Safe In His Arms - Vicki Lewis Thompson Page 0,16

he was here.

“Yep, we’re all set,” he said. “I’ve found a little place that should get us in and out fast, in case you have an early afternoon appointment.”

“Thanks for that, but my afternoon is pretty clear.”

“That’s good.” He tucked his phone in his pocket. “Let’s go.”

“You two have fun,” the receptionist called after them.

“Thanks, Carol!” Valerie sounded breezy and carefree.

But when Adam rested a hand against the small of her back, he could feel her trembling. “You’ll be fine,” he said in a low tone as they walked out of the office.

“I’ll be better, now that you’re here. It’s such a small thing, but I’ve been worried about it since we made the plan on Saturday.”

She reminded Adam of the skittish horses he’d worked with at the ranch. “Let’s not get on the elevator yet.” He slipped a hand around her waist and guided her down the hallway toward a window that looked out on the street. “Let’s talk for a minute.”

“I thought a nervous person was supposed to dive straight into something before she has a chance to think about it.”

“Too late. You’ve been thinking about this elevator for nearly two days. Now you need to think about something else.”

“Like what?”

He racked his brain for a way to distract her. Finally he settled on the only thing that he could come up with. At the end of the hallway, he took off his hat and drew her into his arms. “This.” Before she could protest, he lowered his head and took firm possession of her mouth.

She went rigid with surprise. Clearly she hadn’t expected him to make a move like that. But she didn’t pull away, and he took that as a sign that she wasn’t totally opposed to the idea of kissing him for real, and not just the butterfly kiss she’d given him three weeks ago.

Slowly her resistance melted, and she nestled against him. He couldn’t help groaning at the pleasure of it. That seemed to excite her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she parted her lips and offered him . . . paradise.

He sank into the kiss, surrendering to a hunger he’d barely acknowledged until now. Cupping the back of her head, he buried his fingers in her soft curls and held her steady while he tasted, shifted his angle, and tasted again.

She was the perfect combination of sweetness and sin, carefree joy and dark desire. Her enthusiasm for the kiss fueled his, and he lost track of time and place. If someone had told him they’d been magically transported to a tropical island, he would have believed it.

Then a phone played the first notes of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and broke the spell.

Valerie pulled away, her breathing uneven, her eyes dark with passion. “That’s Astrid. She probably . . . wants to know about . . . the elevator.”

Adam released her and dragged in air as he put on his hat. Holy hell. What if her phone hadn’t rung? How far would he have taken that kiss? How far would she have let him take it?

She fumbled in her purse and came up with the phone. “Hey.” She sounded normal as can be. “Nope, not yet.” She glanced at Adam. “He’s here and we’re about to get on. Thanks for thinking of me. Sure. I will. ’Bye.” She disconnected and had started to put her phone back when the theme from the TV show Dallas chimed.

Valerie rolled her eyes. “Melanie.” Answering the call, she had a similar conversation before disconnecting. “They worry,” she said.

“Because they care about you.”

“They do, and they’re both thrilled that you offered to ride the elevator with me. If you hadn’t, they would have, but they think—” She flushed. “Never mind what they think.”

“I’d very much like to know what they think.” If he planned to get involved with Valerie, and that seemed likely, he needed to know more about her best friends.

“They think you’re better suited to the job.”

“Why me? They’re your best friends. They know you better than anybody.”

Her flush deepened. “Astrid said that a gorgeous hunk in a Stetson is exactly what I need to take my mind off my fears. Melanie dittoed that.” She glanced up at him. “Happy now?”

He couldn’t help grinning. “Yes, ma’am. But I can’t help wondering what you think.” He was fishing for a compliment, but he didn’t care. Being admired for his new persona was plain fun.

She met his gaze. Her cheeks still flamed, which made her green eyes