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Inside their terry cocoon, her arms flailed. “What?” she screeched, hitting out at Alec, though she had little leverage to do any harm. She’d been genuinely worried about the dog. Terrified, actually. “I thought Buster was in danger.”
“I know. And I let you think so.”
Fighting to get free, she continued striking Alec’s chest from beneath the towel. He took it, standing still against her ineffectual assault, his own arms still stubbornly encircling her. Eventually she ran out of energy and rested her forehead on his shoulder, breathing hard, her outrage draining away.
“Buster’s actually okay?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “You’re sure?”
“As sure as I am that Jojo and I are seriously screwed up,” he said, then inhaled a long breath. “I don’t know how I’m going to make this up to you, sugar.”
“I don’t know how you’re going to make this up to me either,” she said, indignant now. “And so you know, you are seriously screwed up.”
“Yeah.”
“Your mom’s going to kill you,” she said, glaring up at him. “I can’t wait to tell her.”
For a minute she thought he wasn’t breathing. “That would be okay with me,” he finally said in a mild voice.
“But I guess I can’t, because my rental is waiting. I’m going home tonight. Now.”
He stiffened. “I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Alec…”
“You’re starting to shiver,” he said, gathering her closer as if he could transfer his body heat to her. It was working, she could feel warmth where they were pressed against each other, breasts to chest, hips to hips. “I should take you back,” he murmured.
But he didn’t move, instead continuing to hold her, his hands stroking over her in slow caresses. Lilly ordered herself to do something besides stand like a doll in his embrace, but now that the panic was over, she found herself enervated. And the petting…that was hard to put a stop to, not when it made her feel cherished. Treasured.
It was all wrong, all of it, but right now she could only absorb every sensation.
“Don’t be mad at Jojo,” he eventually said against her ear, his hot breath causing a shiver to roll down her neck.
“Why did she make up such a thing?”
“Because of me. She wanted to give me a chance to persuade you—”
“No,” Lilly said, forcing herself to sound firm. “I explained.”
“And I heard you. So I’m only asking for a baby step. Just stay at the resort until after the party tomorrow night,” he said.
The party for which she’d bought the smokin’ dress. How she’d wanted Alec to see her in it, when she’d stood in front of the mirror at the boutique and pretended that she might have a different kind of life.
He kissed the top of her head. “That’s all. Stay for the party. I’m not asking for anything more.”
Of course, he didn’t say he wouldn’t ask for anything more later. That later he wouldn’t press her for all the things she was unable of giving or knew nothing about how to give.
As if sensing her hesitation, he cradled her face in his hands and drew it back so he could stare into her eyes. “Just this single baby step.”
For now. That hovered in the air, but she didn’t think she had the willpower to refuse him, not when he was looking at her with such tenderness.
When she sighed in defeat, he smiled. It wasn’t triumphant, but warm. And maybe a tinge relieved. The last of her resistance melted into a puddle at their feet. “Single step,” she reminded him.
He nodded. “And just think, sugar, this way you get to tattle on me to my mom.”
She gave him a stern face. “It’s not tattling, young man, if it’s a true transgression.”
Chapter 12
Walking back to the resort, Alec kept his arm around Lilly, not only to keep her warm but to keep her from getting lost again. “I couldn’t believe it when you took off like that along the beach,” he said. “Didn’t you hear me calling for you to stop?”
“No complaints, since it was your fault I was rattled in the first place.”
