Safe in His Arms

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  When he realized what magazine he’d grabbed—Career Woman’s Weekly—he put it back. He wasn’t going to be found reading Career Woman’s Weekly when Valerie walked into the reception area. Inspiration hit and he pulled out his phone. He could check his messages. Brilliant.

  Except he had no messages. Earlier this morning he’d deleted everything he didn’t need, and no one had texted or e-mailed him since then. There was a time when he couldn’t keep up with his messages, but ever since he’d changed direction, he had no trouble whatsoever.

  Normally he loved that. Not having a ton of messages was evidence that he had indeed taken control of his life. But while he sat in the reception area waiting for Valerie, he would have liked to have some messages to answer.

  “Adam?”

  He glanced up from his messageless phone and leaped to his feet. Wow. It wasn’t that he’d expected her to come out of her office in jeans and a T-shirt. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but the short black skirt, paired with a emerald green blouse and black jacket, was a knockout. That wasn’t even taking into account her sexy heels and silver jewelry.

  She hadn’t worn jewelry to the barn, which made sense, but the silver teardrops looked great with her short hair, and the layered necklace emphasized her slender throat. Several silver bangles jingled when she moved her arm. He couldn’t stop staring at her.

  “Ready for lunch?” She adjusted the strap of her black shoulder purse and gave him a quick smile.

  That’s when he really looked into her green eyes and saw the anxiety there. She might be dressed like a confident professional, but she was afraid to get in that elevator. Thank God he was here.

  “Yep, we’re all set,” he said. “I’ve found a little place that should get us in and out fast, in case you have an early afternoon appointment.”

  “Thanks for that, but my afternoon is pretty clear.”

  “That’s good.” He tucked his phone in his pocket. “Let’s go.”

  “You two have fun,” the receptionist called after them.

  “Thanks, Carol!” Valerie sounded breezy and carefree.

  But when Adam rested a hand against the small of her back, he could feel her trembling. “You’ll be fine,” he said in a low tone as they walked out of the office.

  “I’ll be better, now that you’re here. It’s such a small thing, but I’ve been worried about it since we made the plan on Saturday.”

  She reminded Adam of the skittish horses he’d worked with at the ranch. “Let’s not get on the elevator yet.” He slipped a hand around her waist and guided her down the hallway toward a window that looked out on the street. “Let’s talk for a minute.”

  “I thought a nervous person was supposed to dive straight into something before she has a chance to think about it.”

  “Too late. You’ve been thinking about this elevator for nearly two days. Now you need to think about something else.”

  “Like what?”

  He racked his brain for a way to distract her. Finally he settled on the only thing that he could come up with. At the end of the hallway, he took off his hat and drew her into his arms. “This.” Before she could protest, he lowered his head and took firm possession of her mouth.

  She went rigid with surprise. Clearly she hadn’t expected him to make a move like that. But she didn’t pull away, and he took that as a sign that she wasn’t totally opposed to the idea of kissing him for real, and not just the butterfly kiss she’d given him three weeks ago.

  Slowly her resistance melted, and she nestled against him. He couldn’t help groaning at the pleasure of it. That seemed to excite her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she parted her lips and offered him . . . paradise.

  He sank into the kiss, surrendering to a hunger he’d barely acknowledged until now. Cupping the back of her head, he buried his fingers in her soft curls and held her steady while he tasted, shifted his angle, and tasted again.

  She was the perfect combination of sweetness and sin, carefree joy and dark desire. Her enthusiasm for the kiss fueled his, and he lost track of time and place. If someone had told him they’d been magically transported to a tropical island, he would have believed it.

  Then a phone played the first notes of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and broke the spell.

  Valerie pulled away, her breathing uneven, her eyes dark with passion. “That’s Astrid. She probably . . . wants to know about . . . the elevator.”

  Adam released her and dragged in air as he put on his hat. Holy hell. What if her phone hadn’t rung? How far would he have taken that kiss? How far would she have let him take it?

  She fumbled in her purse and came up with the phone. “Hey.” She sounded normal as can be. “Nope, not yet.” She glanced at Adam. “He’s here and we’re about to get on. Thanks for thinking of me. Sure. I will. ’Bye.” She disconnected and had started to put her phone back when the theme from the TV show Dallas chimed.

  Valerie rolled her eyes. “Melanie.” Answering the call, she had a similar conversation before disconnecting. “They worry,” she said.

  “Because they care about you.”

  “They do, and they’re both thrilled that you offered to ride the elevator with me. If you hadn’t, they would have, but they think—” She flushed. “Never mind what they think.”

  “I’d very much like to know what they think.” If he planned to get involved with Valerie, and that seemed likely, he needed to know more about her best friends.

  “They think you’re better suited to the job.”

  “Why me? They’re your best friends. They know you better than anybody.”

  Her flush deepened. “Astrid said that a gorgeous hunk in a Stetson is exactly what I need to take my mind off my fears. Melanie dittoed that.” She glanced up at him. “Happy now?”

