Page 32 of Holidate Fail
Dahlia lay on her back, mindlessly boneless and basking in bliss. She’d had sex before, but wow. Never like that. Not even in the same stratosphere as that.
He trailed a finger down her breastbone, making her shiver. Tender feelings created a small flame in her heart for the man by her side, and she turned to look at him.
He was looking at her, too, and a broad grin spread across his full lips. He leaned over and slanted his mouth over hers.
A knock at the door startled her into laughter, but when the lock clicked and the handle started moving, she gave a small yelp and pulled up the covers. Heath walked in, one large hand covering his eyes.
“You decent?” He spread his fingers to peek through, then snapped his fingers in disappointment and flipped on the light. “Well, damn. I’m too late.”
For what, Dahlia wanted to know.
He met her eyes, took in her body under the covers, then cast a quick glance at Kelly then back at her. His posture loosened, and he hitched his finger over his shoulder. “Lacole’s getting ready, and Mrs. Linares made some breakfast for us. I didn’t know if you needed to get back into your room.”
A flash of annoyance flared through her. Her room, huh? What was it last night? One look at Kelly’s smiling eyes turned the annoyance into satisfaction.
If it hadn’t been for Heath hooking up with Lacole, she wouldn’t have found heaven with Kelly. “Oh, yeah. I mean, sure.” But how could she extract herself and not have Heath see all her goods?
“You.” Kelly pointed to the other man. “Get in the bathroom or get out for a minute.”
Heath left the room. Kelly took her hand and pressed a kiss along its back, sending shivers up her arm and into her heart. “I’ll see you in the lobby?”
Dahlia nodded, then watched Kelly’s firm backside as he slid from the bed and into the bathroom. How did this happen? To her, Dahlia Pesch, voted most likely to date a water moccasin?
The minute the door closed, she sprang up and found her discarded clothes. The jeans and top were easy, but it took several minutes of rummaging through the sheets to find her panties. She almost put her jeans on without them so Kelly wouldn’t see her.
Which was ridiculous, but still.
Finally dressed, she went into her own room to change into the purple t-shirt she had shoved in her satchel after Kelly had given them all swag. Lacole was at the sink when she walked in.
“Are we okay?” Lacole grabbed Dahlia’s arm, her eyes intent. “I didn’t plan this thing with Heath. He’s not even my usual type. I just felt this…connection, I guess. He was so sweet and charming. We were talking about skiing and racing and everything else, and it solidified with the sudoku. We probably would have hooked up later even if we hadn’t gotten lost. It was just so unexpected, you know? I mean, he was there, and I was there, and YOU were there…”
“Yes.” Dahlia raised an eyebrow and flattened her lips. “I was there. Right. There.”
Lacole tightened her grip, her eyes wide with apology. “I have never done anything like that before. I’m so, so sorry.”
“I mean, did you even once think about me and the alleged serial killer in the woods?” Dahlia could barely suppress the twitch of her lips.
Lacole narrowed her gaze, then released Dahlia’s arms with a laugh. She shook her head and turned back to the mirror, separating her long braids. “Heath did look for you last night. After… You and Kelly were both sleeping.”
She raised an eyebrow, inviting a confidence that Dahlia wasn’t willing to share. It was too new. He was funny, good looking, so easy to be with. And she was…working on it.
Chapter 10
Kelly pulled Dahlia close in the backseat of Mrs. Linares’s truck with Heath and Lacole squished in the front. Even though his SUV was stuck, Wayne was going to kill him, and they came in last for the Tri-Shine Stills and Dash scavenger hunt, life was good.
Dahlia’s hand rested on his thigh, her grip tightening every time they went over a bump. He slung his arm around her shoulders as if that could make the dirt road smoother.
“My hero,” she said, fluttering her lashes at him.
Scratch that. Life was great.
He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss on the inside of her wrist. His heart had slammed into his chest at the words. She’d said it glibly, but he’d never been anyone’s hero. Kristy had never wanted or needed him to save her.
A few moments later, Mrs. Linares pulled onto the muddy road that would take them to Kelly’s SUV.
“I knew it.” Dahlia sat up, her loose hair spilling down her back. She pointed to the glimpse of water through the trees bordering the path. “We’re near the Pange River, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, we are,” Heath confirmed.
