The dance floor was crowded, but Joe found them a small spot and pulled her close. A country-and-western tune wailed in the background and he pressed his body along hers and began to move with the music.
He really was a good dancer. The first time she'd danced with him she'd been surprised. But now, he held her differently, more intimately, and dancing with Joe took on a whole new meaning.
She wanted to seduce him, to tease and taunt him with her body, to lead him where she wanted him to go. The glass of champagne she'd guzzled emboldened her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her hips into his.
Perrie had never tried to deliberately seduce a man. She wasn't even certain she knew how. But instinct overcame insecurity and she simply moved with the music, nuzzling her face into the soft flannel of his shirt.
A soft groan rumbled in his throat and she felt his heartbeat, strong and sure, as she let her hand drift over the hard contours of his chest. They made a slow circle around the dance floor, yet she didn't notice any of the other dancers. The music and the noise and the people seemed to recede into the distance and all she could hear was Joe's gentle breathing against her ear.
Her fingers clutched at the front of his shirt and she pressed her forehead into his chest. Why was there always flannel between them? Why couldn't she have met Joe on some tropical island where the men barely wore clothes? Then she'd be free to touch him in all the ways she wanted.
The music stopped, but they kept on dancing, ignoring the silence between the songs. Somewhere during the long string of records, their dance became more intimate, a prelude to something new and exciting. She wished them to a different place where only silence would accompany their movements, but the jukebox still played and the people still shouted.
Perrie risked a glance up at him and their gazes locked. The passion in his eyes caused her heart to lurch. He pulled her hips tight against his, and his desire, hard and hot, branded her flesh through the fabric of her jeans. His meaning was clear. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and nothing would stand in their way.
"So what's going to happen tonight, Perrie?"
"I don't know. But whatever it is, it's not going to happen here."
He grinned. "Then I think we'd better leave."
Before she could say another word, he left her on the dance floor, weaving his way to their table. An instant later, he was back with their jackets. He helped her slip into hers, then took her hand and led her to the door.
As soon as they got outside, he grabbed her around the waist and pressed her up against the brick wall near the door. His mouth ravaged hers, his hands desperately searching for soft, warm flesh beneath her sweater. He pulled her leg up against his hip and rocked against her until she could imagine him above her and inside of her.
"I want to love you, Perrie," he murmured, biting the tender skin in the curve of her neck.
She furrowed her fingers through his hair and pulled his head back. "Then take me home," she challenged.
With a curse, Joe frantically rummaged through the junk in his bedside table at the lodge. Why hadn't he planned ahead? The instant he'd opened the front door of Perrie's cabin, he knew he'd forgotten something. And now, the first time he was making love to a woman he truly loved, he hadn't come prepared. He froze, stunned by his thoughts. No, it couldn't be.
The words just slipped into his head by mistake. But he'd never, ever used those words before. "I love Perrie Kincaid," he said slowly, testing each syllable as it formed on his lips.
Saying it out loud was all it took to realize that he spoke the truth. He loved Perrie Kincaid. And tonight, for the first time in his life, he'd truly make love to a woman. He would hold her in his arms and he'd never have to leave. He'd never wonder when-or how badly-the whole thing would end. He loved Perrie Kincaid.
A soft knock sounded on his bedroom door and Tanner called his name from the other side. When he replied, his buddy pushed the door open a crack. "You're back early," he said with a smile. "I thought you and Perrie would be out all night celebrating."
"We are," he replied, shoving the bedside drawer shut. "She's waiting for me up at her cabin. What are you doing back so soon?"
"Sammy was exhausted. And these days Julia is feeling a little tired, as well."
"Is she all right?" Joe asked. "She's not sick, is she?"
"She's pregnant," Tanner said.
Joe gasped and his jaw dropped. "You and Julia… "
"No, Burdy and Julia," Tanner teased. "Of course me and Julia. We've wanted to tell you since we got back, but you've been impossible to pin down. You've been spending so much time with Perrie."
Joe rose from the bed and walked to the door, then pulled Tanner into his arms and pounded his back. "I'm so happy for you," he murmured. "You and Julia deserve all the best. And so does Sammy. Jeez, Tanner, you're going to be a father. Hell, you're already a father. You and Sammy are great together."
"And what about you?" Tanner asked. "It wasn't hard to see what was going on with you and Perrie."
He turned away to pace the room. "I was just thinking about that." Joe paused, but the words were no longer difficult to say. "I love her. I've never felt like this before, and believe me, I'm as surprised as anyone. But she is the best thing that ever happened to me. She's obstinate and impertinent and opinionated. And she never backs away from an argument or a challenge."
"These are her good qualities?"
"Yeah," Joe said with a laugh. "And she's sweet and caring and she's got a talent for writing that I've never seen before. She's so smart. I can talk to Perrie about anything. And she can see right into my head and know what I'm thinking. I can't fool her." Joe sighed. "She's not easy, but that only makes me want her more."
"What are you going to do?"
"I haven't gotten that far yet."
"Well, you'd better think quick. There was a phone call for Perrie earlier this evening. Her boss called. I guess it's all right for her to go back to Seattle."
Joe closed his eyes and cursed, raking his fingers through his hair. "Great. I finally realize I love her and she's going to go home the minute she hears."
"Is she? Are you sure about that?"
"That's all she's wanted from the day she got here," Joe said. "You don't know Perrie. Even if she did love me, she'd never admit it. That stubborn pride of hers wouldn't allow it."
"You're going to have to give her the phone message. And you're going to have to tell her how you feel."
"Which first? The trick is in the timing," Joe said. "Will she love me or will she leave me?"
Tanner chuckled. "I guess that's up to you. You give her a good enough reason to stay and she will." That said, Tanner stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Joe alone with his thoughts.
How could he be so sure of his own feelings and not have a clue about Perrie's? She was attracted to him, but was it only physical? Would she take what she wanted and then walk away? Such poetic justice, to finally fall in love and then be forced to take a taste of his own medicine.
Joe grabbed the box from the bedside table and shoved it in his jacket pocket. He wasn't going to get any answers sitting alone in his bedroom. All the answers he wanted were waiting with Perrie.
He strode through the lodge and out the front door, his thoughts focused on only one thing. He'd tell Perrie how he felt and then he'd tell her about Milt's call… and then he'd wait for her reaction. He wouldn't have to wait long. Perrie wasn't one to keep her feelings to herself.
The distance between the lodge and her cabin was covered in record time. When he opened the front door, he expected her to be waiting for him where he'd left her, standing near the door. But then he realized how long he'd been gone.