  He couldn’t help grinning. “Yes, ma’am. But I can’t help wondering what you think.” He was fishing for a compliment, but he didn’t care. Being admired for his new persona was plain fun.

  She met his gaze. Her cheeks still flamed, which made her green eyes sparkle even brighter. “I think my friends have excellent taste.”

  “Thanks.” That comment warmed him clean through.

  “You have a little lipstick . . .” She reached up and rubbed his lower lip with her thumb. “That got it.”

  Looking into her eyes, he caught her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. Heat shimmered in her gaze.

  She gently disengaged her hand from his. “Let’s go conquer that elevator before the urge to kiss you again overwhelms my good sense.”

  “You bet.” This was quickly turning into one of the best days of his life.

  * * *

  As Valerie stood beside Adam in front of the bank of elevators, he took her hand, threading his fingers through hers. His grip was warm and firm. Even better, touching him reminded her of the way he’d kissed her. She couldn’t think about that sizzling kiss and worry about the elevator at the same time.

  His solution had been a brilliant one, but she didn’t know if he’d done it mostly to calm her nerves, or if that kiss was the beginning of . . . what? That kiss created more questions than answers.

  Yes, they had chemistry. She thought he’d be more than willing to take her to bed if the opportunity presented itself. But her hiatus from dating had taught her something. Before the fire she’d been focused on enjoying Mr. Right Now instead of searching for Mr. Right.

  That was how she’d ended up with Justin, who’d never demanded any kind of deep connection. Neither had she, so maybe it shouldn’t surprise her that he hadn’t been willing to risk his life to save her. Before Justin had been Brent, and before him, Eric. Those superficial relationships had run their course and ended without much fanfare.

  That kind of laissez-faire arrangement wouldn’t work for her anymore. It was, she realized now, a waste of time, an
d time was a precious commodity. A person couldn’t know how much of it they had left, and she’d already thrown away several years on dead-end love affairs.

  But she had no idea how Adam viewed this attraction between them. He might be hoping to use it as a way to get his groove back after having his heart slammed by his divorce. If so, he’d have to find himself another woman to fill that temporary role.

  She didn’t know how to have that kind of discussion with him, though, because she’d never felt this way before. One thing was for sure—they wouldn’t talk about it over lunch. She wondered what they would talk about when they didn’t have a horse to focus on. Should be interesting to find out.

  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Just her luck—it contained three people and a rolling cart piled high with file boxes. There was room for her and Adam, but just barely.

  Adam squeezed her hand. “We can catch the next one,” he murmured.

  “No.” Taking a quick breath, she stepped into the leftover space. She was through being a baby about this.

  Still holding her hand, Adam removed his hat and followed her in. In typical elevator protocol, they all faced the door as it slowly closed. But as the opening narrowed, Valerie’s chest tightened.

  Breathe, she told herself, and she tried, but a steel band had wrapped itself around her lungs. She gripped Adam’s hand and fought her rising panic. When he extricated his hand from hers, she made a little sound of protest.

  Then his arm circled her shoulders and he pulled her close. Leaning down, he put his mouth close to her ear. “I’m here, Valerie,” he murmured softly as he massaged her shoulder. “You’re fine. Everything’s okay.” Then he pressed his lips to the tender spot behind her ear.

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of his mouth against her skin. So warm. Some of the tightness eased, and she took a shallow breath. And another.

  He lifted his mouth and spoke into her ear again. “You’re doing great,” he said softly. “We’re almost there.”

  The elevator jolted to a stop, and she opened her eyes in relief.

  “Second floor,” Adam said.

  Two rather large men started into the elevator. “Squeeze in,” one of them said. “We can make it.”

  “No, sorry.” Adam stepped in front of Valerie. “We’re full.”

  “Look, mister,” one of the guys said. “We’re running late. Just let us in. It’s only one floor.”

  “Yeah, let them in,” said someone in the back of the elevator. “We’ll make room.”

  “No can do. Catch the next one.” Adam reached over and pushed the button that closed the doors as the two men glared at him.

  Valerie wrapped both arms around Adam’s waist and gave him a hug. She stayed that way, pressed against him, until the doors opened on the first floor. Then she let go and followed him out, her heart full to the brim with gratitude.

  He turned back to her with a smile of triumph. “Congratulations! You did it!”

  “Thanks to you.” Capturing his face in both hands, she pulled his head down and kissed him full on the mouth. She didn’t care if the other elevator passengers got an eyeful. They probably already thought she and Adam were strange, not to mention unaccommodating.

  It wasn’t a long kiss, not like the one he’d given her, but she couldn’t think of a better way to reward him for being such a hero. After she released him, she moved back and took a deep breath. “That was awesome.”

  “You actually liked the ride?”

  “No. I hated the ride, but I loved the way you stood up to those guys who wanted to crowd in.” She gazed at him. “You protected me,” she said softly.

  “Of course.”

  Looking into his eyes, she felt her heart lurch. She still didn’t know how he saw their relationship, but for her, the jury was in. She’d fallen for him.

