As if she could see right through her, Lucy’s gaze drilled into Kelly. “Paula’s party.”

Shit. And there it was. No more dancing around each other.

Kelly hung her head as shame washed over her. Somehow, she resisted the urge to pull the tie out of her hair and hide behind the long locks.

Bracing herself to face Lucy’s wrath, Kelly forced herself to meet her gaze.

Uncertainty shimmered in Lucy’s eyes. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

Not wanting to spell it out, Kelly waggled a finger between them. “If you’re talking about what I think you are.”

Lucy bit her lip, and nodded.

Mortified, Kelly fought the urge to look away. The least she could do was look Lucy in the eye when she apologized.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

And totally fucking confused. Why wasn’t Lucy ripping her a new one?

“Me too.” Lucy’s voice was so soft, Kelly wasn’t sure she’d heard her right. “It took me a long time to get over that night. In fact, I doubt I ever will.”

Ouch, embarrassment made Kelly want to lash out. She leaned over and snatched a steak knife off a nearby table.

“Here, give it another twist. I said I’m sorry.”

On a heavy exhale, the fight went out of Kelly. What the hell did she think? That one little word, sorry, would magically make everything alright? She almost laughed like a deranged woman.

Even though on some level Kelly knew she was being dramatic, she couldn’t stop. In a move that surprised herself, she spun the knife in her hand and offered the handle to Lucy. “Here, do us both a favour and put me out of my misery. Then, maybe you, too, can move on.”

The ghost of a smile flittered across Lucy’s lips. She sat back and took a sip of her wine.

The way Lucy dismissed her theatrics rendered Kelly speechless, and a little pissed off. Rather than ask what was so damn funny, she clenched her jaw.

Adrenaline surged through Kelly. Her pulse raced, her breath caught in her throat.

Surely Lucy wasn’t about to take her up on the crazy offer and stab Kelly right there, in the corner of the pub.

Before panic could take hold, Lucy tossed the knife on the table and slid into the seat beside Kelly.

The heat radiating off her body was hotter than the fireplace. It was also a hell of a lot more dangerous. The woman was impossible to resist at a distance, sitting so close, all bets were off.

Needing to put some distance between them, Kelly tried to scoot sideways. Lucy grabbed her hand, stopping her mid-slide. Her grip was firm, her fingers soft, and strangely soothing.