Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(19)
He nearly did.
Except, she laughed.
And he froze.
His brain clicked back on. Shock hit him like a bucket of cold water. He thought for one second she was laughing at him. Had this been a joke? Humiliation and anger started to rise, until the throaty satisfaction of her laugh registered. Followed by the realization of how tightly their bodies had tangled together.
Shit, how had this happened? He’d wanted to kiss her goodnight, an appropriate end-of-a-first-date kiss. Not practically have standing sex with her on her porch.
Intending to apologize, he lifted his head, a move that took effort with her hands buried in his hair. One of her legs had come up so the inside of her thigh pressed against the outside of his. Apparently, that bucket of shock hadn’t been enough to douse his arousal, since his erection remained happily wedged between them. A little too happily to be ignored.
She laughed again, lowering her head, and he saw the most amazing look on her face. Her eyes blazed with desire from behind heavy lids.
“Wow,” she said, her sigh filled with awe. “That was really… wow.”
Embarrassment vanished as wonder filled him. She’d liked that out-of-control kiss. She liked him. “Does that mean you want to see me again?”
“I think you can take that as a yes.” She lowered her leg in a slow glide down his own.
He wanted to pull it back up, all the way to his waist, but he loosened his arms and let their bodies separate.
“When?” he asked. Resting his hands on her hips, he created space between them even as his body whimpered for him to pull her closer. Rub against her. Bury himself inside her.
“Tomorrow?” she asked with a smile that made his head spin.
“Tomorrow.” He nodded, taking a deep breath in an effort to slow his pounding heart. “What time?”
“That depends on what you want to do.” Suggestion gleamed in her eyes.
Ho, boy. He took another deep breath, let it out. “Lunch?”
“Can’t.” Her shoulders sagged. “I have to work in the gift shop in the morning. Then Alli wants me to photograph some new inventory for the website.”
“Oh.” Disappointment cooled him down a fraction.
“But I’ll be free after that,” she said. “We could go back into Galveston, or hit the beach. Whatever you want.”
He rejected both ideas, since neither setting lent itself to what he needed to do, and that was tell her everything. “How about you give me a tour of the island.”
“You want a tour of Pearl Island?” Confusion drew her brows together.
“Sure. Why not?”
“It’s just not the type of thing single guys are usually interested in. Unless they’re coming to scuba dive around the shipwreck.”
“Except, I don’t swim.” He shrugged.
“Exactly.” Her puzzled expression turned wary, as if she were searching for some hidden reason behind his request for a tour.
He realized he needed to come up with something. Something honest. He looked around at the dark trees. Night breezes carried the sounds of crickets, the scent of the cove. Through the moving branches, the inn winked at him with yellowish light glowing from its windows. The majestic mansion with its hidden passages and ghosts gave him the answer. “I think this place might be perfect for a Vortal tournament.”
“You have tournaments?”
“Once a year,” he told her.
“That sounds fascinating.”
“It is.” His passion for gaming sprang back to life. “You see—”
Her hand slipped over his lips before he could launch into a full monologue, explaining all about how challenges and tournaments work.
“Tomorrow,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
“Ah.” He nodded, remembering they were standing on her front porch saying good night. “I’d like that.”
“Me too.” She gave him a smile so bright, he stood in stupefied silence as she opened the screen, then pulled a key from her purse and unlocked the door. Turning back, she gave him one last, dazzling smile. “I’ll see you then.”
He just nodded as she went inside, closing the door behind her.
For the second time that day, he stood in dazed wonder, staring at a closed door. Had all of that really happened? That kiss? The entire evening? He’d had a date with Chloe? Had another one tomorrow?
Maybe he’d dreamed the whole thing, he thought as he walked back to his car. Getting in, he took hold of the steering wheel and stared into the darkness. His earlier dilemma about when to tell her why he’d come to Galveston came roaring back.
Except the question no longer seemed to be when, but if.
Maybe, he thought. Maybe not. Because right then, he wasn’t sure he wanted this dream to end.
Chapter 6
Chloe danced about the gift shop the following day, dust cloth in hand. An apron the color of tropical water protected her white capri pants and peach shirt. Thanks to the phone she’d dropped in the apron’s pocket and a set of ear buds, a song about hot candy kisses entertained her with nonsensical lyrics. Kisses should be hot and sweet, she decided.
Like the kiss Luc had given her last night.
With her cheeks warming at the memory, she stepped back to admire the display of bath and beauty products she’d needed to rearrange after a flurry of sales that morning. The three women staying in one of the bungalows for a girlfriend weekend had gone wild for the locally made soaps and lotions. Making a mental note to order more product, she moved on to a display of coffee table books filled with photographs of Galveston.