Page 51 of My Montana Valentine

Her heart sighed. Of course. He was it—the place she’d been looking for without realizing it. He was home.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” His voice set free the kaleidoscope of butterflies in her tummy.

His lips were close to her ear. “I’ve booked a room in the hotel and…” Inhaling deeply, he lifted his head and looked at her. “Annie has packed a bag for you. If you want to stay with me tonight, that is. I don’t want to hurt you again, so I have to tell you, I… I’m flying back to Portland tomorrow with Riley and Craig. I’m not the marrying kind. Too cynical, probably. You deserve so much better than a cynical reporter set in his ways so I won’t ask you to consider a long distance relationship. We could have this one night, though. Your decision.”

She hadn’t thought it was possible for a heart to break again and again, but apparently, it could happen. It was happening to her right here on the dance floor. He really was leaving.

The words of the song penetrated her befuddled mind.

’Cause when you’re home, I’m home…

She wanted this. She wanted him. She loved him—there, she’d finally acknowledge it. There would be time for the pain, the tears, the heartache when he left, but right now, there was a chance to be with him. For longer than just one night.

Looking up at him, she smiled. “I don’t know. A long-distance relationship doesn’t sound that bad, you know? Think about it. We’ll only see one another over weekends. During the week we carry on with our lives. We won’t get on each other’s nerves, there won’t be any messy bits to deal with, only the fun part.”

He inhaled sharply and stopped dancing in the middle of the floor. “You know what you’ve just said?”

“Was I unclear?” she teased. “I could repeat…”

“Anything of yours at the table?” he interrupted her.

“My bag, but…”

But before she could complete her sentence, he’d turned around, and tightly holding onto her hand, made his way through the dancing couples to their table.

Mitch and Annie were back at the table, but he and Riley seemed to be in a heated discussion and weren’t looking in their direction.Thanks for small mercies.

Annie jumped up when she saw Vivian and Aiden approaching. She pulled Vivian closer and hugged her. “Your overnight bag is in his room,” she whispered softly.

Vivian picked up her small bag, and with a vague nod in everyone’s direction, she followed Aiden. They were close to the door when she heard a voice behind them.

“And where are you two off to in such a hurry?”

Vivian rolled her eyes. Of course. Carol Bingley didn’t miss a thing.

Before she could turn around or say anything, though, Aiden was facing Carol. “We’re going up to my hotel room to have unbridled, passionate sex.”

For the first time since Vivian had met her, Carol was struck speechless. While the older woman was still gasping for breath, Aiden whisked Vivian out of the ballroom and up the stairs.

They were both laughing and out of breath when they reached his room.

“Sorry about that, but that woman just gets under my skin.”

“You’ve given her something to talk about for weeks now.” Vivian grinned.

His smile slipping, Aiden opened the door. “You sure this is what you want?”

“A night of unbridled, passionate sex with a handsome stranger? Who wouldn’t?” she teased. “And to think we can do this every weekend. Well, probably not every weekend, I have to work some weekends. Wow, what a beautiful room!” she exclaimed trying to cover up her rash words. “I’ve never been—”

But that was as far as she got. Aiden had turned her around, and his mouth was on hers before she could catch her next breath. Warm, desperate, hungry. Within minutes, she was clinging to him, helpless as a current simply picked her up and carried her along without mercy. Everything outside the room faded away. All she registered was the urgency of his touch, the citrusy smell of his scent, the warmth of his breath, the movement of his rippling muscles beneath her hands.

Her heart sighed. With Aiden. Her home.

He was here, with her. She hadn’t thought she’d ever see him again, but here he was, kissing her as if he’d missed her as much as she’d missed him.

Chapter Sixteen

Aiden tried torein himself in, but the woman in his arms was making it more difficult by the minute. She was all silk and satin, sexy curves, and toned lines, and he was quickly losing the battle.

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