“Sitting here alone won’t help.”
“I’ve got my mother’s funeral to plan.”
He clasped his knees loosely to his chest. “That can wait, Chey. Presley’s coming back.”
He said it so matter-of-factly; she hoped he was right. “So you’re trying to talk me into going?”
His expression let her know what he thought of that. “I’d rather you came to my place. It’s not like any of us do any baking, but…we buy that big Christmas dinner from Nature’s Way and—” he shrugged “—it’s not too bad.”
She could imagine how unconventional Christmas might be at the Amoses, but she was used to unconventional holidays. It didn’t matter as long as Dylan was there. “I could do some baking. That would give me something to focus on besides my worry.”
“I wouldn’t mind a homemade pie or two.”
“Pumpkin?”
“And pecan. But before you start, let’s go to the police.”
The warm feeling that had come over her at the prospect of sharing Christmas with Dylan vanished. “I tried. They don’t care that she’s gone.”
“They’ll care at some point. We have to push them, get them involved. We need the help.”
We. It felt so good to have some support, especially his support. “Okay. I’ll get showered.”
He looked up at her when she stood, his eyelids half-lowered in predatory interest. “Alone?”
25
She was falling in love. Right in the middle of the worst week of her life. It didn’t make sense that she’d lose her heart to this particular guy when she thought she was already in love with the “ideal” man. But it was Dylan’s smile that put butterflies in her stomach. Dylan’s smell that made her eager to bury her face in his neck. Dylan’s touch that left her feeling warm inside. Maybe she was bucking her own better judgment—not to mention the advice of her best friend, who’d never led her wrong—but her heart simply would not cooperate with the idea of staying away from him.
Neither would her body.
As he stared up at her from his seat on the porch stairs, waiting for her answer, she had to ask herself, Am I really going to give up Joe DeMarco for Dylan Amos?
But she knew the answer.
“Sounds like Santa might be coming to my house, after all,” she said, and he laughed as she pulled him to his feet.
* * *
“What are you smiling at?” Cheyenne murmured above the sound of the water.
They’d barely spoken since they’d undressed and stepped into the shower. They’d been too busy enjoying the sensation of slick, wet skin against slick, wet skin, but when she said this, Dylan moved to shield her face from the spray so they could talk. “I’ve never seen you naked, not in daylight. It makes me feel lucky.”
She blushed, and he nearly drew her into his arms. He loved how honestly delighted she seemed by even the smallest compliment.
“What are you smiling at?” he teased.
“I was remembering about that day in the park.” She shivered as he bent his head to lick a drop of water off the tip of one breast. “I can’t believe you said what you did to me,” she continued. “‘You ever want me to show you what it feels like to have a man in your bed, you know where to find me.’ Don’t you think that was a little bold, Mr. Amos?”
He chuckled as he turned his attention to her other breast. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“I’m embarrassed to say it was far more effective than it should’ve been.”
“No guts, no glory,” he said. But that wasn’t what he’d been thinking at the time. He’d assumed she’d shut him down no matter what. So he’d acted as if he had nothing to lose.
She laughed as she traced the lion inked on his chest. “What does this represent?”
“My mother was a Leo.” She’d called him her lion cub, since he was also a Leo, but he didn’t add that.
“And this one?”
“The scales of justice.” He tried to kiss her, but she held him off.
“I know that. I want to know why you picked it.”
“I’m not entirely sure. It just…spoke to me. When I got it, I was determined to make things right.”
“For…”
“Myself. My brothers. All of us.”
“And you did.”
“I did what I could.”
She caught his face between her hands. “I’m so happy right now. I’m sick with worry for my sister and yet, when I think of you, I’m happy. Is that crazy?”
He was too distracted to have a serious conversation. He couldn’t wait to make love to her now that she seemed to feel something for him. But what she’d said was important enough to address here and now, so he stemmed the desire threatening to carry him away. “Not at all, because your sister is going to come back soon, and she’ll be fine, so worrying would only ruin your day.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “And you’re about to get lucky. That makes most people happy.”
Closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek to his chest. “I don’t think my happiness has anything to do with getting lucky.”
He slid his hands down her smooth back to curl around her bottom. Then he hauled her up against him. “You might be speaking too soon.”
“I know what I’m saying. How I feel comes from being with you, no matter what we’re doing. When we were watching that movie at your place, and I was clear across the room, I couldn’t think of anything except getting closer to you, curling up against you.”
He smoothed her wet hair out of her eyes. Did she really know what she was doing, picking him? He’d never dreamed he’d wind up with her, not over Joe. What if he disappointed her? Or tomorrow she came to her senses? “Joe’s a good guy, Chey. He—”
“He is a good guy,” she interrupted. “He took the news that I’m sleeping with you so graciously. But…”
“But?”
“He isn’t you.” She brought his mouth to hers and kissed him, openmouthed and hungry.
Arousal, hot and thick, pumped through Dylan’s blood. The flat of her stomach brushed against him, making him even harder. “All this enthusiasm from my little virgin?” he murmured against her lips.
“I’ve got a lot more where that came from.” She tried to draw him back for another kiss. Their lovemaking was about to turn from sweet and enjoyable to intense. But before he reached for the condom they’d brought in with them, he wanted to experiment.