A Little Too Late (Madigan Mountain #1)(34)

Maybe it’s emotional overload.

Or maybe it’s an echo, like muscle memory, that causes me to lift my mouth toward Reed’s. He must be caught in the same force field, because he drops his chin at the exact same time. Our mouths come together with a familiar ease.

As his soft lips first grace mine, I feel the same hitch in my breath as I used to. The same flutter as he claims my mouth in a serious kiss. I relax into him as if on command, and he tastes like cider and heat. He tastes like mine.

Reed doesn’t hesitate. He cups my cheek with a firm hand, but his mouth is gentle and slow. I’d forgotten that he was a deliberate kisser. And I’d forgotten how it feels to have a hundred and ten percent of Reed’s attention. It feels like love.

Is there any wonder I spent an entire year of my life pressed up against him? Is it even surprising that I fell so hard for this man who kisses like a dream?

Is it any wonder I got pregnant, and we broke each other’s hearts?

That sobering thought penetrates my lusty haze. I pull back, even though I don’t really want to. “I’m sorry,” I say quickly. I scoot away from him, dropping my head into my hands. “I’m sorry. That was…” I’m too flustered to finish the sentence.

Reed only chuckles. He puts one warm hand on my shoulder and gives it a friendly squeeze. “Shh,” he says, “This week is…”

“A lot,” I babble. “It’s a lot to handle. We just got…overwhelmed there for a second.”

He doesn’t rush to agree with me, he just passes his hand over my hair. A single, affectionate stroke. But God I miss this so much. I didn’t know I did, but here he is, and now I ache.

Damn it.

I stand up suddenly and grab our empty mugs. I carry them to the kitchen where I quickly wash them. I can feel Reed’s eyes on me, but he doesn’t say anything. When the mugs are clean and dry, I have no excuse not to face him again. I turn around, finding him watching me with the same brown-eyed intensity that I remember so well. His expression is thoughtful and maybe a little bit smug.

I feel a healthy flare of irritation. “What?” I demand. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

His lips turn up in a smirk. “No reason.”

Yeah, it’s definitely time for him to go. I march across the room, open the cardboard pottery box and carefully tuck the mugs inside. “You’re having cocktails with the Sharpes tonight?”

“Unfortunately. My liver hates me already.”

“Better you than me.”

“Why aren’t you coming?” he asks. “I’d have thought you’d want to stay in front of them.”

“Oh, I would,” I admit. “But tonight is the practice session for the opening night ceremony, and I can’t be in two places at once.”

Every year we hold a ritual the evening after the ski mountain’s first open day of the season. A symphonic band plays outside, while the employees ski down the mountain in formation, holding lanterns. It looks cool, and it gets us a lot of social media shares.

Reed hefts the box of pottery. “Thank you for this.”

“It’s nothing,” I insist. I walk him to the door, but I stand back at a safe distance. I don’t need a repeat of that naughty, misguided, wonderful kiss.





CHAPTER 17




THE RUSTY HINGES OF MY HEART





AVA “Here, Ava,” Halley says, passing me a red Solo cup as the jacuzzi jets burble cheerfully all around me.

It’s nine o’clock, and our practice session for the opening ceremony ended an hour ago. I glance into the cup and see a splash of pink wine. Drinking is still not on tonight’s to-do list, but I’d never say no to a spontaneous hot tub night with the girls.

The resort has two hot tubs—one adjacent to the heated pool and a private one that’s only for spa clients to use between treatments. The high wooden fence around the spa patio is strung with cheery fairy lights and potted evergreen shrubs reside in each corner.

Once in a while Sarah, the spa manager, invites us into the spa’s giant hot tub after hours. Tonight, it’s me and Halley, Sarah, Raven, and our special guest, Sheila. I’d found her sitting alone at the bar flipping through a magazine, and she’d been happy to dash upstairs for her swimsuit to join us.

“So how are you holding up, Ava?” Raven asks.

“Fine,” I say primly. “The accounting review seemed to go well today.”

Raven tosses her hair and smiles at me. “I wasn’t asking about the accounting review, babe. How is it spending time with him?”

My eyes flip involuntarily to Sheila.

“Hey, girl code,” she says, holding up two hands in submission. “I’m a vault. Besides, I don’t really pay any attention to Reed. I never notice how lonely he seems. Or how frustrating he is to the women he halfheartedly dates. And I sure never noticed how hot he looks getting sweaty in the corporate gym.”

The other women roar with laughter.

“So I repeat the question,” Raven presses. “How’s it going?”

“Terrible,” I grumble. “First I got drunk and chatty…”

Sarah moans in sympathy.

“Then I barfed in his presence. That was yesterday. Today I learned that I broke a piece of pottery his dead mother made for him. And while I was trying to apologize, I—” Oh, it’s too awful to say aloud, so I stick my face in my hands. “Ahkissedhim.”