“And why are you acting so frustrated?” Lily looked up into Noah’s face. His eyes darkened.
“Frustrated doesn’t begin to cover it.”
“Is it something I did or said?”
“It’s not your fault. You’re being honest. You’re just being you. Which has been the source of my frustration over the last few days.”
It felt as though Lily’s breath had been stolen from her chest. Her mind raced, especially through the last few hours. “I don’t understand. I’ve done everything you wanted me to do.”
He looked away for a moment, surveying the crowd on the dance floor, then returned his attention to her. His gaze put her on notice, but as to what she was supposed to glean from it, she had no idea. He pulled her closer. The arm he had around her waist was tight. If she’d done something wrong, and this was what she got as punishment, she hoped he would tell her so she could keep doing it. He lowered his head. He was coming in for a kiss. Was this another part of their charade? Or was there something more? Here they were in this romantic setting, swaying on the dance floor at an extravagant wedding. If ever there was a time to kiss one’s fake fiancée, this was it.
Lily tilted her chin up, making her lips into as seductive a pucker as she could. She closed her eyes and locked her knees—every time he kissed her, it was a challenge to remain standing.
The next thing she knew, Noah’s lips were at her ear. “It’s this. It’s impossible to be around you and not want more. I thought I could make it through this trip without admitting it, but I can’t.”
Lily’s pulse was pounding in her throat. She opened her eyes and looked at him, hoping for clarification. Was this the inevitable move that Charlotte had warned her of? Or was this something different? “More?” Lily had spent a whole lot of time wanting not only Noah’s kiss, but the more part, as well. She had to be sure of what he was saying.
“You’re so sexy, Lil. I don’t know how I could not want more. I want you. If you want me.”
Goose bumps popped up on her skin. She looked around at the other guests on the dance floor. No one was paying a lick of attention to them. Toasts had been made. Cake had been served. She returned her sights to Noah. He was so adorable right now, tentative and unsure. She’d never seen him like this before. “Do you want to get out of here?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
“Yes. A million times, yes.” He took her hand and they beelined off the dance floor as stealthily as they could. Out of the reception hall, through the pool area they raced. Noah set the pace with his long legs, but even in heels, Lily had no trouble keeping up. She was highly motivated.
Noah pulled his key card from his wallet and swiped it to get them through the gate to the private cabanas. The wind always picked up the instant they were out of the safe confines of the pool area, where high walls helped to keep the two worlds separate. The night air was warm and soft against her skin, but it was nothing compared to Noah’s hand as he pulled her along eagerly. He was a man on a mission and she loved that about him. It made her feel good. He wanted her.
They wound along the walkway to their cabana. The heel of Lily’s shoe dropped between two planks. She stopped. Noah yanked on her arm, then rounded back.
“I’m stuck.” She tugged on her leg, twisting her foot back and forth, but it wasn’t going anywhere.
Noah dropped to his knee and wrapped both hands around her ankle, tugging on her leg.
“Ouch. Ow. Stop it.”
“Sorry. I can’t pull you loose.” He looked up at her. The wind blew his floppy hair all over the place, making it an even sexier mess than usual.
“Damn. And I love these shoes. Charlotte convinced me to get them.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll save your shoe. Let me figure this out.” Noah looked down at her foot again, but as he was assessing her plight, he started caressing her calf.
Lily sucked in a breath sharply. His fingers on her bare skin felt impossibly good. How was she going to handle it when there was even more touching? She might never recover. Which, right now, was perfectly okay with her. “Unbuckle it.”
“Good idea.” He freed her foot, then tried to pull the shoe out. “If I pull too hard, it’s going to ruin the heel. Are you okay with that?”
“No. Don’t do that. You paid a fortune for these shoes.”
“Then what do you want me to do? Call maintenance and get them to remove the board?” Noah dropped his shoulders. He was frustrated again.
“Leave it. We’ll get it later.”