Page 50 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

“Actually, the other way around. Mrs. Lopez puts her to sleep in her own bed, then walks next door once I’m home.”

I pulled up in front of her house, unsure of the protocol here. Were we saying good night? Was I invited in? The uncertainty must have shown on my face because Keltie smiled.

“I need to settle things with Mrs. Lopez,” she said. “Wait here?”

“You got it.” I watched as she disappeared into the house. Shortly after that, I spotted the woman I saw the first night I met Luna walk out of this house and into her own. Taking that as my cue, I approached Keltie’s front door, which opened before I could knock.

She stood in the soft light of the entryway, her hair, freed from its ponytail, cascaded over her shoulders in wild curls. The sight of her stole my breath.

“Hi,” she said simply.

The moment the door closed behind me, something snapped between us. I pushed her against the wall of the entryway, one hand cupping her face as I bent to kiss her. She met me halfway, rising on her toes, her arms wrapping around my neck as our lips connected.

The kiss was different from the tender ones we’d shared before—this was heat and hunger and release after days of building tension. When I tried to break away, needing to catch my breath, her fingers wove in my hair, holding me close as she deepened our connection.

With a groan, I lifted her in my arms. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her to the living room. I sat on the sofa, with her straddling my lap, our mouths never breakingcontact. The weight of her against me, the softness of her body pressed to mine, was intoxicating.

My hands moved to her hips, then slid under her sweater to find the warm skin beneath. I paused, leaning away enough to see her eyes.

“Is this okay?” I asked, my voice heavy with desire.

In answer, Keltie took my hand and guided it upward to her breast. “More than okay,” she whispered.

I groaned at the feel of her, soft and perfect in my palm.

“Holt.” She gasped as I tweaked her nipple.

We moved together in the warm quiet of her living room, learning each other’s bodies with increasingly urgent touches. The rest of the world fell away—the trust, the band, even my worries about Luna—until there was nothing but Keltie and me and the heat building between us.

“I want you so much, darlin’…”

Her eyes met mine. “But…”

I raised a brow, waiting for her to say what we both knew.

“It’s too soon, and…”

“Luna,” I finished for her.

When she tried to scoot off my lap, I tightened my arm around her waist. “Let me hold you a little while longer?Please?”

She smiled when the last word came out sounding a lot like her daughter. “Gladly,” she said, kissing me again.

15

KELTIE

“Earth to Keltie,” Miguel said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “You okay, boss? That’s the second time you’ve poured vodka instead of tequila.”

I blinked, and the bustling reality of the Goat came into focus. Two days after Christmas, and the bar was packed with tourists who’d flooded Crested Butte for the post-holiday ski season. Shortly after the lifts closed, every table was full and the air was thick with conversation and laughter.

“Sorry,” I muttered, dumping the vodka and starting fresh.

Miguel’s knowing grin told me he’d guessed exactly why I was distracted. “If you say so.”

I glanced toward the small stage, where Holt was setting up for an early set. He looked up as if he’d sensed my attention, and the slow smile that spread across his face sent a jolt straight through me. He remembered too—how we’d explored each other’s bodies with increasing urgency, how his hands and mouth had brought me so close to the edge that even now, hours later, I was practically trembling with need.

I forced myself to focus on the drink orders piling up from well-dressed out-of-towners with expensive ski gear, willing toleave big tips. Under normal circumstances, I’d be thrilled with the business, but my attention kept drifting between Holt and Luna, who sat near the bar, coloring intently in a new book. I hated that I’d had to bring her with me, but Mrs. Lopez wasn’t available tonight, and I hadn’t lined up any other sitters.

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