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He let another expletive rip. “If you think that was a pity kiss, you’re out of your mind.”
Out of her mind all right; out of her mind with wanting him to do it again and again and again.
“It wasn’t?”
Shaking his head, he cradled her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
Flicking her tongue out to dampen her swollen lips, she said, “I think I have some.”
Her wry response garnered a smile. “I thought you were immune to my charm?”
“There’s no vaccination strong enough against you, Sailor Boy.”
They grinned at each other like a couple of star-struck adolescents, the brisk ocean breeze buffeting them, pushing her toward him in an act from the heavens.
Over the past eighteen months, if a guy showed the slightest interest she’d usually flee, find a quiet place, and dwell on why he’d want to ask her out when she wasn’t remotely date-worthy.
She hated that Jax had battered her self-esteem to the point she didn’t trust her judgment anymore when it came to guys. Especially as she was the opposite at work. There, she’d never run from a challenge; she thrived on problem solving. She worked long hours by choice, tracking down the newest discovery, ensuring the latest display was eye-catching, cataloguing the backlog no-one else wanted to do.
She’d always been diligent: the model student who studied hard and didn’t party, the devoted worker first in every morning, last to lock up at night. Good old dependable Lana. Reliable, steadfast, earnest Lana, which is exactly why she was here trying to build her confidence and convince herself a sexy sailor could just be a way to go about it.
Thinking of the museum brought her back to reality: she wasn’t some femme fatale who went around inviting kisses from suave sailors on a moonlit night. She was career focused, her aim to reach the top of her field with a little more confidence, and should know better than to read anything more into a few casual kisses and Zac wanting todateher, whatever that meant.
She may be inexperienced with men but she was old enough to understand the purely chemical reaction when two people remotely attracted to each other flirted a little and that flirtation got out of hand.
“You’re driving me to distraction.” He ran a hand through his hair for the second time in as many minutes, more rattled than she’d ever seen him. “And considering the job I have to do this trip, I can’t afford any.”
“And you’re telling me this because?”
He wound a strand of her hair around his forefinger and tugged gently. “Because despite every logical reason why I shouldn’t do this, I’m struggling to keep my hands off you.”
The wine she’d consumed at dinner sloshed around her stomach, rocking and rolling in time with her pounding heart as he tugged harder, bringing her lips an inch from his before brushing a soft, barely-there kiss across her mouth, a tender kiss at complete odds with the passionate kisses they’d previously shared, a heart-rending kiss that reached down to her soul.
When they eased apart, she couldn’t fathom the expression on his face, the shifting shadows in his eyes.
“I have to go check on that fax.”
“Right.”
“Stay out of trouble.”
With a brief touch on her cheek, he was gone, leaving her thoroughly confused.
Within the space of an hour he’d kissed her, comforted her, and bamboozled her. He’d been nothing but honest about wanting her, so why the sudden scram? One minute his kiss had been warm and gentle and caring, the next he’d made a run for it.
Ironic, considering she hadn’t done the running for once. She’d embraced her newfound bravery and stayed, even after that scintillating kiss that normally would’ve sent her scurrying for cover.
But she was done with running.
If she couldn’t handle a healthy dose of honesty—something he’d given her, even if the truth of how much he wanted her scared the hell out of her—how could she hope to become the poised, confident woman she needed to be at work?
She mightn’t be able to give him what he wanted, would probably disappoint him if she did, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t lighten up a little and actually enjoy his attention.
If she mustered all her meager bravado, she might even have some fun along the way?
ChapterSeven
Lana spied Zac at the end of the gangway and sighed in relief. After he’d run out on her last night, she’d had her doubts about him showing up today. Crazy, considering she was the one usually contemplating a no-show.
