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“Right now.” She leaned into his touch. Her eyes closed. “I am, too. Very happy.”
He took a steadying breath. Every detail of her face captivated him. Her pink mouth, her soft skin…
Could he tell her he loved her? Should he?
Last time he’d said those words…
He couldn’t think of Nicole. She was out of his life, and it was time he left her where she belonged.
In the past.
He pressed a soft kiss to the peak of her chin. She was his present—and his future. And right now…
No. Not yet. He pulled back, staring down into her eyes. “Ready to go to dinner?”
Chapter Fifteen
Dinner was the last thing on Brianna’s mind.
By the time they finished eating, all she could think about was Thomas. Thomas in Vegas. Thomas in California. Thomas naked in her bed. But mostly, Thomas not leaving.
He had insinuated he might be open to staying in Vegas, but she hadn’t opened her mouth and told him she would like that very much. Hadn’t said a word about it. What if she asked him to stay, and he later resented her for keeping him away from his family? What if they didn’t work out and he ended up stuck in a city he hated, working with an ex he could no longer stand?
Okay, she needed to stop thinking so much. And she knew the perfect way to accomplish that. She needed to kiss Thomas. That would wipe all the worries and doubts away. Every time his fingers brushed hers, or his knee glided along her thigh, the heavy pressure inside her grew. By the time they finished eating, Thai cuisine at a lovely restaurant a few miles from his hotel, she was boiling. She didn’t know how much more she could take.
He’d said they could take it slow. Just relax. The hell with that. She needed him too much. They’d been dating for a while now with only kisses and grade-school caresses to show for it. Part of that was her own fault, she knew. She’d been so hesitant. So uncertain of whether or not she was ready.
She was more than ready. She was aching.
Thomas had been respectful and kind, but the time had come for something more. He pulled the truck into the hotel parking lot. She stole a peek at him. His jaw was taut, and his fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly the tendons stood out sharply against his skin. She knew he wanted her. She didn’t need a magic ball to figure it out. She also knew he was brimming over the edges with anxiety.
She cleared her throat. “Ready to go in?”
“Right. Of course.” He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, not looking at her. “Yeah. But we need to—”
“Thomas.” She rested her hand on his thigh. Her fingers trailed up, tracing the hard, tense bunching of muscle beneath his slacks. “Relax.”
He went very still. His gaze dropped to her hand, following it with an almost unnerving intensity. Slowly, he nodded. “Let’s go.”
She followed him from the truck into the hotel, never taking her eyes from him. His slacks did fabulous things to his rear end, and that was only the start. The moment they were inside, she thought, she’d probably climb him like a tree. She pictured herself clawing up his leg like a kitten and couldn’t help a sudden laugh. God, he’d probably look at her like she was crazy. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her nervous giggles.
He stiffened and looked over his shoulder. “Did I do something funny?”
She shook her head. “No, I just had a random thought. It was silly.”
He looked at her, tense, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. She faltered… Why was he—oh. Oh. Of course. He was flashing back to another time with another woman. Brianna exhaled and stepped closer, resting her hand on his arm.
“I’m not Nicole,” she murmured. “I’d never laugh at you like that. I was laughing at myself.”
“Why?” he asked after a long, hesitant moment.
“I. Um.” She averted her eyes and shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Oh.”
Oh, God. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples. “I was thinking I’d like to touch your butt.”
He choked on a laugh. “What?”
