Love After All
Page 30
She let out a laugh. “I’ll bet you are.”
He shifted in closer. “In ways you can’t even imagine.”
He caught the wary look in her eyes.
“Stop that, Bash,” she whispered.
“Stop what?”
“You know what. Teasing me like that.”
His thumb traced the inside of her wrist, felt the rapid beat of her pulse. “I never tease. I only … offer.”
He liked watching the high wash of color appear on her cheeks, and the way the rhythm of her breathing changed whenever they talked.
There was something going on between them, and he wanted to explore it. He knew Chelsea did, too.
“Wanna take a walk with me?”
She cocked a brow. “Absolutely not.”
He gave her a half smile. “You change your mind, you know where to find me.”
He let go of her hand and turned around, then walked away.
No, Jeff Armstrong was definitely not the right guy for her.
Chelsea headed into the main house, upstairs and into the bedroom she’d stayed in last night. She closed the door and sat on the bed, but her pulse was still racing, so she stood and went into the bathroom and turned on the light.
Her cheeks were pink and her body felt warm despite the night chill in the air. And it wasn’t like she was wearing a heavy dress. These strapless bridesmaid dresses were light and airy, and she felt like she was walking on a cloud. So she wasn’t overdressed.
She was … overheated. And it was all Bash’s fault. She’d spent twenty minutes having a very nice conversation with Jeff Armstrong. He was tall, dark haired, good looking, intelligent, attentive, and a great conversationalist. He was a fine doctor, and he’d lived in Hope his entire life, which was why he’d decided to come back there and practice medicine. She’d really enjoyed their conversation. A conversation that left her feeling … nothing. She’d so wanted to feel something. Anything. But all she’d left with was the feeling that some woman was going to be very lucky to have him someday.
And that woman was never going to be her, because they’d had absolutely no chemistry. No pop or zing or zap or anything like that.
Three minutes with Bash and she’d been about to self-combust. In the span of one short conversation he’d managed to irritate her and send her libido into overdrive. What was it about that man, anyway? Why did she keep allowing him to get to her?
“Chelsea? Are you in here?”
At the sound of Megan’s voice, she quickly turned on the water and grabbed a washcloth, dampening it so she could cool down her wrists. Maybe that would help douse the flame.
“In the bathroom.”
“Are you all right?”
She rubbed the washcloth over her wrists and arms, then laid it over the sink and turned to her friend with a smile. “I’m fine. I just got a little warm out there.”
“Really? I would think the walk over here would have cooled you off. It’s a little chilly outside.”
“Maybe it’s hot flashes.”
Samantha peeked her head in as well. “Seriously, Chelsea? You’re a little too young for hot flashes.”
“Whatever. I had some wine. Maybe I’m drunk.”
Megan inspected her. “You are not drunk. I know your drunk look.”
The drawback of having friends who knew you all too well. “Whatever. I’m fine now. Did you need me for something?”
“No. We just saw you dash over here and wanted to be sure you were okay.”
And that’s what happened when you had friends who loved you. She grasped both their hands. “Thank you. I’m fine. Like I said, I just got a little warm.”
Sam leaned against the doorway. “So Bash got you hot and bothered when he whispered in your ear again?”
Her knees wobbled. “What? Of course not. What makes you think that?”
“Because we saw him holding your hand, leaning in close, and whispering in your ear,” Megan said. “And God, does he look hot tonight or what?”
She refused to comment on the second part of Megan’s statement. Instead, she brushed past them and headed into the bedroom. For this, she was going to need to think fast. She took a seat on the bed. “He was asking me about Jeff Armstrong and whether or not Jeff met the criteria of my list.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Bash knows about your list?”
“He inadvertently heard me talking to his dog about it.”
Megan blinked. “I don’t even understand that part, but okay. What does he think about your list?”
“Bash? He thinks it’s stupid. But he says he’s going to help me find the perfect guy. He already set me up on one date that didn’t quite work out.”
“You had a date we didn’t know about?” Megan asked.
“Really not worth mentioning, if you know what I mean.”
Megan nodded. “Understood. And sorry it didn’t pan out.”
“Bash is going to find a man for you.” Sam sat on the bed next to her, then looked over at Megan. “I find that … uh … interesting.”
“You do? Why?”
Sam shrugged. “No reason. Just interesting.”
“Now you have to tell me, Sam.”
Sam looked over at Megan. It was like the two of them shared a secret and she had no idea what it was. “Come on you two. Tell me.”
“I think what Sam means,” Megan said, “is that he’s single, divorced, rarely has a relationship, and he’s going to find you a guy?”
