Rules of Contact
Page 13
Maggie blushed. “I warmed up to him pretty quickly once I realized he wasn’t a serial killer.”
Amelia laughed. “When’s the wedding?”
“In April. Jack’s family lives in North Dakota, but they’re coming out here for the wedding. So there’ll be a lot of travel coordinating in addition to the wedding planning.”
Jack put his arm around the back of Maggie’s chair. “Fortunately, she’s an event planner, so she has all this under control. And I just nod and tell her I love everything she chooses.”
“He’s joking. One of the things I love most about him is that he has opinions.”
She really liked these two.
After salads the caterers brought in dinner, which was an amazing seared salmon with capers and asparagus. She spent time talking to both Maggie and Jack as well as Aaron and Skylar.
It was quickly becoming apparent that Aaron and Skylar shared much more chemistry than she did with Aaron. Though Aaron was totally attentive to her and she gave him points for that. A lot of guys would just dump a fix-up and go with the girl who hit his hot buttons. He was being a total gentleman about it and she was going to have to give him an out after dinner.
After a decadent dessert of tiramisu, she finished her coffee, then let Aaron pull out her chair.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” he asked.
“It was wonderful.”
“I was wondering how critical you are of food cooked by other people,” he asked.
“Oh, not very critical. I mean, I sometimes think about how I might have fixed it differently, but I let the chef in me take a night off every now and then.”
He laughed. “Of course.”
His gaze strayed over to Skylar, who was chatting with Flynn.
“Aaron?”
He pulled his attention back to Amelia. “Yes.”
She took his hand. “I’ve had a lovely time talking to you tonight, but it’s obvious you have a much stronger connection with Skylar.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Was it that obvious? I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s hard to find someone you connect with. And when you do, I think you should go for it.”
“I don’t know. What about Flynn?”
She looked over to see Skylar reaching up to give Flynn a hug, then turn to glance Aaron’s way with a smile. Obviously it wasn’t bothering Flynn too much, since he walked away from Skylar without a backward glance.
“I think Flynn is just fine with it.”
Aaron picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “You’re a class act, Amelia. I hope you find someone worthy of you.”
“Thank you.”
She watched as Aaron went over to where Skylar stood by the fireplace. Skylar graced Aaron with a genuine smile.
She had a good feeling about the two of them. She had spent some time with Skylar before Flynn had showed up tonight and she really liked the beautiful, smart woman.
She headed into the kitchen and laid her coffee cup in the sink, deciding maybe more wine was in order. There was a bar set up on the counter, so she grabbed a glass and looked at the selection, trying to decide what she wanted.
“It looks like our dinner companions have found more in common with each other than with us.”
She turned and looked up at Flynn. “It would seem that way.”
“I hope that doesn’t hurt your feelings.”
She shrugged. “Aaron’s a nice guy and I definitely enjoyed talking to him, but honestly, there was no chemistry between us. I can tell he’s got something with Skylar, though.”
Flynn nodded. “Yeah. Skylar’s really sweet, super smart and funny. I liked her, but it was the same for me. No zing.”
Amelia cocked a brow. “Is that zing important?”
“Hell yeah. Isn’t it for you?”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a zing before.”
He stepped forward. “You haven’t? But you were married.”
“This is true.” She didn’t elaborate and he didn’t ask, which she was grateful about.
“Time to change that.”
She definitely felt something as he grasped her shoulders and pulled her toward him. Whether it could be classified as a zing or every hormone in her body sitting up and taking notice of a hot, delectable man touching her, she didn’t know. What she felt was hot fingers on her flesh, his fresh, woodsy scent and the sudden need to reach out and touch him back.
She tilted her head back and lost herself in the blue depths of his eyes.
“Excuse me, you two,” Tara said. “I need to do a wine inventory check.”
And just like that, the incendiary heat that had enveloped her as soon as Flynn had touched her evaporated. She took a step back and so did Flynn.
“Can I help you with that, Tara?”
“No, I’ve got this covered. You’re here to enjoy the party.” Tara looked around. “Where’s Aaron?”
“Starting what Flynn and I hope is a very nice relationship with Skylar.”
Tara looked at both of them. “Oh. Oops. I’m sorry, guys.”
Amelia laughed. “It’s not a problem. Sometimes it works out that way.”
“But we appreciate the fix-up,” Flynn said. “Skylar’s sweet.”
“She is, isn’t she? Hey, at least I did fix up one couple tonight. Just not the way I originally intended.”
“Better than everyone going their separate ways,” Flynn said. “And let us help you with that.”
They ended up pitching in and assisting Tara with her wine inventory. They headed downstairs into the wine cellar, which was pretty incredible. Flynn carted up a case of chardonnay, while Tara and Amelia each carried two bottles of red.
“Thanks for the assist,” Tara said. “Now I insist the two of you go join the party.”
“All right,” Flynn said. “But first, Amelia, how about some wine?”
She’d gotten so caught up in being close to Flynn that she’d completely forgotten about her wine.
“Oh, right, wine.”
“What would you like?”
“I’ll take that merlot.”
While Tara busied herself reorganizing and helping out one of the couples who’d wandered into the kitchen, Flynn expertly opened the bottle and filled her glass. Then he went into the refrigerator and grabbed a beer.
