And Then You Fall (Crested Butte Series) by Heather A Buchman Page B

were traveling together.”
    “What did she say? Did she sound angry?”
    “She said she wanted me to enjoy myself, more than anything, so . . .”
    “What else did she say? So . . . what?”
    “So I wasn’t so damned grouchy when we got back home.”
    Ben’s head tilted back again, and she heard him laugh. She loved his laugh, he did it with his whole body. His whole body experienced the joy of the moment. And it wasn’t just when he laughed, it was all the time. When he was on stage, when they were having sex.
    He pulled her back down on t he bed and shifted so she was lying right on top of him. “Skin on skin baby, you know how much I like this.” His hands worked their way up and down her back, pressing her closer to him.
    “Can you sleep on the plane?”
    “Hmm?”
    “If I keep you up all night, can you sleep on the plane tomorrow?”
     
    Ben hired a car to take them to McCarran. “Just fly back with me, it wouldn’t be a problem for us to fly into Centennial, drop you off and then fly over to Gunnison.”
    “I didn’t realize you had your own plane when you said you were changing your flight.” Liv sounded peevish.
    “Well, it isn’t mine, it’s the band’s, and we share time with my folks. My dad’s a pilot too.”
    That got her attention. “My dad was a pilot. Air Force.”
    “My father got his pilot’s license in his twenties, mainly to ferry my grandfather back and forth from Denver. He was never a military guy.”
    “Oh.”
    “You sound disappointed. Does it matter?”
    No, it didn’t matter. Liv was just realizing that outside of great sex and undeniable mutual attraction, how much did they really have in common?
    Last night Ben had insisted they talk about when they could see each other again. Liv had been evasive on purpose. He didn’t really think she believed him, did he? She knew what this was, it was a fling, just sex. He didn’t need to try to make her feel better about it by promising he’d call her. Did he think she was an idiot, or someone who wasn’t sophisticated enough to see this for what it was?
    “I just thought we might have that in common,” she shrugged.
    Ben looked at Paige, who shrugged too.
    “Look, it’s a sweet offer, but we’ve got a car at DIA. Flying into Centennial will only complicate things. Let’s just say goodbye here. It’ll be easier that way.”
    Ben looked at Paige again. “I thought you said if I stayed another night she wouldn’t be as grouchy.”
    Paige couldn’t hold it in, she spit out her coffee as she laughed out loud.
    “It isn’t funny,” Liv said, moving away from both of them. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She huffed off in the direction the ladies room.
     
    “What . . . in . . . the . . . hell?” he looked to Paige. Granted, he might be used to getting his own way, and he could be a little stubborn, and maybe a little controlling, but this woman wasn’ t givin g an inch.
    “Go easy on her, she’s w-a-a-a-y out of her comfort zone with you. Let her be pissy, but like her anyway. She’ll come around.” Paige hesitated, “As long as you do.”
    “Is that what it is? She thinks I’m not going to come around again?”
    “She doesn’t think it, she knows it, at least that’s what she’s convinced herself.”
    “How do you know all this? Did she get up in the middle of the night and call you while I was sleeping?”
    “No, she didn’t. I know her. When I say she’s out of her comfort zone, she isn’t even on the same planet as her comfort zone when it comes to you. Cut her some slack, understand what the motivation is behind her behavior. Like I said, she’ll come around as long as you do.”
    “Okay, ready Paige?” Liv touched Ben’s arm, stood up on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek. “Bye Ben, thanks for everything, I had a lot of fun. Come on Paige, let’s go.” Liv turned and was two feet away from him before he realized what she was doing.
    Two long strides later he grabbed her around the