“In a heartbeat.”I held her gaze, letting her see the truth of it.“My brother had a wife, kids.I had nothing but the club and they made sure I had help on the inside.Easy choice.”
A shiver ran through her, visible in the firelight.The temperature had dropped as we talked, the night air turning crisp against our skin.
“Cold?”I asked.
“A little.”She smiled up at me.“The night air always seems to have a chill, no matter what time of year.”
I shrugged out of my leather jacket and settled it around her shoulders.I’d worn the heavier jacket instead of my vest for colors and I was glad I had now.The leather dwarfed her slender frame, the bottom edge falling nearly to her hips.Something primitive stirred in me at the sight of her wearing my colors.I reminded myself she was just a woman I’d met two days ago, not someone I had any claim to.
She pulled the leather closer around herself, burying her nose briefly in the collar, closing her eyes as she inhaled.“It smells like you,” she murmured, then looked up, embarrassment crossing her features as she realized she’d spoken aloud.
“And what do I smell like?”I asked, curious despite myself.
“Leather.Wood smoke.”She paused, her eyes flicking to mine and then away.“Evergreen.Night jasmine…”
The fire popped, sending up a shower of sparks.One landed on her knee, and I reached out instinctively, brushing it away with my fingertips.My hand lingered, the warmth of her skin seeping into mine.
“Oktober,” she said softly.
I looked to find her watching me, her eyes reflecting the dying firelight.Her lips parted slightly, an invitation I didn’t trust myself to read correctly.“Ja?”
She leaned forward, closing the distance between us with a deliberateness that took my breath away.Her lips brushed mine, tentative, questioning.I answered by cupping the back of her neck, guiding her closer as I deepened the kiss ever so slightly.She tasted of whiskey and desire, her mouth opening under mine as she made a small sound in the back of her throat that sent heat coursing through my veins.
Her hands landed on my shoulders and she dug her fingers into the muscles she found.She pressed closer to me and I slid my arm around her waist, drawing her against me until I could feel the beat of her heart against my chest.For a moment I lost myself in the feel of her, the taste of her, the way she fit against me as if designed for me and me alone.
Then reality crashed back.Her recent betrayal.The whiskey.Yeah.I bet I had better clarity at the moment than she did.
I pulled back, though it cost me more willpower than I’d care to admit.“Hey, baby,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended.
Confusion flickered across her face.“Did I misread --”
“Nope.Not in any way.”I kept my hands on her waist, not ready to break all contact.“God, no.But you’ve had a hell of a week.And we’ve both had more than a few drinks.”
She stiffened slightly.“I’m not drunk.”
“Didn’t say you were.”I brushed my thumb across her cheek.“But I’d rather continue this when you’re stone-cold sober and still want me.When you’re not trying to forget someone else.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes.“That’s not what this is.”
“Maybe not entirely.”I smiled to soften my words.“But it’s part of it.And that’s OK.I just don’t want to be something you regret in the morning because once I get a taste of you, I don’t think I could stop myself from being greedy for more.”
She considered this, then nodded slowly.“I should go back to my cabin.”
“I’ll walk you.”I stood and offered my hand, which she took after only a brief hesitation.
We followed the path that wound through the trees separating our cabins, our footsteps crunching on the gravel.The forest smelled of pine and earth, with an undercurrent of the lake’s mineral tang.Above us, branches swayed gently in the night breeze, revealing glimpses of stars between the needled silhouettes.
“We’re only here three more days,” I said as her cabin came into view.“Heading back to Nashville on Sunday.”
She nodded, her face half-hidden in shadow.“Back to the real world.”
“Something like that.”I hesitated, then added, “Though you live in Nashville too, right?”
“Yes.”A smile tugged at her lips.“I do.”
We reached her porch steps.She turned to face me, still wrapped in my jacket.The moonlight cast her face in silver, smoothing away the tension I’d seen there when she first approached our bonfire.
Before I could speak, she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine.Unlike our first kiss, this one held certainty.Purpose.Her hands framed my face, holding me to her as her mouth moved against mine with deliberate intent.I responded in kind, my arms encircling her waist, lifting her slightly until she was pressed fully against me.When we finally broke apart, her breath came quick and shallow, matching my own.
