She froze. What was she doing? Her sister’s husband had just died. What must he think of her? She lunged for the passenger door.
“Wait,” he said, grabbing her arm. “Where are you going?”
“It’s okay. If you don’t want this—”
“Hold on.” He pulled her back inside. “I didn’t say that.” He took a deep breath. “There isn’t anything I want more.”
“Why did you stop, then?”
“Let’s get something straight right now. It isn’t because I don’t want you.”
She watched his mouth as he spoke. She wanted him to stop talking and kiss her instead.
“You gotta stop looking at me like that.”
She closed her eyes. If he didn’t have an iron grip on her, she’d try to scoot away again. She shifted to see if he would let her go.
“Blythe. Please. Stop moving, baby. Sit still for a minute. I’m trying to talk to you.”
“Since when do you want to talk?”
Tucker started the truck but kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer. If she didn’t want him to talk, he wouldn’t.
“Tucker?”
He stopped at the end of the block, pulled the truck over, and kissed her again.
Couldn’t she feel the heat between them? How could she think he didn’t want her? But he didn’t want it like this. He wanted them to connect, to comfort each other. When his body touched hers, he wanted to know their souls were touching, too.
He put the truck back in gear.
“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me?”
He didn’t answer.
She crossed her arms in front of her. Didn’t she know what it did to her breasts when she did that?
He pulled around to the back door of the inn and parked the truck.
“Look at me,” he said. “Is this what you want, Blythe? Because, if it isn’t, you need to tell me now. If we do this, everything changes. Everything.”
Was she ready? Part of her had been ready the first time he kissed her, on the porch of Ben Rice’s house in Crested Butte. When he’d slid his hand up and cupped her breast, she’d wanted him to make love to her there and then. And later that night, on their way home from dinner, when Tucker had stopped the truck and kissed her. She’d been ready then, too.
“Blythe, answer me.”
She looked into his eyes. Yes, she was ready. She told herself Tucker and Jace confused her, that she didn’t know which of the Rice twins she wanted, but the truth was, she’d known all along. Even when they’d met and she looked into his brooding eyes, she’d known then she wanted him and no one else.
“I want this, Tucker,” she breathed.
His hand gripped her neck as his lips covered hers, taking possession of her mouth. His other hand slid up under her shirt and caressed her skin.
“Let’s go inside.” He wanted every part of her body touching his. Even when they got to the door of his room, he didn’t want to let her go. His heart pounded as adrenaline surged through his veins. He couldn’t breathe with wanting her.
He wouldn’t let go of her until he could lay his body on hers. His shoulder hit the light switch when he opened the door, and they walked inside the room.