Page 60 of Christmas Crisis
It was a revelation.
An incredibly inconvenient revelation.
“Leo!” Miranda’s shout rang out.
“What?” I called through the door. “Are you okay?”
“I forgot my shampoo. Can you get it from my bag? It should be right near the top.”
“Sure.” I found the bottle. Clearing my throat, I said loudly, “I’m coming in.”
I slid the door open, averting my eyes from the glass shower enclosure.
“Thanks, Bear. You can just put it down by the edge.”
Complying, I kept my gaze away from her, but in the mirror, I saw she was crouched down, using a washcloth to cover herself. With all the steam blanketing the small space, I couldn’t see much, but my heart gave a thump at her blurred shape, knowing there was nothing but bare skin beneath the tiny towel.
She noticed my obvious efforts not to look at her. “Such a considerate gentleman.”
Knowing the steam covered everything, I swiveled my head, looking only in the general direction of her face as I winked. “Such a beautiful lady.”
I hurried out as her mouth dropped into an O shape.
Twenty minutes later, we’d bunched our hair into blond buns and were strolling along the Strip. Even at three in the morning, there were plenty of people out. To Miranda’s point, the air felt mercifully comfortable for the first time during our trip.
Miranda ducked her head under my arm. We walked that way, with my arm slung over her shoulder, and I let myself imagine I was just a regular guy on vacation with my beautiful girlfriend. A girlfriend I’d wanted to touch earlier. Without thinking, my hand moved. I felt each notch of her spine as I trailed it downward, ultimately resting on the soft hollow of her lower back.
She made ammmnoise and pressed herself into my side, wrapping her arm around my waist to grip my hip.
My hand remained on her back as we passed by one glittering casino after another. I even sneaked my thumb under her shirt, brushing it back and forth over the soft skin there.
With everything in me, I wanted to move my palm lower, to cup the curve of her backside like I’d thought about doing in our hotel room.
But I didn’t do it. Because if I ever touched her with more-than-friendly intent, it wasn’t going to be while she was dating someone else. Or while I was still so unsure of myself. It felt dangerous to even nurture a seed of hope that there might be a different future for Miranda and me than the one I’d resigned myself to.
No matter what happened, I knew that if I ever had the chance to love her, I’d only go there if I could do so fully and openly.
She might be Stone’s hidden secret.
But she would never be mine.
I’d love her with no reservations. Or not at all.
I woke up in the rest area to findMiranda assaulting me with her phone. More specifically, her phone camera.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
I’d crawled into the back seat to nap for a few hours to break up our long drive from Las Vegas to Coleman Creek, and she’d attempted to sleep on the front passenger side. Her seat was still in the full recline position, but she’d slid nearly all the way out of it to put her head in my lap. I’d come awake to find her snapping selfies of us.
“You just looked too cute, Leo-Bear,” she replied. “You were even snoring a little. The moment needed to be captured.”
I snatched the phone from her hand. “I look like a monster,” I complained. “My chin looks like it’s melting. Also, what the hell kind of a face are you making?”
She cackled. “Don’t belittle my attempt at duckface. I dunno. I think I’m loopy going from the lights of Vegas to this drive through the desolation and despair part of Nevada.”
“Central Nevada certainly gives new meaning to wide-open spaces,” I agreed. “Now please delete those shots from your phone.”
“Never! These might come in handy someday.”
