Hearts at Play(9)

“Well, thank you for a really fun night.” She took her keys from her purse.

Brianna looked beautiful under the stars. Knowing she had such a big heart that she’d put her life on hold for her daughter, Hugh found her all the more alluring. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and feel her lips against his, to taste the sweetness of the honest, selfless woman before him. He put his hand on the small of her back and felt her body stiffen beneath his touch. He put his cheek against hers and whispered, “I’m honored to be your first date in almost seven years.” He kissed her cheek, inhaling the scent of her perfume. “You smell sun-kissed, like a warm summer breeze.” He stepped back before he ended up kissing her in a way that he knew he’d never be able to stop.





Chapter Eight


BRIANNA TOUCHED HER cheek where his whiskers had just grazed and his breath had warmed her skin. She could barely breathe. Sun-kissed, like a warm summer breeze. He was handsome and romantic? How does a girl respond to being told she smells sun-kissed? Thank you? You should see how good I taste? Oh my God, what is happening to me?

Hugh opened her car door.

“Thank you,” she managed as she climbed in. She was so conflicted. She didn’t want the night to end, but she knew if she kissed him it would be hard to stop, and she didn’t need that kind of complication. She’d come too far to lose herself in one night of passion. Been there, done that. But as she slid the key into the ignition, she felt a loss, knowing their evening was ending and he hadn’t asked for her phone number. Oh God, maybe she’d blown the whole night and hadn’t realized. It had been a very long time since she’d had to worry about dating etiquette.

He stood beside her open door, his hip close enough for her to touch. She twisted to put on her seat belt and realized she still had his jacket on. She climbed from the car, brushing against his firm, muscular thigh.

“I forgot about your jacket.” She pulled one arm out.

He gently touched her arm. “Keep it. It’s chilly.”

“But it’s leather.” She tried to pull it off.

Hugh moved in front of her. “Keep it,” he whispered. “I’ll get it another time.”

Another time? Another time!

Without any thought, she put her palm on his chest. Even with her heels, the height difference was too great for an easy kiss. She felt his heart beating beneath her palm.

“Are you sure?” she whispered. Kiss me. Just kiss me already.

He nodded, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. He took a step back again. Could he send her any more confusing signals? She wanted to really kiss him—full-on, tongues tangled, chests mashed against each other, their heartbeats connecting, sharing a rhythm, and exchanging oxygen—so badly she could practically taste the coffee on his tongue.

She climbed back into the car and pulled his jacket tighter across her chest. Hugh shut the door, and she rolled down the window as she cranked the engine. It sputtered and died.

Hugh leaned in the window. “Trouble?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Shit. Come on. She turned the key again, and this time it didn’t even sputter. It made a clicking noise.

“I don’t think you’re going anywhere in this car tonight, Bree.”

She banged her forehead on the steering wheel. “This can’t be happening.”

Hugh reached through the window and lifted her chin so she was looking at him. “I can fix it tomorrow. I’ll give you a ride.”

“You can fix it? Are you a mechanic?”

“I know a lot about cars, but I actually meant that I have a friend who can fix it in the morning.”

“I have to work tomorrow.” Kill me now. She ran through her contingency plan. She couldn’t take her mother’s car without ruining the day for her and Layla, but she might be able to borrow Kat’s car. “I’ll call Kat. Maybe I can borrow her car.”

“Brianna, I can lend you a car,” he said.

“What? You need your car.” She dug in her purse for her phone.

“Bree, sweetie, take a deep breath.”

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

“Feel better? Let’s lock up your car, and I’ll take you home. We can figure it out along the way. Let me make a call about fixing your car.”

Her shoulders dropped and she nodded. “Thanks, Hugh. You didn’t sign up for this mess when you asked me for coffee.” She climbed from the car and watched him step away and talk on the phone. He seemed unflappable, not the least bit flustered by having to take her home.

When he was finished with his call, he returned to her side.

