[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
anyway…” She flapped one hand in dismissal. “Lucy’s been seen with that man. So I didn’t want you to
get your hopes up.”
Vic came this short of telling her to mind her own business.
“That’s Lucy’s business, I’m sure.” The woman’s mouth opened, as if she planned to add more, but
he cut her off at the pass. “Well, I need to go. See you later.” He waved and headed out the front door as
quickly as he could.
Wind caught the door and slammed it behind him as if to punctuate the disgust he felt for the inn
owner’s gossipy personality. He shivered as another heavy gust of wind blew snowflakes across the
ground, swirling at his feet. His stocking hat, parka and thick sweater fought off the rest of winter. He was
nuts for traveling when snow promised to turn into a blizzard. At the same time, he wanted to see Lucy, and
she apparently wanted to see him. He wondered if Lucy had gone back to the ass wipe who’d treated her so
badly, and he hoped the hell not. He doubted it if she’d invited him over.
With that in mind, he drove his SUV slowly as the night closed around him. Two inches of snow had
already accumulated in the short time he’d been in his room. Wind picked up, howling as it bombarded his
vehicle. Damn, this was coming on quickly. No one with any sense moved on the roads. A police cruiser
made its way down the street and drove as slowly as Vic did. It didn’t take long to reach Lucy’s house, and
he pulled into the driveway. The porch light was on, and he made his way out of the car, down the slick
sidewalk and to the door as fast as he could without falling on his ass.
The door opened before he could ring the bell. “Hey, soldier.” She grinned. “Get in here before you
turn into a frozen dessert.”
Oh, yeah. I’d like to be your dessert. A rush of heat filled his groin as he thought about it. “Ah, I
hoped you’d be interested in warming me up.”
She blushed. “Smart ass.”
He grinned as they closed the door on the weather. “I think you like me that way.”
She grunted. “Don’t push it, buddy.”
He liked her attitude and the smile on her face even more. She looked happy, healthy, and that made
him feel damned glad he’d shown up. Dressed in a navy blue sweater and baggy sweatpants, she had the
aura of a woman who didn’t care what anyone thought. Not an arrogant don’t-care look, but a confident I-
can-do-anything woman. Thick socks covered her feet.
“Come on in before you freeze to death. I was just about to spike some hot chocolate.” She strode
through the living room toward the kitchen. “Want some?”
“You bet. Not too much whiskey in mine.”
www.samhainpublishing.com
53
Denise Agnew
She stopped before she reached the kitchen. “Drinking and driving?”
“Yep. Can’t do it.”
She nodded, her eyes cleared of amusement. “Of course. I didn’t think.”
He smiled, worried by the sudden soberness in her gaze. “Don’t worry about it.” He showed a half
inch of air between thumb and finger. “Just a splash.”
He wrestled out of his big coat, hat and gloves and left his snow boots on the entrance rug. She made
the hot chocolate, spiked with a dram of whiskey. As he watched covertly, he tried not to wonder where
this visit would lead. He needed to take it slow, take things to a natural conclusion, even if it meant he went
back to the inn tonight without making love to her. He approached her in the kitchen as she stirred the
whiskey into the mugs.
She hung her head a moment and sighed. She turned toward him, and damned if there wasn’t moisture
in her eyes. She shoved a hand through her hair, and the inky strands stood up like she’d jammed her finger
in a light socket.
Instinct pushed Vic to cup her face and swim into those deep ocean blue eyes. “What’s wrong?”
She swallowed hard. “Sorry. I’ve had a strange day.”
He released her face, but cupped her shoulders. “Like what?”
“Hormonal. Or just plain out of it. It’s been one of those days where things went wrong. I went over
to the studio and sorted through paperwork. My business…well, things aren’t looking so good for my
business.” Her voice went soft, weary. “I’m sorry. I didn’t invite you over to whine.”
His heart pinched in sympathy, and he realized it hadn’t done that in a long time. Pinched because he
felt her pain down deep, down inside him where he didn’t want to feel it.
