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Abby wanted to impress him, and by the look on his face, she’d succeeded.
“You really didn’t have to,” he argued. “A date should be about fun, and I know you must have worked hard to put all of this together.”
“The fun part is sharing it with you,” Abby said with a smile. She crossed the kitchen and poured the coffee she’d brewed in her grandfather’s French press into two mugs. No instant coffee this morning. Now that she had some time to prepare herself for a guest, she wanted to make a good impression.
Both mugs in hand, she turned to the kitchen table and set them out, then bade Michael to sit. He sank into one of the seats, still looking bewildered.
Even when caught by surprise, there was something powerful and primal about him that drove Abby wild.
“You know how to sell a pitch.” Michael looked pleased.
“That’s a little bit my job,” Abby replied with a wink. “If I wasn’t any good at words, I wouldn’t be a writer.”
She served Michael’s plate and passed it to him before she served her own, and she was pleased to see that he waited for her before picking up his fork. It looked like the man who worked in repair had manners.
More than that, he had personality. Loyalty.
There was something earnest about him that crept through in the way he looked at her and in the way he spoke, and Abby couldn’t shake it.
Michael was on her mind all the time, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself from thinking about him.
“Thank you for this,” Michael said once Abby was finished serving herself. “It’s a really kind thing for you to do.”
“And you’re doing a really kind thing for me,” she said. “We’re even.”
“Not by half.” Sincerity sparkled in Michael’s blue eyes. “Even if I fixed everything wrong with this cabin, it wouldn’t be worth the price of a date with you. And now, to top it off, I’ve got a home cooked meal to pay back.”
Heat crept down Abby’s neck, and she couldn’t help but smile. “Stop it.”
“I’m serious.” Michael reached out across the table and took her hand in his. The pad of his thumb stroked the back of her hand, and a shiver worked its way down Abby’s back in turn. Heat flooded her stomach and sank low, and she felt the first quivers of arousal prick low in her gut. “You sell yourself short, Abby. Your grandfather always said the same thing. I happen to think that you’re gorgeous. Stunning. But more than that, I want to get to know you. You’re worth all of this and more.”
The paranormal novel she was writing got that much more real. Abby had no idea what to say, but she smiled shyly and let herself make eye contact, drowning in Michael’s gaze.
Having breakfast with a near stranger wasn’t supposed to feel this good. It was as though her soul were singing for him, beckoning him closer.
But things like that only happened in romance novels, didn’t they?
It looked like she had a lot to learn about love, and with any luck, Michael would be there to teach her for as long as she stayed in Cub’s Cove.
* * *
As breakfast went on, Abby was certain that Michael kept glancing at her breasts.
It wasn’t like she was hiding them. Yesterday, after she’d written until her fingers were little more than stumps, she’d called Carmen and Tiffany, and the three of them had driven over a couple of towns to pick out the perfect outfit for the morning.
Most of the time, Abby would have never bothered. With Tyler she’d always worn nice clothes, but she’d never gone out to buy something just because she wanted to look nice for him. With Michael, it was different.
“You’ve got it baaaad,” Tiffany had teased with a laugh. “And I’m so happy for you, Abby. I told you we were going to get you out of your funk.”
“How long until we can meet him?” Carmen had asked. “I’ve seen him around town from time to time, but he’s never really made himself a public figure. I don’t know anything about him, and that needs to change.”
“How about I go on at least one date with him first? Maybe he’ll decide he doesn’t like me after all.”
“With that dress?” Tiffany had scoffed. “Yeah, no way.”
It looked like she was right.
The yellow dress she wore wasn’t completely immodest. It had a sweetheart neckline that made her breasts look fantastic, and it clung right below her breasts to create a flattering empire waistline. It certainly wasn’t the sexy bombshell of a dress like the lace one the woman at the bar had worn, but it wasn’t casual, either.
