the only sounds coming from the muted bubbling of the water in the tanks. Blue lights played across Linc’s features, making him seem darker, more mysterious, and giving his eyes an almost mischievous tint.
“Who else do you mean?” Her breath caught on the words.
He took a step forward, closing the gap between them. “Why did you really come to Vegas, Molly Hunter?”
She turned her face up to meet his. Opened her mouth to tell him the truth. Closed it again, unable to get the words past her throat.
“Was it because we had unfinished business?” he asked, his voice low and as dark as the room. He reached up, caught a tendril of her hair in his hand, then let it slip through his grasp. “Because I think we do, don’t you?”
She nodded, intoxicated, wrapped in his spell all over again.
Had she really ever escaped it?
No, she hadn’t, and she was fooling herself if she thought she had. A hundred times—no, a thousand times—since that night, she’d pictured Linc, imagined him kissing her again, thought of how his hands had felt on her body, remembered the electric feel of his body against hers.
Her breath caught, her heart raced, and she waited, her gaze locked on his. Waiting. Anticipating. Longing. Wanting him.
He lowered his mouth toward hers, slowly, oh, so slowly, and she could see the future. Lincoln Curtis would kiss her. And she would do what she had done two months ago.
Fall for him.
And make the biggest mistake of her life.
Twice.
CHAPTER SIX
“I THINK I should go home,” Molly said, backing away from Linc, breaking the connection before their lips met. Before he could kiss her. Before anything could happen.
If anything sent a clear message about where she stood in relation to him, those six words did. For a moment there, he’d thought—
He’d thought she’d been interested in him. Clearly he’d read her wrong. “Certainly. We both have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
He should be glad Molly had put on the brakes before he’d kissed her and taken what wasn’t a relationship down a decidedly relationship-like path. Then why did disappointment sit like a stone in his gut?
“So, what did you think of my new babies?” Harry said, coming up to both of them. His thick, white hair stuck up in a shock, but his dark blue eyes danced with excitement and enthusiasm for his aquarium and his guests. “Beautiful, aren’t they? I’m thinking of adding some hammerheads in the fall. Set up a whole tool exhibit around them.”
“I love your aquarium, Harry,” Molly said, clearly glad for the interruption. “It’s really fun. A great place to bring kids. I can see why you have so many here—it’s chockfull of kid-friendly activities.”
He tipped an imaginary hat Molly’s way. “Why, thank you, miss. That’s my goal, to make this place, and my littlest guests, feel like family. I never had any children of my own, sad to say.” A shadow dropped over his face as his gaze swept across the expanse of the aquarium. “One of my biggest regrets in life. Waiting too long to get married, and being too busy to start a family. I got to enjoy this guy, though, as a kid. Him and his brother.” Harry shot Linc a grin. “I remember when you got your first chemistry set. Damned near blew up the neighborhood.”
“You bought me that for my birthday, if I remember right,” Linc said. “You encouraged that side of me.”
Harry chuckled.
Molly arched a brow. “Linc did that?”
“Oh, yes, with a little help from Marcus, I’m sure. Whenever those two boys were together, trouble was sure to follow. Linc, I suspect, was always the brains behind the operation.” Harry winked. “You guys gave everyone many a laugh when you were kids. Those were some good days.”
“Yeah, well, that’s in the past,” Linc said. “I’m too old for chemistry sets.”
Harry’s face softened and he put a hand on Linc’s shoulder. “I miss your parents, too, Linc. They’d be proud of you if they
“Who else do you mean?” Her breath caught on the words.
He took a step forward, closing the gap between them. “Why did you really come to Vegas, Molly Hunter?”
She turned her face up to meet his. Opened her mouth to tell him the truth. Closed it again, unable to get the words past her throat.
“Was it because we had unfinished business?” he asked, his voice low and as dark as the room. He reached up, caught a tendril of her hair in his hand, then let it slip through his grasp. “Because I think we do, don’t you?”
She nodded, intoxicated, wrapped in his spell all over again.
Had she really ever escaped it?
No, she hadn’t, and she was fooling herself if she thought she had. A hundred times—no, a thousand times—since that night, she’d pictured Linc, imagined him kissing her again, thought of how his hands had felt on her body, remembered the electric feel of his body against hers.
Her breath caught, her heart raced, and she waited, her gaze locked on his. Waiting. Anticipating. Longing. Wanting him.
He lowered his mouth toward hers, slowly, oh, so slowly, and she could see the future. Lincoln Curtis would kiss her. And she would do what she had done two months ago.
Fall for him.
And make the biggest mistake of her life.
Twice.
CHAPTER SIX
“I THINK I should go home,” Molly said, backing away from Linc, breaking the connection before their lips met. Before he could kiss her. Before anything could happen.
If anything sent a clear message about where she stood in relation to him, those six words did. For a moment there, he’d thought—
He’d thought she’d been interested in him. Clearly he’d read her wrong. “Certainly. We both have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
He should be glad Molly had put on the brakes before he’d kissed her and taken what wasn’t a relationship down a decidedly relationship-like path. Then why did disappointment sit like a stone in his gut?
“So, what did you think of my new babies?” Harry said, coming up to both of them. His thick, white hair stuck up in a shock, but his dark blue eyes danced with excitement and enthusiasm for his aquarium and his guests. “Beautiful, aren’t they? I’m thinking of adding some hammerheads in the fall. Set up a whole tool exhibit around them.”
“I love your aquarium, Harry,” Molly said, clearly glad for the interruption. “It’s really fun. A great place to bring kids. I can see why you have so many here—it’s chockfull of kid-friendly activities.”
He tipped an imaginary hat Molly’s way. “Why, thank you, miss. That’s my goal, to make this place, and my littlest guests, feel like family. I never had any children of my own, sad to say.” A shadow dropped over his face as his gaze swept across the expanse of the aquarium. “One of my biggest regrets in life. Waiting too long to get married, and being too busy to start a family. I got to enjoy this guy, though, as a kid. Him and his brother.” Harry shot Linc a grin. “I remember when you got your first chemistry set. Damned near blew up the neighborhood.”
“You bought me that for my birthday, if I remember right,” Linc said. “You encouraged that side of me.”
Harry chuckled.
Molly arched a brow. “Linc did that?”
“Oh, yes, with a little help from Marcus, I’m sure. Whenever those two boys were together, trouble was sure to follow. Linc, I suspect, was always the brains behind the operation.” Harry winked. “You guys gave everyone many a laugh when you were kids. Those were some good days.”
“Yeah, well, that’s in the past,” Linc said. “I’m too old for chemistry sets.”
Harry’s face softened and he put a hand on Linc’s shoulder. “I miss your parents, too, Linc. They’d be proud of you if they
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