Just One Night (The Kingston Family #1) - Carly Phillips Page 0,14

little kids idolize their parents, and then they become human beings, with flaws and imperfections. Just like us. And we decide whether any of those traits are things we can’t accept.”

“Makes sense. I drew a hard line at cheating. Hurting my mother. I thought those were the worst things Dad could do until he died and I found out he was a man with a secret he never should have kept.”

She nodded. “And you’ll never be able to ask him why.”

“It’s more like I can never ask him how. How could he abandon his own child?” He let out a disgusted grunt and they kept walking.

A gelato store was on the corner and she stopped. “Want to get ice cream?” At the thought, her stomach growled.

“Love some. Come on.” He held open the door and walked to the counter.

After ordering cones, a mint chocolate chip for him and a chocolate cookie dough for her, they headed outside and were lucky enough to score a small table with two chairs.

They settled in, and she licked the cone, closing her eyes and moaning at the delicious taste. “God, I love ice cream.” She darted her tongue out and slid it over her upper lip to capture the remains.

A low rumble sounded in Linc’s throat, and their eyes locked in awareness. Those blue eyes darkened, taking her off guard. He’d never looked at her with sensual awareness before. She didn’t count his cloudy drunken gaze. His intense stare focused on her lips, and her body responded, her nipples puckering, and arousal trickled through her veins. Considering her tight dress, he couldn’t miss her reaction, and she had no way to hide the evidence.

His eyes slid downward, zeroing in on her chest. Mortified, her cheeks burned, and she took a deliberate bite of the cone to distract herself.

An intense, sharp pain shot to her forehead, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. “Brain freeze!” she cried, her hands pressing hard against her temple, poking herself where the stabbing continued.

He pulled his chair over to hers. “Are you okay?”

She glanced at him through slitted eyes. “It hurts.” Since she was a migraine person to begin with, brain freeze was ridiculously painful and sometimes didn’t subside as quickly as it did for other people.

He took the cone from her hand and placed it in the extra cup the girl behind the counter had provided, doing the same with his.

Concern on his face, he held out a hand. “Come here.” He pulled her against him, and she rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she waited for the pain to subside. He pressed his fingers gently into her forehead, massaging the aching spot.

She drew a deep breath and inhaled his familiar and arousing woodsy scent, allowing herself to relax into him.

“Better?” His arm tightened around her.

She nodded, forcing herself to sit up and slide her chair away from his. “I am. Thanks.” She blew out a long breath, ignoring the residual pain.

“Do you want any more?” he asked.

She looked at the cone melting into the cup and shook her head. “No.” After the unexpected searing pain, she was wary of eating more. She felt guilty about the wasted dessert but knew she wasn’t going to risk a real migraine by putting something cold into her mouth.

He rose to his feet and scooped up the uneaten treats, tossing them in the nearby trash. “Come on. Let’s go back to the hotel. I have to make some calls and you can lie down for a little while. This isn’t a business trip, and if I need anything, I can always let you know.”

She nodded. “Sounds good.” She could use the break for her headache. The sharp pain had subsided but left a dull throb in its place. And she also needed a breather and time alone, away from Linc and his heady presence.

* * *

Linc hung up from his last call. A glance at his phone told him it was almost six p.m., and it had been a long day starting with their early flight to Florida.

While he worked, he’d been constantly aware of Jordan’s presence. She’d disappeared into her room to unpack, then returned to sit outside on the terrace, wearing a bikini bathing suit as she walked past him. The scent of coconut sunscreen wafted behind her, leaving him in a painful state of arousal.

He’d set up his laptop at the table by the sliding glass doors, taking advantage of the ocean view. But