We could only have one night.
It wasn’t such a bad idea, was it? She could purge him from her system.
Or more likely, she’d end up with one amazing night to tuck away in her heart for years to come. Something was better than nothing.
His fingers flexed on her thigh as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. A deep inhale scraped his scruff against her skin, followed by a low growl from the back of his throat. “God, you smell so damn good. What is that?”
“Peace and Calming. It’s an essential oil blend to get me through the party.”
With him, though, and her struggling to catch her breath, the oils had zero chance of being effective.
H
is body tensed against hers, and for a second, she feared he was going to pull away. But then he gave a rough sigh and nuzzled his way back to her mouth to claim her lips for another mind-muddling kiss.
Just as her mind fully surrendered to her decision, his roaming hands settled at the small of her back, and slowly, the kiss went from passionate, to sensual, to gentle and almost…apologetic.
Confusion swirled when he eased back and put distance between them. He reached up to gently pull her arms from around his neck and pressed them to her sides. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I asked you to,” she reminded. “Both times.”
His grip tightened, holding her back when she tried to move closer. “And both times you were vulnerable. The other night you were drunk. Now you’re still dealing with the emotional aftermath of the fire.”
She frowned at his words. “I’m one hundred percent sober right now, Loyal. I know what I want. Who I want.”
His nostrils flared and his fingers flexed, as if he was fighting hard to keep from pulling her close again. “Damn it, Roxanna, I don’t do relationships. And I’m not stupid enough to have a one night stand with my brother’s best friend.”
No matter how much he wanted to. Even though she couldn’t read him psychically, she could see the hunger in his eyes. She felt it in his grip preventing her from moving close to press against his chest. It was clear he wanted her, but short of getting down on her knees to beg—
She flicked a glance at the bulge below his belt.
No. No begging.
She wasn’t that desperate for love.
Her stomach bottomed out. She wasn’t that desperate for sex. No one was talking love here.
Sex is off the table, too, so…
Feeling like a pathetic idiot, Roxanna held her chin up as she backed away. His hands clung for a moment before he let go.
“You’re right,” she said stiffly. “You’ve barely been civil for five minutes, so clearly, I’m not thinking straight.”
She turned away to open her door and fumbled for the handle as a burning sensation pricked her eyelids.
Don’t you dare cry.
Loyal caught her arm and spun her back around. She gasped in surprise when he braced a hand on either side of her, trapping her against the Jeep as he leaned close.
“I told you I wasn’t going to be a jerk anymore, so don’t make it sound like I’m being one now.”
Chest tight with remorse, she stared at his chin. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“You know why I said no,” he accused.
She nodded, the force of her pounding heart making it impossible to speak.
As they stood there, his heat burned through her leather suit from head to toe. She lifted her lashes, and her breath caught in her chest when his fiery gaze locked with hers. Time suspended as a whirlwind of conflicting emotions seethed between them.