Kismet: A Serendipity Novella by Carly Phillips Read Free Book Online Page A

answered that question, she
thought, and snuggled in. Neither spoke, and to her amazement, she
didn’t feel the need or the absence of conversation. His actions
spoke volumes and she wanted to enjoy the time she had left.
    Not wanting to dwell on the inevitability of
their parting, she forced herself to operate as she always did when
falling asleep. She turned her mind to work and deadlines. As far
as Trevor was concerned, her story was nearly complete. She had
already researched his background beyond what she knew personally.
And between watching him in the office, spending an evening with
him at a fundraiser, and then being given a first-hand view of his
apartment, she possessed a broad glimpse into other facets of
Trevor as a man. A few more specific questions would fill out the
missing pieces.
    As she went through things in her mind, she
was acutely aware of his breathing and knew the minute he fell
asleep, his hold on her loosening only slightly, his breaths coming
deeper and more evenly. She relaxed into his rhythm, letting
exhaustion claim her.
    Her body was sated, her eyelids were already
growing heavy, and her last thought before drifting off was of how
easily she could get used to falling asleep in his arms.
    *
    Trevor couldn’t bring himself to move. An
early riser with no need for an alarm clock, he had never put in
blackout shades, preferring to wake up on his own or, on the
occasions he slept in, to the warm sun on his face.
    This morning, his internal clock woke him
and he immediately became aware of two things: Lissa was in his
bed, her warm, naked body draped over his; and it was Saturday and
there wasn’t any place he had to be. Nothing to interrupt something
he’d dreamed about since he was sixteen.
    Waking up with this woman in his arms.
    He was hard and he couldn’t attribute it to
a typical morning. Not when one female thigh was slung over his and
the scent he now associated with her filled every breath.
    He nuzzled beneath her jaw and licked the
skin along her neck. She moaned softly, coming awake slowly, so he
continued to nibble at her skin, taking his time as she became
aware.
    “Trev?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
    He raised an eyebrow. “Expecting someone
else?” he asked, laughing.
    She didn’t lift her head or meet his gaze.
“You feel good,” she murmured.
    “So do you.” He closed his eyes, wondering
how to make this last longer than the course of the interview.
    He didn’t bring women home often and when he
did, they didn’t sleep over. It didn’t matter whether or not he had
to drive them home, he never wanted to wake up with someone he’d
have to politely get rid of the next day.
    When it came to Lissa, he never wanted to
let her go.
    Before he could continue with that train of
thought, a noise sounded from the other room, muted but still clear
enough to be heard. “Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mummy. Mummy. Mum. Mum
...”
    “What the hell is that?” he asked as Lissa
popped out of his arms.
    “My cell,” she said. “It’s my daughter’s
text message alert. It’s Stewie from
Family Guy
.”
    Nude, she rose from the bed, distracting him
from the obvious—the reminder of her daughter. But suddenly she
glanced at the uncovered windows and then at him, her cheeks
red.
    Personally, he could look at her all day. “I
have a T-shirt in the top drawer.” He gestured to a wooden chest
and she shot him a grateful look.
    A few seconds later, her gorgeous body was
covered in an oversized white shirt that was sheer enough to allow
him a thrill but made her more comfortable as she headed into the
other room, returning with her small purse.
    And that quickly, reality resurfaced. He was
no longer in the solitary bubble he’d created for the two of them,
and for the first time since laying eyes on her yesterday, the old
wounds and sharp pain sliced him in the chest once more. But he was
also able to remind himself that the pain was a decade old, and
that was a first.
    She pulled out her