On that note, her eyes drifted closed.
He tasted like spearmint gum as his lips moved gently against hers before settling deeper, demanding more, the bristle of his stubble a tempting contrast to smooth lips.
He could kiss. Not just kiss, butkiss.
He had to be the one to break the bond since she wasn’t remotely coherent enough to do it herself. If it were up to her, they would have stayed lip-locked for hours, days even. No need for food, water, shelter, or air oranything, because the only thing she needed for survival was him.
The glow filling her slipped abruptly away when he dropped her hands. She slid her eyelids open, and the spotlight clicked off. Cheers died off, and the crowd pressed around them as the music kicked up.
William’s face was an unreadable mask as the mass of people forced him farther from her, deserting her on the rough wooden planks of the dance floor. She should’ve expected that he’d desert her again. But stupid, she’d dropped her guard.
A large male body bumped hers along, transporting her through the swirling crowd of people.
The pungent scent of heavy tobacco smoke, whiskey, and cloying-sweet cologne scorched her nostrils. She jerked her head around, shoving frantically as she was pushed through the barn. Her heart thumped erratically. She scanned for an exit route and shoved through the door to the parking lot.
Frigid mountain air filled her lungs. Her body began shaking, and her teeth chattered. She was sixteen again. Unwanted. Not good enough.
In a failed attempt to control the tremors, she wrapped her arms around herself.
Alone again.
Chapter Twelve
What did he say to the woman who rocked his world with a kiss?
Nothing. William had said nothing to Lucy.
The two of them had enough chemistry to split thousands of damn atoms and make them dance a happy, merry jig.
True to form, he had screwed it up. Life wasn’t a goddamned fairy tale. It wasn’t his fault he hadn’t anticipated that insane kiss.
Insanely good. In a reallynotgood, totally threw-him-off-his-game kind of way. Insane in that his mind had stopped working, and he’d slipped into some kind of earthquake of confusion when he let her go. The crowd had moved in, and she had disappeared.
Vanished.
He rubbed an exhausted hand over his face at the memory. It was all his fault.
He had found Lucy leaning against his truck in the parking lot. She had been distant when she asked him to take her to the cabin. When they returned, she had immediately changed into herPrincesspants and collapsed into bed.
Now, he sat across the room as she slept. Even in sleep, she was stunning. More than that, being with her was generally, well… fun. He missed having fun in his life.
From habit, he slid the worn envelope from his pocket and tapped it against his chin. What advice would his mother have given him about Lucy?
Mom would’ve loved Lucy’s fierce independence and work ethic. Not just because Lucy was a good producer, but because she was real. And a kick to be around.
Right now, though, his time was currently divided between masquerading as a consumer reporter, handling the Crestone acquisition, the Colorado Springs merger, and proving he was up to the task of running the multi-million-dollar company.
Which meant he didn’t have time for a serious relationship. More than that, he didn’t deserve her. He wasn’t an idiot. Lucy was too good. Him? Not so much. He’d never earn the right to lay claim to someone like her.
Lucy as short-term enjoyment? Yeah, that was fine, but the woman behind that lip-lock wasn’t for temporary entertainment. No, that liaison was charged with the undercurrent of a whole lifetime of responsibility.
Lucy shifted on the bed and pushed herself up. Her gaze moved across the room, searching.
For him? His gut clenched.
“What’re you doing?” The just-awake-middle-of-the-night tone she used was ten steps past sexy.
“Couldn’t sleep.” He sat on the end of the bed and placed the envelope on the nightstand. He set a hand on her ankle, like he had when she kicked him that morning.
