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Linc slid his thumb back and forth over the throbbing vein in her neck and smiled slowly. “You sure about that?”
She shook her head. “Yes.”
He moved his mouth to hers. “Just take one if you’ve got the guts.”
“Be careful, Linc.”
He pulled her against his chest. “Why?”
“Because if you challenge me, I’ll do it twice and take pictures.”
“I’d like to see what that looks like.” The war between good and dangerous warred in her sea-green eyes, and he couldn’t wait to see which won.
Lucy pulled Linc’s head down firmly. “This is a one-time thing and means nothing.”
Knowing that she needed the power to be firmly within her grasp, he submitted to her mouth, tasting her heat. There was no hesitancy in the kiss, and he heard his brain whisper:this one.
Their mouths were greedy, and before he was ready, she pulled back and ended the kiss. “Damn, woman.” He rested their heads together. “Two completely different shapes that fit perfectly together.”
“I don’t know what happened.” She fisted his shirt. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
He opened his mouth to protest, and she pressed their mouths together before he could. Not one to ignore a blatant signal, he kissed her softly, her mouth fitting his perfectly. The woman who could tear down the world on any random Tuesday trembled in his arms, and he took the kiss deeper until they were both breathless.
“If I give in to this, it won’t be good,” she mumbled against his mouth. “It could lead to….”
“Being good gets you nowhere, Lucy. All it does is buy you time—extends the lie. Not like truth.” He moved his hands to her face. “Which can tear you to shreds, devour you whole, and spit you out shaking and new.”
Looking up, she pressed her finger to her mouth. “Linc, I’m smack dab in the middle of a soul growth spurt and….”
“I want to know you and see if all the pictures running through my head are possible.”
“I’m not….”
He ran his thumb over her arm. “Ready?”
“Interested.”
“That’s not true. You wouldn’t have kissed me otherwise.” He took a step back. “But you’re not prepared to explore our connection, so we’ll put a pin in it for now.”
“Forever,” she said with shaky conviction.
“That’s a long time, sweetheart. For all you know, I’ll have your trust earned by the end of the week, and then you’ll have no choice but to tell me about your nightmares, struggles, and the things that make you feel alone.”
The bell on the door clattered, and Lucy took the opportunity to escape without answering his entreaty. He watched her stride away and knew that some things required your bravery—as well as your foolishness.
No doubt Lucy Bennett was going to require a bucketful of both.
FOUR
A week later, Lucy pushed the bookshelf as far away from the puddle as she could and felt an uncharacteristic need to cry. Books and water did not mix, and she didn’t know if the small pool in the back of the store had plans to grow into a pond.
Could she risk leaving to grab her sister from a muddle of grief and tequila? Olivia was slogging through the anniversary of the worst days in her life and needed someone to ride to the rescue. Perhaps calling for backup wasn’t a failure of the sister code and the best choice she could make.
Giving the impending disaster one more perusal, she reluctantly dialed her sister’s paramour and hoped he was available. When the call was answered, she heard crunching noises. “Zane, are you there?”
“Yes, Lucy. Is everything okay?”
“Not really,” she replied. “Can you run over to Greenville and bring Olivia home?”