  Six

  Lunch went by so fast that Valerie was shocked when she glanced at her phone and discovered they’d been sitting there for more than an hour. Having something to talk about hadn’t been a problem. Without the horses to distract them, they found out how many things they had in common—books, movies, music, even food choices.

  But Valerie had shared common interests with the other guys she’d dated, too. This first lunch didn’t seem like the occasion to ask the tough questions about whether Adam wanted kids and whether he ever intended to marry again. He might have decided against it, and his horses might have replaced any desire to have a family.

  Until the fire, Valerie hadn’t thought kids mattered to her, either, but lately she’d changed her mind. A kid or two would be nice. She could live without having them, but she wouldn’t mind, if she found the right man—someone kind, nurturing, heroic. Someone like the guy sitting across the table from her in this cozy little café.

  She’d been here before for lunch. It was close and reasonable, and she could usually get a table by the door. Yet today she hadn’t minded where they sat. The hostess had given them a table roughly in the middle of the café, and Valerie hadn’t once worried about the distance to the front door.

  All her senses had been focused on Adam. Now every time she came in here she’d remember sharing a meal with him. Whether she’d meant to or not, she’d created memories with him that weren’t likely to go away anytime soon.

  “I saw you check the time.” He put down his empty iced tea glass. “You should get back.”

  “Probably. But it’s been fun.”

  “Sure has.” His hat was tilted back and his smile was open and uncomplicated.

  “You may not realize that it’s significant, but we’re sitting in the middle of the restaurant. I’m nowhere near the door.”

  “Shoot, I didn’t think about that.”

  “Neither did I! That’s what’s so wonderful about it.”

  “I’m glad. I wish we didn’t have to leave, but it’s time for you to get back to work.” He picked up the check and pulled his wallet out of his hip pocket.

  “And for you to head back to the ranch.”

  “Actually, I’m not leaving until later.” He set some bills on top of the check and returned his wallet to his pocket. “As long as I’m here, I decided to take care of some business. And I’m meeting Will for a drink at the Golden Spurs and Stetsons after his last appointment.”

  “That’s nice.” She liked knowing he would be in town for a little longer, even if she wouldn’t be seeing him. They wouldn’t be separated by so many miles. Yeah, she was definitely developing a crush on Adam Templeton.

  She really needed to get a bead on how he felt about her. She thought about the old days, when fathers collared the men who were dating their daughters and demanded to know their intentions. She could use a custom like that right now.

  Except it was totally impractical in this day and age. When she’d been in high school, her father had been more than happy to interfere in her love life, but she’d lived on her own for many years and that dynamic had gone by the wayside. She couldn’t very well ask her dad to drive up from Houston and question Adam about his intentions.

  She pushed back her chair. “Thank you for lunch. And give Will my best when you see him.”

  “Are you walking out on me?” He said it with a teasing grin as he stood.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it, but you said you have business to take care of, so I thought I’d get out of your hair.” After standing, she took her purse from the back of her chair.

  “My business isn’t that urgent. I figured on walking you back and riding up the elevator with you, unless you don’t want me to.”

  “Well, then, I’d love that.” She wouldn’t be seeing him again until Wednesday afternoon, so any added moments today would be a bonus. “I just didn’t want to monopolize your time with my elevator phobia.”

  He paused. “It was a great excuse to see you, Valerie,” he said
quietly.

  “Oh.” Her cheeks warmed. “That’s good to hear.”

  “Twice a week doesn’t seem often enough.”

  Her breath caught. “It doesn’t?” She cautioned herself not to read too much into that statement. A guy could say that kind of heady thing and still only be interested in a no-strings affair.

  “No. In fact . . . will you have dinner with me tonight? I know it’s short notice, but—”

  “Yes.” Well, she certainly wasn’t playing hard to get, now was she? But she was impatient to find out if this flirtation would lead anywhere. She wanted him to be her knight in shining armor, but she didn’t know if he wanted the role or not.

  “Great.” He smiled. “I’m meeting Will around five, but I’ll hustle him off to his wife by six. I can pick you up around six thirty.”

  “Okay.” Anticipation shot through her, making her tingle all over.

  “It won’t be too fancy.” He waited until she’d started for the café’s front door, yet he somehow managed to get there in time to hold it open for her. “I didn’t come prepared with a dinner jacket.”

  “I don’t care about fancy.” And the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to be waited on in a public place. And it had nothing to do with any concern that panic would set in. After today’s lunch, she wasn’t so worried about that.

  But eating in a restaurant would mean more polite conversation about their likes and dislikes. Been there, done that. She was ready to take things to the next level. Until they did that, she couldn’t broach the subject near to her heart—namely, his motives for pursuing her. What she required was a bit more privacy.

  She wasn’t a great cook, but she could manage spaghetti, and during their lunch conversation he’d already confirmed that he liked that. If she used one of the really good sauces in a jar and grated her own cheese, it should be decent. Add a bagged salad, a bottle of wine, and voilà!

  They held hands on the way back to the office, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. In her heels, she was only a few inches shorter than he was. She wasn’t sure if he matched his stride to hers, but they walked well together. That meant something, right?