Page 13 of Crossing the Line (Small Town Love #7)

She rolled her eyes at him. "Trying to squish you like a grape." She laughed. "I've always loved hugging you."

Her words hit him, sucker punched him right in the chest.

Right in his heart.

Bixby shifted, wrapping his arms around her. "You're not so bad yourself." He gave her a wink that almost... almost saved him from a pinch in his side.

"Ow!"

"You're a silly man, Bixby Landy."

"You know what else I like about you?"

JANICE

What else?

She smiled and her fingers gently rubbed over the place where she'd pinched him.

"What else?" She was dying to know.

He didn't say a word.

He reached down and grabbed a hold of her, just above the very tops of her thighs.

At first, she tensed up. The unexpected embrace had her off-balance in more ways than one, but once she recognized his touch, relaxed into it, things changed.

She relaxed against him, felt the heat of his hands on her.

Her favorite butter-soft jeans?

They didn't offer much of a barrier between them.

And he'd always had strong hands.

Hands that could massage her aching muscles, but they could also stir up her desire.

Desire that she'd forgotten.

Desire that was suddenly burning deep inside of her.

"Bix-"

"Is this too much?"

She smiled at the hesitation in his voice.

It felt like the first time that they'd had a long, long time ago.

"Maybe," she felt her knees sink into the couch cushions on either side of his thighs, "it's not enough."

"Honey..."

There was something about the way he said the word.

The sound of it in her ears.

Or maybe it was the feelings that unfurled inside of her, like the first scent of Spring flowers or the first taste of mulled cider in the fall.

It all felt like... like home.

He sat up, pulling her closer. "I know I'm breaking the rules here."

She lowered her chin, smiling at him. "Well, it started with you being willing to help me, so we can put the blame on my shoulders."

He smiled back at her. "I always liked your shoulders."

He touched her cheek with the palm of one of his hands.

"I like a lot about you."

She leaned into his touch. "I think we really messed up."

"I know you're not talking about that monstrosity out back that Hank and I will be building until he's old and gray."

Janice raised a brow at that. "Just Hank?"

Bixby smiled at her, and she loved that look on him. "Well, I'm already old and gray, so..."

"Don't be rude to yourself," she lifted a hand and smoothed her palm over his hair, taming some of it. "I happen to like your gray." She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. "I've got my own share of gray."

"I think it looks good on you, babe." He leaned in and kissed her back.

"I know what you're talking about. I think we let ourselves get in a rut," his voice was softer, but she heard the truth in his words easy enough.

We spent almost every hour with each other.

We got up, we went to work. We came home and did it all over again, every day.

I don't think it was healthy for either of us.

It certainly wasn't good for our relationship. "

She nodded, agreeing with him. It was impossible to argue with the bare truth.

"Familiarity breeds contempt?"

"In our case? More like ennui." He sighed. "I remember when we'd sit down to eat after a long day at the market..."

She nodded, remembering those long, desolate, and silent meals.

"Some couples get to have a meal and talk to each other, but we lived every minute together."

She closed her eyes, holding back a sudden spate of tears. "We had nothing to talk about that we hadn't already lived with."

He shifted under her, turning to put one foot on the ground.

Janice laid her cheek against his shoulder as he tucked her into his embrace, warming her heart and her body at the same time. "I think... No," she shook her head, but it felt more like she was nuzzling against him, "I know that I want to try again."

She felt him lay his cheek against the top of her head.

"I want to, too."

She closed her eyes and tried to organize the thoughts in her head. It felt nearly impossible when her heart was pounding in her chest. "I just... I don't know if we'd survive like we are now if things don't work out between us."

"That's the problem with anything, babe."

Janice held him closer, one hand under his shirt, the other against his back, held between the couch cushions and his warmth. "I'm not at an age where I'm not sure that I want to start something new."

"Who said that we're new?"

She was sure she felt his lips against her hair.

"Maybe we're just doing a sequel to the original."

She groaned under her breath. "You know how I feel about sequels." She bit into the inside of her cheek. "The sequel can be the worst."

He groaned softly. "Don't tell me you're thinking about Indiana Jones again."

Janice sat up a little. "When do I not think about Indiana Jones?" She poked him in the side. "Harrison Ford is hot at any age, but you know I love some Indy. The second film, with the exception of Short Round, is... yuck."

Bixby practically growled in her ear. "Who said we'd be treading into 'Temple of Doom' territory?"

She shrugged.

"Maybe..."

She felt him rub her back gently and damn it, he had the most amazing hands.

"Maybe our divorce," the word sounded sour in her ears, "is the 'Temple of Doom'."

She leaned into his embrace. "When you put it that way..."

"Getting back together would bring us into the 'Last Crusade' territory."

Janice sat up and they looked at each other.

They both grimaced at the same time.

"Maybe...""I'm thinking..."

They both burst into laughter.

"Yeah," Bixby shook his head. "Let's not talk about our lives as movies ever again."

"Well," she gave him a smile, "maybe we should pick romances?"

"How about..." He leaned in and kissed her, gently stirring her emotions and her blood. "We just talk about us... later."

She kissed him back, wrapping her arms gently around his neck. "You want to talk later?"

"Mmmhmm." He leaned in closer, pressing a kiss against the side of her neck. "There are other things," he gave her another kiss, this one just under her ear, a place he knew would drive most conscious thought straight out of her head, "I'd rather do right now."

Janice lifted her chin to give him better access.

She wasn't sure it was the right thing to do, but it had been so long, and he always had a knack for distracting her with his kisses.

... and other things.

"So," she felt him brush his lips against her skin, "you're planning to-"

He leaned back, looking into her eyes with a mischievous smile. "If I was a few years younger, I'd sweep you up off of this couch and carry you into the bedroom, but-"

Janice gave him a playful slug on his arm. "I don't think either of us can do the same things we used to when we were younger," she told him, "but maybe, we can find other... talents."

She backed off of his lap and managed to get up off of the couch without feeling something twinge in her back.

He was right behind her, standing up, and pulling her into his embrace with a warm and hungry kiss.

When they leaned back, breaking the contact for a moment, he gave her a wink.

"Now, let's go see if we're not just older, but a little more creative than we used to be."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Really? Creative?"

He took her hand and brought it up to his lips. "Remember, I've been doing hard labor today. So, I'm worried I might sprain a muscle."

"Bixby!"

He looked at her with mock innocence. "Yeah, babe?"

"Careful," she tried to make it sound like a warning, but she was laughing a little too much for either of them to take her seriously, "I still know where you're ticklish."

"Damn it, Janice." He leaned in to press a quick kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"Well, that's good to know," she started toward the bedroom, tugging him along behind her, "I love you right back."