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“Oh, so you wouldn’t even kick me out of bed?” I asked, raising my eyebrow. She opened her mouth to fire back at me, but closed it, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Almost got me.”
“I’m not hearing a ‘yes’. Now’s your chance, anyway. I’ve hardly unpacked. It could be a nice ego boost to kick your ex out on the curb in the middle of winter.”
“Careful, you’re starting to sound convincing,” she replied in a low tone, and her eyes were lidded. I shot her a smirk before turning around and striding to the fireplace at the far end of the room. I slipped my jacket off and tossed it aside before rolling my sleeves up and kneeling down to get the fire started.
“If you kick me out, though, you’ll have to step away from this nice, warm fireplace for a few minutes,” I played along, “and that doesn’t sound very relaxing at all.”
She peered at me suspiciously for a moment as I picked up my wine glass again and took a seat on the couch by the fire, leaving room for her to come over.
“What’s that look for? Afraid I’m going to steal the towels or something?”
“No, but you’re not exactly innocent, either,” she pointed out.
Our gazes were locked on each other for a few long moments, sizing each other up, a smug smile on my face and a challenging one on hers. Now I was really remembering why Haley drove me wild. There was something about her spirit in any circumstances that could bring out a certain fire in her that I adored.
“It’s been a while, Haley,” I rumbled in a low tone. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to know what I’m like after all these years.” I arched an eyebrow. “I’m dying to see how you have.”
A blush came across her face, and I watched her take another deep drink of her wine before she finally slipped out of her shoes and made her way across the room to the couch and sat down next to me.
I watched her every movement as she did, from the way her eyes moved over my figure as she approached to the way she folded her legs up under her when she sat down, leaning her elbow on the back of the couch while swirling the wine glass around thoughtfully, peering at me.
“Just what are you doing, Chase?” she asked, her low enough that it almost melded with the sound of the crackling fire.
“I was going to ask you the same thing, but I think the answer for both of us is ‘just catching up.’”
That made her smile.
“Is that what we’re calling it? Catching up?” There was a challenge in her voice. She always did love stoking the fire ever so subtly.
“Unless you make a habit of joining every suite guest in his room for wine by the fireplace,” I retorted, finishing my wine and setting the glass down. “And if that’s the case, I might have to visit here a lot more often.”
There was some mirth behind her embarrassed smile, and she turned her head to hide the color I knew she felt in her cheeks.
I didn’t hesitate. I reached over and touched her chin with my thumb and forefinger, gently turning her face back toward me. She looked at me with knowing eyes, and for just a few moments, I could see the battle raging in her mind over whether to pull away from me. I could practically feel her heart pounding.
“I missed this,” I admitted.
“What, touching my face, or getting me to make bad decisions?” she whispered.
I paused. “A little of both,” I decided.
It would have been the easiest thing in the world for her to just spit back in my face that I shouldn’t have left her. She wouldn’t be wrong. I was even surprised by how brazen I was being, cons
idering our history.
But Haley was still Haley after all this time, and overworked as she was, I was being sincere when I told her she needed this.
“I think I like your idea of catching up, then,” she finally conceded. “Just for one night.”
“Just for one night,” I repeated in a husky tone, and I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to hers.
She was surprised, despite everything, and as I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck, her black hair brushing through my fingers, I felt her sigh into the kiss, even with her heart in her throat.
Years melted away while I held us pressed together, my body looming over her small frame, pressing into it. I gently took her wine glass from her hand and set it aside, and she let it go as if she was in a trance.
I had her.
