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“Yes.” Ariella studied Teague. “You’re his cousin, right?”
“Guilty. Pretty much any Hawker on the eastern seaboard is a relation. I chalk it up to Irish Catholics believing in procreation. My grandparents who settled the town had five kids, and most of them did their best to carry on the tradition in some form or fashion.”
“That’s pretty much the story I got from Lucy and Olivia.” Ariella waved her hand. “Enough about that. Let’s get you two checked in.” Clicking the keyboard, she frowned. “This can’t be right.” She looked between Tancy and Teague. “We’ve somehow booked two rooms for you, lovebirds.”
Tancy snorted. “We’re not together.”
“Really?” Ariella's brows drew together. “But there’s unmistakable sexual tension and unresolved lust enveloping you both.”
“You don’t say,” Teague replied. “Is that your professional opinion?”
“Absolutely.” The writer nodded with certainty. “I’d definitely cast you two as star-crossed lovers who find a way to uncross the stars.”
Tancy snickered. “You could call it Grumpy Scoundrel of the Moors.”
Ariella pressed her hands together. “Does that mean I shouldn’t pull a forced proximity stunt and tell you we only have one room?”
“Well…” Teague said.
“We should probably keep our two rooms,” Tancy finished as she gave him a side-eye.
Sighing loudly, Ariella nodded. “Alright. Just keep in mind that unresolved desire doesn’t just disappear. Eventually, you’ll have to deal with it, and our rooms have awesome beds, so it might be a good idea to let it happen here.”
Heart beating double time, Tancy pictured snow white sheets, a firm bedframe, and Teague’s body slicked in sweat. Why hadn’t she gone along with the ruse? Was she that frightened? “When do you begin serving cocktails?”
“At four.” Ariella smiled confidently as she held up two key sets. “Why don’t I show you two to your rooms,”
“Might as well,” Tancy murmured as she swept past Teague, ignoring the smug smile that lit up his face.
Ten minutes later, Tancy collapsed on a delicious, canopied bed and heard Teague whistling. She was so twitterpated that she couldn’t take in the lovely details of the room. The glazed white walls, mahogany furniture, and spring flowers whimsically arranged in cut crystal vases were no match for her excitement.
Something was going to happen, and she couldn’t predict what it could be. Would they bicker until the sexual tension broke them, or would they simply slide into the inevitable? What would be the thing to tip the scales? She glanced at the bathroom connecting their rooms and wondered if hearing him shower would make her lose control.
Snickering, she knew it wasn’t likely since she’d seen him in his hoochie workout shorts dozens of times and had never attempted to talk him into a dirty escapade.
But she had been in denial. And now she wasn’t. Groaning, she covered her eyes.
“What’s that?” Teague called out.
“Nothing.” The sound of his footsteps approaching made her sit up. “Why do you look like an unfed lion?”
“I was thinking about what Ariella said and…”
“Are you worried that I’ll accost you in the middle of the night?” She waved her hand. “You are safe from me. My need to see every delectable inch of your naked muscles disappeared eons ago.” She fell back into the cloud of a white comforter. “Was there a time that I would’ve offered up my firstborn to have a chance at ravishing you from head to toe?” She hitched her shoulder. “Yes, there certainly was. But experiencing your monosyllabic personality has cured me of my desire, so don’t worry.”
Lies.
Every single word out of her mouth.
He wasn’t safe from her because now that she’d opened the door of possibility, she could think of little else.
Teague dropped down on the bed and scraped his hands over his face. “I often wonder if you do it on purpose or are simply gifted in the fine art of saying things that will make my brain explode.”
“Clearly, I’m gifted.” She laughed and found herself staring at the familiar sight of his hands. If they did cross the line, what would the sex be like? Gentle? Rough? Or somewhere in between?
“Why is your face turning red?”
“It’s not!” She scooted away. “You’re like a furnace and putting off too much heat.”
