He raised an eyebrow. “I came to see you,” he said, as if it were obvious. But it wasn’t. There’d been a sudden distance between them this week, reminding her not to get too attached.
He edged closer and she breathed in. The sheer male scent of him wreaked havoc with her hormones.
“It’s been a long week,” he said in a husky voice.
Didn’t she know it?
She cleared her throat. “It has, and I’ve been busy.” She’d returned to her new home and spent the week alternating her time between getting the bakery in order and decorating her house with her own touches. She didn’t have much downtime and fell into bed exhausted every night. Already she knew her life here in Serendipity would be full. But she’d missed him too much.
Considering she didn’t know if he felt the same, and feeling like he’d caused the separation, she wanted him to know she didn’t need him to be happy.
“Lulu and I ordered all our supplies; they’re due in early next week. We’re planning a grand opening and I have to tell you, I have a really good feeling about this.” Not even her worries about them or even the reality of a daily four a.m. wakeup call brought down her anticipation about success.
“I’m glad.” He sounded . . . proud. “Tell me something. While you were busy being an entrepreneur, did you find any time to miss me?” He brushed her hair off her shoulder, and she trembled at his light touch.
For a woman who’d always considered herself independent, it threw her, just how often she’d thought of him. But since he obviously wasn’t pining over her, she’d decided to keep her own feelings locked up tight.
“I might have thought of you every so often,” she murmured.
“Then let me take you out for a nice dinner so we can catch up.”
She wished she could say yes, but she’d already made plans with Macy and she wouldn’t blow off a girlfriend for a guy. “I can’t. I’m meeting Macy at Joe’s. I was changing to head over there when you walked in.” She’d thought it would be easier to switch outfits here and walk down the street than to take the time to go home.
“I’m disappointed.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, his lips lingering. “But my case didn’t wrap up until a little while ago and I had no idea I’d be free.”
Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she curled her hands into fists. If she reached for him now, they’d christen her small desk and she really did have to go.
“Come by when you get home.” He curled his hand around the back of her neck, his touch electrifying her all the way to her toes.
“It might be late.” Though she doubted it. Macy had to work the next day.
“I’ll be awake.” He tightened his grip and pulled her in for a real kiss.
His tongue slid into her mouth and tangled with hers. Her legs went weak and she leaned against him for support. Of course that aligned their bodies together and awakened her senses, reminding her of just how much she loved him.
Something she’d been deliberately suppressing all week. Something she wasn’t going to let herself revisit now. She curled her fingers into his shoulders and pushed back. “I’m going to be late.”
Disappointment flickered in his eyes, and after the week of no communication, no matter how legitimate, she took satisfaction in that. “See you later.”
She stashed her work clothes in the bag she’d brought and gathered her purse. “Ready? I need to lock up after us.”
He nodded, eyeing her as if trying to understand what was going on in her mind. Good luck, she thought. She was still trying to understand it herself.
Fourteen
Somehow Nicole and Macy snagged a private table in a corner of Joe’s. Music played on the jukebox, but the murmur of the Sa
turday night crowd was loud and Nicole found it hard to process the music over the din.
“I should have eaten something more substantial than a couple of French fries for dinner. I’m buzzed from half a beer,” Macy said, eyeing the bottle.
“Good thing I’m driving home then.” Nicole took a sip of her soda. “I didn’t eat much either. I had a leftover sandwich in the fridge, but I didn’t take more than a few bites.” She’d paused to change clothes and then Sam had interrupted.
“What’s with the sour face?” Macy asked her.
Nicole sighed. “Not sour. Just confused.”
“Let me guess. It’s about a man. Or should I say the man?”