No.
His expression registered amusement and a tinge of smugness and she realized the cocky bastard had noticed her cataloging his physical attributes. She pressed her lips together and gave him the stink eye. “Why are you here?”
“It’s a well-known hotel.”
She supposed it made sense that Alec Thatcher, accustomed to only the best, would have booked a room at this renowned resort for the night of the wedding. “Still…why are you here here?” Her forefinger spun, indicating the current four walls surrounding them.
“I saw you dash inside and was trying to get to you before the doors closed.”
“So you were following me,” she said.
“Guilty,” he answered, though he looked anything but.
“And you saw me in the lobby earlier too, right?”
He ran a big hand through his brown hair, disordering the precise layers of his businessman’s cut. “Audra too. At that moment I imagined anyone associated with Jacob might not be a welcome sight to either of you. I decided not to approach.”
Her lip curled. “But now—”
“How’s Audra doing?” he asked, his voice soft.
She wouldn’t let his gentle tone get to her. “How do you think she’s doing? She’s devastated. The future she’d been dreaming of has crumbled beneath her feet and she doesn’t know up from down at this point.”
“And you?” Alec asked, his gaze seeming to bore through muscle and bone to her vulnerable soul. “How are you?”
The future I’d been beginning to foolishly dream of crumbled beneath my feet when I was so sharply reminded of the perils of romance.
“I’m not the injured party,” she said instead, stiffening her spine, even as the walls of the elevator seeming to be moving inward and turning from steel to velvet, creating a private world only inhabited by the two of them. It had been like this from the first, their connection intimate, private. Dangerous in its intensity.
Every emotion she experienced when she was around Alec seemed brighter, hotter, deeper. Yes, dangerous.
This is how Durands love.
“I’m not the injured party,” she repeated, to make sure they both got the message.
“Aren’t you?” Alec asked, studying her face in a thoughtful way that made her hackles rise. It made her feel naked. Exposed. “You’ve clearly put your walls up, Lilly.”
“We’re almost strangers,” she muttered. “You don’t know anything about my walls.” Pushing past him, she began to beat on the control panel with her fist.
“That’s not going to do anything—” Alec began, but then the car jerked down, jerked up.
The action unbalanced her and Alec grabbed her arm to steady her. The heat of his hand transferred through the thin material of her shirt and shot like sparklers along the entire side of her body. “Let go,” she said through her teeth, trying to shake free of his hold.
His grip didn’t hurt, but it didn’t loosen either. “I’m not the enemy, sugar.”
Sugar. The word whispered through her like a yearning sigh.
Damn it! The enemy was the traitorous reaction she had to that simple word. The way the man made her soft inside when Lilly Durand needed to be strong. Independent. You could only trust yourself, she knew that, certainly not some man on whom you’d developed an out-of-character, temporary-but-now-smothered crush.
“Lilly,” Alec hauled her closer, until his nearness dizzied her. She swayed again on her feet and felt the entire world rocking beneath her.
“Lilly,” he repeated, sliding his arm around her waist now. “Are you okay? You told me closed places make you claustrophobic.”
She blinked up at him, owlishly. She’d confessed that? Surely she hadn’t added that it was because she used to hide in the closet when her aunt and uncle fought, hurling insults and household goods at each other for hours at a time.
“This isn’t happening.” Lilly put a hand to her head, trying not to let his nearness scramble her thoughts again.
Then, without warning, the elevator doors shushed open, and cold air slapped her face, driving the dizziness away. She wrenched from Alec and leaped out, onto what appeared to be the building’s second floor. Walking backward, she shot a finger at him.
“I don’t want to see or speak to you again.”
Buy OUR LAST FIRST KISS
Christie Ridgway’s Book List
All In (7-Stud Club Book 1)
No Limit (7-Stud Club Book 2), Coming May 30, 2019!
Ante Up (7-Stud Club Book 3), Coming soon!
Our Last First Kiss (Heartbreak Hotel Book 1)
Me and Mr. Jones (Heartbreak Hotel Book 2)
My Quickie Wedding (Heartbreak Hotel Book 3)
We Belong Together (Heartbreak Hotel Book 4), Coming soon!
Almost Wonderful (Almost Book 1)
Almost Always (Almost Book 2)
Almost Everything (Almost Book 3)
Almost Paradise (Almost Book 4)
Take Me Tender (Billionaire’s Beach Book 1)
Take Me Forever (Billionaire’s Beach Book 2)
Take Me Home (Billionaire’s Beach Book 3)
The Scandal (Billionaire’s Beach Book 4)
The Seduction (Billionaire’s Beach Book 5)
The Secret (Billionaire’s Beach Book 6)
Light My Fire (Rock Royalty Book 1)
Love Her Madly (Rock Royalty Book 2)
Break on Through (Rock Royalty Book 3)
Touch Me (Rock Royalty Book 4)
Wishful Sinful (Rock Royalty Book 5)
Wild Child (Rock Royalty Book 6)
Who Do You Love (Rock Royalty Book 7)
Love Me Two Times (Rock Royalty Book 8)
Rock Royalty Boxed Set – Books 1-3
One Look (One & Only Book 1)
One Kiss (One & Only Book 2)
One Night (One & Only Book 3)
One Love (One & Only Book 4)
Make Him Wild (Intoxicating Book 1)
Make Him Want (Intoxicating Book 2)
Make Him Stay (Intoxicating Book 3)
7 Brides for 7 Soldiers - Multi-Author Series
Ryder - Barbara Freethy (#1)
Adam - Roxanne St. Claire (#2)
Zane - Christie Ridgway (#3)
Wyatt - Lynn Raye Harris (#4)
Jack - Julia London (#5)
Noah - Cristin Harber (#6)
Ford - Samantha Chase (#7)
7 Brides for 7 Brothers - Multi-Author Series
Luke: Barbara Freethy (#1)
Gabe: Ruth Cardello (#2)
Hunter: Melody Anne (#3)
Knox: Christie Ridgway (#4)
Max: Lynn Raye Harris (#5)
James: Roxanne St. Clair (#6)
Finn: JoAnn Ross (#7)
Must Love Mistletoe (Holiday Duet Book 1)
Not Another New Year's (Holiday Duet Book 2)
Holiday Duet Boxed Set
First Comes Love (In Hot Water Book 1)
Then Comes Marriage (In Hot Water Book 2)
Nothing But Blue Skies
Out on a Limb (novella)
Snow Job
The Thrill of It All
About the Author
Christie Ridgway is the author of over 60 novels of contemporary romance. All her books are both sexy and emotional and tell about heroes and heroines who learn to believe in the power of love. A USA Today bestseller, Christie is a six-time RITA finalist and has won best contemporary romance of the year and career achievement awards from Romantic Times Book Reviews.
A native of California, Christie now resides in the southern part of the state with her family. Inspired by the beaches, mountains, and cities that surround her, she writes tales of sunny days and steamy nights. For a complete list of books, excerpts, and news on the latest going on with Christie:
Visit Christie’s website
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gway, ALL IN (7-Stud Club Book 1)
ALL IN (7-Stud Club Book 1) Page 22
