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He thought they’d come to an und
erstanding a week ago, that the sex had been awesome but could never be more than that. But he’d decided in the last week – as long as they knew the limitations, which they had both agreed on – that still left some room to manoeuvre.
Stepping closer, he placed his palms on the wall on either side of her hips, effectively caging her in, while also shielding them both from any inquisitive passers-by. Time to test his theory. That he hadn’t been wrong about their chemistry. If she wasn’t interested, he’d back off.
Her chin popped out, her darting gaze landing squarely on his face, at last.
‘Luke, what are you doing?’ she said, a little breathless, but he could see the delightful pink flags waving on her cheeks.
‘Kissing you?’ he murmured, dipping his head.
He took it slow, so she could stop him if she wanted to, but she didn’t move, didn’t evade him, and his lips arrived at their destination without a hitch.
A gasp came out of her mouth, but then her body softened against his.
He explored, in leisurely strokes, enjoying her murmurs of encouragement as she let him lead their dance.
He broke away, and drew back, before things got out of control again. His own cheeks heated.
Well, that sure as hell settles that.
She was staring at him, her eyes dazed, her breathing thready. He basked in her reaction, while getting his own breathing back under control.
‘Have you been avoiding me?’ he asked.
So what if it made him sound needy? He was needy. One hook-up hadn’t been enough to satisfy this hunger. And from the eagerness of the kiss they’d just shared, and the way her pupils had dilated to fill her irises, and her cheeks were rocking a blush worthy of Mary Poppins in a strip joint he didn’t think she would disagree with him.
She blinked slowly, her lips pursed, but then she broke eye contact. ‘I haven’t been avoiding you,’ she said, addressing the boxes of trash from the market stalls stacked next to their feet. ‘I just … I’ve been very busy. And so have you.’
He tucked a knuckle under her chin.
‘Ruby,’ he said firmly when her gaze finally reconnected with his ‘It’s a good thing you never wanted to be an actress, because you’re a crummy liar.’ He tried not to be charmed by her guilty expression. Had he ever met a woman who was easier to read?
‘But I have been busy,’ she said.
‘You’ve also been avoiding me, admit it.’
She swallowed and the blush flared, but this time her gaze remained steady. And finally, she gave a small nod. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.’
He straightened, hating the apology, and her sincerity. And the question he was forced to ask next.
‘Things got a little weird a week ago,’ he said, suddenly feeling like a prize jerk. He hadn’t wanted things to get heavy between them, but they had, stuff had been said that couldn’t be unsaid. He didn’t want her thinking he was coming on to her again to fill an emotional hole. Because the desire he felt was a heck of a lot more basic than that. But he knew what a soft touch Ruby was, and he didn’t want her giving him a pity screw either. ‘Because of the business with my old man and Matty. But I have no expectations here. You do know that? I swear, I would never pressure you.’
The promise sounded disingenuous, at best, given the kiss he’d just initiated but he refused to regret it.
‘Oh, for … Of course I know that, Luke,’ she said, the guilty blush spreading up her neck. ‘That’s not why I’ve been avoiding you at all. In fact, it’s sort of the opposite.’
He should have been relieved, at least she wasn’t scared he was expecting something from her no man had a right to expect from any woman, but the end of her declaration didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
‘Okay, good, but you’ve lost me. How has you avoiding me got something to do with the opposite of me pressuring you?’
He frowned, because saying that out loud only made it sound like more of a mind fuck.
‘It’s just I didn’t want to pressure you into anything,’ she said, with complete conviction.
Say, what now?
‘Huh?’ was all he could manage round the lightning strike of complete astonishment. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? That she had been avoiding him because she didn’t want to take advantage of him?
