something to take hold of.
When he set her on the bed, her hair spread across the pillow, and her lips curled in the slightest smile. He breathed in her sweet scent, tinged with that coconut sunscreen from earlier. Remembering how nervous she’d been as he smoothed the lotion across her skin made him smile. Now he hovered over her again, wanting to kiss her, longing to hold her, hoping she’d wake and invite him to join her. “Kate?”
Her dark lashes brushed her high cheekbones and she sighed in her sleep. He’d be happy just to wrap his arms around her and pull her to him. He’d burrow his nose in her neck, smelling the sweetness of her. That would be good. That would be enough. He didn’t even need to make love to her, though he wanted to fiercely. If she woke, she’d see the evidence for herself.
He cursed under his breath. He ached for her, literally. It hurt to be near her. But he resisted even the urge to kiss her forehead. He needed to get out of this room. He had to get away from her. She didn’t want him, and he’d have to find a way to stop wanting her so badly.
He slipped out the door into the night, his breaths coming fast and heavy. What was wrong with him? It was probably just the stupid bet, right? He had something to prove. Was that it?
He trudged to the Tiki bar outside the hotel, next to the pool. He needed a drink to help settle his emotions and certain body parts. These feelings frightened him. This wasn’t part of his plan.
He sat down and ordered a beer, turning the bottle round and round, thinking about Kate. How could he be concentrating on her full lips and that little freckle right next to her left ear when he had to figure out what to do about the baby? She’d been a good distraction from that at least. He asked the bartender for another drink and tipped back his second beer.
“Don’t you look lonely?”
Teague looked up as Simone settled on the barstool next to him in a very tight, very short, green sundress. He knew that was her favorite color, the one she thought played up her eyes. She crossed her legs and bobbed her foot so that the tip of her shoe grazed his leg.
He rubbed his eyes. “Kate’s tired. Jet lag and the time difference knocked her out. It’s tough when you come out here from the east coast.”
“Right, some little hick town in Nowhere, North Carolina?” She squinted her eyes at him seductively, just like she did whenever a camera came her way. “This can’t be real, right? Is this some publicity stunt? Why do it now, right during the festival?” She flipped her long blond hair over one shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. “You can tell me. What’s the real deal?”
Polynesian music played in the background and the beer was leaving its buzz. Teague shrugged, trying to keep his voice even. “It is the real deal, Simone. I met a beautiful girl on the Internet and fell for her.”
She poked him in the chest with a pearly pink fingernail. “You don’t fall for anyone. You let me fall for you, then you walked out the door.” She popped open her sparkly silver clutch and fished out a cigarette.
Teague wrinkled his nose. “You started smoking again?”
Simone rolled her eyes. “I only stopped for you. I’ll stop again if you want.”
He grabbed a handful of macadamia nuts from the bar. “That’s why I like Kate. She doesn’t pretend to be who she’s not.” He tossed them in his mouth, enjoying the satisfying crunch.
Simone lit the cigarette, inhaled, and laughed out a plume of smoke. “Oh, please. She’s pretending to be whatever you want her to be. What do you think she wants from you? You think this could lead to love? How?” She shook her head and laughed. “You’re not fooling anyone. The photographers have a pool going to see when you two break up.” Those big, pouty lips of hers that had once begged to be bitten and nibbled like a plum looked like thick ridges of old rubber puckered around her cigarette.
Teague waved the smoke
When he set her on the bed, her hair spread across the pillow, and her lips curled in the slightest smile. He breathed in her sweet scent, tinged with that coconut sunscreen from earlier. Remembering how nervous she’d been as he smoothed the lotion across her skin made him smile. Now he hovered over her again, wanting to kiss her, longing to hold her, hoping she’d wake and invite him to join her. “Kate?”
Her dark lashes brushed her high cheekbones and she sighed in her sleep. He’d be happy just to wrap his arms around her and pull her to him. He’d burrow his nose in her neck, smelling the sweetness of her. That would be good. That would be enough. He didn’t even need to make love to her, though he wanted to fiercely. If she woke, she’d see the evidence for herself.
He cursed under his breath. He ached for her, literally. It hurt to be near her. But he resisted even the urge to kiss her forehead. He needed to get out of this room. He had to get away from her. She didn’t want him, and he’d have to find a way to stop wanting her so badly.
He slipped out the door into the night, his breaths coming fast and heavy. What was wrong with him? It was probably just the stupid bet, right? He had something to prove. Was that it?
He trudged to the Tiki bar outside the hotel, next to the pool. He needed a drink to help settle his emotions and certain body parts. These feelings frightened him. This wasn’t part of his plan.
He sat down and ordered a beer, turning the bottle round and round, thinking about Kate. How could he be concentrating on her full lips and that little freckle right next to her left ear when he had to figure out what to do about the baby? She’d been a good distraction from that at least. He asked the bartender for another drink and tipped back his second beer.
“Don’t you look lonely?”
Teague looked up as Simone settled on the barstool next to him in a very tight, very short, green sundress. He knew that was her favorite color, the one she thought played up her eyes. She crossed her legs and bobbed her foot so that the tip of her shoe grazed his leg.
He rubbed his eyes. “Kate’s tired. Jet lag and the time difference knocked her out. It’s tough when you come out here from the east coast.”
“Right, some little hick town in Nowhere, North Carolina?” She squinted her eyes at him seductively, just like she did whenever a camera came her way. “This can’t be real, right? Is this some publicity stunt? Why do it now, right during the festival?” She flipped her long blond hair over one shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. “You can tell me. What’s the real deal?”
Polynesian music played in the background and the beer was leaving its buzz. Teague shrugged, trying to keep his voice even. “It is the real deal, Simone. I met a beautiful girl on the Internet and fell for her.”
She poked him in the chest with a pearly pink fingernail. “You don’t fall for anyone. You let me fall for you, then you walked out the door.” She popped open her sparkly silver clutch and fished out a cigarette.
Teague wrinkled his nose. “You started smoking again?”
Simone rolled her eyes. “I only stopped for you. I’ll stop again if you want.”
He grabbed a handful of macadamia nuts from the bar. “That’s why I like Kate. She doesn’t pretend to be who she’s not.” He tossed them in his mouth, enjoying the satisfying crunch.
Simone lit the cigarette, inhaled, and laughed out a plume of smoke. “Oh, please. She’s pretending to be whatever you want her to be. What do you think she wants from you? You think this could lead to love? How?” She shook her head and laughed. “You’re not fooling anyone. The photographers have a pool going to see when you two break up.” Those big, pouty lips of hers that had once begged to be bitten and nibbled like a plum looked like thick ridges of old rubber puckered around her cigarette.
Teague waved the smoke
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