it? If Burke was sick enough that they had to go home, he could be sick all day tomorrow too. Meaning that what he’d done tonight would have to suffice. Also meaning that there would be no kissing by the fire.
She scolded herself for being so selfish. If Burke really was sick the only person she should feel bad for was Burke.
Justine tried looking beyond the fire enough to see the lodge and the surrounding area.
No Burke.
She darted a look to the amphitheater. The live music had already shifted to enhance the ambiance of the crackling fire and mellow mood. Earlier, amped up versions of top forty, oldies, and classic rock set the party tone while guests enjoyed the food, booths, and games. Now, acoustic versions of easy listening classics filled the night.
Justine sighed. May as well just pull out cotton candy and eat it by herself. If Burke didn’t come back in five minutes, she’d go looking for him. Perhaps have either Skip or Conrad check the men’s room in the lodge.
“He probably left her,” came a hiss from someone nearby. Even in whisper, Brittany’s snobby tone and mean words were unmistakable. “Hey, Justine, did Burke take off?”
“Hey,” Trevor mumbled. “Cool it, Brittany.”
“Why? I’ve got a couple of questions for her, that’s all. Are you sure Burke is really your fiancé, or is he some…long distant cousin who owes the family a huge favor?” She cackled at her own joke.
Justine glared at Brittany, wishing she could think of something snide to say. When it failed to come to her, she stuck her hand in the bag, pulled out a tuft of cotton candy and popped it in her mouth. Stupid mean Brittany. Raising suspicion among everyone within earshot.
Embarrassed heat sprouted in her chest, not like the pleasant warmth of the fire, rather a hot, aching nag that said their sham might not work out as well as she’d hoped. Was it that obvious that Justine was so…what? Incapable of affection? Not even Justine believed that. She could have had her pick among several of the guys in town, but she hadn’t been interested in them the way she’d taken to Trevor.
Who was, by the looks of it, getting assaulted by Brittany’s mean mouth in a sloppy-looking kiss suddenly. Ick. What did he see in her?
Justine sighed again. Time to go looking for Burke, she supposed, already picturing him hovered over a toilet bowl while he threw up, cursing himself all the while for even coming.
But suddenly, a rustle of leaves sounded from behind, just seconds before a hand gently spread over her back. A massive wave of relief fell over her. Thank heavens. She glanced back at him, wondering why he’d come from that direction instead of the lodge.
Yet as he stepped into the circle surrounding the fire, Justine saw exactly why. There, tucked into his left fist, was the blanket.
Her eyes widened. “You went to the car?”
Burke nodded, reaching to help her up. Justine wadded the top of the cotton candy bag closed with one fist. She contemplated quickly eating the piece to get it out of the way when Burke’s large hand wrapped around her wrist. He urged her to stand, which Justine did rather ungracefully. She shuffled a foot forward to balance her weight, not wanting to fall into him.
“That looks yummy,” he said under his breath. “Is it?”
Justine glanced down at the blue candy tuft in her grip and nodded.
Suddenly Burke was lifting Justine’s wrist, guiding her to...to feed it to him, she realized. She positioned her hand so he could take it from her, and watched as he parted his lips and came in to eat it right off her fingers. The moist heat from his mouth planted streaks of desire to stir low in her tummy. A sensation that magnified as Burke came in once more, steadying her wrist as he used the slight graze of his teeth, the heated stroke of his tongue to remove the crystalized sugar from her fingertips.
A ripple of goosebumps surfaced over her skin.
He leaned in then and pressed the tiniest, tastiest kiss to her lips like a whisper. At last, a cotton candy kiss.
“Mmm,” he rasped. “Come on. I see a spot on the grass over there.”
Holy swoonville. A quick look at Brittany said she had seen the whole thing. Trevor had too. Another wave of satisfaction pooled over the ecstasy swimming through her at his kiss.
The word scandalous shot to her mind as she followed Burke,