Free Arms of Serenity (Rock Services) by Donina Lynn

since Mike.
    The thought of him made her stiffen , and she mentally shook off the last of her after-the-most-incredible-sex-she-ever-had haze.
    It’s just sex. They can’t hurt you unless you let them hurt you.
    One night was all she was going to allow.
    Becca leaned back and pushed on his chest to get up. “I should be going.” She felt him slide out, and he gave a grunt.
    He looked down at his watch and raised his head and said, “Happy New Year. It’s after midnight.”
    She stood up to fix her gown . “Happy New Year”.
    “Would you like to grab a cup of coffee? Or something to eat? I don’t know about you, but I worked up an appetite.” He smiled and winked at her.
    She needed to make a fast exit and leave. She couldn’t trust being around him any longer. It was too much of a temptation to say yes. “No thanks. I need to get going. I’m leaving early tomorrow.”
    She slipped into her shoes and searched for her panties. Intentionally, Becca focused on the ground not allowing herself another glimpse of his body when he stood up to put his clothes back on. Where the hell was her underwear? He pulled them off and put them … where?
    He took hold of her hands effectively stopping her from her search. “Listen, I know we said no names and no numbers, but I would really like to at least introduce myself.”
    “No, don’t.” She almost yelled when he reached up to take off his mask.   It came out louder than she intended, but she had to stop him. In her mind, the mask was the last barrier, her last hope before she crossed into an area where she couldn’t allow herself to be. She looked up at his questioning eyes and saw confusion and a glimpse of ... disappointment? She had to go right now .
    “Thank you for a wonderful evening and Happy New Year , but I really need to go.” She turned on her heels saying “screw it” to her panties. She almost ran to the elevator and pushed the down button. Giving a sigh of relief when the doors opened immediately, she hurried in never turning around. As the doors shut, she closed her eyes trying to will away the memory of how he was just standing at the gazebo staring after her.

Chapter Five
     
    Becca woke to a phone ringing. She stretched and reached over to the nightstand, picking up the receiver to stop the obnoxious sound. She sleepily said “hello” and listened to the hotel’s prerecorded wake-up call message. Putting the receiver back down, she looked at the travel alarm she had brought with her.
    “A lot of good you did. Can I ever get up on time?”
    She groaned and pushed the covers off. She had an hour before she had to check-out. The plan was to get up and be on a bus back home before any of the guests from last night started moving and milling about. She was hoping to avoid Victoria and a certain blue-eyed man with the make-you-melt body.
    Becca gave out a loud sigh. She hadn’t been awake for more than a few minutes, and she was already thinking of him. Her plan didn’t work as she had thought last night either. She felt something while she was with him. It was a longing, or maybe a hope, for something she had long buried as an option for her life.
    She closed her eyes and could still smell his cologne and feel his breath brushing her hair as they sat enjoying the afterglow. His kisses had surged heat through her veins and sent tingles rushing from the tips of her fingers down to her toes. The warmth of his body and strength of his arms made her feel wanted and protected. Those feelings were dangerous and led down the path to hurt and destruction.
    She knew her reaction to his offer of coffee last night bordered on rude and flighty. She had run out of there like a scared rabbit.
    So much for staying in control , Becca!
    She shook her head and groaned. She needed to get up and get the hell out of the hotel, the city, and hurry back home where life was peaceful and routine. It was safe that way. It was what she needed and craved. The life she had