Can't Stop the Feeling (Whispering Bay Romance 6)

It had been five days (six if you counted today) since her dinner with Ben, and so far she’d kept her vow to never be alone with him. Of course, that hadn’t been an issue because he hadn’t called or dropped by or made any attempt to see her. It was lovely really, that he was respecting her wishes.

Only… Blast.

I was just being polite.

Had she really said that to him? Yep. She had. Except that kiss had been anything but polite. It had been hot and steamy and the best kiss she’d had in years. Probably even in forever.

As if on cue, Pilar poked her head in the doorway. “Did someone just mention the two most evil words in the English language?”

Mimi waved her inside the office. “We were talking about Ben Harrison.”

“That would be them.” Pilar took the chair next to Mimi and kicked off her heels. “I just sent him a response to his offer.”

“I hope it was a big fat no,” Jenna said.

“I wish.” Pilar sighed. “I have to present the offer to the city council tomorrow for an official vote. Then I can send him his thanks-but-no-thanks-get-your-hot-butt-out-of-Whispering Bay letter.”

Mimi grinned. “I’d like to read that.”

Pilar sniffed. “I’ll word it a little more formally.” She looked at Jenna. “What did you think of the offer? I sent it to you in an attachment in my last email. You read it, right?”

She could pretend that Pilar’s email was the first she’d heard about it, but that wouldn’t be honest. “Ben and I already discussed the offer during dinner last Friday night.”

“Dinner?” Mimi’s gaze narrowed. “I thought the two of you were meeting for drinks.”

“Well, it got late, and we were hungry, so—”

“So,” Pilar interrupted, “this guy who you barely remember from college, but who definitely remembers you and wants to get into your pants invited you to dinner?”

Mimi and Pilar gave each other the universal I-told-you-so look.

She couldn’t go on hiding the fact that she and Ben had a history. Nor did she want to. Mimi and Pilar were the closest thing she had to friends in this town, and she wanted to keep it that way. “I have a confession to make. Ben Harrison has already been in my pants.”

Mimi sat up straight. “When did this happen?”

“About thirteen years ago.”

Pilar slapped her hands together. “I knew it!” She gave Mimi a snarky look. “Didn’t I tell

you?”

“The two of you have been talking about me?”

“A little,” Pilar confessed. “But only because it was so obvious that day at The Bistro that you and Ben Harrison had something.”

“We had something all right. A one-night stand that will never again be repeated.”

Pilar winced. “Ouch.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you both the day his name first came up, but, frankly, I was embarrassed.”

“Oh, sweetie, did he break your heart?” Only Mimi could ask that with just the right amount of sympathy to make Jenna answer as truthfully as possible.

“A little. But like I said, it was a long time ago. We had a semi-cordial dinner, talked a little about old times and that was that. I’m probably never going to see him again.” At least the last part was completely true.

Mimi sighed, then glanced at her watch. “I should get going. I’m supposed to give a speech at the Sunny Days preschool celebration this afternoon for the inauguration of the new playground.”

“In this heat?” Pilar asked. “Does your OB know how hard you’re working?”