Unexpected Chances

his hip. He laughed until his gaze fell to Holly’s hand, still enclosed in John’s grasp.

His eyes opened wide, and an uncomfortable silence fell until finally Dylan spoke. “This is the woman you’ve been seeing? The one you’ve been trying to get to settle down?” His voice sounded hoarse to Holly’s ears as he cocked his head to one side, understanding dawning.

Instinct had her pulling her hand back from John’s.

“And you’re the reason she’s been avoiding commitment. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before,” John said, sounding certain of his conclusion.

“Excuse me.” Holly interrupted the two men. “But could you both stop speaking about me like I’m not here?” She turned to John first. “Dylan has nothing to do with my feelings about commitment,” she assured him. But her queasy stomach and sweaty palms made her wonder if her words were a lie.

“I know you want to believe that, but I’m ready to move forward with you or without you.” John turned to Dylan. “How long are you in town for?”

Dylan looked as stunned as she felt as he replied, “Through Christmas, but—”

“That’s decided, then.”

“What is?” Holly asked, nothing around her making sense.

John stood up straight and pulled his coat check ticket from his pocket. “Spend the next few days with Dylan or alone with your own thoughts—I don’t care which. But deal with the past and decide what you want for your future.”

Holly blinked. “Can someone please tell me when I lost control of my life?”

“Oh, about the time this guy took off for Hollywood.” John reached out and squeezed her hand tight. “I care about you, and I want what makes you happy. But I want to be happy, too, so let’s both agree to use these few days wisely, okay?”

She had thought she would walk in here tonight, take one look at John, who was ready to give her a future, take one look at Dylan, who’d caused her nothing but pain, and be ready to ride off into the sunset with John. Well, her thinking had been naïve in the extreme, because Dylan wreaked a kind of havoc on her body and soul that she couldn’t explain or understand. He promised nothing, and yet she couldn’t give herself completely to any other man.

She had to take this time with him now. Knowing John had understood that even before she had, she nodded. “Okay.”

To her shock, John turned and shook Dylan’s hand, then kissed Holly on the cheek, not on the lips. Not, she noticed, like a man staking his claim or giving her something to remember him by as she weighed her options. But, then, she and John had always been about companionship and caring, not all-consuming love and desire. Wasn’t that what made him the perfect choice for her future?

Dylan’s return was temporary, and he certainly wasn’t offering forever. They barely knew each other anymore. Yet she felt like she still did know him. So even if the likelihood was that he’d leave for L.A. and her heart would be broken once more, she needed closure. Once again, something John had understood before she had.

“Well, well, that certainly was interesting.” Dylan watched John’s retreating back. “I had no idea you two were involved.”

His voice brought Holly back to the present. To the man who’d caused more upheaval in her life than anyone she’d ever known. “How would you know anything about me? It’s not like you kept in touch over the past decade.”

“True.” He inclined his head. “And I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for a lot of things we’ve yet to hash out. But I’m back now and plan to make up for lost time.” His eyes glittered with determined fire.

The same fire she’d bet kept him stoked and primed as he’d quickly climbed through the ranks in Hollywood. Holly shivered. “What makes you think I want the same thing?”

He shook his head and let out a low, chiding sound, but his lips were turned upward in a grin. “Don’t make me kiss you senseless in front of this crowd just to prove a point.” He leaned in closer, his roughened cheek against hers, making her skin tingle. “Because when I kiss you again, and you can be sure I will, we’re going to be alone, where I can take my time and go oh so slow and deep.” His husky voice rumbled over the last two words.

Her breath caught in her throat, and her own vivid imagination took over. She envisioned his lips covering hers, his tongue thrusting inside her open mouth while his body made love to hers just as he’d described.

A low moan escaped her throat, but thank goodness the music was loud and their audience, though rapt, couldn’t possibly capture the subtle undercurrents running between them.

“Don’t you have a beautiful girlfriend waiting for you in L.A.?” she asked, wondering why he was bothering with seductive come-ons with her.

“Nope.” His serious blue-eyed gaze met hers.

“The papers said—”

“The first thing you’re going to need to learn is that you should never ever believe anything you read in the papers, respectable publication or otherwise. Always confirm the story with me first, or better yet, trust your gut.”

“You talk like you’re going to be around long enough for it to matter. It doesn’t. I’m sorry I even brought up the subject.”

“No, you aren’t, and neither am I. I want you to know everything about me now, just like I intend to learn everything about you. But first, I want that dance you promised me.”

“I never—”