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“I tried to wake you up,” Wes continued. “But you were passed out.”
She stared at him, dumbfounded. “Why didn’t you just leave me?”
“I couldn’t abandon you here, unprotected. Vulnerable to any crazed lunatic that wondered by.”
Of course not, because he always did the right thing. The responsible one who believed in his authority. And after spending years on the road with Chuck’s band, the footloose and not-so-fancy-free existence had slowly worn her down. Because, over time, she’d learned that someone had to be responsible. Someone had to ensure the bookings were made. So she’d assumed the role of manager, assuring that the bills were paid and the bus repaired. And the girl who had bolted from home looking for escape from the impossible expectations of her family had gradually learned that the free-spirited lifestyle came with a cost, too.
She stared at Wes’s face, the eyes that, at one time, had irritated her with their authoritative, no-nonsense air. Chuck would have left her sleeping, vulnerable, with a note that he’d gone on to their destination.
Blinking back the surge of gratitude, she held his sexy gaze.
“We might have made it out if we’d left right away,” he went on. “Unfortunately, we’re stuck here until the weather improves.”
She blew out a quiet breath. Hadn’t she humiliated herself enough? Was she to endure more?
“It’s only an hour commute,” she said. “I’ll take my chances on the road.”
Not that she was in any hurry to face her family.
“No, you won’t,” he said. “While you were sleeping, I called Dan. He said the roads were impassable. And I promised your brother I wouldn’t let you do anything reckless.” He paused, as if waiting for her to object—to what, she wasn’t sure. To his unilateral decision? His use of the word reckless? Evie worked hard to keep the embarrassment from showing on her face. “As soon as I heard the news,” he said, “I got us the last hotel room within walking distance.”
If he’d been anyone else Evie would’ve suspected a lead-up to a seduction. With Wes, she was as safe as they came.
And after a brief moment of reflection, she felt a piercing pain of disappointment.
Wes stood, towering over her—she’d forgotten how tall he was. “Tomorrow is going to be a busy day at work,” he said. “And now that you’re awake, I’d really like to get to the room.”
The potentially suggestive words skittered across her senses like a caress. Ignoring the surprising pulse of awareness, she studied him closely. For the first time she noted the fatigue in his eyes. Obviously his New Year’s Eve celebration had ended late. If he hadn’t felt the need to stand guard over her, he would be sleeping in his own bed about now.
Guilt hit hard. He wouldn’t let her risk braving the storm to get home, and the longer she resisted the longer he had to wait to catch some sleep. With a sigh, she stood and tossed her cup in the trash, glad the coffee and rest had cured most of her hangover.
“Okay, let’s go,” she said. “If I attempted the commute, you’d feel obligated to follow, just to make sure I arrived safely.”
And the thought briefly warmed her heart.
“True,” he said slowly. He tipped his head. “But that wouldn’t have stopped you before.”
Those gorgeous hazel eyes studied her for moment, as if seeing her in a new light. She was certainly seeing him differently, with his ruffled hair and fine, powerful physique. But, after all these years, it appeared their first encounter hadn’t left him with the best of impressions. Normally her fear of flying would have been easier to handle. Unfortunately, after her recent run of bad luck, a plane crash had seemed a very real possibility.
“Don’t be too impressed,” she said, biting back a cynical smile. “After my recent string of catastrophes, I figured we both would have wound up dead in a snow-filled ditch somewhere.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to be extra careful on our walk to the hotel.” The answering crinkle of humor bracketing his mouth added to his appeal, leaving her longing for the possibility their destination brought.
Great.
A cold walk outside was definitely in order.
…
Carrying both suitcases was difficult as Wes trudged through the bitter wind and blowing snow, the lamp-lit sidewalk leading to the hotel almost knee-deep in the cold white stuff. His dress shoes were hardly appropriate, his feet freezing, but the knee-high black boots Evie was wearing were worse. Her leather jacket was ridiculously inadequate, as were the knit gloves with the cut-out fingers. And her knit hat was more for show than warmth. Twice she’d slipped and fallen in the snow. Twice Wes had helped her to her feet and offered her his coat, only to be refused.
Her stubborn insistence was no surprise, but the fact that she hadn’t fought him about heading out onto the road was. Time and experience had changed her. The old Evie would have stormed off, fueled by his declaration that he wasn’t about to let her go. Because the surest method to get her to do something had been to tell her she couldn’t.
But the new Evie had simply studied him, a newfound wisdom in her gaze that was both unexpected and disturbing. And, like the hint of vulnerability, added to the complexity of her allure.
A gust of icy wind stung his face, but Wes wasn’t cold enough. Because the fire that the sexy little vixen had started on the plane had persisted—her sloppy yet seductive come-ons totally adorable.
And incredibly erotic.