He rubbed her shoulders gently. “If you want me to go…”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I…this week has been kind of a mess.”
“All of it?”
A weak smile touched her mouth. “The only time that felt good and right was the time I spent with
you.”
Sensing a lot more to this saga than he understood, he kissed her forehead. “Come on. Let’s sit down
and talk about this.”
Lucy settled on the couch, cupping her mug in both hands. Her eyes threatened to tear up again, and
she wished the day could return to the beginning and she’d have the opportunity to start from scratch. Vic
settled near her and put his mug down on a coaster on the coffee table. She dared look at him and saw such
understanding and compassion in his eyes that a sweet wave of emotion sideswiped her.
He sat with his arm up on the back of the couch, the rest of his body facing her.
“Whatever’s been happening this week, you can tell me. I’m a good listener.”
54
www.samhainpublishing.com
Hot Pursuit
A smile managed to touch her lips. “I remember.” She also recalled the delicious way he’d touched
her, caressed her, kissed her until she’d screamed with the joy of it. “All of it.”
He grinned, and that knowing look in his dark eyes made her heart thump. God, maybe she was glad
she’d let him come by.
“’Fess up,” he said, his attention full on her.
“How was your day?”
“Excellent. Don’t try and change the subject. Out with it.”
She shifted on the couch, glad he hadn’t pressed anything more physical by sitting closer. Not because
she didn’t want him near, because she really did, but because she couldn’t think straight when he was.
“Like I said, I think my business is getting dodgy. Things have been slowing down over the last year.
Clarksville’s economy isn’t really recovering as well as some small towns. I think I may need to move to a
bigger city.”
His eyes narrowed. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“My last wedding account cancelled today. They broke up and that was the third wedding in the last
month that I was supposed to do that was called off.” She sipped her chocolate, then placed it on the coffee
table. “Like I said, it’s just been a weird month. Danny, my business…” She shrugged.
Vic dared to capture her gaze and hold it. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Where are
you thinking of moving?” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
anyway…” She flapped one hand in dismissal. “Lucy’s been seen with that man. So I didn’t want you to
get your hopes up.”
Vic came this short of telling her to mind her own business.
“That’s Lucy’s business, I’m sure.” The woman’s mouth opened, as if she planned to add more, but
he cut her off at the pass. “Well, I need to go. See you later.” He waved and headed out the front door as
quickly as he could.
Wind caught the door and slammed it behind him as if to punctuate the disgust he felt for the inn
owner’s gossipy personality. He shivered as another heavy gust of wind blew snowflakes across the
ground, swirling at his feet. His stocking hat, parka and thick sweater fought off the rest of winter. He was
nuts for traveling when snow promised to turn into a blizzard. At the same time, he wanted to see Lucy, and
she apparently wanted to see him. He wondered if Lucy had gone back to the ass wipe who’d treated her so
badly, and he hoped the hell not. He doubted it if she’d invited him over.
With that in mind, he drove his SUV slowly as the night closed around him. Two inches of snow had
already accumulated in the short time he’d been in his room. Wind picked up, howling as it bombarded his
vehicle. Damn, this was coming on quickly. No one with any sense moved on the roads. A police cruiser
made its way down the street and drove as slowly as Vic did. It didn’t take long to reach Lucy’s house, and
he pulled into the driveway. The porch light was on, and he made his way out of the car, down the slick
sidewalk and to the door as fast as he could without falling on his ass.
The door opened before he could ring the bell. “Hey, soldier.” She grinned. “Get in here before you
turn into a frozen dessert.”
Oh, yeah. I’d like to be your dessert. A rush of heat filled his groin as he thought about it. “Ah, I
hoped you’d be interested in warming me up.”
She blushed. “Smart ass.”
He grinned as they closed the door on the weather. “I think you like me that way.”
She grunted. “Don’t push it, buddy.”
