Page 25 of 40 and (Tired of) Faking It
Until her breasts brushed his chest. She sucked in a breath as a jolt of heat shot through her. Nothing in recent memory had felt that good. Nothing in her life had ever felt as good as JD, period, and when he turned her on the dance floor and her nipples pressed more firmly against him, she had to tighten her grip just to keep herself upright.
JD’s fingers dug into her hips. Lily jerked her head up to meet the intense electric blue of his eyes—and something crystalized inside her, making everything else fall away. For the longest moment they simply breathed, looking into each other’s eyes.
It was JD who broke the silence.
“You feel good against me, Lily.”
Her cheeks went hot. Her smile was so wide it hurt even as she ducked her head to hide the blush.
And then, with her heart threatening to pound out of her ribs, she did something completely, totally brazen. Totally unlike her.
And totally right.
She eased closer until her breasts pressed firmly against his chest, their bellies met, their hips aligned like they’d been made to fit each other.
JD growled low in his throat.
A shiver shook her as that sound vibrated from his chest to her nipples, then shot straight to her core, but she didn’t raise her head. Couldn’t. She was too busy clutching him to her, trying to breathe, wondering desperately what else she would feel if only she could stay in JD’s arms forever. She was forty years old, and though she’d thought she’d been in love before, was definitely no virgin, this man’s body against hers was better than any man who’d come before. His breath against the sensitive skin along the side of her throat. The firm push of his arousal against her soft belly.
She’d heard of chemistry, but in all her years, she’d never truly understood until now.
“JD,” she whispered helplessly.
His head dipped, his mouth coming to rest against her ear. “Lily.”
For a moment she imagined he sounded as stunned, as needy as she felt. And then a commotion at the door of the pub brought her head up, and her gaze settled on the crowd of men entering. At the very center was the one man sure to kill any arousal she might feel.
Mason.
Chapter Twelve
Her eyes met cold dark ones across the expanse of the pub. She turned her head away, unconsciously seeking the safety of JD’s shoulder, a curse leaving her lips. JD eased back, his gaze moving in the men’s direction. “Someone you know?”
Regret washed over her. “Unfortunately.” She glanced up at him, wanting to apologize for breaking the moment, wishing she could keep the magic going, but her entire body had gone tight— and not in a good way—the moment her eyes landed on Mason.
“It’s okay,” he said. Oddly enough, she could read understanding in his eyes despite the fact that he couldn’t possibly know what was going on. Still, he squeezed her hips against him, and she noticed his erection had barely lessened. “We can take this up at a better time. But Lily…” He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing along her jaw, and dipped his head once more to whisper in her ear. “I’ll definitely remember. I hope you will too.”
As if there was any chance of her forgetting. She gave him what was probably a small smile as the song came to an end, and JD escorted her back to the table.
Mason and his party were at the far end of the bar, their boisterousness adding a hard edge to the music and chatter and laughter already filling the pub. It never took more than the sight of him to tense her up. No one could deny he was handsome—tall, like JD, but roughly built. The popular high school offensive lineman, drooled over by every girl in their class, and he’d wanted to date her. Lily had put him off because, despite his dark good looks and status, both at school and in the town, there’d been no real spark for her. Mason had been through numerous girlfriends and two wives since.
Four years ago he’d come back to town after a few years in Asheville, and she’d agreed to go out with him. Unfortunately a short-lived…something—not lust, per se, but at least attraction—was all that had developed between them. Maybe it was because she was busy with her mayoral campaign. Maybe she was just as bad in bed as Mason claimed every time they argued. Whatever the issue, she’d finally broken things off.
To say Mason took it badly was an understatement. He’d started spreading rumors that she was frigid, and those rumors persisted to this day.
Oh, no one mentioned them to her face—except Mason—but they were there all the same, as evidenced by the wide berth the few eligible men in town gave her.
Until JD.
Would that change when Mason’s poison spread to him? And it would, she had no doubt. Mason wouldn’t miss this opportunity; he never forgave, and he never forgot. A lesson she should have learned long before she dated him.
Her gaze latched on to Erin’s a bit desperately as they approached their table.
“Bathroom break?” her friend asked.
“Definitely.” She looked up at JD. “Be right back,” she murmured.
His hand slid from hers, up her arm, to bury itself beneath her hair. His grip on her neck—not hard, just solid—steadied her. “I’ll hold you to that; I want another dance. You ladies don’t take too long.”
