Midnight Kiss (Virgin River #12)(56)

To cuddle against him.

She shivered at his distant manner. “What I want doesn’t matter. You know I can’t be your Marly and—”

“I never asked you to.”

She plunged ahead without listening. “—I would if I could, but— What did you just say?”

“I don’t need you to be a Marly.”

“But…” She frowned. “You’re meant for someone exactly like that, someone who can do all those things like cook and garden and—” She burst into tears. “I’m not that kind of person. Damn you, I wasn’t supposed to fall in love. I don’t know how to be any good at it.” She swiped at her runny nose. “This is all your fault,” she blubbered.

Will reached in his pocket and brought out a handkerchief, wiping tenderly at her tears, then handing it to her so she could blow her nose. “What is?” he asked cautiously.

“That nothing fits anymore. That my loft is too noisy, that I don’t want to dance with strangers, that—” She broke off at the sound of the crowd behind them chanting.

“Ten…nine…”

“Oh, no!” she wailed.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” He moved closer.

“We— I— It’s too soon!”

“For what?”

“I really, really wanted to kiss you at midnight, but now everything’s a mess. And you—you want to talk about things,” she spat.

She thought she saw his lips curve a little but still he didn’t speak.

“Eight…seven…”

Desperation took over. “You know what? I don’t care. I am all wrong for you and you’re not my type, but—but—too bad. I love you, Will Masterson. Deal with it!”

He only stared at her, and dread ran roughshod over her fear.

“Six…five…”

“Okay, okay!” She threw up her hands. “I—I like the battle of wits with the opposing counsel. And I—I became a lawyer because, because…well, I really don’t know why. I was just good at dissecting an argument. Not that you can tell that at the moment,” she muttered. Then she glared at him. “Now would you please just kiss me?”

“Four…three…”

His lips twitched but still he didn’t move. “You mean that? You love me?” he asked.

“Yes! What did I just say? Will, please—” Blast the man. Would he never—

Jordan reached up to take matters into her own hands.

Before she could, Will crushed her against him, then laid on her a scorching kiss, one that was everything she’d ever hoped to feel of home and welcome and beginnings.

Jordan’s knees turned to water. I didn’t ruin it.

She drew back to be sure. “I didn’t ruin it, right?”

Will smiled wide and clear as he shook his head. “You never had a prayer of escaping me, Jordan darlin’.”

“You arrogant—” She started to argue for form’s sake, then thought better of it. They would argue again, probably often, but tonight…tonight was for lovers. For hope.

For new beginnings. And if that meant she was as delusional as she’d accused others of being, well, so what? Everything seemed possible now.

With bone-deep gratitude for stubborn Irishmen and second chances, Jordan rose to her toes and tightened her arms around Will’s neck. He picked her up and twirled her.

“One!” the crowd screamed. Fireworks crackled in the sky. Horns blared.

But Jordan and Will were oblivious to anything but each other.

Far too busy laughing their way into midnight’s kiss.

MIDNIGHT ASSIGNMENT

Victoria Dahl

This story is for Jenn, because she gets me.

CHAPTER ONE

“I’M NOT GOING TO LET you screw this up, Noah James, is that clear?”

Noah ignored the question and watched Elise Watson’s sweet little backside as she walked ahead of him. Each of her long strides turned the gray conservative skirt into an intriguingly tight scrap of fabric before it relaxed into boring wool again. Then her next step would stretch it tight for another brief moment, cupping her muscles like a—

Elise stopped so suddenly that he almost crashed into her.

“I said, is that clear?”

By the time she’d spun toward him, Noah had forced his gaze higher, and he managed to meet her eyes with a cool glare. He, after all, hadn’t been the one to screw things up the first time around. Elise had definitely been the one who’d caused that damage. She’d started the kind of trouble for him that had lasted two long years. Trouble that hadn’t ended until he’d stolen the Denver job out from under her nose and gotten the hell out of D.C.

She was still pissed about losing the job, and her anger gave Noah an excuse to smile. “Whatever you say, Elise.”

Her mouth tightened at his insolent tone. Her eyes narrowed. Elise Watson was about to lose her temper, and the agents waiting ahead of them in the hotel lobby were cringing visibly in anticipation. When she lost her temper, heads rolled, and Noah knew she’d be pleased as punch if it was his head bouncing across the faded blue of the hotel carpet.

But hotel carpet it was, and he saw the moment Elise remembered they were in public. She couldn’t scream and cuss and threaten death, or the hotel staff might suspect that they weren’t really there for an emergency corporate meeting for a company called Workfire Industries. They’d already strained belief by holding their fake meeting two days after Christmas. If their supposed CEO started cursing like a sailor, punching Noah in the chest with her finger, suspicions would be raised. So her temper was thwarted. Noah was safe.