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Crush, Vic? Just lust? You honestly think this is what this is about?
She forced herself to look at him. In for a penny, in for a damn ton, right? He still needed her help, and she’d committed herself to this insane plan. She wouldn’t back out now. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” After all, she knew firsthand that no relationship was permanent.
His shoulders visibly slumped with relief as he gathered her hands in his and lifted them to his mouth. “Yes, we will. Thank you.” He gave her a fleeting smile while she reeled from his latest verbal surprise. Thank you? Those two words rarely passed his lips. “If you want to see the house now…”
The tour, if it could be called that, lasted under ten minutes. As much as she adored the huge, open floor plan and each of the homey rooms—she had to do a lot of imagining about how they’d once been decorated, since most of the house was in stages of packing—she concentrated more on avoiding making eye contact with Cory than looking around. She just couldn’t take a chance on him seeing more on her face than she intended. He was incredibly perceptive when he wasn’t in denial, and she definitely didn’t have her shields in place.
“And this is my old room.” He splayed his hand wide on the door. “It’s a guest room now, but there was some stuff Mom didn’t want to part with.”
“She’ll have to soon.” Half-filled boxes lined one wall, but not too much had been done in there yet. She glanced from the bulletin board filled with ticket stubs and yellowed pictures to the glow-in-the-dark galaxy on the ceiling. Her lips curved as she pictured Cory lying in bed studying the blue-and-green planets when other guys were checking out Cindy Crawford. He was such a lovable nerd—or he could be, if he didn’t keep finding ways to put up blockades between them whenever they made progress.
Tonight’s roadblock was an all-new variation, she had to give him that. How many women could say that their man’s declaration of love had driven them further apart?
“She tried to give me the solar system.” He smiled faintly. “Don’t think it goes with the decor in my place.”
“I’ll take it.”
She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until his sharp tone snapped her back. “Why would you want it?”
Because it was yours. Because it will remind me of you.
“You know I’m into astronomy, too,” she said, hoping he’d just leave it alone.
“I’d never guessed before last week.” He brushed the back of his knuckles over her cheek and her pulse sped up. “Clearly there are a lot of things I don’t know about you.”
She shrugged. “Open book, babe.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. “Did you really want me to tie you up?”
She darted a glance into the hall, though she knew Dillon had headed out to the hospital and Cory’s parents were still in the kitchen. It just felt weird to discuss bondage in his childhood bedroom. “I don’t do things I don’t want to do.”
“So you’d be open to trying more.”
Yes. After the barn, she didn’t have any hesitation about trying anything with him. But one thing she did hesitate on? Telling him the whole truth and nothing but. He had enough weapons to wield against her already. And he was pretending to love her, which felt like the biggest one of all.
Taking her time, she sipped the last of her cider and eyed him over the rim. He’d sucked his down so fast. And she’d just bet he tasted like apples and spice and everything nice.
“That depends.”
He blotted up a dab of cider on her chin before sucking it off his thumb. From the sizzling expression in his eyes, he was imagining tasting something else entirely. “On what?”
Heat quickened between her thighs. “What, exactly, do you want to do to me?”
“Oh, Victoria. You have no idea.” A jolt of longing surged through her as he kissed her temple. “It’s getting late. We should go.”
She nodded before she could ask him what he’d meant or worse, beg him to spend the night. He’d likely refuse her in both cases. After his kitchen declaration, it was probably just as well they get some space from each other. “In a hurry to dump me off, huh?”
She’d sort of been joking, but his eyes cooled as if she’d hit too close to home. “Finish your cider,” he said, stepping from the room.
When she returned downstairs, she could hear Cory’s low voice mingling with his mother’s down the hall. Corinne probably expected her to come and say good night, but she just couldn’t do it.
Feeling utterly alone, she went out to wait for him in his car. She’d resume the acting job of her life tomorrow.
She expected him to drive her back to her house and that to be it. Instead he came inside and she poured them both glasses of wine. She had absolutely no clue why he’d wanted to come in. To turn the screws some more? Perhaps to suggest some household items he could use as binding agents?
Goddammit, she hated him sometimes.
Once they were settled in the living room, he stretched his arm along the back of the sofa, eyeing her silently for so long that her skin crawled with nerves. “Why do you dislike the holidays?”
