Baby, It's Cold Outside (26 page)

“I thought you got rooms at the Harbor View last night?” Dan asked.

Heat crept up Wes’s neck, and he deliberately didn’t correct the
rooms
to
room
. “Yeah,” he said, keeping his response vague. “But—” He cleared his throat to loosen the tight muscles. “But she’d left by the time I woke this morning.”

All true, no falsehoods there. Just the hugest lie by omission. Like the fact that they’d shared the same bed. Like the fact that Wes was sure he’d never be the same, because Evie made him feel more alive than he’d ever felt in his life.

Dan raked a hand through his brown hair. “I’m just trying to figure out if I need to be worried or not,” he said, though his tone broadcast that he’d already decided.

“Dan,” Wes said, trying to soothe his friend. “Wherever she is, she can take care of herself.”

“You don’t know the epically awful year she’s just had,” Dan said with a sarcastic huff.

Wes’s lips quirked wryly. “She told me a little about it.” And for a moment he was lost in the memories of a tipsy Evie on the plane, listing all the ways her life had gone wrong. Yet, despite it all, her sense of humor and her quirky outlook on life had never faltered, impressing Wes with her fierce determination. Even if her goal was something as simple as seduction…

The concern on Dan’s face had Wes pushing the thoughts aside to send Dan a reassuring smile. “She’s stronger than you think.” Wes let out a small laugh. “She’s stronger than even
she
thinks.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Wes said, shifting his eyes to the massive living room adorned in wreaths and lights and shimmering silver candelabras. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon.”

Of course, he couldn’t be sure of anything.

Like when she would show up. Or how the reunion would unfold.

When Wes had arrived at the Burling home, all decked out in holiday decorations, he immediately read the tension in Howard Burling’s shoulders and the worry lines framing Melinda Burling’s eyes. Evie’s parents were obviously on edge. One thing was abundantly clear: this day wasn’t going to be awkward only for Evie.

Dan let out small sigh. “Well, all I know is that Mom and Dad are grateful you took her under your wing yesterday,” he said. Which isn’t exactly how Wes would describe how the whole thing played out, but he kept his mouth closed. “There is no one they trust more.”

Too bad Wes didn’t deserve the faith. Because he was pretty sure taking Evie under his wing wouldn’t include hiking her onto a bar counter and having his wicked way with her. Several times, in fact. Wes’s gut did a slow barrel roll, and he struggled to keep the guilt from his face as Dan went on.

“You know how much my mother loves you, so I have to warn you…”

Dan shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

Wes narrowed his eyes warily. “Warn me about what?”

“Mom mentioned trying to set the two of you up.” Dan let out a sharp bark of laughter. “I told her it would be a complete waste of time.”

Wes covered a cough with his hand. “How do you figure that?” he said in a conversational tone, though his blood was picking up speed in his veins.

Dan’s eyebrows sought to become one with the roof. “You’re kidding, right?”

“People said Sara and I were perfect for each other,” Wes said, and his gaze drifted across the room. No need for him to elaborate on how
that
had worked out.

Months had passed after his divorce before he’d finally realized that perfect on paper didn’t necessarily translate into perfect in real life. And while he and Evie might not be an obvious match, even he had to admit that somehow they just…worked. After his father’s embezzlement scam, Wes had buried a part of himself, a wildness that Evie coaxed out of hiding. She’d seen what no one else had. As if she knew how important the reckless side was in making him feel whole.

Dan tipped his head curiously. “So what are you trying to say, Wes?”

Wes heard Dan’s parents heading back toward the living room, their voices drifting up the hall. He couldn’t stomach the question in Dan’s eyes or the overt suggestions Evie’s mother would make about him and Evie. Not in front of Dan, the friend who was beginning to see right through his facade.

His cellular rang, and Wes looked at the incoming number. “It’s the office,” he said as he stood. “I’ll take this in the kitchen.”

…

Palms damp, surprising given the chill, Evie gripped the steering wheel of her budget rental car, moving slowly through traffic in the post-blizzard cleanup. After hours of driving aimlessly, she’d finally worked up the wherewithal to head for her parents’ house. She hated returning this way—in need. Her life a royal mess. And every mile closer to her childhood home ratcheted up the tension in her body.

