Hard Break (Deadlines & Diamonds, #5)
Page 25
Sappy love songs played and the world around them disappeared. As each song transitioned into the next, the woman in his arms softened just a little more. He held her close. Her hair tickled his cheek, getting caught in the whiskers he kept trimmed close to his face. She turned her head and pressed her lips to his cheek. With his heart pounding out of his chest, he turned his head and their lips met in a sweet quick kiss.
“I’m sorry.” She put her fingers to her mouth and some distance between their bodies. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. It’s been a very long time since I’ve…um, well…it’s been a very long time.”
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I’d like to kiss you again, if that’s okay.”
“I’d like that, too, believe me.” She shook her head, her smile sad. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea. I can’t start something I can’t finish.”
Ricky’s stomach hit his Ferragamos. “Who said anything about finishing?”
She smirked, her brows jogging.
He groaned. “Oh, don’t take me there, mujer bonita.”
“I’m not from around here, and I…” The hesitancy in her eyes broke his heart. “I’m not good at relationships. Ask X. The only one I haven’t screwed up is with my son, but he has to love me. I’m his mother.”
“No, he loves you because you deserve to be loved.”
“How do you know? You don’t even know me. I could be an axe murderer.”
“I know.”
She cocked her head to the side.
“It’s in the way he looks at you. Even with his ‘whatever’, he respects you, and I’m guessing he knows he’s gonna catch hell for it when you guys get home.”
Ah, man, she had a gorgeous smile.
“Yep, he will.” She jerked her head over to the corner where Matt moped. “And yeah, he knows it.”
“And that, my fair Shayne, is why he loves you.”
She placed a flat palm against his chest. Heat seeped through the starched cotton of his shirt to scald him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her lightly, keeping it quick, chaste. “Can I call you?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Her rebuff hurt. Using his hand on the small of her back, he guided her to the side of the dance floor. He slipped his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a business card. “It’s not like you don’t know how to track me down, but if you change your mind, my personal cell phone number is on that card.”
He saw the war going on in her head. Clear as day. She didn’t want to want to call him. As she listened to her angel and devil, he wasn’t sure which way she’d go and hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until she smiled and looked down at the card.
“I can’t promise—”
He kissed her to keep her rebuttal from spilling out. He half expected her to slap him when he eased back. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and Ricky barely held back a groan.
“Just hold on to it, okay? Just in case. Call anytime, day or night.”