ready for the evening to end. Max slipped his arm from her shoulder and said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Shall we?”
He crooked his arm by invitation and wordlessly, Holly slipped her mittened hand through. A surge of longing choked her, drowning her in a sea of desire and conflicting emotion. Her body ached for his touch and the sensation it stirred within her.
She knew she had only just met him. He was, for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger. A stranger here for an extended stay. A workaholic. A bachelor by his own choosing. He was wrong. All wrong.
And Holly knew all at once that she was in very big trouble.
* * *
Holly slipped into the chair across from Max and unraveled her scarf from her neck. He watched as she twisted her upper body to hang her coat over the back of her chair, her tiny waist craning, and her breasts pressing against the thin cashmere of her black sweater.
Sitting so close to her, Max felt more alive than ever. The heat of her body so close to his was so intense, the sweet smell of her flowery perfume so feminine, that it took everything in him not to reach down and graze a finger along the small, creamy hand that held her menu.
“So, just so that we’re clear, tonight’s on me.” He watched as Holly lowered her eyes and her features twisted in protest. Before she could speak, he held up a palm. “I insist.”
Holly gave a shy smile as she looked up at him from under her long, graceful lashes. “Thank you.”
“Now. What’s good here?” Max turned the menu over and studied the specials. Lucy’s Place was about comfort food, it seemed. Chicken pot pie. Mac and cheese. Fish and chips.
“I’ll admit I haven’t eaten dinner here very often.” Holly’s brows knitted as she studied the menu and Max felt himself grow curious.
“Really?” He leaned in closer to study her pretty face. Her soft, full lips were painted with a tinted red gloss that he wanted to kiss right off her mouth. His groin tightened as she met his gaze and he abruptly reached for his water glass to defuse the heat she stirred within him. Desire choked him, closing his throat and making it hard to swallow the icy liquid. He wanted this woman. Badly. But given the circumstances, she was off-limits. His mind knew it, but his body wasn’t yet ready to accept it.
“I don’t really get out much,” she explained. Her hazel eyes darkened at the admission, and he felt a strange affection for her take hold and linger. Holly seemed like a woman surrounded by loving friends. Maybe he had misunderstood.
“Life at the inn keeps me so busy,” she continued. “We serve dinner every night, so it usually makes sense for me to just eat there.”
Max held her gaze with his, searching for something in them beyond her explanation. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he detected a shadow creeping over her face.
“Well, they have wine,” he noted, pulling his eyes from hers to glance back at the menu. “Want to share a bottle?”
Holly brightened. “Sure.”
“White or red?”
“Red for the winter. White for summer.”
Max’s lips twitched. She was a funny little thing. “Red it is then.”
The waitress he remembered from earlier came over to their table, grinning at Holly. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” she said.
“Hey, Emily,” Holly said. She glanced at Max, pinching her pretty little lips. “I was just telling Max that I don’t get out much for dinner.”
“Not enough,” Emily said. “Guess it takes someone special to drag her away from the job.”
From the corner of his vision, Max could see a flush appear on Holly’s cheeks. He couldn’t deny the twist of pleasure that stirred his belly.
“I’m Max,” he said abruptly to the waitress, forcing away thoughts that shouldn’t linger. “I saw you this morning, but didn’t catch your name.”
The young woman smiled warmly. “Emily Porter,” she said. “So what can I get you?”
Max placed the
He crooked his arm by invitation and wordlessly, Holly slipped her mittened hand through. A surge of longing choked her, drowning her in a sea of desire and conflicting emotion. Her body ached for his touch and the sensation it stirred within her.
She knew she had only just met him. He was, for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger. A stranger here for an extended stay. A workaholic. A bachelor by his own choosing. He was wrong. All wrong.
And Holly knew all at once that she was in very big trouble.
* * *
Holly slipped into the chair across from Max and unraveled her scarf from her neck. He watched as she twisted her upper body to hang her coat over the back of her chair, her tiny waist craning, and her breasts pressing against the thin cashmere of her black sweater.
Sitting so close to her, Max felt more alive than ever. The heat of her body so close to his was so intense, the sweet smell of her flowery perfume so feminine, that it took everything in him not to reach down and graze a finger along the small, creamy hand that held her menu.
“So, just so that we’re clear, tonight’s on me.” He watched as Holly lowered her eyes and her features twisted in protest. Before she could speak, he held up a palm. “I insist.”
Holly gave a shy smile as she looked up at him from under her long, graceful lashes. “Thank you.”
“Now. What’s good here?” Max turned the menu over and studied the specials. Lucy’s Place was about comfort food, it seemed. Chicken pot pie. Mac and cheese. Fish and chips.
“I’ll admit I haven’t eaten dinner here very often.” Holly’s brows knitted as she studied the menu and Max felt himself grow curious.
“Really?” He leaned in closer to study her pretty face. Her soft, full lips were painted with a tinted red gloss that he wanted to kiss right off her mouth. His groin tightened as she met his gaze and he abruptly reached for his water glass to defuse the heat she stirred within him. Desire choked him, closing his throat and making it hard to swallow the icy liquid. He wanted this woman. Badly. But given the circumstances, she was off-limits. His mind knew it, but his body wasn’t yet ready to accept it.
“I don’t really get out much,” she explained. Her hazel eyes darkened at the admission, and he felt a strange affection for her take hold and linger. Holly seemed like a woman surrounded by loving friends. Maybe he had misunderstood.
“Life at the inn keeps me so busy,” she continued. “We serve dinner every night, so it usually makes sense for me to just eat there.”
Max held her gaze with his, searching for something in them beyond her explanation. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he detected a shadow creeping over her face.
“Well, they have wine,” he noted, pulling his eyes from hers to glance back at the menu. “Want to share a bottle?”
Holly brightened. “Sure.”
“White or red?”
“Red for the winter. White for summer.”
Max’s lips twitched. She was a funny little thing. “Red it is then.”
The waitress he remembered from earlier came over to their table, grinning at Holly. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” she said.
“Hey, Emily,” Holly said. She glanced at Max, pinching her pretty little lips. “I was just telling Max that I don’t get out much for dinner.”
“Not enough,” Emily said. “Guess it takes someone special to drag her away from the job.”
From the corner of his vision, Max could see a flush appear on Holly’s cheeks. He couldn’t deny the twist of pleasure that stirred his belly.
“I’m Max,” he said abruptly to the waitress, forcing away thoughts that shouldn’t linger. “I saw you this morning, but didn’t catch your name.”
The young woman smiled warmly. “Emily Porter,” she said. “So what can I get you?”
Max placed the
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