Hot Pursuit - Denise A. Agnew [29]
“’Fess up,” he said, his attention full on her.
“How was your day?”
“Excellent. Don’t try and change the subject. Out with it.”
She shifted on the couch, glad he hadn’t pressed anything more physical by sitting closer. Not because she didn’t want him near, because she really did, but because she couldn’t think straight when he was.
“Like I said, I think my business is getting dodgy. Things have been slowing down over the last year. Clarksville’s economy isn’t really recovering as well as some small towns. I think I may need to move to a bigger city.”
His eyes narrowed. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“My last wedding account cancelled today. They broke up and that was the third wedding in the last month that I was supposed to do that was called off.” She sipped her chocolate, then placed it on the coffee table. “Like I said, it’s just been a weird month. Danny, my business…” She shrugged.
Vic dared to capture her gaze and hold it. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Where are you thinking of moving?”
She shrugged again. “I’m not sure. Maybe Jackson Hole. The thing is, it’s a lot more expensive to rent office space there, and to live.”
He laced his fingers together. “Ever consider Colorado Springs?”
Some of the pain eased from her midsection where the weight of the world was sitting. “Marisa and Jake are moving there soon.”
“Jake got orders to PCS to Fort Carson,” he said.
“PCS?”
“Permanent Change of Station.”
“Gotcha. I’m not up on all the military terms, though I probably should be.”
Silence settled down between them before he spoke again. “You’d miss your friends here if you moved, wouldn’t you?”
She nodded, and weariness returned. “I’ll miss them. My biggest thing is deciding once and for all where I’m moving. I can’t let this go on any longer.”
He frowned. “What about Danny?”
Her lips tightened, as if he’d asked a far more egregious question. “As I said the other night, he’s history.”
“No regrets that you aren’t with him?”
She shook her head vehemently. “None.”
Relief hit his face so hard, she thought maybe she’d imagined it. No, it was there, clear as day. He didn’t speak for a moment. “The lady who owns the inn was hitting on me before I came over here, and she said you were back with Danny.”
Her mouth opened a little in definite surprise. “She hit on you?”
He laughed. “Yep. She’s been flirting since I checked in.” He wanted Lucy to know up front that he wasn’t going to mess with another woman if he dated her. “I’m not flirting back. Not even harmless flirting. I don’t want her getting the wrong idea. Besides, she’s married.”
A grin broke over her face as she reached for her hot chocolate, and he thought he saw relief in her eyes. “She’s known for spreading gossip, and I’d heard that she likes younger men. Even the rumor about me isn’t surprising. What they say about small towns is true. Gossip runs the show.”
Lucy took a long sip of the chocolate, and when she licked her lips, his eyes narrowed again and she saw them follow her tongue. A slow burning arousal ignited inside her.
“Did you believe her?” she asked. “I mean, about me and Danny.”
“Maybe for about two seconds.”
She brought her legs up onto the couch, putting her body in a more defensive position. “You honestly thought I’d go back to him? Or was there a tiny bit of concern there?”
He blinked.
Busted. “I didn’t know what to think. Sometimes rumors are true.” He continued the confession. “I guess you could say I was gun shy after Shelly. I asked about Danny because for a few seconds I was scared I didn’t have a chance with you. I was scared that you’d tell me to disappear or that you believed I really could sexually harass a woman.”
She returned the hot chocolate to the table, crawled across the couch to Vic and sat directly at his side. “Not a chance, Vic. I was hoping you’d come here tonight and the snow would get so bad you’d want to stay.”
Lucy watched Vic’s eyes smolder, but not with anger. Pure sexual heat. His nostrils flared a little, his lips parted.
“Then you don’t hate the