He shifted in closer. “In ways you can’t even imagine.”
He caught the wary look in her eyes.
“Stop that, Bash,” she whispered.
“Stop what?”
“You know what. Teasing me like that.”
His thumb traced the inside of her wrist, felt the rapid beat of her pulse. “I never tease. I only … offer.”
He liked watching the high wash of color appear on her cheeks, and the way the rhythm of her breathing changed whenever they talked.
There was something going on between them, and he wanted to explore it. He knew Chelsea did, too.
“Wanna take a walk with me?”
She cocked a brow. “Absolutely not.”
He gave her a half smile. “You change your mind, you know where to find me.”
He let go of her hand and turned around, then walked away.
No, Jeff Armstrong was definitely not the right guy for her.
Chelsea headed into the main house, upstairs and into the bedroom she’d stayed in last night. She closed the door and sat on the bed, but her pulse was still racing, so she stood and went into the bathroom and turned on the light.
Her cheeks were pink and her body felt warm despite the night chill in the air. And it wasn’t like she was wearing a heavy dress. These strapless bridesmaid dresses were light and airy, and she felt like she was walking on a cloud. So she wasn’t overdressed.
She was … overheated. And it was all Bash’s fault. She’d spent twenty minutes having a very nice conversation with Jeff Armstrong. He was tall, dark haired, good looking, intelligent, attentive, and a great conversationalist. He was a fine doctor, and he’d lived in Hope his entire life, which was why he’d decided to come back there and practice medicine. She’d really enjoyed their conversation. A conversation that left her feeling … nothing. She’d so wanted to feel something. Anything. But all she’d left with was the feeling that some woman was going to be very lucky to have him someday.
And that woman was never going to be her, because they’d had absolutely no chemistry. No pop or zing or zap or anything like that.
Three minutes with Bash and she’d been about to self-combust. In the span of one short conversation he’d managed to irritate her and send her libido into overdrive. What was it about that man, anyway? Why did she keep allowing him to get to her?
“Chelsea? Are you in here?”
At the sound of Megan’s voice, she quickly turned on the water and grabbed a washcloth, dampening it so she could cool down her wrists. Maybe that would help douse the flame.
“In the bathroom.”
“Are you all right?”
She rubbed the washcloth over her wrists and arms, then laid it over the sink and turned to her friend with a smile. “I’m fine. I just got a little warm out there.”
“Really? I would think the walk over here would have cooled you off. It’s a little chilly outside.”
“Maybe it’s hot flashes.”
Samantha peeked her head in as well. “Seriously, Chelsea? You’re a little too young for hot flashes.”
“Whatever. I had some wine. Maybe I’m drunk.”
Megan inspected her. “You are not drunk. I know your drunk look.”
The drawback of having friends who knew you all too well. “Whatever. I’m fine now. Did you need me for something?”
“No. We just saw you dash over here and wanted to be sure you were okay.”
And that’s what happened when you had friends who loved you. She grasped both their hands. “Thank you. I’m fine. Like I said, I just got a little warm.”
Sam leaned against the doorway. “So Bash got you hot and bothered when he whispered in your ear again?”
Her knees wobbled. “What? Of course not. What makes you think that?”
“Because we saw him holding your hand, leaning in close, and whispering in your ear,” Megan said. “And God, does he look hot tonight or what?”
She refused to comment on the second part of Megan’s statement. Instead, she brushed past them and headed into the bedroom. For this, she was going to need to think fast. She took a seat on the bed. “He was asking me about Jeff Armstrong and whether or not Jeff met the criteria of my list.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Bash knows about your list?”
“He inadvertently heard me talking to his dog about it.”
Megan blinked. “I don’t even understand that part, but okay. What does he think about your list?”
“Bash? He thinks it’s stupid. But he says he’s going to help me find the perfect guy. He already set me up on one date that didn’t quite work out.”
“You had a date we didn’t know about?” Megan asked.
“Really not worth mentioning, if you know what I mean.”
Megan nodded. “Understood. And sorry it didn’t pan out.”
“Bash is going to find a man for you.” Sam sat on the bed next to her, then looked over at Megan. “I find that … uh … interesting.”
“You do? Why?”
Sam shrugged. “No reason. Just interesting.”
“Now you have to tell me, Sam.”
Sam looked over at Megan. It was like the two of them shared a secret and she had no idea what it was. “Come on you two. Tell me.”
“I think what Sam means,” Megan said, “is that he’s single, divorced, rarely has a relationship, and he’s going to find you a guy?”
