balustrade. Trapped, she stared up at him, afraid he might try to kiss her again. “Quentin—”
“Relax.” He reached out, gently pulling her mask off her face. She’d completely forgotten she was wearing one, and now she felt utterly exposed without it.
Quentin set the mask down on the banister. His lazy gaze raked over her, taking in the low neckline and cinched waist of her strapless white gown before sliding back up to her face. “You look beautiful, Lex,” he murmured.
“Thanks.” She inhaled deeply, appalled by how uneven her breath was, how hard it was to draw air into her lungs. “Asha had gowns designed for me, Reese and Samara. I really lucked out by having a close friend whose stepmother is a famous fashion mogul.”
Quentin’s eyes glinted wickedly. “That was one helluva toast she made. Words to live by.”
At the memory of Asha’s admonition to her guests to have “plenty of hot, mind-blowing sex,” Lexi flushed deeply—a reaction that confused her. Normally she would have laughed and made some quip about Quentin’s notoriously overactive sex life.
But tonight she could only manage a noncommittal “hmm.”
Inside the ballroom, the orchestra was playing an extended version of “Auld Lang Syne” as the unmasked partygoers milled around laughing, shaking hands and exchanging good wishes. Some had drifted toward the French doors to watch the fireworks display. No one attempted to join the two occupants of the terrace.
Lexi dragged in another deep breath, striving for composure. “When did you arrive?” she asked Quentin.
“About half an hour ago.” Smiling, he touched her face. “I’ve been looking for you ever since.”
She swallowed hard. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you found me.” Had he ever! “Now you can get back to the party. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a roomful of supermodels who are just waiting to be debauched. As a matter of fact, one of them just walked by. I think you caught her eye, Quentin.”
She waited for him to take the bait and glance over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the woman in question. To her surprise, his gaze never strayed from hers.
Frowning, Lexi reached up and laid her hand across his forehead as if to check his temperature. “Sweetie, are you feeling okay?”
He chuckled softly. “I feel fine.”
“Are you sure? You don’t seem like yourself. Maybe you’re jet-lagged. Or—”
“Maybe I’m just happy to see you,” he finished.
The warm, husky undertone of his voice skated along her nerve endings and quickened her heart rate.
She gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m happy to see you too, Quentin.”
And she really was. She just wished they hadn’t gotten off to such a nerve-racking start. That kiss… Oh, God. If that searing kiss was any indication of Quentin’s prowess as a lover, it was no wonder he couldn’t keep women out of his bed.
“You owe me a dance,” he told her.
Lexi shook her head quickly—maybe too quickly. But she couldn’t help it. The thought of being in his arms again scared her senseless. “Sorry, but you’ll have to take a rain check. My feet are killing me in these heels.”
“So take ’em off.”
“Wouldn’t do much good. The damage has already been done. Besides, I was planning to cut out soon anyway. Asha had me and the girls running around Paris all day, so I’m exhausted.” To demonstrate, she covered her mouth to stifle what she hoped was a convincingly huge yawn.
Quentin tsk-tsked her. “Spoilsport.”
She grinned. “Hey, it’s not my fault you got here late. But don’t worry. I’m leaving you in good hands. The supermodel I just mentioned? Don’t look now, but she’s back. And it’s a damn good thing we’re not involved, Q, or I’d have to kick her ninety-pound ass for stalking my man.”
Laughing, Quentin sent a lazy glance over his shoulder. The gorgeous woman, slim and exquisitely tall, hovered near the terrace doors. She met Quentin’s gaze, smiled coyly and fluttered her fingers in a wave.
He flashed her a smile before returning his attention to Lexi. “I’m staying in the room next to yours.” Which was the last thing she wanted to hear. “If you’re still awake when I come up, maybe we can play cards or something.”
Lexi forced out a laugh. “Trust me, I won’t be awake. And something tells me you won’t be thinking about cards by the time you make it back to your room,” she added with a meaningful glance over his shoulder.
Quentin shifted closer. “Lex—”
“Oh, look, there’s Michael and Reese!” she exclaimed, grateful for the distraction. “They told me they’d be heading to bed right after midnight. I’ll walk out with them. Good night, sweetie.” Pressing a quick kiss to Quentin’s smooth-shaven cheek, she slipped from between him and the balustrade and hurried across the terrace.
Although she was retiring early, she didn’t expect to get much sleep. The memory of Quentin’s kiss would keep her awake tonight, and for many nights to come.
Chapter 2
The last thought Quentin had before falling asleep was the same thought that greeted him when he woke up the next morning: he’d kissed Lexi.
In the light of day his behavior seemed surreal, like something he’d only imagined. Except he’d never imagined doing something as reckless as what he’d done last night. To Lexi. His best friend. A woman who’d always been more like a sister to him than anything else.
But there was nothing brotherly about the way he’d felt when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She’d tasted sweeter than he could ever have imagined, and the feel of her petite, curvy body pressed against his had tempted him beyond all reason.
The scary part was, he hadn’t even intended to kiss her when he’d found her on the terrace last night. True, he’d tracked her down with a single-minded focus, bulldozing his way through the crowd in order to reach her before the clock struck twelve. And true, something had clutched in his chest when he saw her standing alone at the balcony, looking ethereally beautiful in that white goddess gown. But even then, as he’d stood in the doorway gazing at her, he’d only intended to sneak up behind her and whisper in her ear, “Happy New Year!”
But as he strode across the terrace, something came over him. Before he realized what he was doing, he was grabbing her, then kissing her. And it felt so damn good he hadn’t wanted to stop.
Swearing under his breath, Quentin rolled over in the king-size bed and frowned up at the ceiling.
What the hell have you done, Reddick?
He and Lexi had been best friends for over twenty years. In all that time he’d never made a move on her, even though he’d have to be comatose not to notice what a sweet little number she was. With her
