by Cindy Kirk
“Do you believe in love?”
Lia reined in her lascivious thoughts and met his gaze. “I love my mother. And my brother.”
“I’m not talking about that kind of love,” he said in a voice that reminded her of smooth, rich bourbon. “I’m talking about true love. The love between a man and a woman.”
Lia stiffened, for a second worried he was about to give her that “love at first sight” line. She’d fallen for it once. She wouldn’t be that stupid again. But when she looked in his eyes, there was no I-fell-for-you-the-second-I-saw-you nonsense that David had laid on her, which she’d naively taken as gospel.
“I’d like to believe it exists, but I’m not so sure it does,” she said honestly.
“It doesn’t,” he said and a shutter dropped over his eyes. “I used to believe it did, but not anymore.”
She surreptitiously glanced at his ring finger. Of course, some men didn’t wear a ring. “Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No to both questions.” He frowned. “If I had a wife or a girlfriend, I wouldn’t be here talking with you.”
“Ever been married?”
He made a sound of irritation low in his throat and shook his head.
“Ever come close?”
“Not really.” His gaze turned sharp and assessing. “What about you?”
“No husband. No boyfriend.” Lia kept her tone calm and matter-of-fact. “As far as coming close...”
She remembered David and all his plans for “their” future. Now she realized their relationship had been simply a house of cards. He’d spun his lies. She’d become suspicious but hadn’t trusted her gut.
“My boyfriend and I recently broke up,” she said finally. “How can you love someone you can’t trust? You know what I mean?”
He nodded, his lips pulled together in a grim semblance of a smile. “You’re preaching to the choir on that one, darlin’.”
So she wasn’t the only one who’d been dumped on. Though it made no sense, somehow it made her feel better. Impulsively she reached over and took his hand. “We don’t need liars and cheats,” she said fervently. “All we need is ourselves.”
“Amen.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss into her palm.
A smoldering heat flared through her, a sensation she didn’t bother to fight.
“But sometimes it’s nice to hold someone close. To feel their skin against yours. To simply go with the moment.” His voice had become a husky caress. And his eyes—she’d never seen such beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that tempted her to venture from the firm shore of what she’d always known to a place where she could be over her head in seconds. “Interested?”
Time seemed to stretch and extend.
After a moment, Lia cocked her head. “Are you asking if I’d be interested in a one-night stand?”
“Darn if you aren’t a direct one.” The tiny lines around his eyes crinkled when he laughed, making him look boyish and years younger. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m asking.”
Just say no, the tiny voice in her head that was her moral compass cried out. Get up and walk away.
Lia hadn’t had many lovers—David was her second—and she’d never made love outside of a committed relationship. Never considered making love with a stranger.
Until tonight.
“Do you have condoms?” she asked, as if she was actually considering his offer. Which she wasn’t. Not at all.
“I always holster my gun.”
She took that to be a yes. But what did it matter? She certainly wasn’t going to sleep with a stranger, no matter how sexy he was, or how hot and bothered he made her feel. Her mother had taught her that sex belonged within the bonds of a relationship with a man she loved. Not with a blue-eyed stranger.
“Shane.” Lia paused, not sure what she wanted to say.
“Perhaps this will help you decide.” The words had barely left his lips when he pulled her to him.
As if in a dream, she wound her arms around his neck and lifted her face.
He folded her more fully into his arms, anchoring her against his chest as his mouth covered hers in a deep, compelling kiss. Lia stroked his thick hair. He tasted as sweet as spearmint candy.
His hand closed over one breast, circling the peak with his fingers. Lia inhaled sharply and for a second, panicked. Until she remembered this was simply a brief interlude, not a prelude to sex.
If he’d noticed her momentary hesitation he gave no indication. He continued to kiss her with a slow thoroughness that left her weak, trembling and longing for more.
“Come with me to my suite,” he murmured.
She planted a kiss at the base of his neck, his skin salty beneath her lips.
“Are you sure that would be wise?” Her words seemed to come from far away.
“No.” He leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “But let’s do it anyway.”
Chapter Two
On the way to the top floor of the hotel, Lia realized she’d let her desire for this blue-eyed stranger cloud her judgment. She couldn’t sleep with this man. No matter how much she liked holding hands with him and listening to his Southern drawl. No matter how much she liked the way he gently teased her about the size-too-small shoes dangling from his fingers. When he slipped his key card out of his pocket, she decided it was time to confess she’d made a mistake. Lia gently lifted her shoes from his hand and offered him a bright smile. “Thanks for carrying these for me.”
Shane turned and Lia could see the wheels turning in his head. A smart man, he missed very little. But he obviously hadn’t seen this coming. “You’re leaving?”
The disbelieving look on his face told her this was not a man accustomed to having his invitations declined.
“I’m afraid so.” She took a step back, real regret in her tone. “This kind of thing, well, it’s not me. It’s not who I am. I don’t hop into bed with someone I just met.”
His gaze scanned her face, his eyes clear and very blue. A rueful smile tipped his lips. “Truth is, it’s not something I usually do, either.”