He liked her attitude and the smile on her face even more. She looked happy, healthy, and that made
him feel damned glad he’d shown up. Dressed in a navy blue sweater and baggy sweatpants, she had the
aura of a woman who didn’t care what anyone thought. Not an arrogant don’t-care look, but a confident I-
can-do-anything woman. Thick socks covered her feet.
“Come on in before you freeze to death. I was just about to spike some hot chocolate.” She strode
through the living room toward the kitchen. “Want some?”
“You bet. Not too much whiskey in mine.”
www.samhainpublishing.com
53
Denise Agnew
She stopped before she reached the kitchen. “Drinking and driving?”
“Yep. Can’t do it.”
She nodded, her eyes cleared of amusement. “Of course. I didn’t think.”
He smiled, worried by the sudden soberness in her gaze. “Don’t worry about it.” He showed a half
inch of air between thumb and finger. “Just a splash.”
He wrestled out of his big coat, hat and gloves and left his snow boots on the entrance rug. She made
the hot chocolate, spiked with a dram of whiskey. As he watched covertly, he tried not to wonder where
this visit would lead. He needed to take it slow, take things to a natural conclusion, even if it meant he went
back to the inn tonight without making love to her. He approached her in the kitchen as she stirred the
whiskey into the mugs.
She hung her head a moment and sighed. She turned toward him, and damned if there wasn’t moisture
in her eyes. She shoved a hand through her hair, and the inky strands stood up like she’d jammed her finger
in a light socket.
Instinct pushed Vic to cup her face and swim into those deep ocean blue eyes. “What’s wrong?”
She swallowed hard. “Sorry. I’ve had a strange day.”
He released her face, but cupped her shoulders. “Like what?”
“Hormonal. Or just plain out of it. It’s been one of those days where things went wrong. I went over
to the studio and sorted through paperwork. My business…well, things aren’t looking so good for my
business.” Her voice went soft, weary. “I’m sorry. I didn’t invite you over to whine.”
His heart pinched in sympathy, and he realized it hadn’t done that in a long time. Pinched because he
felt her pain down deep, down inside him where he didn’t want to feel it.
He rubbed her shoulders gently. “If you want me to go…”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I…this week has been kind of a mess.”
“All of it?”
A weak smile touched her mouth. “The only time that felt good and right was the time I spent with
you.”
Sensing a lot more to this saga than he understood, he kissed her forehead. “Come on. Let’s sit down
and talk about this.”
Lucy settled on the couch, cupping her mug in both hands. Her eyes threatened to tear up again, and
she wished the day could return to the beginning and she’d have the opportunity to start from scratch. Vic
settled near her and put his mug down on a coaster on the coffee table. She dared look at him and saw such
understanding and compassion in his eyes that a sweet wave of emotion sideswiped her.
He sat with his arm up on the back of the couch, the rest of his body facing her.
“Whatever’s been happening this week, you can tell me. I’m a good listener.”
54
www.samhainpublishing.com
Hot Pursuit
A smile managed to touch her lips. “I remember.” She also recalled the delicious way he’d touched
her, caressed her, kissed her until she’d screamed with the joy of it. “All of it.”
He grinned, and that knowing look in his dark eyes made her heart thump. God, maybe she was glad
she’d let him come by.
“’Fess up,” he said, his attention full on her.
“How was your day?”
“Excellent. Don’t try and change the subject. Out with it.”
She shifted on the couch, glad he hadn’t pressed anything more physical by sitting closer. Not because
she didn’t want him near, because she really did, but because she couldn’t think straight when he was.
“Like I said, I think my business is getting dodgy. Things have been slowing down over the last year.
Clarksville’s economy isn’t really recovering as well as some small towns. I think I may need to move to a
bigger city.”
His eyes narrowed. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“My last wedding account cancelled today. They broke up and that was the third wedding in the last
month that I was supposed to do that was called off.” She sipped her chocolate, then placed it on the coffee
table. “Like I said, it’s just been a weird month. Danny, my business…” She shrugged.
Vic dared to capture her gaze and hold it. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Where are
you thinking of moving?” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]