Amelia laughed. “When’s the wedding?”
“In April. Jack’s family lives in North Dakota, but they’re coming out here for the wedding. So there’ll be a lot of travel coordinating in addition to the wedding planning.”
Jack put his arm around the back of Maggie’s chair. “Fortunately, she’s an event planner, so she has all this under control. And I just nod and tell her I love everything she chooses.”
“He’s joking. One of the things I love most about him is that he has opinions.”
She really liked these two.
After salads the caterers brought in dinner, which was an amazing seared salmon with capers and asparagus. She spent time talking to both Maggie and Jack as well as Aaron and Skylar.
It was quickly becoming apparent that Aaron and Skylar shared much more chemistry than she did with Aaron. Though Aaron was totally attentive to her and she gave him points for that. A lot of guys would just dump a fix-up and go with the girl who hit his hot buttons. He was being a total gentleman about it and she was going to have to give him an out after dinner.
After a decadent dessert of tiramisu, she finished her coffee, then let Aaron pull out her chair.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” he asked.
“It was wonderful.”
“I was wondering how critical you are of food cooked by other people,” he asked.
“Oh, not very critical. I mean, I sometimes think about how I might have fixed it differently, but I let the chef in me take a night off every now and then.”
He laughed. “Of course.”
His gaze strayed over to Skylar, who was chatting with Flynn.
“Aaron?”
He pulled his attention back to Amelia. “Yes.”
She took his hand. “I’ve had a lovely time talking to you tonight, but it’s obvious you have a much stronger connection with Skylar.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Was it that obvious? I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s hard to find someone you connect with. And when you do, I think you should go for it.”
“I don’t know. What about Flynn?”
She looked over to see Skylar reaching up to give Flynn a hug, then turn to glance Aaron’s way with a smile. Obviously it wasn’t bothering Flynn too much, since he walked away from Skylar without a backward glance.
“I think Flynn is just fine with it.”
Aaron picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “You’re a class act, Amelia. I hope you find someone worthy of you.”
“Thank you.”
She watched as Aaron went over to where Skylar stood by the fireplace. Skylar graced Aaron with a genuine smile.
She had a good feeling about the two of them. She had spent some time with Skylar before Flynn had showed up tonight and she really liked the beautiful, smart woman.
She headed into the kitchen and laid her coffee cup in the sink, deciding maybe more wine was in order. There was a bar set up on the counter, so she grabbed a glass and looked at the selection, trying to decide what she wanted.
“It looks like our dinner companions have found more in common with each other than with us.”
She turned and looked up at Flynn. “It would seem that way.”
“I hope that doesn’t hurt your feelings.”
She shrugged. “Aaron’s a nice guy and I definitely enjoyed talking to him, but honestly, there was no chemistry between us. I can tell he’s got something with Skylar, though.”
Flynn nodded. “Yeah. Skylar’s really sweet, super smart and funny. I liked her, but it was the same for me. No zing.”
Amelia cocked a brow. “Is that zing important?”
“Hell yeah. Isn’t it for you?”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a zing before.”
He stepped forward. “You haven’t? But you were married.”
“This is true.” She didn’t elaborate and he didn’t ask, which she was grateful about.
“Time to change that.”
She definitely felt something as he grasped her shoulders and pulled her toward him. Whether it could be classified as a zing or every hormone in her body sitting up and taking notice of a hot, delectable man touching her, she didn’t know. What she felt was hot fingers on her flesh, his fresh, woodsy scent and the sudden need to reach out and touch him back.
She tilted her head back and lost herself in the blue depths of his eyes.
“Excuse me, you two,” Tara said. “I need to do a wine inventory check.”
And just like that, the incendiary heat that had enveloped her as soon as Flynn had touched her evaporated. She took a step back and so did Flynn.
“Can I help you with that, Tara?”
“No, I’ve got this covered. You’re here to enjoy the party.” Tara looked around. “Where’s Aaron?”
“Starting what Flynn and I hope is a very nice relationship with Skylar.”
Tara looked at both of them. “Oh. Oops. I’m sorry, guys.”
Amelia laughed. “It’s not a problem. Sometimes it works out that way.”
“But we appreciate the fix-up,” Flynn said. “Skylar’s sweet.”
“She is, isn’t she? Hey, at least I did fix up one couple tonight. Just not the way I originally intended.”
“Better than everyone going their separate ways,” Flynn said. “And let us help you with that.”
They ended up pitching in and assisting Tara with her wine inventory. They headed downstairs into the wine cellar, which was pretty incredible. Flynn carted up a case of chardonnay, while Tara and Amelia each carried two bottles of red.
“Thanks for the assist,” Tara said. “Now I insist the two of you go join the party.”
“All right,” Flynn said. “But first, Amelia, how about some wine?”
She’d gotten so caught up in being close to Flynn that she’d completely forgotten about her wine.
“Oh, right, wine.”
“What would you like?”
“I’ll take that merlot.”
While Tara busied herself reorganizing and helping out one of the couples who’d wandered into the kitchen, Flynn expertly opened the bottle and filled her glass. Then he went into the refrigerator and grabbed a beer.
