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“I had other reasons for ending that marriage.”
“You mean besides being tricked into it, losing your baby and being stuck with a hard-partying wife?”
“I’d met someone else.”
Hailey’s world tilted again, and she narrowed her eyes. “You cheated?”
“No, I’d just met this woman. There was nothing between us—then—but she and Deirdre couldn’t have been more different. Deirdre represented everything I wanted to escape...and Lisette represented everything I wanted to run toward.”
“Sounds like you wanted to escape from Deirdre before you ever met Lisette, and you would’ve ended the marriage even if Lisette hadn’t made an appearance.” She traced her fingertip around the lip of the bottle. “What happened to Lisette?”
“We dated briefly and then she dumped me.”
“Uh-huh.” As if any woman would dump this man.
“What does that mean?” He cocked his head.
“My guess—” she held up her finger “—is that you felt guilty about Deirdre and made a relationship with Lisette impossible.”
“Wow.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Not only did you get me to spill my guts, you psychoanalyzed me in the process.”
She grabbed both of their bottles with one hand, dumped her beer out in the sink and placed the bottles in the recycling bin. “I figured it was about time. You came in knowing so much about me and my family.”
“Because it’s common knowledge, or at least there for the mildly curious.”
“Is that what you are? Mildly curious?”
He encircled her wrist with his fingers. “There’s nothing mild about how I’m feeling right now.”
Hailey swallowed, wishing she had the rest of that beer she’d just dumped down the drain.
He dropped her wrist and stepped back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” She pushed some hair from her overheated face. “I’m guessing all the personal questions I threw at you gave our conversation an intimate quality even though we’re...strangers.”
“Is that what you think we are? Strangers?”
“I—I mean we barely know each other. We’ve been chasing after phantoms and keys to nowhere, and when we finally have a minute to catch our breaths and the conversation turns personal, we slipped into an easy familiarity.”
“That’s a lot of words.” Joe raised his eyes to the ceiling and then focused on her like a laser, his blue gaze smoldering. “I like you, Hailey, a lot.”
“I like you, too.” She ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth. “And I appreciate...”
He sliced a hand through the air. “I don’t want you to appreciate me or be grateful or want me to be your bodyguard or your driver or your security guy.”
“Is that how you think I see you?” She plopped back down on the stool, because her knees were in danger of giving out.
“Not sure.” He brushed his knuckles against the stubble on his chin. “When you’re not thanking me, you’re outfitting me so I can be presentable for your fund-raiser.”
Hailey’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. I guess I’ve been successful at keeping you at arm’s length, then, because I’ve been trying like hell to keep my hands and my dirty thoughts to myself.”
A slow smile spread across Joe’s face, the kind of smile that made her heart do jumping jacks.
“Dirty thoughts, huh? Like what?”
She reached across the counter and grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling him toward her. When they were nose to nose and she could see the faint freckles on his forehead, she said, “These thoughts are better expressed across a pillow.”
Joe’s nostrils flared right before he plowed his fingers through her hair, drew her close and planted his lips against hers.
The edge of the counter dug into her ribs and her toes cramped as she curled them against the tile floor, but she never wanted this kiss to end.
He broke it off way too soon and coughed. “You’re strangling me.”
She blinked. “Sorry.” She loosened her hold on his shirt and flexed her fingers.
