Russ found that releasing Alice was quite the task, especially with her lips close enough to taste and her sweet lemon smell tantalizing his senses. He’d never been this close to her before, never felt his heart pound against his chest at her nearness. He leaned his forehead against Alice’s and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of paper and fruit—a smell that was unique to the woman in his arms.
Lately, his thoughts towards her had taken him down roads full of questions and wonderings. Questions like,Should I kiss her?And wonderings like,What does she look like first thing in the morning?And then there was the occasional musing, such as,Why am I up at one in the morning still laughing at her joke and imagining her cheek against my palm?Yet he had no right to feel this way about his closest and truest friend. Especially not while he pursued another.
Pursuemight be a strong word.
Gabriella Green was the “good girl” on the popularThe Grass is Greenerreality TV show that followed the family as they worked the family ranch and competed in rodeo. Not that Russ was a fan of the show. But last year he’d met Gabriella while skiing at the Black Cherry Resort last Christmas. He couldn’t help but notice her dazzle. Her long brown hair hung in loose curls all the way down to her studded black leather belt. He enjoyed the contrast between her hard-edge wardrobe and her Pollyanna personality. On the show, she was always sticking up for the little guy, even if it meant ticking off her overbearing mother or going toe to toe with her drama queen sister.
Desperate to meet this siren, he’d tried to approach her, only to be strong-armed away by her beefy bodyguard. He’d then attempted a meeting through the hotel but only got as far as her assistant.
Knowing time was running out and Gabriella was sure to go back to California, he’d called his agent and asked him to use every connection he had to make this happen. His agent and longtime friend, Graham, had come through, and soon enough Russ had stepped off the elevator to Gabriella’s private floor.
Greeted kindly by the previously aloof secretary, he’d been shown to a sitting area where Gabriella lounged on an overstuffed sofa. She’d been gracious and welcomed him with a kiss on both cheeks. Her poofy lips had brushed his skin, yet he’d been overwhelmed by the smell of her perfume. He’d been smitten and instantly lost all his good sense and proper upbringing. Despite him tripping over his words, they’d hit it off, and since then they’d texted every few days and exchanged two phone calls.
With all of that happening in the background of his life, it seemed impossible that his heart should pound mercilessly against his ribs as he held Alice in his arms. Yet pound it did, thrusting a sense of attraction to the forefront of his mind that he’d never experienced before with anyone. They spent so much time together that surely he would have put his arm around her shoulders or taken her hand at some point, but he couldn’t remember a single incident. And he would have remembered feeling likethis.
He sucked in air, hoping to calm himself, but was met with the smell of citrus that reminded him that Alice was good, strong, and pure in a way that made him want to protect her from the harshness in the world.
Alice’s gaze dropped, her thick lashes almost brushing against her cheek. Those lashes had taken up much more time in his thoughts lately than they should have, as had her golden-brown hair, which shone in the sunlight and flowed like honey. Why on earth were her lashes nearly black? He used to think it was makeup, but then he’d caught her without mascara, and those darn distracting lashes were as dark and mysterious as ever.
Before he did something foolish that would place a pound of awkwardness between them, like finding out if her lips were as sweet as they promised, he pulled away.
Alice settled back into her seat, her breathing regular, no sign of a racing pulse or fierce inner battle to gain control of her desire. It appeared he was the only one affected by their contact. Which was a good thing. They had a wonderful friendship, and he didn’t want to stain it by implying that he wanted more from her than she wanted to give.
His phone rang, and Russ checked the caller ID on the dash. Graham. “I have to take this.”
“Go right ahead.” Alice unwrapped the fat blue ribbon around her birthday gift. He wished he had a hundred gifts for her. It was her birthday, and he doubted either of her parents had even bothered to call. Stacy, her sister, would have done something. He should have been more on the ball and arranged a nice dinner at The Black Cherry instead of an impromptu piece of cake at the café after his meeting.
“Hi, Graham,” he said through the Bluetooth as he pulled out of the library’s parking lot.
“How’s my favorite playwright?” asked Graham.
Russ rolled his eyes, and Alice pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. She couldn’t stifle the merriment in her eyes, though. He thoroughly enjoyed seeing her happy. “I’m on my way to the café with Alice, so life is pretty good.”
Alice ducked her head and ran her fingers over the gold-leaf embossing on the book’s cover. He knew she’d love the gift, and he felt ten feet tall for thinking of it.
“I’ve got several people asking for sneak peeks of your play.”
“Really? That’s good news.”
“Yeah. It would be even better if I had something to tease them with.”
Russ adjusted in his seat. “I’m working on it.”
“What’s the holdup?”
“I’m struggling to get the story out.” Russ parked on Main Street and left the car running. The cool autumn air was enough to make sitting in a warm car cozy.
Graham finally said, in a voice low enough that Russ leaned forward, “Do not, under any circumstances, even hint at writer’s block. The last thing your career needs right now is for rumors to start that you’re tapped out.”
Russ’s cheeks grew warm, and Alice gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m not tapped out.”
“I know that, and you know that, but figure it out, and fast. I need pages in two weeks.”
“You’ll have them.” By hook or by crook …
“Okay, man, see you later.” The speakers clicked off, indicating that the call had ended.
“Are you really blocked?” asked Alice, ever one to get right to the heart of the matter. He knew she’d always tell him the truth, and in a world where people schmoozed to get what they want, Alice was a unique gift.
