She couldn’t possibly spend an evening alone with Roger until she’d at least mastered chapters 3 and 6 and a wild card—ideally, chapter 13—assuming she could talk Tyler into it. Strangely, while the thought of attempting any or all the lessons with Tyler sent bone-melting heat all the way to her toes, the notion of trying any of the Wild Woman tactics on Roger caused her insides to twist painfully. Anxiety, she surmised. Tyler made sex fun and exciting. She didn’t have to pretend to be a talented, worldly woman. Roger, on the other hand, sought an inventive, experienced partner.
“I can’t tonight. How about…” Buy some time! “…later this weekend?”
He shook his head. “I leave early Friday for a weekend getaway. A friend and I are headed to Miami. How about dinner Monday after I get back?”
Perfect. Several days to work on her skills and her nerve. “Monday works. Since you’ll be fresh from vacation, I’ll make dinner at my place.” She hoped her smile didn’t look as stiff as it felt.
He smiled back, looking a little stiff, too. “In the meantime, I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t discuss…um…you know…what you saw in Lexington.”
“Of course not.” Spotting her drink on the counter, she reached out to retrieve it. “I won’t tell a soul I spotted Bluelick’s newest lawyer at Slap & Tickle if you won’t tell anyone you saw the town doctor there.”
He tapped his to-go cup against hers. “You got yourself a deal, Sparky. I’ll see you Monday.”
My plan is finally coming together, she thought as she crossed the town square on the way to her office. Neither the caffeine nor the smell of southern magnolias bordering the square accounted for her improved energy. A date with Roger charged her system better than aromatherapy or a double espresso. She was so preoccupied planning what she’d say to him when they were finally alone and able to speak freely, she completely forgot the other reason for her restless night.
Forgot, that is, until she walked through the front door of her office and nearly tripped over Melody, who was arranging the magazines on the waiting room end table closest to the door. The blonde immediately straightened and smoothed her hands down the skirt of her peach-printed sundress.
“Hi, Ellie. Sorry, I know I’m early.” She glanced around the waiting room, as if not sure where to let her gaze rest, then looked at Ellie, swallowed and continued. “I aimed to get here early in case you wanted to…you know”—she looked away again and smiled thinly—“fire me.”
“Oh, God no.” She clamped a hand on Melody’s arm. “I was afraid you were going to quit.”
Melody shook her head. “I love this job. I don’t want to lose it.” She closed her eyes and cringed. “I can’t believe I did something so crazy and unprofessional.”
“Um, wasn’t it you who walked in on Tyler and me kissing in exam room one a few weeks ago? I’d be kind of a hypocrite, calling you unprofessional.”
“This was worse. I don’t know what I was thinking. Actually, that’s not true. I was thinking it had been so damn long since a gorgeous, sexy, incredibly attentive guy literally wanted to tear my clothes off and have his merry way with me. And then I just completely stopped thinking.”
“Who could blame you?” Ellie quickly reassured her, all the while wondering why Roger didn’t qualify. Pushing the question aside, she added, “Not any healthy, red-blooded woman in the county between the ages of eighteen and eighty, because I hear there’s been a suspicious uptick in small kitchen fires since Chief Bradley landed in Bluelick.”
A smile pulled at the corners of Melody’s mouth before she turned and led the way through the waiting room and into the front office area, stopping at the counter where the day’s charts were already racked. “I really am sorry, and mortified, and I promise, nothing like last night will ever happen again.”
“Hey, for your sake, I hope it happens all the time, just not anyplace where a bonehead like me will bumble along.”
“Oh, you’re not a bonehead. I’m sure you were terrified, and then horrified.”
“Try surprised, and then relieved. Honestly, Melody, d
on’t give the incident another thought. I know you didn’t plan it.”
“I didn’t. I hadn’t even planned on seeing Josh last night, much less getting naked with the man. But I ran into him at Boone’s Market and it felt so good, talking with him, feeling that zing of attraction when he looked at me, realizing he felt the same chemistry. When he invited me to take a tour of the firehouse, I knew we were both looking for an excuse to spend more time together. But the firehouse is a busy place, full of other firefighters and what have you, so afterward, I offered to take him on a tour of my workplace. As soon as we were alone, things just sort of ignited. I really am sorry. Josh is, too.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She started to turn toward her office, then stopped and looked at Melody. “So…are you going to see Chief Bradley again?”
“You’ve seen him as naked as a newborn, Ellie. I think under the circumstances, you should call him Josh.”
“You’re evading the question, Miss Merritt.”
“Yes,” she said softly. “He asked me to dinner Friday night. I accepted before I could talk myself out of it.”
“Why would you want to talk yourself out of it?”
“Please. I’ve got ‘woman in transition’ written all over me, and I know it. I’m coming off a long-term relationship and a broken engagement. My head’s telling me stuff like, ‘Take things slow. Have fun. Don’t dive into anything serious.’”
“Sounds logical.”
“Yeah. Too bad my heart took one look at Josh and said, ‘Mine, mine, mine!’”
“It’s a little-known medical fact. The heart’s got a mind of its own. I guess yours is over Roger, then?”