She needed him because he was Hawk.Because she wanted to do all those things with a friend by her side.A partner in every sense of the word.
She wanted him.
The song came to an end, and with it their dance.Lilian’s shoulders hunched, but the fingers entwined with her own did not let go.Now that she had him in her space again, it was impossible to let him go.
“Do you want to go somewhere quieter?”
“You want to leave?”he asked.“I could do another dance.”
She could, too.The offer was tempting; this was the night she’d been looking forward to.The perfect night.At least that was what she’d thought.When given the choice between dancing the night away in the Dark Elm Ball or spending it talking with this man… the choice was easy.
Her fingers squeezed his.“No.Let’s get out of here.”
Therewasonlyonebed in Hawk’s hotel room.She should have known that was a possibility.Why hadn’t she considered it when she agreed to go to a quiet space?At least her room hadtwobeds.
But that was because she’d come to the hotel expecting to share it with her best friend.
Oh, Margo…
She wasn’t sure if she was going to thank her friend or kick her butt tomorrow after realizing this was all a setup from the very beginning.Lilian sighed.She really should have seen this coming.But with everything going on with the store, well… maybe that kind of foresight wasn’t possible.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Hawk started tugging at the buttons on his shirt.“That’s better.Do you mind if I take this off?I’m dying to get into something a little more…”
“Like you?”
His smile was lopsided.“Yeah?Is that okay?”
Lilian couldn’t suppress a smile as she strolled through the room, pretending to study it.In actuality, it looked almost identical to her own.“Sure.I liked the costume, by the way.”
“Really?”Hawk pulled his shirt off, making a mess of his hair.The sight surged a familiar tenderness for the man.
“Yeah,” she whispered, forcing herself to take in the cityscape outside the window.Christmas lights decorated the city, embedding it in magic.“But it also looks strange.Not bad strange.I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… polos suit you.”
He threw the shirt to the ground.Lilian turned back to him and gulped.Naked suited him as well.To her surprise, he didn’t reach for a polo or even a T-shirt.Instead, he sat on the bed and started on the leather boots.
“Wait, wait.I actually like those boots.”
“Really?”A dark brow arched in some underlying meaning as he lifted his leg and slowly began to pull the boot off.Almost like a strange strip tease.“You like this?”
“Excuse me, sir.”Lilian laughed as a full blush exploded across her cheeks.“I came here to talk.”
“You said you liked my boots.”
“I do.I wouldn’t mind you wearing them again.But is the strip tease really necessary?”
“What my lady wants, my lady gets.”One boot came off with a strange sucking pop, and it flew across the room, nearly hitting a lamp.She and Hawk stared as the fixture wobbled precariously and finally settled.After which, Hawk turned to the next boot with a little more care.
“So, I’m your lady now?”
“If you’ll have me.”The second boot came off.This time, Hawk kept his grip on it and set it aside.Now shirtless, barefooted, and wearing a pair of very shiny, very tight black pants.She hadn’t noticed the pants before, but they were the only thing left covering him.And she couldn’t look away.
How did he look better half dressed?It wasn’t fair.
“I’m still considering things,” she answered.
“What if,” Hawk said, stepping toward her, “I told you the real reason why I decided to help you with your business?”
Her insides squirmed in temptation, but she kept her face blank.“You already told me,” she reminded him, holding up a hand and revealing a finger with every reason he’d given her in the past.“Because I asked for help.Because a good idea is half the battle.Because I’m a work horse, apparently.And because I can be creative when I’m desperate for solutions.”
