changed into the first shirt she’d found. After shutting the light, she padded through his bedroom. She heard his even breathing and knew he still slept. She couldn’t resist one more look before she turned in for the night. Careful not to wake him, she sat on the edge of his mattress. In silence, she watched him sleep.

She understood his mercurial moods, understood his confusion and reluctance to turn their already precarious relationship into something deeper. His mother had deserted him in life, his brother in death. He acted like a man who wanted nothing to do with women and emotional commitment. One day his views would change. With the right woman, Griff would want to settle down and provide Alix with a full-time mother and little brothers or sisters.

When the time came, could Chelsie gracefully step aside? Could she maintain their partnership and watch him with another woman? Watch someone else take over the role she currently filled in Alix’s life?

She’d always be the little girl’s aunt, but Chelsie knew now that wouldn’t be enough. A lump formed in her throat and she blinked, causing a tear to drip down her face. How had she let herself become so attached to either one of them?

Despite both of their reservations, they found themselves on the verge of a legal partnership and an emotional precipice. Who would catch her when she fell this time?

She sighed and reached over, brushing a dark lock of hair off his forehead. Nighttime always made her melancholy, and she chided herself for succumbing. Her own feelings didn’t matter. For both Griff and Alix, Chelsie would do whatever was necessary, even at the expense of her own happiness. Right now, however, she needed sleep.

She braced her hand on the bed and started to rise. His hand on her wrist startled her, preventing her from leaving.

Chelsie sat back down, aware that she now shared a bed with an extremely sexy, awake man. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t lie.”

“Lousy.”

“I’ll get you more aspirin before I turn in.”

“Where?” His question sounded more like a croak.

“On the den couch.”

“Chelsie…”

“Be quiet, you’ll hurt your throat. And don’t make a big deal about it. I’ve slept on my own office couch plenty of times.” She rose, eager to escape her desires. “I’ll be right back.”

She returned and watched to make sure he swallowed the tablets. Then he merely stared. Uncomfortable, Chelsie knew she ought to leave before she succumbed. “If you need anything, I’ll be down the hall.”

“Would you stay?”

The blunt question caught Chelsie by surprise.

“It’s been a rough day or so with Alix,” Griff explained. “On top of that, with Jared’s birthday… I need the company.”

Somehow, Chelsie knew company was all he had in mind—a friend for the dark times. Her heart went out to him. She wasn’t surprised. Over the course of the last two days, she’d suspected the worst. Falling in love wasn’t supposed to be part of her carefully planned future. And now that she had? For Griff’s sake more than her own, she’d have to ignore the feelings.

“Please.”

She forced a grin. “Okay. I guess sharing your bed won’t be such a big sacrifice.”

“Thanks a lot.”

He moved over and she lay down next to him. His scent seduced her. The warmth of his body tantalized her senses much the way his shirt caressed her body. Both left her yearning for more. Darkness enveloped her and she blinked in an effort to orient herself to her surroundings. With Griff lying so close, she could barely think.

“Nice shirt,” he said.

She groaned, causing him to chuckle.

“How come there are no men in your life?”

Her breathing stopped and she forced air into her lungs. “I suppose you think lying here under the cover of darkness entitles you to ask personal questions.”

“No,” he said, pausing as he spoke. “I think our partnership, our friendship, and maybe something more gives me the privilege of asking those questions.”

She was well and truly caught. “Well, put like that, how can I refuse?”

His deep laughter warmed her. “That’s the point. You can’t.”

SEVEN

Griff forced himself to wait for the tale of Chelsie’s past and, hopefully, for something more. Her soft curves touched him lightly but enough to tease and entice.

“I was married once.” The sound of her voice worked to arouse his curiosity more than anything else.

“And?”

He felt the rise and fall of her shoulders in a shrug. “It was short and more bitter than sweet. Happy now?”

Not yet. Griff edged closer, but to his chagrin, Chelsie lay on top of the covers, while he lay beneath. “Get up.”

“And they say women are fickle,” she muttered. She swung her legs off the bed and stood.

His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, enabling him to take in her slender form beneath his large white T-shirt. The material draped her br**sts, the hem reached mid thigh, and her long legs were bare. His gut clenched with desire, yet right now, all he really wanted was companionship during another long, dark night.

Her move toward the door grounded his stray thoughts. “Where are you going?”

She raised and dropped her arms with a loud sigh. “Stay, Chelsie. Get up, Chelsie. What’s next? Heel?”

He burst out laughing. He loved her sense of humor, even when she turned it on him.

Grasping the edge of the comforter, he turned it back, baring the empty side of the bed. “Surely you weren’t warm enough on top of the blanket, and I couldn’t get comfortable either.”

“Oh.” She eyed the space next to him.

“You can get back in now.” He patted the sheet and grinned.

Hesitantly, she complied and settled in beside him. He glanced at the miles of linen separating them. “No one could accuse you of hogging the bed.” She’d lain down, taking up only one quarter of the king-sized mattress. “I won’t bite. I won’t even try anything,” he promised. “I just want to talk.”