“That was before I missed you so f**kin’ much I couldn’t stand it, okay? I’m always safe when I’m with you. I thought you’d be happy I’m here.”
Liberty didn’t say anything.
He realized they hadn’t moved, so he clasped her hand in his to make it at least looked like they were dancing. “Say you missed me, Liberty. Say you missed me like crazy.”
He felt her smile against his cheek. “I missed you, crazy man.”
“Thank God.” He danced them into a corner. As soon as they were out of view, he pressed his body to hers, kissing her in a full-out onslaught. Pouring all of his heat and need into her. A deep rumble of satisfaction escaped at the familiar taste of her and the familiar sensation of how quickly the passion rose between them.
Liberty ripped her mouth free. “We have to stop.” She nestled her cheek against his chest. “Take us back into the crowd before we can’t stop.”
Devin brushed his lips across her crown before he directed them onto the dance floor.
She held herself stiffly, scanning the room to see if anyone was watching them.
“Are you upset that I didn’t let anyone know we’re in a relationship?”
“How would you explain it? Besides, this is temporary between us. This is your hometown and these are your longtime friends. I don’t want you—or Harper—to have to deal with questions about me and what happened when we go our separate ways.”
Why did she always bring that up?
“So in the interest of keeping our cover, you do realize I’ll have to dance with Tobin?”
“Only if you want to watch me break his f**kin’ arms if he puts his hands on you.”
Liberty tipped her head back to gape at him. “What the hell has gotten into you? You never act like this.”
You’ve gotten into me. You’re under my skin. You’ve taken over my brain. Why haven’t you grasped the fact that you’re mine?
“Devin?”
“You haven’t been paying attention if you believe this is the first time I’ve bared my teeth at another male getting too close to you.”
“Seriously?”
“Dead-ass serious.” Maybe he shouldn’t mention the chat he’d had with his road crew about them acting too friendly with his personal assistant. Or the fact he’d almost come to blows with every single one of the Wright Brothers after he’d caught them eyeballing her ass. And her chest. And her face. He spun her so his back was to the room. “Any chance I can see you alone tomorrow when I come out to Bran’s?”
“I don’t know. Won’t they get suspicious if we sneak off to lock ourselves in my bedroom and then the headboard starts banging against the wall?”
Devin growled. “Don’t even f**king tease me with that possibility. It’s been days since I’ve had you.”
Liberty rolled her eyes. “It’s been four days.”
“That’s four days too long.”
For a moment she must’ve forgotten where they were because she nestled her face in the crook of his neck. “I almost called you last night.”
“What time?”
“Midnight.”
“We must’ve been on the same wavelength because I had my phone in my hand ready to call you. Then I . . .”
Liberty lifted her head. “What?”
“Decided I needed to see you in person, so I called the airline instead.”
“You’re killing me with this sweetness. You know that, right?”
“You’re the only reason I’m here. You know that, right?”
“So you aren’t gonna swing by your sister’s place? Isn’t it on the way?”
Of course she’d bring that up. “Hadn’t planned on it.”
“Oh.”
There was that one-syllable word again. “Oh, what?”
“I just can’t imagine being within a few miles of my sister and not at least stopping in to say hello.”
“Liberty, I don’t have the same kind of relationship with my sister that you do with yours.”
“That’s a shame. She’s all you’ve got. That’d make me wanna hold on tighter, not let go completely.”
He briefly rested his forehead to hers. “But I want to see you tomorrow.”
She sighed. “You are relentless.”
“Yep. We’ll still have five days off after this. I want to spend it with you.”
“Where?”
“My cabin in Montana. We could hang out. Get us both a flight out of Missoula for the Portland gig.”
“I don’t know.”
“You weren’t planning to spend all ten days with the Turners?”
She blinked those steely eyes at him. “No. But . . .”
“What?”
“We’ve spent almost every waking minute of the last three months together. Don’t you think time apart will do us good? Put everything in perspective?”
“No.” Devin slid his fingers across her skin above the waistband of her jeans, needing to touch her. “I still want more of you. Of us.”
When Liberty continued to waffle, he pulled out his trump card. “I have fifty acres, no neighbors and a closetful of firearms.”
She groaned. “Bringing out the big guns, huh?”
“Darlin’, I play to win. You know that.”
“All right. You win.” Then her eyes narrowed. “Have you told anyone you’re spending time at your remote cabin?”