She forced another smile. “Which is exactly why you’re no good for me.”
His gaze locked with hers, and from one breath to the next, time stood still.
One night.
Just one, and then I can move on.
The heat rising in her body made the cat suit nearly unbearable. Her fingers twitched with the urge to unzip and let the cool night air in.
Approaching voices shattered the moment. As they both looked away, Loyal rose to his feet and stepped over the bench in a fluid motion.
“Come on. I’ll walk you up to the house.”
Roxanna rose as well, and the heels of her boots put her al
most at eye level with his six-foot-two frame. “I think I’m going to go home. If I go up there now, I’ll feel obligated to do readings, and I’m not up for it emotionally.”
She half-expected a snide comment, or even a mocking glance at the very least.
But he made good on his promise by simply nodding. “I’ll walk you to your car then. I’m leaving, too.”
Nice Loyal was dangerous on a whole new level. She couldn’t use defensive anger to keep him at a distance. Physically, or emotionally.
As they walked, she kept circling back to his one night comment. Wanton energy built deep in her core with each step. When the two of them reached her Jeep, she turned around to find him right behind her. Not so close that he invaded her personal space, but enough for her to consider closing the distance to plaster her leather against his spandex.
The thought almost made her laugh. Never in a million years would she have expected to see him in spandex and a cape. He was usually way too buttoned up in his suits and vests.
Lo and behold, he wasn’t uptight or judgmental tonight, and she liked the hell out of him.
That did make her smile.
He smiled back as he said, “I’m glad we ran into each other tonight.”
“Me, too.”
His attention flicked down to her mouth before those dark eyes met hers for a heart-stopping moment. Her smile faded at the same time as his.
A frown creased his brow for a millisecond, and then he backed up a step and cleared his throat. “Drive safely.”
Roxanna swallowed hard when he started to turn away, her heart racing as she impulsively called him back. “Loyal.”
He swung back immediately, but didn’t speak. His heated gaze raked down the length of her cat suit, leaving her breathless all over again.
“I think I remember something else from the other night.”
“What’s that?”
She stared at his full bottom lip. God, she wanted his mouth on hers again. So bad. Bad enough to say something that would probably make her sound like an idiot. “You’re a good kisser.”
One corner of his mouth tugged up with his soft snort. “Hate to tell you, but you would have thought a horse was a good kisser that night.”
At the reminder of how drunk she’d been, she lifted her gaze to quip, “Or a horse’s ass.” His low, rich laugh sent another wave of heat coursing through her while she tilted her head. “Are you saying I only imagined it was good?”
“No, I’m good.” He cut the distance between them in half. “In fact, I’m exceptionally good, but you were so tippy I don’t think your memory of that kiss should be what you base your judgment on.”
There was that self-confidence she found so darn sexy even as she corrected, “You mean tipsy.”
He grinned. “You assured me the word was tippy. I believed you when you almost fell on your face.”