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“Well, you came close.” She hopped off the stage and followed him, as if unwilling to end their physical closeness.
“You didn’t ask for that,” he said, not sure whether to laugh at her determined expression, or groan at his own weakness, which urged him to drop to the nearest chair and pull her down on top of him. “You asked what you’d said on stage that night.”
As understanding washed over her, the color fell from her cheeks and her mouth opened in dismay. That finally got her to stop her pursuit. “I said all those things?”
“And more.”
“That’s…why you said them to me? You didn’t mean it?”
He steeled himself against the hint of hurt in her voice, telling himself she’d only gotten what she’d asked for. But still feeling like an ass for giving it to her the way he had. “Look, I’m sorry. I should have just come right out and told you what you said when you were hypnotized.”
She met his eyes, hers bright and moist, then looked away and lifted a hand to her brow. “My God, no wonder everyone was looking at me like I was a sex addict.”
If the townspeople had seen her three minutes ago, they would have concluded she was a sex goddess. Though he suspected she could become addictive. Which was why he needed to get out of there before he did something stupid, such as dragging her by the hair to his camper and doing her all night long.
Well, why not?
Because, he reminded himself, she was dangerous. Trouble. She was also a coward—having to be hypnotized before admitting what she wanted, and not having the guts to act on it. Plus, judging by the way he hadn’t been able to drive her out of his brain in the past few weeks, she was already someone to whom he could be too susceptible. He needed to get back in the saddle—not tangled up in any kind of relationship. His heart could end up crushed just when it had finally started to heal. Falling for the wrong woman could be as dangerous as letting himself care too much about a kid again whose fate he couldn’t control.
His decision made, he still wondered if he’d really be able to walk out on her. He still gave it his best shot, heading toward the exit. And though he heard her softly call his name, he somehow managed to walk out into the night and leave her behind.
IT TOOK ALLIE a good ten minutes to pull herself together enough to leave the tent. Not only did she have to bring herself back under control sexually—since she’d practically been a walking orgasm a little while ago—but also emotionally, because Damon’s rejection had hurt. A lot.
She’d blatantly offered herself to him and he’d walked out. But isn’t that exactly what he thought you did to him two weeks ago?
Yeah, he might see it that way. After all, she’d only mumbled an “I’m sorry” tonight, not any explanation. At the time, she’d been convinced it didn’t matter, that he didn’t want her and had moved on. Now, though, she knew better. He wanted her, all right, despite what he said. He was letting his anger and hurt pride determine his actions.
She needed to tell him the truth. Now.
Frankly, though, she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to do it to his face and risk getting tossed out on her butt. Reject me once, shame on you…reject me twice, I might just shoot myself.
Reaching into her purse, she grabbed an old receipt and scratched a quick note on the back of it. It was simple, to the point: “I have a ten-month old son. The night I was supposed to meet you, my babysitter called to tell me she’d taken him to the E.R. That’s why I didn’t come. I’m sorry.”
At the bottom, she scrawled one more thing—her cell phone number, then crammed in the letter A; it was all the signature she had room for. Hopefully, Damon wasn’t the kind of man to immediately be turned off by a woman with a child. If he was…well, better that she find out now, anyway.
Exiting the tent, she made her way through the fair, which was shutting down for the night. A few last, thrill-seeking kids were getting their stomachs turned inside out on the Volcano ride, and some weary-looking parents were dragging their high-on-candy-apple kids toward the parking lot. Most of the games were closed and dark, the concession stands offering late-night specials on popcorn that would be stale in the morning.
Searching for the mobile homes where the performers and workers slept, Allie soon found them on the other side of the grounds. The long line of vehicles backed up to the dunes, close enough to the beach that she could hear the lapping of the waves over the sounds of soft laughter and conversation. She had no idea which camper was Damon’s but planned to ask someone.
As she cut between the first camper and a tractor trailer painted with bizarre images of sideshow oddities, a short, dark-haired man emerged from the darkness ahead of her. “Oh, jeez,” she muttered, immediately clutching her chest in surprise.
“Sorry, lady, didn’t know anybody was back here. Fair’s closed, though, and this area’s for cast and crew only.”
Stepping out of the shadows, into an open area lit by a string of lights, she took stock of the man. He wasn’t tall, had thick, black hair, and an elvish face with deep dimples. Not exactly threatening. “I’m looking for Damon Cole’s trailer.”
The man’s brow shot up. “Why?”
Lord, this was embarrassing. She felt like a school-girl passing a note in class. Do you like me, yes or no? As tempting as it was, she would not compound the feeling by asking this guy to deliver it for her. “I just need to tell him something.”
He frowned. “Why don’t you tell me, and I’ll let him know?”
“Look, I’m not some stalker. Damon and I met a few weeks ago in Pennsylvania. I wanted to tell him…to let him know…”
A huge grin appeared. “Are you the broad from Trouble?”
Broad. Not a word she’d ever heard in connection with herself. But the guy looked as if he might be inclined to help her, so she wasn’t about to argue with him. “Yes. I’m Allie.”
“I’ll be damned.” That grin never fading, a sparkle appeared in his eyes. His violet eyes.
