Page 43 of A Very Titan Christmas
“Oh.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s a pretty good tree.”
Bryce kissed the top of her head, and she would have done anything not to have on a wool hat. “Probably the best.”
She glanced over her shoulder and wished he would kiss her. But this wasn’t real. This was pretend. Nothing about their jaunt to Main Street was for anything other than work. Hers: research. His: protection detail.
But that didn’t change the need pooling in her stomach at the possibility that his lips might touch hers again one day.To keep up the lie.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The drive backto Rachel’s cabin was quiet. They had dinner plans with her parents tomorrow night, so they were off the hook tonight. So long as she planned to stay in, he was off duty and would only be needed if she left her cabin.
He managed the icy road and turned onto the resort’s main road. It climbed higher into the mountains, turning this way and that. Before Bryce knew it, they were back at her cabin. “What are you going to do tonight?”
“Write. I might download the pictures I took to see if any catch my eye.” She fidgeted with the zipper on her coat. “What about you?”
“Hadn’t thought much about it. My teammates are probably all back at our cabin.” He shrugged. “Heat up a frozen pizza. Watch a movie and drink some beers. I don’t know. Something like that.” He killed the engine. “All right. Let me do a quick sweep of your place, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
If he focused on his job, it would be a hell of a lot easier than asking how far she wanted to take their game of pretend. He longed to get his hands on her in a way that should have been shocking.
Then again, he already knew they had a connection. Hell, they’d had fire.
Throw in time to grow up and grow into themselves, their wants and needs, and that was a recipe for explosions.
Bryce walked Rachel to her door, unlocked it, and let her in. The light over the stove and one in the bedroom loft softlyilluminated the tidy space. Rachel had transformed her dining room table into her office. A laptop and notepad waited for her to jump back into work. She’d left her coffee cup on the table amid a semi-organized pile of business cards and brochures she’d picked up at the marketplace.
He made quick work of inspecting the space. “What are you going to do for dinner?”
She shrugged. “Cereal while I work, probably.”
He should have taken her out to eat. “All right. Call if you want to go anywhere.”
“Okay.”
“Any time. It won’t take me long to get over here. Don’t open the door for anyone. Okay?”
She walked him to the front door and opened it. “And do the deadbolt. Got it.”
“Good girl.” He cupped her chin. His thumb caressed her cheek. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to slide that thumb over her lips. “Night, Rach.”
He turned away from her and walked to the car after she shut the door. The cold air was a welcome blast to the heated need slamming in his chest. The uneven rise and fall of his breaths were a fuckin’ joke. Almost like he was goddamn winded. Bryce reached his car door, and fuck it, turned around and headed back to her cabin.
Her front door opened before he knocked.
Rachel grabbed the front of his Henley. He fisted her hair, kicked the door shut, and had her up against it before he could think straight. Rachel met his eyes, and he was done. Even in the dim light, her green eyes were on fire.
Bryce pressed his lips to hers, and on a gasp, she pulled him closer. Whatever had caused her silence before was gone, and she was alive and wanting in his arms. His tongue swept over her mouth. Her lips parted, giving him access to the sweetest,sexiest mouth he’d ever kissed. Her tongue touched his. Need shot through him like a match to fuel, and blinding hunger that he couldn’t possibly get a hold of coursed through his blood like he were mainlining adrenaline.
Fuck. She was kissing him like she’d written the playbook on how to bring him to his knees. Rachel slid her hands up his chest and into his hair. She tugged her fingers through it, and the resulting pinpricks of pain left him as hard as the fucking granite these damn mountains were known for.
He wanted to touch her. Taste her. Bryce wanted to be between her legs and buried in her sweetness before he took another breath.
And that was a problem.
She was his job. Ensuring she was safe was his sole assignment. He wouldn’t have a clear mind if he were trying to get her naked. He wouldn’t have a job, plain and simple, if he did anything other than pretend. “Rach…” He forced his lips a fraction from hers. He couldn’t quite let her go yet. “Rachel.”
Her quick breaths burned against his.
Bryce rested his forehead against hers, unable to open his eyes to reality. She dragged her hands from his hair. Bryce inched back and pried his eyes open. Fuck, there she was. Beautiful, bright-eyed, and uncertain about what to say. He could practically read her mind.
