with an easy smile.
"You started it."
His grin deepened, and Lucy was struck—the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and lines cut through his cheeks. God, he was sexy. And so solidly built she wanted to strip him naked and run her hands all over him just to see for herself.
Overwhelmed, she looked away and drew in a deep breath. When she returned her gaze, Ian was watching her with a quiet expression. His hands still held hers. She wanted to pull them away, didn't want to be close to him, didn't want to get any more involved.
As if sensing her withdrawal, he released her and returned his shoulder to the wall. "I have two questions," he said.
"Okay."
"First, what the hell was with that outfit?"
Lucy burst out laughing. "Liked that, did you?"
"Was mesmerized. All those colors and patterns…"
"It did have a weird hypnotic effect." Her outfit had been so bad. Beyond bad. She must have looked ridiculous when he'd found her. "Well, just so you know, it wasn't my idea."
"Neither was taking your cousin's place."
Lucy made a face at him. "I'm working on saying no to people… Just remember that." Ian arched a brow at that. "It was Grace Lindsey," she went on. "The lady you had meet me at the airport. She took me shopping and I couldn't exactly say no. Well, I guess I could have. She just seemed so happy with her choices in clothes…"
Ian winced. "Sorry. She lives near the airport and is a very good friend of my uncle's, and offered to help out. Usually she has a bit more style than that, though."
Thunder clapped, making the house shake. With the fire and their conversation, Lucy felt more at ease than she had been in months. She was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Ian, and how interesting it was getting to know him. She was fast becoming a fan of his humor and the smiles that came along with it.
"And the second question," she asked as he stared out the window in deep thought.
Ian looked at her, really looked at her. "The first time… Why did you kiss me?"
Lucy put her head in her hands. "Really?" She dropped her hands. "That's your question?"
His smile was naughty and incredibly hot. "That's my question."
Her first inclination was to close herself off and start doubting. She had nothing of value to say, nothing witty or interesting. He'd think her emotional and ridiculous. But last night, she'd taken a chance, she'd opened herself up to a possibility. So why stop now? Why retreat back into her safe and lonely world?
Lucy scooted to sit cross-legged on the mattress, facing Ian. "All right. Well . . . I did it for a lot of reasons." She bit her lip, trying to put her thoughts into words. "My cousins, Riley and Kate—they're family, but they're also my best friends—they'd tell you I'm the dreamer of the bunch. I am, was, in a lot of ways. Just not so much when it comes to men and relationships. So I guess I was testing myself, taking a chance, seeing if I could be spontaneous again and stop being . . . afraid. That probably sounds stupid."
"Not stupid at all." Thunder boomed. The windows rattled. Ian eased his shoulder away from the wall and paused, waiting for the sound to stop. "Bad experiences can change a person," he said, distracted, looking a little pale. "Can make you protect yourself from being hurt again. It takes courage to reach out and try." She wondered if he was speaking from experience too. "But," he continued, "you left out the other reason you kissed me."
"The other reason," she repeated, not following.
"Your extreme attraction to me."
Lucy blinked.
"I was shirtless. And I'm pretty sure it pushed you over the edge."
She took one look at his twinkling eyes and laughed. "That was so not the reason." At his raised brow, she admitted, "Okay, fine. It was part of it, but I wouldn't call it extreme."
"Ouch."
"You're attracted to me, too, by the way."
"I am. I'm not afraid to call it extreme either."
Her pulse leapt and she didn't quite know how to respond to his honesty.
The
"You started it."
His grin deepened, and Lucy was struck—the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and lines cut through his cheeks. God, he was sexy. And so solidly built she wanted to strip him naked and run her hands all over him just to see for herself.
Overwhelmed, she looked away and drew in a deep breath. When she returned her gaze, Ian was watching her with a quiet expression. His hands still held hers. She wanted to pull them away, didn't want to be close to him, didn't want to get any more involved.
As if sensing her withdrawal, he released her and returned his shoulder to the wall. "I have two questions," he said.
"Okay."
"First, what the hell was with that outfit?"
Lucy burst out laughing. "Liked that, did you?"
"Was mesmerized. All those colors and patterns…"
"It did have a weird hypnotic effect." Her outfit had been so bad. Beyond bad. She must have looked ridiculous when he'd found her. "Well, just so you know, it wasn't my idea."
"Neither was taking your cousin's place."
Lucy made a face at him. "I'm working on saying no to people… Just remember that." Ian arched a brow at that. "It was Grace Lindsey," she went on. "The lady you had meet me at the airport. She took me shopping and I couldn't exactly say no. Well, I guess I could have. She just seemed so happy with her choices in clothes…"
Ian winced. "Sorry. She lives near the airport and is a very good friend of my uncle's, and offered to help out. Usually she has a bit more style than that, though."
Thunder clapped, making the house shake. With the fire and their conversation, Lucy felt more at ease than she had been in months. She was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Ian, and how interesting it was getting to know him. She was fast becoming a fan of his humor and the smiles that came along with it.
"And the second question," she asked as he stared out the window in deep thought.
Ian looked at her, really looked at her. "The first time… Why did you kiss me?"
Lucy put her head in her hands. "Really?" She dropped her hands. "That's your question?"
His smile was naughty and incredibly hot. "That's my question."
Her first inclination was to close herself off and start doubting. She had nothing of value to say, nothing witty or interesting. He'd think her emotional and ridiculous. But last night, she'd taken a chance, she'd opened herself up to a possibility. So why stop now? Why retreat back into her safe and lonely world?
Lucy scooted to sit cross-legged on the mattress, facing Ian. "All right. Well . . . I did it for a lot of reasons." She bit her lip, trying to put her thoughts into words. "My cousins, Riley and Kate—they're family, but they're also my best friends—they'd tell you I'm the dreamer of the bunch. I am, was, in a lot of ways. Just not so much when it comes to men and relationships. So I guess I was testing myself, taking a chance, seeing if I could be spontaneous again and stop being . . . afraid. That probably sounds stupid."
"Not stupid at all." Thunder boomed. The windows rattled. Ian eased his shoulder away from the wall and paused, waiting for the sound to stop. "Bad experiences can change a person," he said, distracted, looking a little pale. "Can make you protect yourself from being hurt again. It takes courage to reach out and try." She wondered if he was speaking from experience too. "But," he continued, "you left out the other reason you kissed me."
"The other reason," she repeated, not following.
"Your extreme attraction to me."
Lucy blinked.
"I was shirtless. And I'm pretty sure it pushed you over the edge."
She took one look at his twinkling eyes and laughed. "That was so not the reason." At his raised brow, she admitted, "Okay, fine. It was part of it, but I wouldn't call it extreme."
"Ouch."
"You're attracted to me, too, by the way."
"I am. I'm not afraid to call it extreme either."
Her pulse leapt and she didn't quite know how to respond to his honesty.
The
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