She longed to be back in bed with Wes, warm and secure, wrapped in his arms.

But when the sun had peeked through the heavy hotel curtain, reality had hit. And the woman who had boldly seduced Wes Campbell and then turned to total putty in his powerful hands,
that
woman had studied the handsome, sleeping form, realizing she had made her homecoming that much more complicated.

Way to go, Evie.

Grabbing her bags and sneaking out of the penthouse had felt cowardly. But how did a woman behave after relentlessly seducing a guy who’d resisted until the bitter end? Granted, when he’d given in to her efforts, his overdeveloped sense of honor finally collapsing like a soggy house of cards, he’d thrown in the towel with a heart-stopping force. Unleashing a Wes she’d hardly recognized. Yet she sensed the man who’d emerged was as honest a glimpse as the one who’d told her not to drink too much and then had kept watch over her sleeping body.

Her heart clenched at the memories.

So where did they go from here? Outside of a single night of pure, unadulterated lust, he didn’t want to be with her. She wasn’t his kind of girlfriend. But she couldn’t imagine going back to the uneasily contentious relationship that they’d had before. Wes was coming to her parents’ party tonight, and she longed for him in ways she wouldn’t have thought possible in a short twenty-four-hour time span.

She gritted her teeth as she turned her car onto her parents’ street.

The huge gates at the driveway loomed closer—a lot like the rest of her life—and Evie touched the brakes, slowing the car to a crawl. Heart thumping, she considered turning around and delaying the inevitable. She dreaded enduring her poor mother’s worried face, her father’s disapproval.

And how would Dan look at her? With disappointment?

Her stomach lurched, and she drew in a long, steadying breath. She’d already spent hours driving through her hometown, lost in the memories of her time with Wes and growing ever tenser with the thought of facing her family. Her
brother
. Pressing her lips flat, she forced herself to turn through the gates. The uneasy knot grew a little tighter as she parked in the circular drive of the palatial colonial-style house with multiple luxury cars lining the driveway.

She glanced back at her suitcase, a pathetic symbol of all she had to show for the last ten years of her life, and decided to leave the bag for later. No sense in announcing her return with her beater luggage with squeaky wheels, symbolizing the mess she’d made of her life to date. She headed up the brick walkway and silently entered the foyer, pausing to take in the familiar smells of her mother’s roses and freshly ground coffee.

Her mom’s voice drifted in from the living room to her right, followed by her father’s and then her brother’s, and Evie’s heart wilted a little more. She needed strength. She needed courage.

At the very least, she needed a cup of strong coffee.

Hoping to postpone the moment of truth, of admitting she needed help, Evie headed down the marble corridor. She pushed through the swinging doors of the kitchen, only to come to a grinding halt.

Because there, talking on his cell phone next to the coffee pot, stood Wes.

Wes.

Her heart expanded with joy and contracted in fear, all at the same time. Elated to see him again. Petrified of how she’d come to feel about him in such a short time. He caught her eye, his gaze firm on hers as he brought his conversation to a close and hung up.

Five heartbeats passed as they stared at each other, the silence filled with the sound of the coffee streaming into the carafe. She took in the well-muscled chest beneath his blue T-shirt, the lean hips encased in jeans, and the dark, boyishly ruffled hair. But mostly she admired the sinful, hazel eyes. Good God, the thick lashes really gave him a sensually sated look.

Or maybe that was just courtesy of last night.

Goose bumps skittered across her skin, spreading to all corners of her body, setting each cell humming at the memory. Every touch, every fiercely passionate look on his face, and every sigh she’d let out in response, settled into her brain as if to stay forever.

“I thought you had to work today,” she said, feeling as if she’d just sprinted the whole way here.

His brow bunched as he slipped his phone into his jeans pocket. “Maybe I called in sick.”

The absurdity of his statement brought a wry twist to her mouth. “It’s your company,” she said. “You’re the boss.”

