Page 14 of Forever Mine
“You think my fees are high.” He nodded slowly. “They are, but I’m good so I make no apologies for charging what I do, but for you … ”
When he wouldn’t stop staring at me and refusing to speak, I poked his leg. “Stop playing and finish what you're telling me.”
“We can negotiate a discount but while I’m there, you’ll have to go out with me. Show me the places tourists don’t get to see.”
I peered at him, wondering about his motives. “That’s it?”
“Yeah, you expected something else?”
I shrugged, uncomfortable with where my thoughts had gone. “You’re a man and some of you have unrealistic expectations.”
“I could say the same about some women.”
The trace of bitterness in his tone and the flash of anger in his eyes intrigued me. His reaction said he had something going on, but we weren’t exactly friends, so I couldn’t ask.
Still suspicious, I conceded. “Well, if that’s all you want, I don’t see why not. Just come up with something reasonable.”
The storm clouds left his eyes and the slow grin that fascinated me, came back to lift his lips. “You can count on it.”
I didn’t want to sound too eager, so I settled my gaze on the wall of bluish-green water across the aisle. “So, when are you coming?”
“At the end of this month.”
“Sounds good, but does that mean you can find time during the two months or will I have to wait until you finish your first gig?”
“If you need me urgently, I can make it happen sooner rather than later.”
“I’d like that.”
I looked around us, conscious that I didn’t see anybody from the conference. “We should go find the others.”
“Yeah, that’d be a good idea.”
We got up, and he placed a hand on my back to steer me toward the open end of the corridor. His touch was firm, but not overbearing, and warmth spiraled from the point where his hand rested. I noticed again that as tall as I was, Scott stood inches above me.
“Over there,” With his chin, he pointed toward where our group was gathered.
The thought occurred to me that we were behaving like a couple. Dinner last night had been pleasant at the table where we sat with the conference organizers. We’d gone to the games lounge after that and Scott won a few rounds of slot poker, while I lost all but two of the handful of chips I’d been given when we started playing.
A few glasses of wine later, I’d put the brakes on drinking. When we finally made it to our floor, Scott walked with me to my door.
I swiped my bottom lip with my tongue, then thanked him for a fun evening.
“You’re most welcome,” he said before grazing my lips with his and setting off a horde of butterflies in my belly. His kiss was unexpected. Soft. Sweet. Tantalizing.
Now, his hand moved lower on my back, arousing the same sensation.
I was glad when he moved away, and I could breathe. To gauge his reaction, I glanced at him but the hair shielding his face hid whatever he might have been feeling. His eyes would tell me, but he was staring ahead at the group.
I licked my lip, remembering the brush of his skin against mine and as my face flamed, I reminded myself that I wasn’t aiming to get attached to him. This was just fun and games. Having been in a terrible relationship, and through a not-so-amicable divorce, love was an abstract concept I wanted no part of in my life.
On our way to the hotel on the tour bus, I stared through the window with my thoughts tangled around Scott. I was overthinking things. We’d only be here for a few more days, which would not be enough time for us to explore this thing between us.
Whenever he made it to Jamaica, I’d figure out if what we shared was a passing attraction. Beside me, Scott lowered his head to type a message on his phone.
We hadn’t touched on the matter of his engagement and impending fatherhood, but I brushed the thought aside. It wasn’t important, not to two people who’d been temporarily thrown together because they happened to be attending the same event.
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