After the Christmas Party(36)

RILEY FELT THE difference in Trinity’s response and pulled back. “You okay? Am I coming on too strong? I didn’t mean to move too fast.”

He’d known better than to rush things, but he’d thought…No matter what he’d thought. The reality was they’d only known each other for two weeks and he had moved too fast. She was scooting away from him, standing, brushing the sand off her clothes, and was a million miles away from him.

“You’re fine.”

Fine? Not the adjective he wanted to be called when he was on fire for her and had just been kissing her with a great amount of gusto.

Mindless kisses that had been all about feeling and emotion and had had little to do with thought or intentions.

“The wind just felt a little chilly. That’s all. I want to finish our walk now.”

Just what every man wanted to hear when he was on the verge of making love to a woman he was crazy about. When he’d been overcome with passion and she’d…she’d decided she wanted to finish their walk. Oh, yeah, he’d pushed too soon. Only had he really? She’d wanted him, too. Had he done something wrong? Or was she playing games with him?

“Okay, we’ll walk.” He stood, brushed his clothes off, and took her hand.

He wasn’t sure she wanted him holding her hand either, but he wasn’t going to let her shut him out after the kiss they’d just shared.

She’d told him she was scared. Was that why she’d pulled away?

She’d also told him that she wasn’t very good at sex.

Based on how she kissed him, he’d say she couldn’t be more wrong.

But maybe she really believed otherwise. He was reaching, but there had to be some reason why she was now lost in thought instead of in his arms, and he sure didn’t want to believe it was that she was a tease. The vulnerability he sensed within her assured him that wasn’t the case.

“You’re a very good kisser.”

Her head jerked toward him.

“An amazing kisser,” he added, seeing the doubt in her eyes. Hell, someone had really done a number on her.

“You’re the one who’s a great kisser.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he could see that his praise pleased her. “I just follow your lead.”

“Thanks for saying so, but you don’t give yourself enough credit. You drive me wild, Trinity.”

She gave him a weak smile and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” As much as his body urged him to pick up where they’d left off, to take her in his arms and kiss her until she was breathless and begging for the release he craved, he just clasped her hand in his and walked.

Patience might not be his virtue, but some things were worth the wait. He had no doubt that when he and Trinity made love, and they would make love, the wait would be worth having the patience of Job.

How could her schedule have been changed? No one ever wanted to work on Christmas, so surely she wouldn’t have been randomly taken off the schedule?

She stared at the holiday work schedule. Her name was not on the twenty-fifth anywhere. Christmas Eve, yes, but not the big awful day itself.

She had been on that list. How had her name been taken off?

“What are you looking at?” Karen asked, stepping up behind Trinity and looking over her shoulder to see what had her so captivated.

“There was a message in my inbox about last-minute holiday schedule changes and for everyone to recheck the hours they’d be working.”

“Yeah, I saw that.”

“I’m no longer scheduled for Christmas Day.”

“Lucky girl.”

“Not lucky girl.” Because if she wasn’t working, she had to go with Riley to his family dinner. Not that there wasn’t a teeny tiny part of her that wanted to go, to meet the people he spoke of with such love, but the thought of a Christmas Day dinner was too much. Plus she’d have to buy them presents. Not that she was such a tightwad that she minded spending the money, but what the heck would she buy people she’d never met and who were from such a different social background from her own?

“You sound as if having Christmas Day off is a bad thing.” Karen grinned at her. “Enjoy yourself, spend some time with family.”

Time with family? Ha. Her only family had been her mother and she’d died several years ago from liver problems.

But Riley’s family?

“Or that good-looking man you’re dating. Now, there’s a way to spend Christmas Day. Unwrapping really great packages.” Karen waggled her brows.

Panic tightened Trinity’s throat. She glanced at the schedule again. “You’re supposed to work. Let me take your place.”