Without thinking, he reached out a hand and rubbed his thumb lightly across her bottom lip. Her eyes flared, but she stood still. “Christ, Aria, you’ve no idea what you do to me.”
To his surprise, she kissed his thumb. “Sure, I do.”
“Can I kiss you?”Fuck, did I ask that out loud?He groaned.
She took hold of his hand, shocking him once more. “Reece, listen to me. I can’t deny the attraction, but I can’t give you what you want.”
“Why not? You want me as much as I want you.” Wait. Were they on the same page?
Her eyes darkened. “I want you a whole lot more than you know.”
Jesus Christ. Did I hear right?He took a step forward. Their gazes locked. He wasn’t sure if he misread the desire for fear. Whatever it was, he had to be patient. He lowered his head and kissed her lightly. “I’m willing to wait.”
“I’m not,” she whispered and re-entered the office. Reece wasn’t sure what she meant. It was her first real reference to her need for him, yet a second before she said she couldn’t give him what he wanted.
Baffled, Reece stared at the closed door. Play with fire, and you’re bound to get burned came to mind. Only, he wasn’t dealing with a fiery woman. More like an ice queen who blended in perfectly with her surroundings, and by God, she made him burn in all the right places. He looked forward to the frostbite she’d unleash.
With a grunt, he turned and hurried down the wooden steps to put his plan in action. Aria hadn’t refused his offer to go out. He still had a chance to get some answers.
Chapter Fourteen
Later that evening, Aria was glad she’d taken Kelly’s advice and accompanied Reece to dinner. If someone had asked her why the sudden change of heart. ‘Beats me,’ would’ve been her answer. Her blatant response to him at the office earlier stumped her usual reserved nature. When she reentered the office, it took a while to get over her flabbergasted comeback. Her sexual flagrance stunned the man and might give him ideas. Unsure where she stood, she shook her head as Reece pulled into a parking bay outside the diner.
The Ruby Rose, named after the owner’s mother, sat snug between the coffee shop and the ice cream parlor. When Aria stepped through the doors, she glanced around in surprise. Not understanding the empty diner, she bit her lower lip.
Living in a small town provided one with little choice of restaurants or entertainment. Granted Dubois was less than fifty miles away, residents of Shadow Valley loved their village. It comprised of a single main street and housed a few boutiques, a grocer who sold everything from freshly baked bread to fishing tackle, and a coffee shop. While cable depended entirely on a signal, a book store, and the library provided ample entertainment in the form of DVD’s and books. The Ruby Rose, a communal bar owned by a friendly old couple, Beth and Doug, functioned as a restaurant as well. They served tasty old-fashioned, homey meals accompanied by soft music and good beer.
“Evening, Aria, Reece,” Beth greeted as she stepped through the kitchen doors with a soft smile.
“Evening, Beth. Where’s everyone? Am I missing some important event?” Aria slipped off her jacket. Small town communities allowed folk to know the ins and outs of their neighbor’s lives without actually intruding. Whatever the time of day, the bar remained full of people—a sort of social gathering up until they closed for the night.
Beth, an energetic woman in her mid-fifties with a gentle voice to calm the skittish of animals, uttered a soft laugh. “I’ll leave Reece to explain, sweetheart.” She slipped back through the kitchen doors. Aria turned her questioning gaze on Reece.
He offered a guilty smile. “I asked Beth and Doug to close the restaurant and arrange a private dinner.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
