Ignoring her, Bonnie spoke again to Dan. “I’m glad you could stay with us an extra night. Do you have plans for tomorrow?”
“I was hoping I could talk your sister into showing me some of the local attractions,” he replied, looking at Kinley as he spoke. “Someone told me there’s an observation tower that’s fun to visit. A few historic buildings that might be interesting to tour.”
Aware that her siblings’ eyes had turned to focus on her, Kinley shifted in her seat. “Well, I do have some paperwork to take care of tomorrow.”
“For pity’s sake, Kinley, you can take a Sunday afternoon off,” Bonnie said with open exasperation. “You even made Logan stay out for a while Friday evening because you said he’d been working too hard and needed a few hours away from the inn.”
“You did say that,” Logan agreed placidly, seeming to enjoy her discomfiture.
“You could think of showing me around as part of your marketing job,” Dan suggested, then grinned. “But I’d actually rather you didn’t.”
“Fine,” she said with a bit less grace than she would have liked. “You want to climb a tower, we’ll climb a tower. But you’d better wear comfortable shoes. It’s a two hundred step climb and it’s windy at the top.”
He smiled in satisfaction. “Sounds great.”
“Be sure and have some of the fudge in the country store,” Logan said as he carried his wineglass to the sink then headed for the door. “My favorite is the maple.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”
Kinley pushed a hand through her hair. “I should go, too. It’s been a long day.” Especially considering how little sleep she’d had the night before, though of course she kept that thought to herself.
Dan set his glass beside hers. “I’ll walk you to your car. We’ll make our plans for tomorrow.”
She nodded, bade good-night to her sister, then grabbed her bulging tote bag and walked outside with Dan.
It seemed as if a very long time had passed since she’d parked at the side of the inn that morning. So much had happened that day. Muscles already sore from her fall in the woods ached a bit with weariness now. She considered herself to be in good physical condition, but the events of the past thirty-six hours had been enough to exhaust anyone, she assured herself.
It was fully dark out now, of course. Soft lighting illuminated the walkway to her car. With most of the guests away at the wedding dance, it was quiet in the gardens, the sounds of the big fountain drifting through the cool air. Their footsteps crunched on the gravel path. An owl hooted somewhere in the woods, but Kinley didn’t look in that direction. Not that she expected to see anything, of course. She was simply focused on her destination, her keys already in hand.
Pressing the remote button to unlock her door, she looked up at Dan when they reached her car. “So…sightseeing tomorrow.”
He chuckled and ran a hand slowly up her arm. “I sort of put you on the spot in there, didn’t I? I’d apologize— but since it worked, I can’t really say I’m sorry.”
She laughed. “At least you’re honest.”
“Always,” he assured her with a smile that gleamed in the shadows.
She focused on those smiling lips, vividly remembering the taste of them, the feel of them against her most sensitive skin. Muscles tightened low in her abdomen, and her fingers clenched reflexively around her key fob.
Dan’s smile faded as he read the expressions crossing her face. He shifted closer to her, lowering his head to speak close to her lips. “I can honestly say that last night was spectacular,” he murmured. “Incredible. And I’m sorely tempted to ask you now if I could follow you home. The only reason I’m resisting that urge is because I think you need some time to yourself tonight.”
“If you asked, I’d be sorely tempted to say yes,” she whispered, resting her free hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly beneath his shirt. “But you’re right, I think. I could use a little time to recuperate from today.”
Not to mention space to clear her head, to reinforce the barricades around her wary heart. For the past few days, she’d been bombarded by emotions from all directions, all framed within the trappings of romance and fantasy. Maybe that affected the intense feelings she’d developed toward Dan. Maybe a good night’s sleep—alone—would help her enjoy her time with him tomorrow without reading too much into every touch, every smile. Without leaving her bereft when it inevitably ended.
His faint sigh expressed his regret with their decision. He took her lips in a thorough kiss that might have been intended to hold them over until tomorrow. She wasn’t sure she would ever get her fill of Dan’s kisses, but she’d enjoy what she could get, she assured herself, taking her time kissing him back.
When at last he raised his head, he had her face cupped in both his hands. “Really tempted,” he muttered.
She bit her lip to hold back the invitation that hovered on her tongue. Dan stepped back before it could escape despite her.
“Good night, Kinley. Drive carefully. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded. “I’ll be here in the morning for Sunday brunch. I’ll see you then.”
“I’ll count the minutes,” he assured her. His tone was teasing, but she thought the words were true, anyway—at least as far as she was concerned. Which didn’t bode well for her common sense returning any time soon when it came to Dan Phelan.
* * *