“Please don’t make any excuses. It’s embarrassing enough. I shouldn’t have kissed you…”
He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “There was nothing wrong with what we did. I wanted it as much as you did. And more. I still do.”
At his last words, she shivered. “Stop!” She pointed to the door. “Your girlfriend is down there. How dare you say these things to me?”
“Rose isn’t my girlfriend. She’s my cousin.”
Lilo frowned. “Cousin?” She didn’t believe it for a second. What cousin stopped by at five in the morning and didn’t even ring the doorbell? She shook her head. “Your cousin visits you at this time of night?”
“She’s helping me decorate my house. She found some antique barstools in Carmel that she wanted to bring over.”
“At five in the morning?”
He shrugged. “She gets very excited when she has a find like that and couldn’t wait to show me.” He stepped closer. “You might not believe me, but you’ll believe Rose. Or do you really think my girlfriend would lie to you and pretend she was my cousin?”
Of course no girlfriend would do that. “No, but—”
He put his finger over her lips, lips that still felt swollen from his passionate kiss.
“Come downstairs with me. We’ll clear this all up. I’m sorry that I came on so strong. But I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you in Hannah’s flat. And I’m not an impulsive kind of guy. And just so you know: I would never have kissed you if I were in the relationship with another woman. I don’t play the field. Not anymore. Life’s too precious to waste it on things that mean nothing.”
She noticed how his eyes homed in on her lips, and saw him swallow hard.
“I’d rather spend my time differently.” He smiled. “What I felt when I kissed you… that’s something that only happens once in a million times.”
She sucked in a breath of air.
He clasped her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. “Now come and let me introduce you to Rose. Curiosity must be killing her by now.”
Lilo had no choice but to go with him as he led her down the stairs, not letting go of her hand until they’d reached the hallway, where Rose was waiting for them.
The young woman smiled at her, stretching out her hand in greeting. “I’m Rose, and please, let me apologize. If I’d known that Blake wasn’t alone, I would have never barged in like that.”
Lilo shook her hand. “I’m sorry I gave you the wrong impression…”
“Oh, luvvie, please don’t apologize. I’ve known this guy here all his life and he can be a bit much to handle. Let’s just blame him, shall we?”
“Thanks a lot, Rose,” Blake threw in.
Lilo stumbled over something in Rose’s words. “You mean you’ve known him all your life? Not his. You’re clearly younger than Blake.”
“Oh, yes, of course, dear.” She made a dismissive gesture. “Now I’ll get out of your hair in a moment, but I have two barstools in my car, and I’ll need a hand with them.”
“I’ll take care of that. Give me your keys,” Blake offered immediately, as if glad to escape for a moment.
Rose tossed him the keys, and a moment later he stalked outside into the dark, and Rose turned back to her.
“Well, that gives us some time to get to know each other.”
Lilo nodded and shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry, I just have to ask. He said you’re his cousin, but you don’t look alike at all, and your accent is British.”
Rose took her hand. “Blake and I are family. And I know how it looked when I came in, but he just caught me by surprise. I haven’t seen him with a woman in a long time. He doesn’t do casual.”
Lilo swallowed. “Casual?”
“You know: casual sex. He’s too busy for that. And he never mentioned you to me before.” The question in Rose’s words was implied.
“We only met tonight.” Immediately she wanted to take the words back. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m easy. I don’t normally do things like that…” She wanted to sink into the ground, wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. “It’s not how it seems…”
“Oh, dear.” Rose suddenly sounded like an elderly aunt about to give advice.
Lilo lifted her lids and met Rose’s eyes. Concern was etched deep into them.
“Then you don’t really know him yet.” Rose leaned in and lowered her voice. “Blake is a good man. Trust in that, no matter what happens. If he cares about you, he will protect you with his life.”
Surprised at the other’s strange words, Lilo wanted to ask what Rose meant, but Blake appeared at that moment carrying two barstools. He set them down.
“Everything alright here?” he asked, his gaze bouncing between her and Rose.
“Of course, luvvie,” Rose replied. Then she walked to the door, accepting her car keys from Blake. She looked over her shoulder. “I should go home. Quinn is waiting for me.” She smiled. “It was very nice meeting you, Lilo. I hope it won’t be the last time.”