“I sincerely doubt that.”
“Why? Why don’t you want to believe that you can be liked just for you?”
“Do you like me just for me?” The minute the words were out of her mouth, she wished them back. It rated right up there with her most embarrassing moment, next to that time at her last job when she’d pulled out all the stops in catching the man she thought she wanted, only to find out he’d done the same to the woman he’d wanted-and that hadn’t been her.
Which reminded her, no more men!
“Never mind,” she said urgently, trying to back away but suddenly his hands were on her hips, drawing her against him.
“No, you asked, and I’m going to tell you. I want to make sure you hear me, though.” His hands slid up her arms, slowly, so slowly, to capture her face, which he gently stroked with his fingers. “Yes, I like you, just for you.” He smiled, and it was rueful. “I didn’t want to like you, I’ll give you that. But it’s done now, and I won’t turn from it.”
Panic was new for her. New and unwelcome.
He liked her! “I think we should stick with your instincts,” she said quickly. “We don’t want to like each other, so we should-”
He set a finger to her lips, halting her words, and leaned even closer, so their mouths were only a fraction of an inch apart. “Don’t say this is stupid,” he murmured. “I’m well aware of the stupidity factor.”
“So let’s get smart!”
He smiled slowly. “Later.” And he placed his mouth over hers.
It was what she’d dreamed about every night since she’d come to Little Paradise, whether she wanted to admit it or not. But even in her dream, she hadn’t gotten it right.
This was right.
It was also terrifyingly hot, deep, messy and…bone-melting.
Riley didn’t just kiss her; no, he had to possess her. Had to make her surrender to it. His hands hauled her closer, his lips claimed hers, and she couldn’t hold back her sigh of pleasure because this was even better than her midnight fantasies.
At her little whimper, he groaned and deepened the kiss. Both of them staggered, and she fell back against the counter, Riley right with her, holding her, touching her, kissing and kissing her as if he never intended to let go.
She thought that just might be okay with her. She couldn’t get enough, either. Her hands slid up his chest, around his neck, holding his head close to hers in case he decided he didn’t want to kiss her anymore.
No chance. His hands held her captive between the hard counter and his even harder body. When she finally had to break off the kiss or suffocate, he simply shifted, dropping openmouthed kisses along her jaw, her neck, nuzzling at her collarbone where the material of her shirt gave away.
She did the same, tasting his skin, tugging on his earlobe with her teeth, eliciting a deep-throated moan before he cupped her face again, holding her still to kiss her; harder, wetter, deeper than before.
Wrapped around each other as they were, the ringing didn’t immediately sink into Holly’s consciousness, but eventually they had to stop to breathe again, and that was when she realized she’d totally lost it.
“I have to get that,” she murmured, straightening.
He straightened, too, looking hot, bothered and so damn sexy she had to turn away from him to even remember her name.
And she still had trouble.
“Holly,” she murmured, placing a hand to her racing heart. “Holly Stone.”
Riley let out a shaky laugh. “I didn’t expect anything like that.”
“But at least you didn’t nearly forget your name.”
“No, but I forgot everything else.” He shoved a hand through his already messed-up hair and stared at her. “That was…amazing.”
The phone rang again.
They could only look at each other. Holly actually might have gotten to the phone, but she didn’t, couldn’t, move.
The machine picked up the call, and after the message had run, Holly’s mother’s voice filled the room.
“Holly? I heard from the Mendozas, they were upset enough to make a shore-to-ship call! Tell me you haven’t really messed up as badly as we’ve heard. I need to know whether you think you can fix things or if I have to send someone out there. Holly? Is the situation still out of control?”
Holly looked at the machine. “The situation?” She had to laugh, with lips that were still wet from the most amazing kiss she’d ever had. She looked at Riley, who’s lips were also wet. “Definitely still out of control,” she said to herself.
Riley seemed to agree with that assessment as he turned to face the counter, leaning on it with tensed arms as if he needed the extra support.
“Holly?” Her mother’s very cultured voice sounded annoyed. “I need you to call me back right away, do you understand? If you’re going to do this to me, I need to know immediately so I can save the entire operation-”
Holly whipped up the phone, hoping to stop the words before her mother could further humiliate her in front of Riley. “This is a café, Mother, not one of your patients.”
“You’re there.”
“Yes, and I happen to have things perfectly under control.”
“How can you when you’re dumping ice water into the laps of big, hungry men? Or hiring the town floozy?”
Riley was looking at her now, and the expression on his face held an interesting and horrifying mixture of pity and compassion. Damn him anyway. Didn’t he realize her mother always spoke to her this way? That she’d never had faith in Holly, but that was okay because she didn’t deserve it since she’d never done anything to earn that faith? “The water thing was an accident,” she muttered.
“How about the gas leak? Killing people is bad for business.”
“Yes, I realize that.” Holly turned her back to Riley. “Trust me, everything is going to be fine.”
“I’m not going to trust you,” her mother said, shocked at the very idea. “How can I? You’ve held more jobs than this entire family put together. You’ve never in your life remained with one project for more than it took you to lose interest in it.”
Well, that hurt.
It shouldn’t, Holly reminded herself, not when it was true. But dammit, she was trying to change. “I realize I’ve never given you a reason to trust me before, but things are different now. I-I really wanted to make you proud of me on this one. I think I still can.”
How embarrassing was this? She was practically begging for her mother’s attention.
Even worse, Riley had come close, his big, tall body right behind hers. He cocked his head so his ear was close to hers, next to the receiver. She tried to move away but he slid his hands real soft and gentle around her waist.
She couldn’t resist soft and gentle. She’d never felt it before, not like this.
“Holly, this isn’t the time to resolve your issues with your family,” her mother said. “Just don’t make me look bad, I promised the-”
While her mother droned on, Riley switched tactics. He shifted to her other side, to her free ear, and whispered, “Hang up.”
“I can’t,” she mouthed, pushing him away.
Riley refused to be budged.
“-we’re trying to sell that place,” her mother continued, on a roll. “It has to look good when potential buyers come through. I should see if I can get your brother or sisters, or someone, out there, I-”
“I can do this,” Holly said, and dammit, her voice wavered. “I just need some more time.” She might have even groveled, because this project had come to mean so much more than she could have ever imagined.
But Riley was right there, listening to every word, watching her with an intensity that made her want to squirm, and she refused to show him her weaknesses.