“No,”he chuckled. “I don’t remember ever being concerned with whether I was out ofline with anyone else before.”
Shepinked. “So. Any New Year’s resolutions?”
Hesucked on the coffee, scalding his tongue. “Fuck!” He looked at her contritely,and she arched an eyebrow. “Yeah. No more swearing.”
Shestared at him over the rim of her cup, her eyes clear, light. “You’re just onebig surprise, Beckett.”
Thekiss roared through his mind—for about the millionth damn time. “Good surpriseor bad surprise?”
“Allgood.”
Herubbed the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed. Andie had a way of makinghim feel twenty feet tall—or two feet tall when he was a jerk—but she alsoknocked him off his game, rattled him in a way he didn’t fully comprehend.Right now he was twenty feet high, toppling into flustered, and his stomach wasdoing strange things that had nothing to do with the alcohol he’d consumed. Heset the steaming cup down.
Shelaughed. So did he—from nerves. Was he broadcasting his uneasiness as clearlyas it seemed? Hell, he didn’t like this feeling.
“Haveyou counted your winnings yet?” she asked.
He blewout a breath. “Not yet. You’re going to help me.” He ducked into his bedroom,fished the roll from his pants pocket, and tossed it at her. A card flutteredto the floor, and she stared at it as if it might explode. He snatched it upand handed it to her.
Herbrow furrowed as she scanned it. “What’s this?”
“Wewere shooting the sh—breeze—during the card game, and I was telling them aboutyou looking for land to build on. One of the guys handed me his card and saidyou should give him a call. Some relative has land in Denver he’s looking todump.” He shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he’s got that sweet piece of propertyyou’ve been wanting.”
Sheblinked, and her mouth formed a perfect O. Several beats later, she walked overto him, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek. A cloud of Andie fragranceengulfed him. “Thank you, Beck,” she said in a soft voice.
Okay.Zooming up to forty feet now. He grinned. “Sometimes it pays to get hammered.”
Shebegan separating the bills into neat stacks. “My God, Beckett! There must behundreds, thousands of dollars there! You’ve been keeping another talenthidden, Mr. Card Shark.” She covered her mouth as if stifling a giggle.
Definitelyforty feet tall.A step back, and he watched her, her mouth moving as she counted. Jesus, hermouth! He hadn’t been hammered for that part of the evening, and replaying thatkiss triggered a powerful reaction. He shifted his stance, grateful for roomyjeans.
Thepoker contingent had ribbed him about swallowing her on the dance floor. Jealous.Hell, anybody who had anybody had retired to their rooms to welcome the NewYear the right way—the horizontal way. Only the losers had remained. They’dcalled him crazy for hanging with them, offered to take his place, and he’dshrugged. “She’s tired,” he’d said, downing another Scotch, “so I’ll fleece youguys, then in a few hours when she’s rested up, I’ll cover her naked body withthe bills I win, and wake her up by pulling them off one by one with my teeth.”
Hishead filled with all kinds of pleasant images, though knowing those guys hadpictured the same didn’t sit well, and he’d been the idiot who’d painted thepicture. Besides, she’d kill him if she knew what he’d said.
Herwide green eyes stared at the stacks she’d built, and as she pointed, shemouthed “One thousand, two thousand …”
Shehadn’t asked about his mad sprint away from her last night, and hopefully shewouldn’t. All he’d thought about since kissing her was doing it again andagain, envisioning all the sensations those kisses would offer—and lead to. Howcould he explain to her he had, in fact, been protecting her from himself?
He tooka swallow of coffee and jerked his chin at the piles.
“A goodway to start the new year, pixie. Set aside a stack for Tyrone, Frida, andtheir buddies and help me spend the rest.”
CHAPTER 19
Thin Ice
Paige stared at snowflakes skimming her office window.They’d been falling, fat and thick, from a somber sky throughout the morning.The world she looked upon was monochrome, its hues passing from white to grayto lead, and though she wore an emerald sweater, it too had a dull cast.
Whatwas wrong with her? It had been a week since New Year’s, since she’d huggedBeckett good-bye on his way back to Chicago, and she’d been melancholic eversince. For not the first time, she pondered where their friendship was leading.Where did she want it to lead? How could it ever be anything more thanwhat it was? He was Beckett Miller after all. Now if only she could forget thatearth-shattering kiss.
Maybeit was the weather. Maybe it was because her broken marriage would become astatistic in a week. Maybe it was seeing Adrian for the final time tonight.
Herphone pinged. Three texts. Adrian confirming. Gwenn checking in after vacation.Beckett asking about virtual-watching hockey on TV with him tonight. She textedAdrian back and called Gwenn.
“Iloved the selfie of you and Beckett,” Gwenn said. “You looked amazing inthat dress. Did it work?”
Paigelaughed. “Really well. I got lots of attention, which sent Beckett into atailspin. He kept trying to cover me up.”
“What?”
“Hesaid men were ogling me, so he played bodyguard all night. It was sorta cute,and I’ve got to admit, I enjoyed the attention. If he’d been a dog, he’d havepeed on my feet to mark territory.”
“Hmm.”
“God,Gwenn, I’m so mixed up. It’s probably the divorce screwing with me. Being withBeckett made me feel so … I was tingly the entire time, and I shouldn’t havebeen.”
“Whynot?”
“Becausehe’s a tidal wave, and I don’t want to get swept out to sea and drown. Besides,I’m still married.”
Gwennsighed. “Gawd, Paige. In name only. Let it go.”
“I’mseeing Adrian tonight.”
Gwenn’ssilence was deafening.
“Notlike that. He’s leaving on another business trip and has some things of mine hegrabbed by mistake when he moved out. Old yearbooks, stuff like that. I want totie off the loose ends before he goes. You’re the only one who knows, and I’mswearing you to secrecy.”
“Why didn’tyou tell Beckett?”
“Becausehe’d give me such a hard time. He’s never liked Adrian.”
“Didyou guys take things beyond friendship over New Year’s?”
Now itwas Paige’s turn to
