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“But it is beautiful up here,” he went on, pausing outside the lodge. “My father took us camping a lot when my brother and I were little, and we’d sit out beneath the stars, failing to memorize all the constellations he pointed out to us.”
“Those sound like good memories. I was too far gone last night to say so, but I’m sorry for your loss.”
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you. It was sudden. It’s been three years, but nothing’s quite the same.”
“You were close?”
He nodded. “It’s why I started traveling these last few years. He might not have gone farther than the borders of the U.K., but he loved exploring. I feel I owe it to him to see what I can of the world.”
“That’s sweet.” So sweet, my heart started dancing a jig over all the sweetness. “Do you still go camping?”
“I have a few favorite spots outside of the city where I take the girls. We toast marshmallows, and I tell them the names of all the constellations.”
Oh, this man had me tied up in knots, turning me as gooey as a perfectly roasted marshmallow.
“I like camping, too. Shatner is an excellent tent-mate.” I hitched a shoulder. “Aside from the occasional fumes.”
He roared with laughter. “Sounds deadly.”
Inside the lodge, a lone lamp illuminated the empty sitting room. We crept up the narrow staircase to the second floor, shushing each other on the creaking steps like two drunks in a bromance movie.
We paused at my door, squaring off in the low light. His hands moved to my waist to pull me closer, and I pressed mine against his chest, trying to memorize everything at once. His gaze slid from my eyes down to my mouth, and my breath stilled as I waited.
He moved toward me in slow-motion, seeming to savor the moment in a way that tortured as much as it thrilled. His mouth hovered over mine, and he inhaled deeply, as though I were a rare whisky and he intended to relish every taste.
His lips finally reached mine, but he still moved at that languorous pace, taking his time over every touch until I couldn’t handle it anymore. I wrapped my greedy arms around his shoulders and tugged him closer.
Just when the kiss started to get good—so very good—snickering interrupted us. A grim sort of laughter lit Duncan’s eyes as he pressed himself away from me to face our witnesses.
Carlos and Harlow stood behind us on the landing, hands clasped.
“I guess that explains a few things.” Carlos’s giant smirk looked all too knowing.
Not that we’d left all that much mystery tonight.
“Nothing happened.” I didn’t need to explain myself to him—with a pathetic lie, no less—but hisI know all your secretslook irritated me.
“A little more nothing would have been preferable,” Duncan added.
I couldn’t contain my grin, stupidly pleased by how direct he was. I hadn’t been with anyone who’d just come right out and said what he wanted—at least not when it came to me.
Carlos turned to Harlow. “Should we spare them more misery and say goodnight?”
“Probably for the best,” she said.
They split up, and Carlos walked the ten feet or so to the room he shared with Duncan, while Harlow shot me silent sass before she disappeared into our room. Once the hallway had emptied again, I looked up at him.
“How much nothing are we talking?”
Suddenly, his hands were in my hair, his mouth on mine. We were a rushing frenzy, a tangle of mouths, hands, and heated breaths, like we only had seconds to spare before someone else stumbled upon us to spoil the moment.
The speed with which he made me forget my name was truly impressive. Slow and methodical or dashing and intense, Duncan knew how to light me up like a beacon.
He pulled back, his eyes blazing, his smile delightfully crooked. He was so handsome. Simple but true. I wanted to run my hands over his scalp, kiss every inch of his gorgeous forehead, and nuzzle in his beard. We hadn’t done nearly enough nuzzling yet.
“I should probably…” I pointed toward my door.
Not that I was totally against making out in the hallway, but it seemed a dangerous business.
