After a night spent so comfortably sleeping against his side, Lana expected that same comfort in this second kiss. Except…well…it wasn’t. The soft, peaceful glow of the twinkling holiday lights didn’t match the heat between them.
Damn, this man could kiss. He could hold her just right, anchoring her to his muscled form as he deepened the kiss. Like a shiver going over her skin, a pressure that could only be assuaged by gripping his forearms and pulling him in tighter.
Lana hadn’t been ready for this. Kissing him, yes. But coming up for air, plastered all over him? Either she had climbed on his lap or Rick had pulled her there, Lana honestly couldn’t remember which. Panting to catch her breath, she hoped her nails hadn’t cut the skin of his shoulders where they had dug in for purchase.
His hands wrapped around her waist, sliding up and down her sides in a way that made her melt like chocolate beneath his touch.
“Maybe we should slow this down.” Rick inhaled deep to regain his own wind.
“I’m perfectly happy with the opposite.”
She’d been teasing him, but the way he looked down at her said he took this seriously. “I like you, Lana.”
The admittance must have cost him, because he wasn’t meeting her eyes now. Voice rougher and quiet, Rick added, “You’re worth slowing down for. Doing this right.”
“Even on a short-term basis?”
She tilted her head to catch his attention, drawing his gaze back up to her. What she saw there made her nervous, made her lick her lips and almost drop her own gaze, because it was hard looking into a mirror.
“Lately, I’ve been thinking it’s better to risk the heartache than to be lonely all the time,” Rick said gruffly.
Loneliness had become Lana’s way of life. Whatever this was, it was going to mess up her status quo. Honestly, there was a really small, really lonely part of Lana that was ready to have her status quo ripped to shreds already.
“Then you’re right. I think we should definitely slow down.” Lana pressed her mouth to his. Rick’s hand slid up her back, palm cupping the back of her head and fingers in her hair. He had always said a lot without saying much.
“This isn’t slowing down,” he said. A sweet smile curved his lips, eyes brightening with humor.
“I’m getting there,” Lana promised as she reached for him all over again.
* * *
He should feel guilty for enjoying this so much. Heck, he did feel guilty. Rick wasn’t even sure why he felt that way when there was no one who cared what he did…and didn’t…allow himself anymore.
She was napalm, setting him on fire every place she touched. The kind of burning that turned reasonable men completely idiotic and left them with broken hearts. The last thing in the world he should be doing was entertaining the idea that this could ever be anything more than two lonely people trying to get through the holidays.
Except…well…lonely wasn’t so lonely with her hands pulling his face back down to hers again.
She was all soft curves and silky hair, warm breath and cool fingertips. Manicured fingernails dug into his skin, those soft curves crushed to his chest. He knew he should pull away, give them both a chance to think…or rethink…what they were doing here. Then a small noise of breathy pleasure escaped her lips, and he was done. Done thinking, done waiting. Done wanting.
He wanted her, and by the way she was pulling him closer, he could tell she felt the same. So of course, his phone had to ring with the only name he’d pick up for right now.
“Sorry, it’s Diego. I have to take this.”
Lana nodded, scooting back to give him room. Rick waited until she rose to her feet before wrapping his arm around her hips, squeezing her in a brief hug.
“Hey, I’m kind of busy with Lana right now.”
“The barn was on fire,” Diego said so tonelessly, he might as well have told Rick that he was eating Cheerios.
“What?”
“It’s not on fire now.”
“What do you mean it’s not now?”
Diego snorted. “Exactly what I said. It’s. Not. Now. Have you been drinking?”
“No, kid, but I’m seriously considering starting. Did you call the fire department?”
“Nope. I used a hose.”
“How big was this fire?”
“About hose-sized.”
Setting the phone down on his leg, Rick pressed his forehead to Lana’s stomach, inhaling the scent of her and allowing himself to enjoy the way the silk slid over their skin.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“Maybe it’s a good time for a scotch.” She ran her fingernails through his hair in a soothing action that seemed utterly in character for her. Then the woman of his dreams sashayed her way across the hotel room. He didn’t need scotch. He just needed to watch her walk back across the room again. Maybe in slow motion for the part of his brain still trying to keep up. She was gorgeous. He was a lucky bastard. His barn was on fire.
“Do you know what started the fire?” Rick finally said into the phone.
“It probably has to do with the Christmas lights that were trampled into the snow. You should probably come home before Jonah gets here to take his report. I’m not sticking around to do it.”
“You mean…?”
Diego took a long, serious breath. “The Santa Moose just cockblocked you.” Then Diego hung up on him.
Chapter 10
Lana had gotten out of bed when a light knock came to her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and honestly, those who would have come to see her would have texted or called first.
Except maybe Zoey. Zoey had free rein on intruding unexpectedly anytime she wanted. As Lana’s best friend, she’d earned that right.
But it wasn’t Zoey—it was Rick. And she was not anywhere close to her normal state of affairs for him to be seeing her.
“Rick?” Lana called through the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought you a surprise. I know it’s early, but I wanted to catch you before you got tied up working today.”
She peered through the eye hole but could only see Rick standing there, not whatever he had in his arms. That was squashed to the side, deliberately held out of sight. “No peeking, gorgeous,” he added.
Glancing at her reflection in the entry mirror, Lana cringed. Why hadn’t he shown up thirty minutes later, when she’d at least put herself into some semblance of respectability? Her hesitation must have given him the wrong impression of his welcome, because he coughed, sounding uncomfortable.