"I'm sorry," Katrina said. Regret dripped from every letter as she toyed with the dainty bow of her green silk robe. His light brown eyes stayed fixed on hers free of the desire that flooded them upon his arrival at her house although attraction still lingered.

His delicious lips faintly curved up as he slid his arms back into the button-down shirt that was sure to have a few missing buttons. "You have nothing to apologize for."

She shook her head but was warmed with a sense of comfort from his ability to remain a gentleman. She was fully committed to doing everything she professed in the direct message. She spent thirty minutes getting prepared for the moment and was absolutely ready as he entered her house. His embrace was intoxicating. His kisses were addictive. As she stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter her eyes still frequently visited those lush lips that birthed chills and quivers to her skin. His seductive words of promises of how he intended to provide her were tantalizing pleasure haunted her mind.

She clenched her thighs together remembering them and his full-bodied baritone so close to her ear. Her body still wanted him. If it was up to her body he would have her bent over the island right down sliding into her slowly. But it wasn't. Her mind stopped her. His hands were on the band of a thong with his hungry mouth in search of a feast and she halted his meal clasping her legs together, hopping off the couch.

She regretted not being able to just enjoy every sexcapade Keir pledged to bestow her with. What was wrong with her?

Katrina rubbed her face wishing she didn't let her anger with Terrence push her into this very awkward situation.

"You didn't have to lie." Keir's voice broke the silence that engulfed them.

Her hand dropped from her face. "I had every intention to—"

"I don't mean that." He cut her off. His eyes went to her left hand. "Your ring's not being cleaned."

She breathed in deeply, folding her arms. "How do you know I lied?" She hadn't told him  anything different when he arrived at her home.

"You're not a cheater." He said with clear resolution as if he could read everything thought in her mind. "If you were, we would've done this months ago."

She nodded faintly. He was right. He'd expressed his interest in her numerous times. It was the main reason she slid in his DM. He wanted her and she knew it.

"I'm..." She paused, letting her sight move from him and rest on her hand where the tan line remained. The light skin starkly stood out against her deep brown complexion. "Getting a divorce."

Tears stung her eyes just uttering the word aloud to something that wasn't her best friend. She wondered if it was always going to hurt speaking it.

"I thought it was going to be forever." She sniffed, placing her eyes back on him trying to gauge what his response was going to be but the stillness of his face gave nothing away.  "I wanted it to be forever."

Her voice gave away and she no longer had enough strength to prevent the liquid pain from spilling from her eye.

Keir rounded the island and claimed the space in front of her. He pulled her in his arms as if it was a habit, practiced for years and not just something that happened tonight. She hesitated but in need of an embrace, she fell into his taut, broad chest letting the warmth of his skin soothe her. She took a deep breath pulling in the earthy, spicy cologne that suited him well and contented her senses. She wrapped her arms around him with subtle ease as if they were long-time friends.

"I'm sorry." He softly spoke, holding her a little bit tighter as if the words would cause her to lose her balance. "You should have a love that will last forever."

She licked the tear from her lip then said, "I thought it would be easy. To have sex with someone else. It was easy for him; he did it multiple times.  I don't want to want him."

She didn't just want him. She craved him. Still yearned for him; body, mind, and soul.

"It's not easy to relinquish someone you love, even if they've done you wrong. The heart doesn't fully understand. Breaking that tie is complex and arduous."

"You sound like you have experience."

"I do."

She lifted her head and glanced up at him but he wasn't looking at her. His sight was trained out the window behind her caught in memory of his own. She placed a soft kiss to his chest, remorseful for dragging him in her drama and making him relive his own hurtful past. 

His muscle flexed and his attention returned to her. She swallowed hard witnessing the passion swelling in his eyes once more. She pulled back.

"Thank you for being understanding."

"No problem." He smiled demurely. "I'm here for you. If you need me. Use me how you will."

"I don't want to use you." She shook her head. "I don't want to use anyone."

"What I mean is..." He combed his wide hand through his curly tresses. "I like you, Professor Evan."

She smirked. "I think we've passed the need for that title."

He matched her humor. "You're probably right, Ka...Trina." He spoke her name as if it was the secret to a spell of infinite possibilities. "I've wanted you ever since I saw you. And no disrespect to your husband but I want his loss to be my gain."

She gripped at his shirt not shocked by his words but with his candor.

Keir's eyebrows went up, "How do you feel about that?"

"I—" She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Fair." He nodded then glanced around them. "So, in the meantime what do you want me to do for you that isn't sex-related."

She bit the bottom of her lip not knowing if her want was strange but he asked so why not let him know. He was honest with her; she might as well do the same.

"I can't sleep in an empty bed." She dropped her sight then picked it back up. "Can you sleep with me? Just sleep with me."

"Yes," Keir answered resolutely.

Katrina stepped out of his embrace, took his hand, and led him to her bedroom. Her nerves bundled in her stomach but it didn't stop her from letting the robe slide languidly from her body in the dark room. His eyes stayed on her as she stood on the other side of the bed drinking in her voluptuous body in the emerald lingerie. His Adam's apple fell and rose slowly as flung the robe on the chair in the corner, giving him another view of her ample ass that his hands gripped earlier.

Keir's hands went to the buttons that remained on his shirt as she waited for him in the bed. Her eyes consumed the bare flesh tautly across his torso but then went elsewhere when his hands went to the zipper of his pants. She turned on her side and rested her head on the satin-covered pillow. The bed dipped under the weight of his body shifting her body towards him. In one fluid movement, he laid his body against hers and draped his arm around her waist. She placed her back against his and didn't jump at the thick rigid girth of his dick against her ass.

Her body burned with need but she knew she wasn't ready for that no matter how good it felt. She was too good for rebound dick and he had a dick she would want to remember and personality to match.

She wasn't like Terrence and that was a good thing.

"Good night." He whispered then placed a quick kiss on her shoulder before dropping his head on the pillow and they both drifted in delightful slumber.

Why do you think she apologized to him?

Why do you think Katrina couldn't have sex with Keir?

Is Keir too good to be a rebound?

Are you surprised Keir 'shoot his shot"?

This song was on repeat while writing the chapter.