Page 17 of Rock with You

“Yeah.” They stared at each other for a few beats of heavy silence.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged herself. She’d be able to go home tomorrow. Sam was flying back to LA. He’d be recording a duet with Tina Torrey. She was gorgeous and sexy and sophisticated in all kind of ways Carly wasn’t. That was his real life. This was hers. “So when I leave here tomorrow, it’s good-bye,” she said.

He tilted his head. “What?”

“Nothing would have ever happened between us if I hadn’t gotten stranded here. I’d have dropped off your pastries, and we never would have seen each other again.” And she had no business feeling emotional about this, but try telling that to her heart.

“Not true.” He sat and tugged her into his lap. “I thought about you all damn day after I left your shop. Why do you think I asked you to deliver all that stuff yesterday?”

She looked away because the intensity in his blue eyes was stirring up all kinds of warm, mushy things inside her. “We live in different worlds.”

“We live on opposite sides of the country, yeah. But don’t spin some bullshit about ‘different worlds,’ Carly. If you owned a bakery in LA and I’d met you there, this…” He yanked her forward so that her hips met his, his erection pressing into her. “It still would have happened, and it would have lasted a hell of a lot longer than two days.”

She wanted to believe that, really wanted to believe it. But what difference did it make? Once the ice melted, he was flying back to California, and they’d never see each other again. “Tonight,” she whispered. “I’m yours tonight.”

“No, baby.” His voice rumbled through her, low and sexy. “Tonight, I’m all yours.”

He kissed her, hot and fierce, his mouth devouring hers with a new kind of urgency. The knowledge that this was their last night together had set them on fire.

“Crazy beautiful,” he murmured against her neck. “That’s what you are.”

Her heart somersaulted in her chest. He’d sung those lyrics to her earlier while he played the guitar. It was one of the new songs he’d written, and she absolutely loved it. Would she hear it on the radio someday? Would he be singing about her then, or would she just be a distant memory?

6

By lunchtime the next day, the ice was melting. It rained down on the house, splashing and splattering from the tree branches above. With a whir, the power snapped on in the house. Lights blazed, appliances hummed to life, and the ceiling fan began to turn.

Sam went into the kitchen and poured two tumblers of scotch. “To celebrate being back on the grid.” He held one out to Carly.

She took it, but her smile was sad. “To electricity.”

“Funny, but we’ve had plenty of that the last two days.” He pulled her in and hooked his elbow through hers as they drank. The roads would be clear soon, but he wasn’t ready for her to leave.

He pressed his lips to hers. She tasted like his fantasies, sweet and sexy and forbidden. The kind of girl who would walk away rather than face the realities of his life. And he was the asshole who’d let her walk. He’d let her go, then he’d fly home to LA and pretend it meant nothing. Pretend the women who flung themselves at him at Hollywood parties were anywhere near as real or amazing as Carly.

But maybe they didn’t have to say good-bye just yet. “How about a hot shower before you leave?”

“The water won’t be hot yet.”

“It will be by the time we get there.” He kissed her again, drinking her in.

“Oh.” She finally caught up to his train of thought, and a wicked smile curled her lips. “I could use a shower.”

“But let’s get dirty first.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the living room, where he laid her down in front of the fire and did all kinds of naked and dirty things with her, until they were both limp and panting.

Carly rolled over to face him, her hair mussed in the way of a woman who’s just been thoroughly ravished. “I have to say, this is the most fun I’ve ever had during an ice storm.”

“It’s my first ice storm, but I can’t imagine anything topping it.” He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her face.

“You’re right. I bet the water is hot by now.” She sat up, naked and gorgeous.

“You in a rush?”

“It’s time for me to go home, Sam. You have a duet to record, and I have a bakery to run.”

It was true. So why was he thinking of excuses to stall? He led the way upstairs to the master bedroom, still cold but warming steadily now that heat blasted through the vents.

“It’s weird that I haven’t been in here yet.” Carly stood in the doorway, a funny look on her face.

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