Page 45 of Secrets in the Deep

Her head spun. She still hadn’t recovered when he leaned over her to put on her seat belt, his thick arm cutting across her chest. “You smell like evergreen.”

His forearm grazed her nipples. “Like the forest?”

“Pine trees. Leaves. Autumn.”

The seat belt clicked into place and he looked at her, his mouth so close his breath blended with hers. “I take it that’s a good scent?”

“It used to be my favorite.”

His brows creased again.

She reached up and ran her finger over the line between them. “You frown too much.”

“You know what you smell like?”

“Alcohol?”

His lips twitched. “Flowers. And rain. And something else. Something I’ve never been able to name or replace.”

She shook her head. “You shouldn’t say things like that. I may be drunk, but I’ll remember.”

She wanted him to say he didn’t care, that hewantedher to remember.

Instead, he stepped back. “You’re right. Sorry.”

The snap of the door closing destroyed the fragile intimacy between them.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting the world swirl behind her eyelids. When Ryan started driving, the dull thrum of the engine tried to lull her to sleep. She didn’t let it.

She wanted to be present for every second she had with him. She didn’t care if that made her pathetic or stupid, didn’t care that she was setting herself up for a painful goodbye. She didn’t care about her future self at all. She just cared about this moment.

She turned her head and watched him from beneath hooded lids. She watched him for the entire drive. And either he didn’t notice or he didn’t care.

When he reached the inn, she slipped off her seat belt and opened the door. But her drunk self forgot that she was in a truck, and the step was bigger than she’d anticipated.

Her foot hit empty air, and she almost hit the ground when fingers suddenly wrapped around her waist, lowering her gently to the ground. “Whoa. Are you okay?”

“Nowyou catch me.” It was supposed to be a drunken joke.

But the darkening of Ryan’s eyes told her that he didnotfind it funny.

With an arm around her waist once again, he led her across the lot.

When they reached the door, she fumbled for her key card. Obviously, she fumbled too long, because he slipped his hand into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled it out for her. And hell if drunk Emily wasn’t turned on by the brief touch to her ass.

They stepped inside and headed down the hall.

“That’s Mom’s room.” She scowled at the wooden door beside hers. “Do you think she’s in there plotting the next ten years of my life? Do you think there are vision boards and timelines? Could even be contracts she’s already signed on my behalf.”

“I think she’s sleeping.”

“No. Evil doesn’t sleep.”

They stopped at her door, and Ryan used the card to unlock it.

The second she was inside, she collapsed on the bed. Just for a second, she felt like she was floating. That weightless, the-world-is-moving kind of float.

She felt Ryan slipping the shoes off her feet before he spoke. “Sit for me, Emi.”