“But you’d have gone through with it.”
He shrugged even as his smile began to widen.
“C’mon, fess up,” she teased.
She didn’t know why she bothered. The heat simmering in his electric blue eyes gave the answer.
“You’re very beautiful, Lia.” His eyes grew dark and she saw a flash of pain before a shutter dropped over them. “And I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Telling her she was beautiful was simply what men said to get a woman into bed. But it was the part about not wanting to be alone that made her realize her first impression had been correct.
Despite his obvious intelligence, charm and money, whatever was going on in Shane’s life had left him not only alone—but lonely—on New Year’s Eve.
Lia could definitely empathize. “I—”
“Look.” The set of his face turned austere, rigid, as if carved in granite. “If you want to stay, stay. If you don’t...”
He left the rest unsaid, leaving the choice up to her. Despite the fact they were almost strangers, knowing he was also lonely made her feel close to him. She glanced at her watch. Thirty minutes until midnight. “How about I come in, we have a drink and talk?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Lia resisted the urge to groan. Shane hadn’t invited her up to his suite for her conversational skills. She’d been invited up for one specific purpose and now she was changing the rules.
“Forget it,” Lia said before he’d had a chance to respond. “I’m sure you don’t want to spend what’s left of the evening talking with me. I’ll just—”
“Stay. I want you to stay.” His hand closed over hers and she felt a jolt of electricity. “There’s champagne in the room. And I had the refrigerator stocked with some of my favorite foods. Or I can order whatever you like.”
Lia took a steadying breath and considered her options. Go home and ring i
n the New Year alone. Or stay and get to know Shane better. “I love champagne. But I’m warning you, no funny business.”
His head cocked to one side. “Would that be the same as monkey business?”
“Shane—” she began then stopped when she saw his lips twitch.
He pushed open the door and stepped aside to let her enter first. “Does a kiss at midnight fall under funny or monkey business?”
Lia had already experienced one kiss from this man. She wasn’t sure her resolve to keep her distance could withstand another one. “It falls under both.”
He chuckled. “Somehow I thought that’s what you’d say.”
Shane ushered her through the entryway into a parlor larger than her entire apartment. The placard outside the door had informed her this was the Lone Star Suite.
The name fit the decor. The transom above the double balcony doors had a leaded glass window with a hand-painted, kiln-fired rendering of a cattle drive. A custom knotty-pine fireplace filled one wall; a large flat-screen television was mounted over the mantel. A caramel-colored leather sofa with matching chair and ottoman were positioned comfortably near the fireplace. Several table lamps gave the room a golden glow.
“It’s lovely,” she managed to say when she found her voice.
Shane dropped the key card on a side table. “Would you like the grand tour?”
There was a spark of mischief in his eyes that she found disconcerting.
“No, but if you could point me in the direction of the bathroom, I’d appreciate it.”
He grinned and gestured toward a long hallway. “I’ll have the champagne poured and ready by the time you return.”
Lia dropped her shoes by the sofa and scampered down the hall in her bare feet. She was already past the bedroom when she realized the door was open. Slowing her steps, she turned back, unable to resist taking a quick peek inside.
The hunter-green bedcovers on the massive king-size bed had been turned back, revealing cream-colored sheets that looked soft and inviting. There was also a desk, a large dresser and, of course, another television. But her eyes kept returning to the bed.
Was this where they would have made love—er, had sex? Though she was twenty-five, Lia had only been physically intimate with her college boyfriend—who had been just as inexperienced as her—and then there had been David.
David was the one who’d made her realize she didn’t have a particularly strong sex drive. In fact, she suspected her inability to please him was part of the reason he’d looked elsewhere.
Just thinking about taking her clothes off and hopping into bed with Shane both thrilled and terrified her. She’d probably be a big disappointment to him, too. Lia sighed and pulled her gaze away from the bed.
The bathroom, she told herself. Find the bathroom.
She couldn’t wait to see how that room measured up to the high standards set by the rest of the suite. The second she stepped inside, the sight of the ten-foot Texas Lone Star stained-glass window above the whirlpool tub stole her breath away. By the time she caught a glimpse of the rain showerhead hanging from the ceiling, she realized every inch of this luxurious suite was first-class. Anyone who could afford to stay here was way out of her league.
Her small apartment, next to the Red Rock Medical Clinic, was in the poorer part of town. There were no mechanical rain showers or soaking tubs in her bathroom. No ten-foot stained-glass windows. Heck, the bed in her apartment came out of the wall and the kitchen had less counter space than this bathroom.
After splashing some cold water on her face, Lia padded back down the hallway, goodbye already poised on her lips. After getting a glimpse into Shane’s world, she realized how different her life was from his. What could she have to say that could possibly interest him?
When she reached the parlor, she noticed a fire now burned cheerily in the hearth. A tray of appetizers sat on a glossy pine coffee table. Shane moved forward to greet her with a chilled glass of champagne. His tie hung loose around his neck and the top button of his shirt was undone.
