But where? Here or in California? Thomas looked at Brianna, then looked away before she could meet his eyes. What was he hiding from her?
Cody tugged Jeremy’s shirt. “Is it true you’re a real soldier? Thomas said you are.”
Jeremy crouched down. “I’m better than a soldier. I’m a Marine. Do you like soldiers?”
“Yeah! But…you don’t look like a Marine. Where’s your uniform?” Cody eyed him. “And your gun?”
“At home. But I can tell you all about soldiers and military formations. I know lots.”
Cody’s eyes widened. “Will you play toy soldiers with me?”
Zach snorted. “He doesn’t want to play with fake military guys, Cody. He’s the real thing.”
“I’d actually love to,” Jeremy said. “I’ll even show you how real Marines line up for battle.”
Cody jumped up and down. “Can we go? Now?”
“Sure. Come on.” Jeremy winked at Brianna and Thomas, then followed the boy up the pathway. “You two kids have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Tommy.”
“That leaves a lot of options,” Thomas said.
Jeremy laughed. “Yeah, I suppose it does.”
“Oh, gross. I’m gone.” Zach bolted after Jeremy and Cody. “See ya.”
“Love you, too,” Brianna called out, then shook her head. “Looks like we’ll be missed horribly.”
“Go. Have fun.” Erica pushed them gently down the path. “Get out of here.”
“Bye, Katelyn,” Brianna called over her shoulder. “Love you, Princess.” Yet she lingered a moment. Would her shy little girl be able to deal with Erica?
She needn’t have worried. Erica sank down to one knee and offered Katelyn her hand. “So you like princesses? I do, too. Want to go play?” She smiled. “My favorite thing in the world is to dress up like a princess and have tea.”
Magic words. Katelyn brightened, slid her hand into Erica’s, and practically dragged her inside. The door shut behind them, closing them off—and effectively freeing Brianna and Thomas for the night.
“See? Told you they’d be fine,” Thomas murmured into her ear. His deep voice evoked a shiver. A tight, clenching need that hadn’t been answered in far too long. She wanted his hands on her, tearing her clothes off, pinning her, touching her in that rough, capable way of his.
Date night. Right. They were going to go out like adults first. Talk, and all that fun stuff.
“Now,” he rumbled, “we get to be alone. Relax. Drink a little too much. Whatever you want, you’ll get.”
What she wanted was him. Only him. Brianna bit back her smile. “I think that sounds wonderful.”
“Then let’s go.” Thomas kissed her temple and led her to the truck. He opened the door, helped her inside, then slid behind the wheel. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She met his eyes, darted her tongue over her lips, bit back a hungry whimper of anticipation. “Very ready.”
Thomas smiled. Slow. Dark. Knowing. Knowing exactly what being so close to him was doing to her. Exactly how much she wanted him. “Then I’d hate to keep you waiting,” he said, and started the truck. “Tonight, Brianna…tonight will be all about us.”
Chapter Fourteen
If Brianna didn’t stop looking at him like he was dessert, they’d never make it to dinner.
The past two weeks had been hell. The kisses. The stolen touches, breathless and gasping. He had purposely refused to take her to bed last night. It had been one of the hardest things in the world to walk away from her after she invited him to stay, but he wanted to show her he wanted more from her than sex. Their relationship might have started because of mind-blowing sex, but now it was more. He couldn’t do this halfway.
Before when they had sex, it was exactly that. Hot, sweaty sex. But now he had a feeling everything would be different. For the first time since Nicole, sex had a new meaning for him. It had emotion. And depth. Once he got his hands on her, he’d never let go. He ached to lose himself in her. Have her. Consume her. Love her. And he wouldn’t touch her unless he could have all of those things. Unless he could have all of her.
Because he already loved her. He knew that now, and even better? He wasn’t scared of it. Or of her. And by the end of the night, she would know just how much she meant to him.