Brianna sighed. “Now your night is ruined and you have to take extra time to drive me home. I’m so sorry.” She looked up at him and he was smiling again.

“Let’s leave your key in the tailpipe.” He tucked the key into the hiding place, then said, “Do I look like I mind?”

“No, and it’s kind of ridiculous. You have to have better things to do than drive me all over creation.” I am such a loser. This is why I shouldn’t date.

“Are we going all over creation? An adventure. Now I’m excited.” Hugh slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled his jacket tight across her chest. “Come on. Our adventure begins. So tell me, where is this place…Creation?”

They walked around the corner, and as much as Brianna tried to deny the feelings that were building inside her, she loved being pressed against Hugh’s sturdy body. He made her feel feminine and safe, and his arm felt deliciously sexy around her shoulders.

The parking garage was quiet and practically empty. Every click and clack of her boot heels echoed as they crossed the garage to the elevators. When they stepped out of the elevators on the top level, Brianna scanned the parking deck. There were only about a dozen cars, and Hugh took her hand and led her toward the car in the farthest corner, stopping in the center of the lot, where not a single car was parked.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“Nope. I just realized how beautiful the stars were and I thought, as long as we’re not in a rush, why not take a minute and enjoy them?”

“You’re not some psycho killer, are you?” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering about the gears that made him tick. He was nullifying every assumption she’d ever had about tall, dark, and handsome men being high-maintenance, self-centered, arrogant assholes, much like men say about beautiful women.

“Not that I’m aware of. Why? Do psychos look at stars?”

“You’re just so different from any guy I’ve ever met. I keep waiting for the skeleton to come racing out of the closet and bite me in the ass.” In the dark, she couldn’t see his eyes very clearly, but his hand didn’t sweat, it didn’t flinch, and he made no move to turn away. Instead, he took a step closer. And then another. His body was an inch from hers as he gazed into her eyes. It took all of her effort not to put her free hand on his waist, to stand on her tiptoes and kiss him. Kiss me. Please kiss me. No. Don’t kiss me.

“Bree.”

Oh, that voice. Yes, kiss me. Yes. “Mm-hmm?”

He lowered his face closer to hers and whispered, “Look up.”

They both looked up, and Brianna gasped at the beauty of the tiny illuminations that peppered the dark sky. Her hand came up to his waist without any cognitive thought.

“It’s so beautiful. I wish Layla could see this.” She froze. Damn it. Nothing like smothering a guy with reminders that another guy had been there before him.

“Let’s take her out one night and show her,” he said, still staring up at the stars.

She held her breath. Was he serious? Should she? She couldn’t introduce him to her daughter. She barely knew him.

Hugh looked down at her. “Why are you squeezing my hand so tight?”

“Am I? Sorry.” Did you mean what you said? Thinking about Layla brought her real life tumbling back to her. “Oh no. I forgot that I have to get Layla’s birthday present. I have to get my car fixed. I need to get her present tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll have time during the week.”

Hugh settled his index finger over her lips. “Take another deep breath.”

She did—again.

“I told you that I can lend you a car. You’ll be fine. If you don’t want to borrow a car, I’m happy to take you after my appointment tomorrow. We can get her present while my friend fixes your car.”

“Do you really have an extra car?” Who has extra cars?

“Yeah, and I really have a friend who will fix your car. He’s picking it up as we speak, and he’ll try to get whatever parts are needed and have it fixed by whatever time you need it. I told him by two since you said you had to work in the morning anyway.”

She was thankful that he was willing to help her, but she really needed to use her own mechanic so she could make payments if it was too expensive.

“What’s the worry I see in those beautiful eyes?” he asked.

She looked down, and he lifted her chin again, using the hand he had interlaced with hers.

“This is so embarrassing.” She looked down again, but their hands were right there again, bringing her eyes back to his.

“Unless you stole that car, there’s not much that can be embarrassing.”