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She bit her lip. And it wasn’t just the hotness factor that made him so attractive. He didn’t act like any hot guy she’d ever met—that hot, stuck up, I’m-the-shit-and-I-know-it thing all the hot, athletic guys had in high school. Every once in a while she’d get one in her cam room. They were inevitably demanding and unwilling to tip. Like they just expected everything in life to be given to them.
Sure she’d only known Nicholas for a handful of minutes, but she was good at sizing guys up. She had to be, in her business. And Nicholas gave off a gentle-giant vibe.
Okay, well, a really hot, gentle-giant vibe.
Shit, she was staring. Dear God, was she acting like the freak she was? How long had she been staring?
“Hey, are you okay?” He frowned. “You seem a little shaken up. Is there anyone you want to call?”
Well, that answered that question about if her awkwardness was showing.
“No,” Sloane said, probably too quickly. She tried to recover. “I mean, it’s not that big a deal. I’m sure I was just overreacting for nothing.” She turned and made a beeline for the coffeepot.
“Sorry.” She sighed but then decided to just be up front about it. Let your freak flag fly and all that. “Something you should probably know about me. I don’t get a ton of visitors out here so I’m a little out of practice with the whole,” she pursed her lips and waved a hand between them, “human interaction thing.”
That got a laugh out of him. “I think you’re doing just fine. And I can certainly respect wanting to get away from it all. That’s what brought me to rural Oklahoma myself.”
“Really?”
He nodded but didn’t say any more as she added several scoops of coffee into a filter.
She wanted to prod, infinitely curious about this stranger who’d showed up in the nick of time to save the day. Would it be weird if she wanted to play a one-sided version of twenty questions?
What was the name of your first pet?
How old were you when you got your first job?
Are you currently in any long- or short-term relationships, and how would you feel about taking my virginity?
Her face flamed even at the thought.
Yep, it had definitely been too long since she’d been around other human beings.
The only person other than the delivery guy she saw on a regular basis was Tom. He dropped by every few weeks to mow the lawn in summer or clear the snow in winter. Sometimes she just taped an envelope with the money she paid for his services to the door, though. The way he looked at her reminded her too much of her clients. He was tall, skinny as a rake, and had that desperate, lonely feel to him that she dealt with all day long.
Nicholas, on the other hand, didn’t seem like the desperate type at all. At all. He had this confidence to him as he sat down at the table in the kitchen, his long legs taking up so much space. And obviously he wasn’t the kind who felt the need to fill silences.
“So you like to jog in the evenings?” She pushed the button to start the coffee percolating.
Oh wow. That’s the verbal gem you chose to go with? Slow clap, ladies and gentleman.
He shrugged. “I’m busy during the day. And it’s quiet at night.”
She laughed at that. “It’s always quiet around here. Don’t you worry about a car not seeing you?” she asked, gesturing towards his dark clothing.
“I don’t wear headphones. I hear them coming. And bright colors aren’t really my thing.”
Nicholas’s eyes had strayed as he spoke. Sloane looked down, following his line of sight. Had she spilled something—oh. Shit. The way she was standing, her flimsy little silk robe was riding up so far she was showing off her red lace panties.
She’d been so frantic about Ramona, she hadn’t thought to change into something more decent. Holy shit. She’d been prancing around half naked without even thinking about it.
“I’ll be right back.” She ran for her bedroom.
“I’m sorry. Wait.” He stood up, the legs of the chair scraping against the wooden floor but she was already down the hallway. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Just a second!” she called over her shoulder.
She slipped into her bedroom and closed the door. Her heart was beating a hundred miles a minute. But for once it didn’t make her afraid she was about to have a heart attack.
She covered her mouth with her hand. And barely covered her bark of laughter.
She doubled over, putting both hands over her mouth.
Oh God. She was a horrible person. Ramona was hurt and her finances were in shambles and here she was, giddy over a man. She stood up and wiped at her eyes.
She looked toward the ceiling. Shit. She didn’t know if she was crying from laughing or all the other shit. Tonight was officially reaching the too much of everything category.