His hands ached from his tight grip on the steering wheel. He forced his fingers to relax. “I thought we’d go to my hotel and drop off your bag, then go out to dinner. Sound good?”
“Sure.” She fidgeted with her purse strap. “Are you sure Erica and Jeremy are okay with the kids?”
“Yeah. They’re fine, sweetheart. You need to relax,” he said. “Maybe we’ll grab a little scotch at the room before we go.”
She nodded. “I’m just…nervous.”
“Why? We’ve been on dates before. Nothing new.” He rolled to a stop at a red light, ignoring the real reason she was nervous. He was nervous, too. “Only difference is we’ll have longer. And be alone all night.”
She paled. “Yeah.”
What if she was worried he was going to attack her as soon as they got upstairs? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d have done so. Maybe she was nervous about what he expected of her tonight. “Hey. We’ll go as slow as you want. Nothing has to happen and we can just relax. Hang out.”
His rampant state of arousal might not agree, but his libido could deal.
She nodded and drew a deep breath, but looked distracted. “Okay. Sounds good.”
Fuck. “Great.”
The light turned green, and he hit the accelerator. He spent the rest of the ride convincing his body to calm down and accept there might be no Brianna tonight.
It refused to listen.
He pulled into the hotel parking lot, stopped the truck, and slipped around to help her down from the passenger’s side. As they approached the room, the slight breeze wafted her perfume to him. Did she have to smell so damned tantalizing?
He held his breath and opened the door. “After you.”
“Thank you.”
Even the sound of her voice rocked him off his feet. Desire plagued him, made his chest tight, his breathing short. He could barely manage coherent words. “This way.”
She gave him an odd look and bit her lower lip. She always did that when she was worried, but right now it was driving him mad. “Are you okay? You sound…different.”
“Me? I’m fine.”
He cleared his throat and pushed the elevator button. When they walked into the elevator, he couldn’t help but think of the last time they were here and what they’d been doing. Right there, in that corner, he’d kissed her. He tore his eyes from the wall.
“So. Um. If you want, I can give you a tour of my suite. Last time you were here, it was a bit…rushed.”
She flushed and fidgeted with her purse. “You could say that. So…you’ll be looking for somewhere to live soon?”
He watched her from the corner of his eye. Thank you, Erica, for bringing that up. He didn’t want to talk about that until after dinner. When he had her slightly tipsy, relaxed, and happy. Then he could ask…
He jumped when she poked him in the ribs. “Hello? You in there?”
He flushed. “Yeah. Sorry.”
She gave him an unreadable look, fidgeting with her strap. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Of course. I just—” He bit down on his tongue. Should he tell her he already requested to stay on permanently? His boss had been surprised at his change of heart but he had been too thrilled to question Thomas much. The ink was barely dry on the contract—but he was staying.
But did Brianna want him to stay with her? She’d been decidedly closed-mouthed about her feelings for him. And about their future…if they even had one. He had no idea what she was thinking or feeling. But tonight would be the night he found out.
The elevator let them off into the hallway. She kept stealing little glances at him, enigmatic and dark. He knew she was waiting for him to answer her question, but
he wasn’t ready yet. His pounding pulse echoed in his head, washing out the sound of the air conditioning whirring through the vents. He fumbled with the keycard and opened the door to his room. The same door he’d slammed her against. Kissed her against. Taken her against. His cock rose to life at the memories.
Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea.
“So…since they knew I’d be here for a while, MotoTek paid for a luxury suite. All the amenities of home, none of the cleaning responsibilities.” He half shrugged with a wry smile.
He led her into the richly decorated room, with its open layout that combined kitchen, living area, and bedroom, with a stunning view through floor-to-ceiling windows. A separate door led to the bathroom, complete with a hot tub that he’d love to—
Down. Rein himself in. Right.
“You mentioned scotch,” she said, her voice soft, throaty with an edge of…was that desire? Or was he imagining that?
He licked his dry lips. “Scotch. Sure.”