He looked much more approachable and relaxed than he had when she’d left him. It was as if he was actually looking forward to their conversation...unless that was simply her own wishful thinking.
Since he’d gone to so much effort, Lia decided it wouldn’t hurt to stay for a few minutes. She took a sip of the champagne, the vintage dry and sparkling crisp on her tongue. “This is wonderful.”
He shot her a wink. “I aim to please.”
Such a charmer. She took a seat at one end of the sofa, careful not to spill the drink in her hand.
“Where are you from, Shane?” she asked again, hoping he’d be straight with her.
“Atlanta.” He sat beside her, once again leaving some distance between them.
Lia felt oddly disappointed, but reminded herself it wasn’t as if she wanted him to sit close. Or did she?
“I noticed your watch, earlier.” Shane relaxed back against the leather cushion, an easy smile on his lips. “Very nice. Unique. I’m not sure I’ve seen one like that before.”
The beadwork was her own design, the colors and style chosen specifically to complement her dress tonight. “I made it.”
“Pardon?”
“Not the watch,” she clarified, taking another sip of champagne. “The band. I designed it and did the beading. That’s what I do. I’m an artist. Beadwork is my medium.”
His gaze returned to her wrist and warmth traveled up her arm. He lifted his glass, but paused before drinking. “I don’t think I know anyone who does beading.”
Of course he didn’t. The kind of people he hung out with were probably CEOs and successful business owners. Titans of industry. The kind of men and women who belonged to the exclusive Red Rock Country Club, located on the edge of town.
“Eventually I hope to do it full-time,” she told him. “For now, I fit it in as I can.”
While she didn’t love her job as an accountant at a small manufacturing firm, she liked the regular paycheck. Unfortunately, there had recently been rumors about possible cutbacks after the first of the year.
“You’re a creative person.” He suddenly smiled, as if the sun had broken through the clouds. “I’m impressed.”
A warm fuzzy glow that had nothing to do with the alcohol she’d consumed washed over Lia. They talked for several minutes about her design process and how a vision for a piece came together.
“You said you’d like to do it full-time.” His gaze didn’t stray from her face. “Have you developed a business plan?”
Before she could answer, he tossed a few other questions into the mix. Thanks to her various business and entrepreneurial projects in college, Lia not only understood what he was asking, she could intelligently respond. As the conversation continued, she felt the last of her tension melt away.
“Tell me about the boyfriend who burned you,” he asked after she finished describing the intricate beaded necklace she’d recently designed around an oval porcelain cameo.
Lia blinked. “Did I say he burned me?”
Shane took a sip of champagne, his gaze never leaving her face. “You said you couldn’t trust him.”
At the moment she was having difficulty recalling exactly what she’d said about David. She tilted her glass of champagne and realized it was empty. “Do you have more of this?”
Shane lifted the bottle from the granite-topped coffee table and filled her crystal flute. “The boyfriend?” he prompted.
Lia briefly considered telling him her and David’s breakup was none of his concern. Not because she wanted to protect her ex-boyfriend, but because she was ashamed of being so, well, gullible.
There’s no shame in trusting someone. That was what her mother had told her when Lia had called and said she’d broken it off with David and why.
“I discovered he’d been cheating on me.” She kept her tone matter-of-fact. “Apparently the reason he hadn’t been around much was because he’d been spending most of his free t
ime in San Antonio with his new girlfriend.”
He gave her an imperceptible nod. “You didn’t suspect?”
Lia glanced sharply at him. But there was no judgment in his eyes. Only curiosity.
“After about a month of excuses and stories that didn’t make sense, I confronted him.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose to forestall a sudden headache. Sweet Lord, how she hated to tell this story. “He told me his mother—her name is Rose—had been diagnosed with end-stage cancer and he’d been spending the time with her. She was a widow, living in San Antonio. I’d met her several times and liked her.”
Shane leaned forward, his brows pulled together.
“Of course, I wanted to call right away and set up a time to see her. But David insisted his mom didn’t want to talk with anyone but family. I later found out Rose doesn’t have cancer, never had cancer. She wasn’t dying. She—”
Her voice cracked. She’d been so worried about his mother and then to realize it had all been a lie...
She clamped her mouth shut and drew in a ragged breath.
Shane’s jaw set at a hard angle. “He was living a double life.”
Lia nodded. “I don’t understand why he didn’t simply tell me the truth.”
“It’s hard when a person’s actions don’t make sense.” He shifted his gaze to the fire for several heartbeats. “And damn frustrating when they lie to you.”
Unexpectedly Shane reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. And instead of immediately pulling away, she let his hand linger.
“I’m over it now,” she told him just as her phone began to play a tinny version of “Auld Lang Syne.”
He lifted a brow.
Lia scrambled to her feet. It didn’t feel right to welcome in the New Year seated on a sofa. “I set my alarm for midnight.”
“So the New Year has arrived.” He rose to his feet to stand beside her just as the clock on the mantel began to chime, deep and low.
She smiled. “According to my iPhone and your clock.”
He lifted his glass and tapped it against hers. “Happy New Year, Lia.”