“Why you said I couldn’t come here alone.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her. But before I get the chance there’s a tap on my shoulder. “Hey Tate, I’m cutting in.”
I loosen my hold just enough to see who’s bothering me. “Willie, forget it.”
The Whiskey Whistler is Willie’s favorite hangout. When he’s not working over at the lumberyard, he’s here drinking. And usually he’s a smart man, but today must be an off day for him.
“Come on, Tate. Everyone knows you’ll be done with her by tomorrow. Give someone else a chance.”
Lakelyn gasps and tries to pull away, but my hold on her tightens. I slide my hand into hers and hold on. Only when I know she’s not going anywhere do I turn to Willie. “Willie, now I know you’ve probably already had two too many. I suggest you walk away before I do something that I’m sure you’ll feel in the morning.”
“But...”
“Get out of here, Willie,” I tell him, and finally he listens. He walks away grumbling, but I forget about him and turn back to Lakelyn.
The trust in her eyes is gone. In its place is disgust. She tries to pull her hand free. “I should probably go back to the B&B.”
“No.”
Her face transforms, and she gets even angrier. “No? What do you mean no? I want to go.”
I pull her back into my arms. “And I want to finish this dance.” And even though I shouldn’t, even though she’ll probably leave here in the next few days and completely forget all about me, I do it anyway. I lean down and brush my lips across her cheek, and when that’s not enough to satisfy the hunger that is raging inside me, I press my lips to hers. We both stop moving, and I swear I even stop breathing. Her lips were made for mine. I move against her, tasting her, and when I stroke my tongue across her bottom lip, she gasps. I take full advantage. I poke my tongue inside her mouth, and I’m sure that I’ve died and gone to heaven.
It’s like everything around us ceases to exist. Her arms come back up around my neck, and I clasp mine at the base of her back. I know she can feel my erection against her belly, but I don’t care. I couldn’t hide my reaction to her if I wanted to.
When I hear Willie laughing across the room, I finally pull my mouth away, but my hold on her stays steady. We’re both gasping for breath, almost panting, and she’s looking at me as if I could do anything right now and she’d let me.
My cock hardens even more. “Lakelyn...”
She shakes her head and lays it against my chest. She stays there, and I don’t say another word, just enjoying her in my arms. “Tate?”
“Yeah, honey?” I don’t know where the endearment comes from, but it feels right.
“That’s the second time that I’ve been told you’ll be done with me in one night. Are you a player?”
My fingers dig into her hips. How do I even explain this to her? “I’m not a player.”
She’s still not looking at me, and I miss having her eyes on me.
Her voice is soft and unsure. “I didn’t think you were... but...”
She stops, and I know what she’s thinking is bad. If she’s been warned about me twice then yeah, it’s bad. All I can do is set her straight. “I was engaged once. She broke it off and moved away. I haven’t really dated since... it’s become sort of a joke to the town that I’m never going to settle down.”
Finally she tilts her head up and rests her chin on my chest. She’s searching my eyes. “Do you love her?”
I shake my head side to side. “No, but she did a number on me...”
She’s waiting on me to continue. I know she is, and I don’t blame her, but I don’t want to get into it. How do you explain that you just weren’t good enough for someone?
She pats me on the chest. “One day you’ll tell me.”
I don’t answer because the truth is, she’ll be gone soon, and she’s not going to care anyway. “I should probably get you back. We both have to work in the morning.”
She nods and steps back. Her hand slides into mine, and I walk her out the door of the Whiskey Whistler. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in there and only had water to drink, but with Lakelyn’s hand in mine I feel more off kilter than I’ve ever felt before.
Chapter7
Lakelyn