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I was locked in this tiny room with him, all night, boiling in unbearable sexual tension. With a noise of dismay, I plopped down on the opposite side of the room across from Beau. I pulled my knees up to my chest like a shield. If I stretched my legs out the way Beau did, our toes would easily touch.
“Why did you come?” Beau asked softly.
His words were so quiet and genuine, dropped into the stillness between us. When I turned my attention on him, he slowly opened his eyes, studying me.
I fiddled with the sleeves of my coat, tugging them down over my knuckles.
“I told you. Bowen called, said that you needed to talk.”
“In the middle of the night?” Beau prompted. “Why didn’t you tell him to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine and go back to sleep?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, exasperated. “He didn’t give any details, so I thought…maybe something had happened to you. I mean, it’s not like I was worried about you or anything.”
Beau said nothing, continuing to study me with that unnerving stare. I groaned, pressing the heels of my palms against my eyes.
“I guess I didn’t really think it through, okay? I’m tired. It’s been a long day, and I didn’t get any sleep last night…”
I trailed off when I realized I was oversharing. I plucked at a stray thread in the cuff of my coat sleeve so I didn’t have to meet Beau’s searching gaze that was making me hot all over.
“What kept you awake?” he asked.
You, I thought.
I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to admit it out loud. When I didn’t respond for several seconds, Beau went on.
“I won’t bring up that kiss anymore. If it really bothers you so much.”
My heart squeezed. This was it—my chance to leave Beau behind, to get over him and seek the happily ever after I’d always craved with someone who would stay. This is what I needed.
But it wasn’t what I wanted.
“Why do you ask in the first place?” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “I always say no anyway.”
Beau shrugged.
“Because sometimes you hesitate. Just a little bit. As if you want to say yes, but you catch yourself at the last second.”
I lifted my gaze to look at him.
“Is it really that important to get another notch in your bed post?”
Beau’s gaze never faltered.
“Do you think I’d keep asking, year after year, if a notch in my bed post was the only thing I cared about?”
I swallowed hard, blinking in surprise at that unexpected answer. The realization that Beau might actually…care…for me sent the butterflies in my stomach fluttering even faster. Slowly, I slid one leg out and pressed my boot against his.
“Maybe you just like the challenge of winning over the only woman in town who won’t give you the time of day,” I countered, even though there was no heat to my words. My resolve was crumbling fast with the knowledge of Beau’s confession.
“Maybe it doesn’t matter either way because you’re with Cody now,” he pointed out.
I faltered and scrubbed at my palm with my thumb.
“I’m not,” I whispered. “He came by the bakery and we talked. We aren’t…together or anything.”
Beau made a faint thoughtful noise. A beat of silence settled over the room. My heart felt like it was galloping at a million miles an hour. I continued scrubbing and scrubbing at my palm until he reached over and wrapped his fingers lightly around my wrist.
“Come here, darlin’,” he said.
