Mick assisted her out of the booth before wrapping his arm around her waist. She leaned on him, but she still tried to put pressure on her swollen foot. She didn’t have to tell him how much pain she was in, her grimacing and the way she squeezed his arm every time she stepped on it was enough for him to know.
The idiot cowboy who had stepped on her foot, peeked over his shoulder at them. A grin stretched across his face, widening the man’s mustache. Mick wanted to deck the guy in the face for his behavior with Nicole.
Just before they reached the door leaving the lounge, Mick lifted her in his arms. Gasping, she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight. He grinned. He couldn’t have planned this any better.
“Mick, really... I can walk.”
He met her wide-eyed gaze. Their faces were so close he could smell the lilac-scented perfume surrounding her. He liked that. He also enjoyed the feeling of being her hero by carrying her. Hopefully, she’d allow him to do this manly gesture.
“There’s no way you’ll be able to walk to the hotel, sweetheart. Please, don’t fight me on this. I know how much you’re hurting.”
Her mouth thinned and she nodded.
He suspected that she didn’t want to be seen entering the hotel in his arms. He understood fully. There was nothing worse than judgmental eyes watching every move he made, especially the paparazzi who constantly took pictures and flashed them all over the tabloids, accompanied by lies about what he’d been doing in those pictures. He hated when they spread lies, especially now when he wanted to change the Remington reputation... at least theMickRemington reputation
The sun dipped in the horizon. As orange and yellow highlighted the cloudy sky, the majestic mountains sprinkled with autumn colors added to the spectacular backdrop. In a few months, winter would be upon them and snow would cover the tips of the Rockies. He hoped he’d find an excuse to leave his Manhattan office to visit Colorado during those months. And with any luck, Nicole would keep him company – and keep him warm – on those cold evenings.
Just before he walked through the automatic double-glass doors of the hotel, he moved his gaze back to the adorable and innocent woman in his arms. “Bury your face in my chest. That way, nobody will know the identity of the woman I’m carrying up to my room.”
Her tight expression relaxed and she followed his instructions.
The people gathered in the lobby gaped at him as he carried Nicole to the elevator. So far, he hadn’t seen any journalists, but knowing them, they were lurking somewhere, waiting for him to do something newsworthy.
He hurried into the elevator, pressed the twelfth floor, and stepped back to wait for the doors to shut. Seconds before the door closed, a man rushed inside. He pressed the eleventh floor. The short and stubby balding man nodded, giving Mick a smile. He returned the polite gesture.
When the man faced forward, he reached into his suit coat pocket and withdrew a cell phone. It was then when Mick noticed the journalist badge hanging around the man’s thick neck. By now, Mick found those badges easy to spot.
Inwardly, Mick groaned. Would those people ever leave him alone?
Nicole slowly raised her head, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the journalist sneak a peek their way as he raised his cell phone. Immediately, Mick knew the man was trying to take a picture. Without another thought, Mick quickly pressed his mouth against Nicole’s to keep that from happening, blocking the man from seeing her.
She sucked in a quick breath and her body stiffened. But he couldn’t let her break the kiss. Not until the bald guy exited on his floor.
Mick’s arm crept up her slender back to her neck, bringing her closer. He moved his lips with hers, gently pecking, and then nibbling before caressing his lips against hers, but taking it very slowly. Soon, her body relaxed, and it didn’t take long before her mouth participated.
Heat shot throughout him like he’d just touched an electric current. The rhythm of his heartbeat quickened, as did the urgency flowing through every nerve in his body. It amazed him that this woman’s kiss could give him that reaction. He was helpless to stop the passionate moment. But slowly, his energy seemed to drain from him. No matter, he wouldn’t stop the contact he had with her. She kissed like an angel – and yet, he sensed a demon lurked somewhere behind the intimate kiss. She was so very enchanting, turning his mind to mush.
Nicole’s gentle fingers threaded through the hair at his nape. Everywhere she touched nearly melted him with desire. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss. His head swam dizzily, and for some strange reason, he could swear he was floating on clouds.
Never had he experienced such a sensual kiss – and he’d kissed many women. But Nicole was so very different, and from the reaction of his body, he knew he never wanted to kiss anyone else ever again.
The ding of the elevator’s doors opening brought Mick briefly out of his dazed state. He didn’t stop kissing this sexy woman in his arms, but he knew the exact moment when the journalist left. Once the doors closed, Nicole pulled back. Her breathing was as ragged as his. Their gazes locked.
She licked her lips. “I’m... assuming that kiss was to entertain the man who was with us?”
Mick chuckled. “He was a journalist. I saw his badge and his cell phone. I didn’t want him looking at your face – or heaven forbid – taking a picture of the woman in my arms.”
“What makes you think he didn’t take a picture of us kissing?”
“Oh, I’m sure he took some, but I didn’t hear his phone clicking. The only thing ringing in my ears was the beat of my heart hammering out of control.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “Are you all right?”
He laughed, assessing his feelings once again. For some reason, he couldn’t catch his breath. And although the kiss was over, his head still swam as if he was under water. His hearing seemed muffled like he had entered a dark tunnel.
Inwardly, he groaned. Had that drink gotten to him after all?
When the elevator doors opened, his legs seemed sluggish as he made his way toward his room. Balancing her with one hand, he fished in his pants pocket for the room card with his other hand. The hallway tilted... or was that just his vision?