His eyes crinkled, his amusement growing deeper. “Just don’t tell my secretary that.”

Several more seconds passed as she barely suppressed the urge to throw herself in his arms and bury her face against that hard chest. To let those strong arms both shelter her and encourage her to move forward. And she couldn’t take the waiting anymore.

“Why are you here, Wes?”

“I wanted to see you again,” he said simply.

She bit her lower lip, the wonderful words rolling through her. Not exactly what she’d expect from the man who’d listed her family as the main reason he shouldn’t sleep with her.

Evie swallowed hard. “At my parents’ house?”

His expression was one of a man who’d grappled with an issue and come to a conclusion. Hip propped against the kitchen counter, he crossed his arms, the well-formed biceps reminding her of his strength when he’d lifted her onto the bar.

He was everything she needed and more.

Focus, Evie. Focus.

“Ever since my father’s embezzlement…,” he said. The words came out slow, thoughtful. “I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about what the rest of the world thinks.”

Evie studied him, the news surprising. She’d always thought of him as this amazing tower of strength. But maybe, in a way, that was a weakness, too.

“Is being perfect getting old?” she asked.

He let out a scoff. “It’s getting boring.”

There was a two-second pause before he went on.

“This morning I decided being here is more important than worrying about how your family will react.” Beautiful eyes steadily held hers, his face calm, and he lifted one of those broad shoulders that surely had marks from her fingernails. His voice grew softer. “Because you’re stronger than they give you credit for, Evie. Stronger than
Dan
gives you credit for. The reckless teen has grown into an incredibly brave woman,” he said. She held her breath, stunned, and he went on. “I thought you deserved to have someone who knows that by your side during your initial homecoming.”

Tears pricked her eyes, the surge of gratefulness so strong her knees almost collapsed. He’d set aside his worries about her brother’s reaction to come and support her. He’d stayed to watch over her when her fear had driven her to drink too much. But that was the side of Wes she knew well. The Wes who always did the right thing. It didn’t mean things had changed much.

“What took you so long to get here?” he asked.

“I drove around for a while,” she said. “I needed to think.”

No need to share about what. Her family. Her brother.

Last night…

“I’ve been doing some thinking, too,” he said. “About us. About our future.”

Hope sliced through her, scaring her with just how much she wanted there to be an “us.” Sympathetic support from a friend was one thing. Considering something more was something else. But she knew better than to get attached to that dream. Her whole childhood had prepared her for this moment. Because ultimately, she wouldn’t fit with his life. She couldn’t bear being set up for expectations she could never fulfill. Just like with her family. And she couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing Wes.

“There is no future for us,” she said.

“There could be.”

Her heart tripped, and the painful landing triggered a swift, quiet inhalation. For several seconds she dreamed of exactly that. Of saying yes and being free to be with Wes. To talk to him. To burrow into his arms when things got too tough.

Free to touch him whenever she wanted.

“Wes, you’re not thinking straight,” she said, hoping to keep it together long enough to send him away. “You’re just suffering from the lingering effects of my seduction technique.”

His faint grin was positively breathtaking. “That’s true,” he said. “But I’ve also come to the conclusion that I’d like to give us a try.”

Eyes wide, she blinked, her gaze stuck on the honesty in his expression. “Give us a try…” Her voice trailed off for a moment before she was capable of going on, the truth bitter on her lips. “You don’t want me as your girlfriend.”

“Yes, I do,” he said.

The joy and longing were too much, and fear gripped Evie. She couldn’t continue to be the problem that needed to be solved.

“No, you don’t,” she said, her voice full of worry and doubt. And her protest was a strong one. “I’m too opinionated.”

“I love your opinions.”

“I don’t have a job.”

“You’ll find one,” he said confidently. “And Dan wants to lend you a hand.”

Evie grimaced. “I don’t want to be that loser who constantly needs to be rescued.”

“You’ve accomplished a hell of a lot since you left home. You turned an unknown band into a success. Don’t be too proud to accept help from the ones who love you, Evie,” he said in a low voice. “It doesn’t mean you’re a loser. It makes you human.”