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She’d just taken a bite of a ranch-dipped chicken strip and wiped her mouth while she finished chewing. “Busy day.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Yes, on a Sunday.”
He reached for another of her fries and she slapped his hand. But not before he secured one. As he ate it with a grin, she turned her head to glare at him. Even when annoyed, her eyes were prettier than the emerald she wore.
“I waited for you.”
She blinked and looked back at her food. Her leg moved again, and he immediately missed her heat. After taking a drink from her water glass, she set it back down. “All day?”
“Pretty much.”
“Good.”
The waitress arrived with his burger and fries. Joel sat forward to reach for the ketchup, unsure how to respond to Brittany’s one word statement. Good. What did that mean? And why the hell had he even told her he’d waited in the first place? He certainly didn’t want her thinking that kiss last night had meant anything to him.
She doesn’t do casual sex. That’s all he could offer.
Now what?
Jayne drew her attention with a question, so he concentrated on his plate and listened to the conversations around him. Halfway through the burger, he turned back to Gina. “Do you work at Highlands, too?”
“I used to.”
“As a wrangler?” She didn’t strike him as the type to work with horses, with her manicured nails and light complexion that clearly didn’t see much sun.
She confirmed his suspicions with a laugh. “God no. I worked in the Sports Center for four summers. I stocked towels, rented equipment, took guests on sunset van tours into the park, that kind of stuff. After college, I opened my own interior design business here in Estes.”
“How’s that going?”
“It’s starting to pick up.” A tentative smile curved her lips. “Need any decorating work done?”
He shook his head at the hopeful look in her unusual violet-tinged eyes and gave her an apologetic smile. “The apartment supplied by the park is already furnished, and I’m not going to be here long enough to really care what it looks like anyway.”
Chapter 18
Britt heard Joel’s words and forced herself not to react as she finished her food and tossed her napkin in the wax paper lined basket. It was a good reminder—him not sticking around—because everything about the man had been wreaking havoc with her senses since the moment he walked into the bar. He wore black again, and it reminded her how powerful and dangerous he could appear. A picture of him by her tent with his gun flashed in her mind.
A force to be reckoned with.
The dark clothing also completely enhanced his good looks to the point it should be a crime. With his dark eyebrows and those thick lashes, she had to fight to keep from staring too long into those gorgeous, gold-flecked eyes. Every so often, she’d catch a hint of his aftershave, or cologne. The musky, woodsy scent was subtle, yet extremely effective in torturing the butterflies in her stomach. Made it so very tempting to lean closer.
Definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Kissing the man had been such a bad idea, and the anger had come later, while she was lying in bed, dealing with the aftermath of a lingering desire that refused to let her sleep.
His actions were so contrary she didn’t know what to think anymore. He kissed her, left her without so much as a goodnight, then accu
sed her of avoiding him and admitted he’d waited for her at the ranger station.
What the hell did he expect from her?
Jackson tossed a couple twenties on the table next to their bill, then gave Gina a pointed glance and stood. Joel shifted to give her room to rise and his leg brushed Britt’s beneath the table again. This time, she was sure it wasn’t on purpose, yet an instant jolt of awareness had her asking herself the question she’d been avoiding since last night—what was she willing to give him?
“I guess we’re going to head out now,” Gina said. “I’m working in Denver for a couple days, Britt, so I’ll be staying at Jackson’s.”
“Sounds good.” She shifted her gaze. “It was nice to meet you, Jackson.”
