Chapter Eleven
Curiosity killed thekissing cat.
Okay, not killed.
How about curiosity nearly made the kissing cat stop breathing so there was danger of damn asphyxiation?
Yeah, something like that.
Shit.
Natalie jerked away, fumbling with the phone in her hand. Had it vibrated? Whether it had or not, she pretended checking it was the most important thing in the world. “It’s Mia. I was supposed to stop by later today.” She scrambled to her feet.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
What the hell was wrong with her?
It hadn’t been a full kiss, not a real one, merely a brush of lips, but she couldn’t bluff her way into making him believe it was anything other than what it looked like. She couldn’t say,Oh, sorry. I thought I saw some delicious crumbs on your face and decided to wipe them away with my lips.
Again, whatthe hellwas wrong with her?
It was just waffles and bees and…and nothing. There wasn’t one particular thing about the moment that screamed romance. She only had her ear pressed against a box, listening for damn bee vibrations. Why would this warrant kissing Mason?
Curiosity. It was curiosity. Plain and simple. Done.
But why was she curious?
Natalie wanted to scream because she didn’t know.
UGH!
A nervousness settled in her gut. She considered racing away and never returning. How could she do this without giving the impression she was running away?
“Sorry I—Are you okay?” Mason asked behind her as he stood, his voice soft.
She noticed the concern etched in his brow, which she supposed wasn’t fair because he hadn’t done this, she had. It wasn’t Mason’s problem, it was hers. She was the one who’d put herself on a strict romance diet, one where she was only allowed cheat days at specific times of the year and a single location on the map. And crushing hearts of nice guys wasn’t the type of villainy she wanted.
“No…I… M-my leg fell asleep. And I forgot about Mia. I shouldn’t have forgotten. The sun is going to set soon.” Her rambling gave the impression she was a complete mess. She walked with purpose toward the parking lot.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he followed her. “Yeah. Okay.” For most of the way, they walked in silence; each seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. “Sorry, if I did something to—”
“No,” Natalie heard herself say, even if this was the perfect opportunity to reiterate her decision to not start anything with anyone but, for some reason, she didn’t. “It’s fine. You’re fine. I-I think I’m just tired from the weekend. I’m not used to working at a coffee stand by myself and… I don’t know. Sorry.” Oh, okay, so now she was going to give the impression she had a habit of kissing guys when she was tired.Wow, Natalie. Why didn’t she admit the truth?
Mason was someone she thought would be nice to kiss.
He brought her dinner, made sure she had a heat lamp, showed her his beehives, and escorted her to her car. She wasn’t sure how to express appreciation without making it weird. Saying thank you didn’t seem to be enough. Touching him again was too risky. Instead, she did this odd arm pat on his bicep and said, “Okay. Thanks. I guess I’ll see you next weekend then. Your bees were nice.”
“The bees you never saw.”
“I suppose you could have stuck a recording in a box simply to lure me out there.”
A small smile crept along his lips. He had a nice one. It wasn’t large but it was soft like the rest of him. “I suppose you’re also suspicious of the Big Bee lobby.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. The awkwardness never lasted with him. He had a way about him, making her at ease again. “Yes, now you’re getting it.”
He’d stepped nearer until she had to tip her head to make eye contact. “They’re only a seasonal lobby. As soon as it gets cold, they just vibrate in a box and eat honey.” Mason tucked the end of her scarf into the front of her jacket.
“Uh-huh.” Her reply was somewhat breathless and also automatic. She didn’t process his words and would have given the same response regardless of what he said.
