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Troy laughed and ruffled her hair as she passed him and then followed her into the kitchen.
Looking around the living room, Ella realized she hadn’t been inside the house for years, but it looked largely the same. Her eyes alighted on the large family portrait that still hung over the fireplace, and the mantel, which still held all of Donovan’s mother’s butterfly figurines.
Donovan moved to stand next to her, following her eyeline. “Remember how much she loved those butterflies?” he said softly.
She nodded. “She always kind of reminded me of a butterfly. So beautiful and delicate, and bringing happiness wherever she went.”
He gave her hand a quick squeeze. “I like that,” he said, his voice thick. “I think she would’ve, too.”
Ella turned to smile at him and found that their faces were closer together than she’d imagined. Her breath caught, and her eyes widened. Her heart beat fast and light.
They stood that way for a long moment until finally Donovan stepped back, shaking his head like he was coming out of a trance. “I, uh…I’m just gonna go grab a quick shower. Why don’t you head on into the kitchen with Troy and grab a water or juice? I’ll be right down.”
He pounded up the stairs and Ella ran her hands over her face a couple of times, trying to calm the heat that had risen on her skin before she walked into the kitchen to face the family of the guy that had put it there.
Just as she felt her skin cool beneath her palms, the sound of water beating against the ceramic tub floated down from the upstairs bathroom and she was seized with a mental image: Donovan. Naked. Wet and soapy. Running his hands all over his bulging muscles as he washed off…
She gave her shoulders a little shake and tried to catch her breath.
Yeah. That definitely isn’t going to help my efforts to get the blushing under control. Not one damn bit.
