Somehow, those words seemed personal. But surely he didn’t have a hidden agenda. Looking down, she stared at the half eaten bowl of yogurt. She’d eaten all of the berries. Curling her fingers into fists, she had to fight the urge to pick up her spoon and shovel the rest of the food into her mouth.
Just nerves, she reminded herself. Face the fear and handle it. Don’t let the past repeat itself, she told herself.
It was a mantra she’d had to incorporate into her life until it became second nature. But every once in a while, old habits reared their ugly head and she had to fight the old, familiar urges.
Chapter 3
Wow! Denver heat really was different! Amazing! The mornings were cool, crisp, and lovely. Selena pulled her sweater on, wondering if the air was cleaner here. If there isn’t as much humidity in the air, wouldn’t it be cleaner? Wouldn’t the air particles move around more? She laughed as she lifted her face up to the morning sunshine. It certainly helped her move more easily! The heat and humidity of a Northern Virginia summer morning was oppressive. This air was invigorating!
She really liked it. Granted, this was her first morning here, but she liked feeling cool and dry instead of the muggy heat she’d left behind. Loved it, actually!
Even her run this morning had been amazing! Five miles hadn’t ever been so easy and she felt rejuvenated, ready to tackle the world!
“You look chipper,” a deep voice came from behind her on the sidewalk in front of her hotel.
Selena swung around, almost tripping on her feet. “Mr. Jones! What are you doing here?” she asked, more than a bit breathless. He was wearing dark jeans and a white shirt, open at the collar and untucked, but it was the kind of tailored shirt that narrowed at his waist, making him look…excellent!
Stop it! She’d had a stern talking to herself about lusting after one’s boss. Nothing good could come of it.
“Nice shoes,” he commented and she looked down at her sandals with the pretty beads decorating the straps. With a blush, she looked back up, shrugging dismissively. She absolutely loved shoes, probably had way too many of them but she wasn’t going to change that part of herself. “They suit you.” Was his voice softer? Possibly. Or it could just be her imagination. She’d been doing way too much of that lately. Imagining this man in all sorts of interesting positions. With her.
“What just went through your mind?” his deep voice asked as he stepped closer to her, his eyes narrowing as he took in her expression.
Selena groaned inwardly. “Um…just wondering where I should start looking for an apartment. I’m not sure where the best areas of Denver are for apartment shoppers.” Wow, that was a whopper but nice save. She mentally patted herself on the back. Unfortunately, the look he was giving her told her that he might not completely believe her lie.
Smart man. She almost laughed at his disbelief, but then she’d have to explain her amusement and…well, better to just cut this off at the knees.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m here to take you around to look at apartments,” he explained. “I promised the service and I never fail to deliver,” he teased.
She lifted her phone, feeling more than a bit awkward. “Oh! Um…I’ve got an app,” she explained lamely. She’d downloaded an app that showed all of the apartments to rent as well as reviews and feedback about the surrounding areas and stores. “Thank you though. You probably have more important things to do on a Saturday morning.”
He took the phone from her numb fingers, and began flipping through apartment listings. At that particular moment, she was intensely grateful that she’d done her internet searches on “getting over crushes” on her laptop instead of her phone. It had been late. She’d been exhausted. Selena had a million excuses as to why this silly fascination with Reid Jones continued to flourish.
“This one is too far outside of the city,” he told her and swiped left to banish it into Internet oblivion. “And this one isn’t in a good neighborhood.” Another left swipe.
This was helpful, she told herself, wanting to peer over his shoulder, but she didn’t want to get too close. Even standing a foot away from him, she could smell the clean, fresh scent of him. All male and that pine scent that was…too enticing! Apartments, she admonished silently. She was going apartment shopping today, not Reid Jones shopping.