Light Her Fire (Private Pleasures 2)

And her heart—the one that hadn’t learned an ounce of caution after all this time—built all sorts of nonsense out of his choosing to sleep in her bed instead of going home. He came for the second half of the cheerleading show and ran out of steam. Nothing more.

“Melody?”

“Hmm?”

“Whatever happens, I’m here for you. You know that, don’t you?”

“I do. But thanks for reminding me.”

“Any time. Do you think you could be happy with Josh?”

She thought about how she’d crawled into bed last night, and he’d murmured in his sleep and pulled her close. She’d drifted off with the heat of his body pressed to her back and his arms around her, and dreamed of a white cottage. But what had he dreamed about? Someplace far away from Bluelick? She swallowed the uncomfortable tightness in her throat. “I don’t know.”

…

Her words echoed in her mind days later as she watched Josh come around the front of the Yukon to help her out. She smoothed the skirt of her little black dress into place and plastered a smile on her face, hoping the headache and nausea that had swum into her system during the drive to Cincinnati didn’t show. Mostly because she still hadn’t told him she might be pregnant. She couldn’t seem to find the right moment. He’d spent the last few days riding the sheriff’s department and the lab, pushing people to move aggressively on investigating the fire at the high school. She’d thought about telling him tonight, but nixed the idea when he arrived at her door looking more happy and relaxed than she’d seen him in days. He deserved this—a fun night out with his friends.

Unfortunately, the last half hour of stop-and-go traffic had nearly done her in. How did people suffer it on a daily basis? Before she could contemplate an answer, the passenger door swung open, and Josh offered her his hand.

She took it and slid out of the truck. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He looked tall and broad and unfairly handsome in his dark suit. When he’d arrived at her doorstep, she realized she’d never seen him in a suit before—and she’d been missing out. She drew in a breath and, stalling for time to settle her stomach, asked, “Do you like my dress?”

He closed the passenger door and took a long, unhurried inspection of her in the short black cocktail dress. Then he backed her up against the truck until her breasts rested against his chest and the weight of his erection pressed warm and solid against her middle. “Does this answer your question?”

Heat settled between her legs, providing an instant cure for her headache and upset stomach. Maybe she was just carsick? “Yes, I believe it does.”

“We could skip the party.”

He was joking, of course, but a part of her wanted to take him up on his suggestion. She wasn’t much in the mood to meet a bunch of strangers. Still, she shook her head. “No way. We drove a long way to attend this shindig. Besides, tonight is my chance to get the dirt on you from your former coworkers.”

“They’ve been sworn to secrecy.” His expression sobered. He ran a finger along her jaw and gave her an assessing look. “You’re pale.”

“I felt a little carsick on the way here, but it’s backing off now that I’m on solid ground.”

“I thought you seemed distracted during the drive. You should have said something.”

She shrugged and gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile. Distracted didn’t begin to describe her state of mind. Ellie had called the lab earlier in the afternoon to prod them for the pregnancy test results, only to be informed they wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow. Pretending everything was normal felt next to impossible.

“Are you sure you’re up to this?”

He’d been looking forward to tonight all week, and here he was, offering to forgo his chance to see his old crew, his friends, and his mentor, just because she was feeling a bit off. Sacrifice, a voice inside her whispered. It’s what people in relationships did, and he offered his up without hesitation. She battled back a strong temptation to take him up on the offer. Not because she felt ill, but because doing so allowed her to avoid the other worry plaguing her mind. Other than his lingering complaints about Buchanan, Josh had seemed content with Bluelick. Would the reminders of his past dislodge the newfound contentment and reaffirm his determination to leave Bluelick for a more action-packed destination when the opportunity arose? Perhaps even hasten his efforts to find the next oppo

rtunity?

“Bluelick?”

He stared down at her with genuine concern, and she couldn’t let him do it. Sacrifice, the voice in her head repeated. It won’t kill you to smile, suck it up, and let him enjoy the evening.

“I’m looking forward to tonight. Come on.” She took his hand. “Let’s party.”

Chapter Seventeen

Josh tucked Melody’s hand into the crook of his arm and walked with her toward Strattons. The bar’s familiar carved-wood-and-brass-handled doors separated them from a whole slew of people he’d lived and worked with for years, and hadn’t seen in months. Yet anticipation for the reunion remained strangely elusive. He put his less-than-festive mood down to the long drive from Bluelick to Cincinnati, made more challenging by evening gridlock once they’d reached the city. He didn’t remember traffic being so bad, but then again, he hadn’t dealt with any in months. Crowded roads were a nonissue in Bluelick.

He held the door and ushered Melody into the bar. Loud, dimly lit, and packed with people, it was an immediate assault on the senses. The scents of perfume and beer battled for dominance. They’d barely cleared the threshold when a voice boomed, “Josh!” and a hand clapped his back.