Fire and Desire

“Are you sure you want to end the night like this?” he asked, reaching out and lifting a finger beneath her jaw and tipping her face up to his.

At the moment, she wasn't sure of anything as the soft brushing of his fingers against her chin nearly pushed her over the edge. “Yes, I'm sure. We'll only have regrets in the morning.”

Trevor's eyes darkened. “I won't.”

“But I will,” she responded truthfully.

He took a step closer to her. “No, you won't. You want me as much as I want you. Admit it.”

Corinthians stiffened and glared up at him. “I won't admit anything.”

Trevor smiled. “Yes, you will. I'm going to make sure of it.” He took a step back. “If later tonight you have a change of heart, I'm in room 530.”

It took a few seconds for Corinthians to remember that she was in room 528. She stared at him, hoping she had misunderstood him. “Room 530?”

His smile widened. “Yes. Remember I told you that I changed rooms earlier today. My room is now next to yours. And there's a connecting door. I'll keep my side unlocked, so feel free to enter my room anytime you like. That should be easy enough for you, since you're an old pro at doing that sort of thing.”

He took a step forward, again pinning her against the door. The look he gave her was serious. “But make no mistake about it, Corinthians, when you walk through that connecting door, it won't be for Dex. I refuse to be a substitute for any man. When I have you in my arms and make love to you, it will be my name you'll moan from your lips. No one else's.”

Corinthians's anger reached full height and she saw red with a vengeance. Without saying a word she turned, opened her door and closed it behind her, slamming it shut in Trevor Grant's face.

Chapter 5

Corinthians couldn't stop pacing the floor in her hotel room. Trevor Grant had her boiling. It only took a few moments to realize her reaction was just what he'd probably hoped for. The man enjoyed rattling her, and again he had succeeded.

And to think she had actually let him kiss her. She had let him put his hands on her and touch her. “I didn't even like it when he—”

The lie she was about to tell died in her throat. Although it galled her to admit it, the truth of the matter was that she had enjoyed kissing him. She ground her teeth, annoyed with herself.

Trevor Grant had been a thorn in her side since the time they had met. She wasn't supposed to enjoy doing anything with him, least of all kissing him. And she definitely wasn't supposed to have enjoyed his company in São Paulo. She had unintentionally let her guard down and look where it had gotten her.

She began pacing again. The nerve of him saying the two of them would be sleeping together like it was a foregone conclusion! The same cockiness that had convinced him he was one of the few good men the Marines had been looking for had evidently warped his brain. He would be the last man she slept with. The very idea made her…ache with desire and tremble with need. And to make matters worse, he thought she was still carrying a torch for Dex, which was hilarious.

With a hopeless groan, Corinthians dropped down on the love seat and covered her eyes with her arms. Little did he know, it wasn't thoughts of Dex that were confusing her emotions to the point of not making sense. It wasn't thoughts of Dex that filled her with sexual tension whenever Trevor was near. It wasn't thoughts of Dex that stirred a desire in her so strong that she felt the need to protect herself by keeping a constant feud going between them. And it certainly hadn't been thoughts of Dex that had made her behave the way she had less than an hour ago outside her hotel room door.

People who knew her would never have believed she'd acted that way. The Corinthians Avery they knew was temperate, rational, calm, polished and proper. But around Trevor, she was temperamental, explosive, irrational, volatile and passionate.

Passionate.

Corinthians felt her cheeks go warm at the thought. She took a deep, calming breath and tried to think through the situation in a logical way. But she couldn't. All she wanted to think about was Trevor in an illogical way. The taste of him, hot and spicy, was still on her tongue. The feel of his hands was still stamped on her body. And his scent, a male cologne that smelled husky and robust, still had parts of her body heated.

She momentarily closed her eyes remembering how easily her mouth had molded to his, how snugly her body had fit against his and…

Corinthians stiffened when she heard the sound of the shower going next door in Trevor's room. She nearly moaned at the thought that the walls were paper-thin, and there was a possibility he'd heard her pacing earlier. She felt flustered. How could one man make her come so unglued? How could one man make her so vividly aware of him?

She laid her head back against the seat, remembering the last time they'd had connecting rooms. It would be a night she would never forget because seeing him always made her remember. And to think she had actually passed out at his feet.

Her mind flashed back to that night…

“What happened?”

“You fainted.”

Corinthians looked up at the man towering over her. He was still dressed in that darn towel. It took only a few seconds to realize she'd been placed on his bed. She made a move to get up.

“Lie still.”

Ignoring his command, she sat up. This evening had become a nightmare, and it would be even more of one if what this man had told her about Dex was true. She suddenly noticed she wasn't wearing her robe and quickly jumped under the covers. “Where's my robe? Why did you take it off?”

“It's over there,” he said, indicating the back of the chair. “I removed it after picking you up off the floor. I was concerned and thought that perhaps you had some sort of identification in your pockets. Instead, all I found were these.”

Corinthians tinted when he held up the pack of condoms. She wished there was a way for her to crawl out of the bed and under it. This was getting more embarrassing by the minute. “Please hand me my robe. I want to leave.”

“Lady, you're not going anywhere until I get some answers. Now who are you and what are you doing in my room?”

Corinthians closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She reopened them. “I've told you. I thought this was Dex's room. I'd planned to spend an evening with him.”

“Sounds kind of cozy for you and a married man.”

Her eyes flashed fire. “I didn't know he was married. I talked to Dex a few days ago, and he didn't mention a thing about being married and having a child.”

“And the two of you made plans to spend an evening together?” Trevor asked with disbelief in his voice.

“No. Dex didn't know anything about this evening. It was going to be a surprise.”

“Aha! Clayton Madaris did put you up to this.”

Corinthians became so mad she forgot just how skimpy her outfit was and angrily got out of bed. The next thing she knew, she was facing him, fuming. Her scantily clad body nearly touched his. All she could think about was the outrage she felt. This man was deliberately making things difficult for her. He had to be the most despicable man she'd ever met.

“I don't know what you're talking about. Clayton Madaris didn't put me up to anything. I don't even know Dex's brother that well. I only met him once.”

“Then you have a lot of explaining to do. I want a name.”

Corinthians's anger reached boiling point. “Why should I give you my name when you haven't given me yours?”

The expression on Trevor's face indicated he was stunned by her statement. “I don't have to tell you who I am. This is my room, not yours. You're the one who shouldn't be here.”

Corinthians took a step forward, bringing her even closer to Trevor. The anger in her eyes grew. “Wrong, brother. My room is right through that door. We have connecting rooms and my company is paying for both. This room was strictly reserved for Dex Madaris and you aren't him. So you're the one out of place.”

“I'm Dex's replacement.”

“What?”

“I said I'm Dex's replacement. The name's Trevor Grant. I'm project foreman for Madaris Explorations. Dex couldn't make tomorrow's meeting, so I'm here in his place. All of this was cleared with your boss at Remington Oil.”

Corinthians's anger drained abruptly. Complete humiliation took its place. She tried to take a step back, but Trevor Grant wouldn't let her. He placed his hand around her waist. “Take your hands off me, Mr. Grant.”

Trevor gave her a crooked smile. “No can do. I won't run the risk of you fainting at my feet again. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, introductions.” Trevor's gaze held hers intently. “I'm still waiting on a name.”