He crossed to the marble-tiled kitchen and poured two tumblers of scotch with shaking fingers, then pressed hers into her hand and settled down on the couch next to her. Her softness pressed against his side. The late afternoon sun fell over her hair. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the light play over the liquid golden strands, and a hollow need punched him in the gut.
Maybe he should just drink the whole damned bottle.
Her gaze lingered on a portrait photograph of Vegas, lit up at night. “Erica and Jeremy seem so nice. I was stressing all day at work, worrying they would hate me at first sight.”
He toyed a strand of her hair between his fingers. “Not possible. How could they not love you like”—he clamped his mouth shut and cleared his throat—“like they love each other? They’re very happily married.”
And that was a pathetic recovery.
“I can see that.” She stole a look at him but didn’t question his complete failure of a sentence. “Despite the fact that you seem to think you kept them apart.”
“I did keep them apart.”
“You have to stop blaming yourself.” She sighed. “Do you miss them?”
He hesitated. Did he miss them? Hell yes. But a few months ago, he’d been ready to relocate to California permanently just to be near family. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
And the reason for his change of heart was looking up at him with those beautiful tawny eyes.
“Yeah.”
She drew an invisible path on her knee. “Do you plan to move back out there one day?”
“I did before.” He smoothed her hair back from her face. “But now I’m not so sure. I’m happy where I am. With the kids. With…with you.”
“Right now.” She leaned into his touch. Her eyes closed. “I am, too. Very happy.”
He took a steadying breath. Every detail of her face captivated him. Her pink mouth, her soft skin…
Could he tell her he loved her? Should he?
Last time he’d said those words…
He couldn’t think of Nicole. She was out of his life, and it was time he left her where she belonged.
In the past.
He pressed a soft kiss to the peak of her chin. She was his present—and his future. And right now…
No. Not yet. He pulled back, staring down into her eyes. “Ready to go to dinner?”
Chapter Fifteen
Dinner was the last thing on Brianna’s mind.
By the time they finished eating, all she could think about was Thomas. Thomas in Vegas. Thomas in California. Thomas naked in her bed. But mostly, Thomas not leaving.
He had insinuated he might be open to staying in Vegas, but she hadn’t opened her mouth and told him she would like that very much. Hadn’t said a word about it. What if she asked him to stay, and he later resented her for keeping him away from his family? What if they didn’t work out and he ended up stuck in a city he hated, working with an ex he could no longer stand?
Okay, she needed to stop thinking so much. And she knew the perfect way to accomplish that. She needed to kiss Thomas. That would wipe all the worries and doubts away. Every time his fingers brushed hers, or his knee glided along her thigh, the heavy pressure inside her grew. By the time they finished eating, Thai cuisine at a lovely restaurant a few miles from his hotel, she was boiling. She didn’t know how much more she could take.
He’d said they could take it slow. Just relax. The hell with that. She needed him too much. They’d been dating for a while now with only kisses and grade-school caresses to show for it. Part of that was her own fault, she knew. She’d been so hesitant. So uncertain of whether or not she was ready.
She was more than ready. She was aching.
Thomas had been respectful and kind, but the time had come for something more. He pulled the truck into the hotel parking lot. She stole a peek at him. His jaw was taut, and his fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly the tendons stood out sharply against his skin. She knew he wanted her. She didn’t need a magic ball to figure it out. She also knew he was brimming over the edges with anxiety.
She cleared her throat. “Ready to go in?”
“Right. Of course.” He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, not looking at her. “Yeah. But we need to—”
“Thomas.” She rested her hand on his thigh. Her fingers trailed up, tracing the hard, tense bunching of muscle beneath his slacks. “Relax.”
He went very still. His gaze dropped to her hand, following it with an almost unnerving intensity. Slowly, he nodded. “Let’s go.”
