Breathless Descent (Texas Hotzone 3)

“It would be cool,” Shay said, swallowing hard at the implications that she was already one of those Hotzone women. Fear gripped her throat. Fear this was too good to be true. Illogical fear she’d normally quickly decipher like a puzzle in a patient, but in herself, it was a struggle to understand. Her gaze radiated toward Caleb as it had so many times already. He was laughing at something Ryan had said, looking sexy and calm, and just watching him made her stomach flutter. She loved him. She loved him so much. More of that fear tightened in her chest.

Shay shifted her gaze from Caleb and set her napkin on the table. “I’m going to run to the ladies’ room.” She pushed to her feet and headed down toward the back corner of the restaurant.

The hallway was dark and vacant, and Shay pushed through into the single-stall restroom to find it empty. She’d barely shut the door when a knock sounded.

“Shay.” It was Caleb.

Part of her yearned for a few minutes to think, but a bigger part reveled in him following, in how he always knew something was wrong or right. Shay opened the door.

Instantly, his hands settled on her waist, and he walked her back into the restroom and shut the door. “What upset you?”

Shay’s eyes tingled—heck, her skin tingled—with the emotion that overcame her. “I knew you knew I was upset.”

His hand stroked her hair. “Talk to me, Shay.”

“I think I’m just overwhelmed,” she said, being as honest as she could be. “A week ago I couldn’t kiss you. Now, I have Jennifer and Sabrina referring to me as one of the Hotzone women.”

“Hotzone women,” he repeated and smiled. “I like it.”

She pushed away from him. “Caleb,” she continued, “don’t you see? I shouldn’t be here, involved with your friends, until we know I’m staying involved. I think I’m liking this too much. I’m confused. I want—”

He tugged her close. “What do you want, Shay? Because I want you involved in every aspect of my life. There’s no ‘maybe’ about it. A week isn’t going to change that for me, and it’s not going to change it for you.”

“Caleb,” she whispered, all that emotion welling in her chest, now stealing her voice.

“That’s not the response I’m looking for,” he said. “This is where you say you feel the same way.”

“It’s complicated, Caleb.”

“It’s not complicated for me. Either you want to be a part of my life, or you don’t.”

“So that’s it?” she asked. “If I’m not a Hotzone woman, I’m not in your life at all? What about the rest of the family?”

He stared down at her for several tension-laden seconds. His hands dropped from her sides. “Is that what you want?” he asked, ice touching his voice. “To go back to the past?” A knock sounded on the door. “Go away,” Caleb said stonily and then to Shay, he repeated, “Is that what you want?”

Panic flooded her at the realization she’d pushed him away, and she hugged him with all her might. “No. No. It’s not what I want.” She was barely holding back tears. She never cried. Shay looked up at him. He wasn’t touching her. He was just letting her hold him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m freaked out. Scared. I don’t know why, Caleb. I don’t. This week has been one of the best of my life. I want this. I want you. I…I love you.”

The magic words. He kissed her, those strong wonderful arms surrounding her, holding her close. And when he finally came up for air, he said, “Let’s get out of here.”

Before she could digest the words, he was opening the door and pulling her with him. They were back at the table in a flash, and Shay grabbed her purse, as Caleb said, “We’re calling it a night.”

“Meet you at the Hotzone tomorrow,” Shay called to Sabrina, surprised to see her holding back a smile. As if they’d all expected the fast departure.

He led her to the truck, to the driver’s side, and kissed her, a deep, searing kiss that stole her breath, before he opened the door and helped her in. Inside the truck he kept her close, searing her with a look, as he had with the kiss, and then he silently put the truck in gear. And Shay tried to cling to that kiss, to the look in his eyes, the look that said she was his world. Not to the silence that taunted her, that he had yet to tell her he loved her, too.

Suddenly, she was scared again—that he might actually love her back. She didn’t know if she was ready to embrace the “coming out” to the family that might require. No. Not might. Would require. And then there was the fear that sex was all there really was between them—the possibility that their attraction was simply a long-burning fire that needed to be fully stoked before it could be extinguished. This could all be one big mistake, a giant bag of chocolate calling her name, promising big hips and lots of hours in the gym—however, resisting the bittersweet seduction was impossible. Not when Caleb had his hand on her leg, pushing her to the edge.