Page 31 of Secrets, Scandals and Baby Shoes

They’d kissed a hundred times before in college, on the quad, in the gazebo, and in their rooms, but this was more intense than ever before. It was as if all the emotions that had built up during their years of separation were spilling out now, wordlessly passing between them in sighs and caresses.

Perhaps that’s why, when Elliot pulled back and looked at her with those intense brown eyes, Lucy didn’t hesitate.

“Should we go to your room?” she asked, her voice soft.

By way of response, Elliot made a sound low in his throat, then scooped her into his arms. Lucy kissed him again, deeper this time. He kissed her back, and Lucy knew, beyond all the wordsthey had and hadn’t said, that he’d missed her just as much as she’d missed him.

“Lucy,” Elliot said, her name an incantation on his lips. “You might need to stop kissing me.”

“Why?” Lucy asked, trailing her lips down the side of his firm jaw and across his neck. Elliot groaned again.

“Because I need to focus on not dropping you while I carry you upstairs.”

Lucy giggled and stopped her kisses. “All right.”

Elliot swept her inside the building. Lucy was thankful that the lobby was empty; she wouldn’t want to run into Monica right now. She wouldn’t want to run into anyone. She only wanted to be alone with Elliot forever and ever. She wanted to feel every inch of his skin on hers and kiss him until they were both breathless.

Elliot carried her up the stairs as easily as if she were made of feathers. Desire and a sense of rightness flooded Lucy from her lips to the tips of her toes. It was as if the last ten years had never happened, and they were young again, in college, with no worries beyond when they’d see each other again.

Elliot reached his room within a few strides and laid her down on the bed. Then he paused.

“What are you doing?” Lucy asked, reaching for him.

“I’m remembering this moment,” Elliot said. “You look so, so beautiful.” And then he was kissing her again, and all rational thought floated away for a very long time.

CHAPTER 16

ELLIOT

Elliot woke up with Lucy’s head on his shoulder and her arm flung across his stomach. Her short hair was in waves across the pillow, her long lashes were splayed across her pink, freckled cheeks, and her chest rose and fell slightly with each deep, sleeping breath.

Elliot never wanted this moment to end.

He traced the outline of her shoulder with the tip of his finger, marveling at how perfect last night had been. Within just a few hours, they’d gone from snapping at each other to dancing in a vat of grapes to catching up over dinner to confessing long-buried feelings to kissing to… well. Suffice it to say that Elliot would remember last night for a very, very long time.

With his happiness came a niggling worry, though. Last night had meant everything to him, but there was no way of knowing how much it had or hadn’t meant to Lucy. Maybe this was just her way of closing the book on the two of them with a wonderful final chapter. Maybe, after this, she would want to return to a more professional relationship.

Elliot didn’t like that idea. As much as he’d struggled to work with Lucy over the last few days, it now sounded very appealing to share a small office with her, trading ideas as they worked. Sure, they would still fight, but now, it would be in the playful, sweet, fun way they’d fought in college — not the snippy, barbed way they’d fought over the last week.

Elliot carefully slid out of bed. The weight of his feelings felt too heavy to examine right now, so instead, he slipped on a pair of pants and a T-shirt and went downstairs. Guests were already eating breakfast from the buffet. Elliot poured himself a paper cup of coffee, then after a moment’s consideration, poured a cup of tea with honey for Lucy.

“I wondered where my two favorite guests were.”

He turned to see Monica approaching with a smile.

“My apologies. Were you expecting us?”

“No, but the breakfast buffet is not to be missed. And, if you’re nursing a hangover, it’s a great way to start feeling better.” Monica winked, but Elliot couldn’t let her think that he and Lucy were sleeping on the job — even if they were.

“Actually,” he spitballed. “We got caught up working on your presentation for this morning. I thought I’d bring something up to Lucy so we could keep working.”

“That’s great.” Monica beamed. “Feel free to grab a few plates.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you so much.”

Elliot loaded a few plates with food, which did smell delicious, and headed upstairs. To his surprise and concern, Lucy wasn’t in bed anymore. His stomach turned. Where was she?

But before he could grow too worried, the bathroom door opened and Lucy stepped out, wearing one of the hotel’s fluffy white robes.

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