it’s not. It’s horrible, but out of my control. And if you hurt my feelings like that again, you’ll have gotten that room upstairs for nothing.” She blinked, and briefly glanced away. “At least as far as I’m concerned. Got it?”
“Got it,” he murmured, struck by the quiet fierceness in her voice.
She took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Are we good?”
“We’re good,” she said, and took another sip of her drink.
“May I?” He lifted his brows to the drink. When she raised the glass to him, instead of taking it, he let her hold the mai tai while he took a pull. “Thanks.” What he needed was a shot of tequila.
She surprised him yet again by pushing up on the tips of her toes and pressing a light kiss to his mouth. “I know I confuse you.”
Rick couldn’t help but laugh, though he withheld comment. He didn’t want her to think he was looking for an excuse for his lousy behavior. The thing was, he was totally baffled by her. She was rockin’ hot, and although she had been brought up by strict parents, she hung with hot, savvy friends who seemed far from shy. They’d gone to college together, shared apartments, now they were all going into business. Hard to believe she’d remained so sheltered. Yet he accepted it as the truth. Any effort at acting on her part had been spent on playing the worldly, experienced Jill. He’d seen through that facade quickly enough six years ago.
“We should go up,” he said finally, and saw her visibly swallow at the same time she nodded. “We can order room service, and you can tell me about that new business of yours.”
A slight frown tightened her brows, and for once he couldn’t read her. He didn’t like that much. “Shelby and Mia didn’t say anything about the dinner, but I’d still like to check with them first, before we…”
“Absolutely,” he said, holding up his hands. “You go do what you need to do. You have my number.”
She smiled a little, as if she knew he wasn’t above groveling at this point, then focused her preoccupied gaze on his arm.
Ah, the tattoo. She hadn’t asked yet, but she would. And damn, but he’d have to explain.
L INDSEY ENTERED the elevator ahead of Rick, feeling the sting of disappointment when a couple rushed in behind him. His shirt was still draped over his shoulder, conveniently exposing the arm with the tattoo, and she jockeyed into a position that gave her a clear view. She was pretty sure she knew what it was now, and she very much wanted to ask him for confirmation, but not in front of anyone.
He looked up at the lighted floor panel at the same time she did. Seeing that they were coming up on her floor, he bent his head and kissed her. “I’ll be waiting,” he said, and kissed her again.
She nodded, avoiding eye contact with the other couple, and as soon as the doors slid open, scooted out of the car. It still boggled her mind that it had been only a day since they’d reunited. He was so easy with the touching and kissing, as if they’d been together for years. No one in her family had ever been demonstrative, including her. Sometimes she envied his ease, and sometimes she had to fight the instinct to pull away.
Since she’d seen Mia and Shelby only a little while ago, she didn’t bother with a courtesy knock and let herself into the room. Once inside she felt a breeze, noticed that the balcony door was open and then saw Shelby sitting outside with a book on her lap. She looked up, and smiled. “Hey,” she said, her gaze sweeping the room. “Are you alone?”
Lindsey nodded and dropped her purse on the closest bed. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Ditto.” The balcony was so small that there was room for only the one chair so Shelby came inside. “Oh, my God.”
“What?”
“What?” Shelby mimicked in a mocking voice, and then with arched brows said, “Rick? Holy crap, you never said he was that smokin’ hot.”
Lindsey grinned. “The man does look good without
“Got it,” he murmured, struck by the quiet fierceness in her voice.
She took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Are we good?”
“We’re good,” she said, and took another sip of her drink.
“May I?” He lifted his brows to the drink. When she raised the glass to him, instead of taking it, he let her hold the mai tai while he took a pull. “Thanks.” What he needed was a shot of tequila.
She surprised him yet again by pushing up on the tips of her toes and pressing a light kiss to his mouth. “I know I confuse you.”
Rick couldn’t help but laugh, though he withheld comment. He didn’t want her to think he was looking for an excuse for his lousy behavior. The thing was, he was totally baffled by her. She was rockin’ hot, and although she had been brought up by strict parents, she hung with hot, savvy friends who seemed far from shy. They’d gone to college together, shared apartments, now they were all going into business. Hard to believe she’d remained so sheltered. Yet he accepted it as the truth. Any effort at acting on her part had been spent on playing the worldly, experienced Jill. He’d seen through that facade quickly enough six years ago.
“We should go up,” he said finally, and saw her visibly swallow at the same time she nodded. “We can order room service, and you can tell me about that new business of yours.”
A slight frown tightened her brows, and for once he couldn’t read her. He didn’t like that much. “Shelby and Mia didn’t say anything about the dinner, but I’d still like to check with them first, before we…”
“Absolutely,” he said, holding up his hands. “You go do what you need to do. You have my number.”
She smiled a little, as if she knew he wasn’t above groveling at this point, then focused her preoccupied gaze on his arm.
Ah, the tattoo. She hadn’t asked yet, but she would. And damn, but he’d have to explain.
L INDSEY ENTERED the elevator ahead of Rick, feeling the sting of disappointment when a couple rushed in behind him. His shirt was still draped over his shoulder, conveniently exposing the arm with the tattoo, and she jockeyed into a position that gave her a clear view. She was pretty sure she knew what it was now, and she very much wanted to ask him for confirmation, but not in front of anyone.
He looked up at the lighted floor panel at the same time she did. Seeing that they were coming up on her floor, he bent his head and kissed her. “I’ll be waiting,” he said, and kissed her again.
She nodded, avoiding eye contact with the other couple, and as soon as the doors slid open, scooted out of the car. It still boggled her mind that it had been only a day since they’d reunited. He was so easy with the touching and kissing, as if they’d been together for years. No one in her family had ever been demonstrative, including her. Sometimes she envied his ease, and sometimes she had to fight the instinct to pull away.
Since she’d seen Mia and Shelby only a little while ago, she didn’t bother with a courtesy knock and let herself into the room. Once inside she felt a breeze, noticed that the balcony door was open and then saw Shelby sitting outside with a book on her lap. She looked up, and smiled. “Hey,” she said, her gaze sweeping the room. “Are you alone?”
Lindsey nodded and dropped her purse on the closest bed. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Ditto.” The balcony was so small that there was room for only the one chair so Shelby came inside. “Oh, my God.”
“What?”
“What?” Shelby mimicked in a mocking voice, and then with arched brows said, “Rick? Holy crap, you never said he was that smokin’ hot.”
Lindsey grinned. “The man does look good without
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