“Gotta start somewhere.” He hardened his heart against her distress, then took a drink and set the mug aside to reach for the list. Picking up a pen, he held it poised to write. “Who else can we add that would know about your ex-fiancé? Give me every name you can think of.”
She listed a handful of people, thought a moment, and named a few more.
“Any of the guys ask you out this summer, or even last summer? Maybe show interest beyond being friends?”
“Kelly. Joe from Circle C asked me out last year.” She paused, then shrugged with obvious reluctance. “Mitch. But he’s only joking when he does it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. Everyone knows how I feel about summer flings.”
And then he’d showed up and pushed. Kissed her at the bar. Couldn’t stay away. His presence seemed to be the trigger, not her.
Shoving aside the guilt, he thought out loud. “Mitch seemed to check out for the poaching incidents, but with his background, maybe I’ll have Aaron bring him in for questioning. I’ll have him talk to Joe Hastings, too.”
Brittany frowned and extended her arms to set the mug on the table. She stayed like that, staring at the liquid inside before looking up. “It was nice before.”
He looked up, but didn’t say anything, not sure where she was going with the comment.
“Talking about normal things. Like all this wasn’t going on.” She waved a hand at the files covering most of the table’s surface.
“It was,” he agreed quietly.
She stood and made her way to his side of the table. Joel sat back so he could look up at her. Something had changed from one breath to the next. He felt it in the energy vibrating in the air around them. Saw it in her eyes as she stood next to him.
His heart rate kicked up a notch, then skyrocketed when she placed one hand on his shoulder and swung a leg over to straddle his lap. He automatically grasped her hips as her weight settled so close to his groin, but fought against pulling her closer. His newly acknowledged feelings only added to his dilemma.
“It’s late,” she whispered. “And tomorrow’s going to come soon enough. Can’t we just forget it all for tonight?”
That soft, breathless voice twisted his insides and turned him on all at once. Aw, hell, he’d been turned on before she even opened her mouth. He stared at her wet, glistening lips and thought about what she might do to him with that mouth. What he’d do to her with his.
His grip tightened on her hips. “I think you know I’d have no problem doing exactly that, Brittany.” And if she didn’t, the erection throbbing against her inner thigh should be proof enough.
Her smile confirmed she did know, and those emerald eyes locked with his, so full of invitation his stomach clenched with need.
He forced the next words from a mouth gone dry with anticipation. “But you’re forgetting one thing.”
“What?”
“I also know how you feel about summer flings.”
Chapter 30
He would never be a fling. Right now, she was only certain of two things: life was full of uncertainty, and she loved the man fighting with every fiber of his being not to be seduced by her because he thought she would later regret it.
Tell him.
Her heart thumped in her chest. No, she couldn’t do that. If honor made him resist sleeping with her, a declaration of love would make him bolt for the door. Not only did she not want to end up in an undignified heap on the floor, but she was running out of time. Tonight, she’d take whatever he would give her and deal with the rest later.
Summoning another smile, she tilted her head. “Still think you know what’s best for me, Joel?”
His gaze faltered, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. She leaned forward, increasing the pressure of her hips against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Anticipation built. Their breathing became one; shallow, hot, wanting.
With her mouth a breath away from his, she stared into his eyes and declared, “I swear, the only way I’d have regret in the morning is if you don’t carry me to that bed and make love to me right now.”
Before the melodramatic words could repeat in her head and undermine her confidence, she leaned in the rest of the way and kissed him until he surrendered with a groan that sounded like it rumbled from the very depths of his soul.
In a heartbeat, he had her in his arms and strode across the room. One detour secured a couple of condoms from his bag, then he set her to kneel on the bed while he stood alongside it. Without breaking the kiss, he unzipped her sweatshirt and peeled it off. She heard the zipper clunk against the wood floor a second before his hands skimmed back up her arms, his warm touch a sensuous glide against her sensitive skin.