Seeing Stars Read Free Page B

Blake's arm.
    "Mac, where are you going?"
    "Slipping out. You remember Lydia, Claire?"
    "Yes, of course." Claire was very aware of Blake's hand at her back, his fingers burning through the blue dress. Lydia looked furious and Claire realized the affair between these two was far from over.
    Then they were past Lydia, a vague nausea crawling in Claire's throat.
    "Blake, I don't think—" She stopped at the top of the stairs and he stopped too. "I don't think this is a good idea. Why don't you go back to Lydia? I was about to leave anyway, and I don't—"
    Someone shouted out, "Mac!" and he waved a hand absently.
    Was the man friends with everyone?
    "We can't possibly talk here," he said.
    She shook her head, pulled away from his hand, and walked down the stairs ahead of him, but he caught up with her at the bottom.
    "Are you staying here?" His low voice vibrated along her veins.
    "No." Did he want her to invite him to her room? What did he want? She'd had just one drink... only one, unless that punch Barry gave her was spiked, but her head was spinning.
    She didn't stop, just kept walking through the lobby.
    The woman behind the desk greeted Blake and Claire kept walking. When she got to the door, he held it for her.
    She stopped on the step outside and turned to face him.
    "Look," she said, sliding her hands into her pockets, except the blue dress didn't have pockets, so her fingers just curled into fists and pressed against her thighs. She felt disoriented because she'd expected darkness outside. Summer in the northwest, and the sun lingered unexpectedly late.
    "Blake, it's been nice talking with you, dancing with you." She smiled, because she'd remember that part, and maybe she'd remember the way Lydia had looked at her so jealously. That had to be good for a woman's ego, even if she wasn't interested in the man.
    The lines of his face seemed oddly harsh in twilight. 
    "Wee need to talk. Where would you like to go? A walk on the floats down at the waterfront? A drive along the coast? Somewhere quiet we could have a drink?"
    "No thanks. I... you should probably go back inside. Lydia's upset."
    He touched her chin with the side of his index finger and all she could do was stare up at him. This was not her scene, certainly not her sort of man. She had no idea why he wanted to spend time with her, perhaps to make Lydia jealous. If so, the strategy had already paid off.
    "I'm not hitting on you, Claire, although I do have ulterior motives. Let me take you somewhere we can talk." His lips curved in that dangerous half smile, and she forced herself to smile back. She didn't know what he wanted, but she had enough sense to know she'd better get away from him before she made a real fool of herself.
    "Look, Blake, I'm tired and I'm heading back to my unit. I'll just—"
    "No one's called me Blake since my mom died."
    "I didn't know she'd died. I'm sorry."
    He brushed his thumb against her chin. If he wasn't hitting on her, why did he keep touching her? Why did she let him?
    "It was a long time ago. I'm sorry about your dad. I know you lost him last summer. He was a good guy."
    "I didn't know you... did you have him for physics class?"
    "We didn't get on too well back then." He grinned, that bad-boy smile designed to set hearts out of rhythm. "We got to know each other a bit in recent years. He was pretty good about coaching my kids when they needed it."
    His kids. Of course he'd be married, despite Jennifer's prediction that he'd be divorced or single.
    "Listen, I—" She realized she'd put one hand on his chest, could feel his heart, a steady beat against her palm, and her old fantasies threw her off balance.
    She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I used you as an excuse to get out of that party. I had a king-sized crush on you back in high school, so it was nice to talk to you, to dance, but this is making me uncomfortable. I've never been much on parties. I really don't belong here at this reunion."
    He led her down the sidewalk