She followed him from the truck into the hotel, never taking her eyes from him. His slacks did fabulous things to his rear end, and that was only the start. The moment they were inside, she thought, she’d probably climb him like a tree. She pictured herself clawing up his leg like a kitten and couldn’t help a sudden laugh. God, he’d probably look at her like she was crazy. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her nervous giggles.
He stiffened and looked over his shoulder. “Did I do something funny?”
She shook her head. “No, I just had a random thought. It was silly.”
He looked at her, tense, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. She faltered… Why was he—oh. Oh. Of course. He was flashing back to another time with another woman. Brianna exhaled and stepped closer, resting her hand on his arm.
“I’m not Nicole,” she murmured. “I’d never laugh at you like that. I was laughing at myself.”
“Why?” he asked after a long, hesitant moment.
“I. Um.” She averted her eyes and shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Oh.”
Oh, God. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples. “I was thinking I’d like to touch your butt.”
He choked on a laugh. “What?”
“Oh, shut up.”
She was saved by the arrival of the elevator. She knotted her fingers in the sleeve of his shirt and nearly dragged him inside. He stumbled after her, a surprised look in his eyes. But she also saw hunger. For her. “That eager to get me upstairs?”
“Maybe,” she muttered. “Keep laughing and I might change my mind.”
“Brianna.” Suddenly he was close, too close. He backed her against the wall. Hadn’t they been in this situation once before? His hands fell to grip her hips. “Don’t be embarrassed. I like how frank you are.”
“I know.” She pressed against him and ran her nails over his chest. “If you want me to be frank, I’ll be frank. I want you.”
The heat igniting in his gaze almost set her aflame. “I want you, too. But—”
“No buts.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him down, rising up on her toes to meet him. “Just us.”
“Brianna,” he breathed, and kissed her.
His lips captured her breath and gave it back to her in rushed pants. She trembled and melded her body to his. She needed to feel more of him. All of him. He locked her to him with a fierce hold. When his tongue slipped between her lips, sh
e met it eagerly. He tasted like scotch and strawberries and Pad Thai. With each stroke of his tongue, with each touch of his lips, she melted more. Needed more.
She kneaded at the hard muscles of his chest, bunching up handfuls of his shirt. Her forearm brushed against his abdomen, and his stomach flexed into delicious ripples that she ached to explore. He groaned, ripped his mouth from hers, and stepped back.
For a moment she thought the elevator had stopped on his floor, but it was still moving, the yellow dot of light pinging through the numbers just over his head. She blinked at him. He ran a shaking hand through his hair, his cheeks flushed. His eyes met hers, dark with uncertainty, closed and careful and utterly shuttered.
Her heart rolled in a seasick sway that left her queasy. “What? What is it?”
“This…” His voice was stilted and curt. “This isn’t working for me anymore. We need to talk inside my room.”
The chill in each word cut into her like slivers of ice. This was it. The moment she’d been fearing. He was going to break it off with her and go back to California. “Are you…are we…?”
She broke off. Just a few hours ago, he’d told her he was happy with her. Had made it seem like he was interested in staying with her in Vegas. Now he was pushing her away? Why?
What had changed so suddenly?
“No. But we need to talk about our future,” he said, and her stomach dropped out. “I don’t want to just continue dating you.”
Oh my God. They were breaking up.
“Why?” she asked, her voice cracking. She wouldn’t cry. She couldn’t cry. Damn it, she liked him too much not to cry, but she wouldn’t in front of him. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging tight. Trying to hold her heartache in. “Never mind. Don’t answer. You’re not interested anymore. You want to leave. I get it. You got the contract signed and now you’re ready to return to your old life. Just take me home.”
“Wait. I started this wrong.” He took a deep breath and looked down at her with wide eyes. “Brianna, it’s not that I don’t want you. It’s that I—”
“It doesn’t matter what your reasons are. I don’t need to hear them.” She smoothed her clothing and lifted her chin. “It’s fine.”
Love Me Page 13
