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She was such a good friend. The source of her rancor didn’t really matter.
“I’m glad you seem to be over him,” Sydney said, tossing the paper aside.
“It’s amazing how much a little time and distance will heal,” Lily answered. If she said it out loud enough, surely she’d start to believe it. Wouldn’t she?
Sydney held up a gorgeous emerald-green ball gown and cocked an eyebrow. “Of course, going to the ball with Dr. Studly does help, I’m sure.”
Lily couldn’t help smiling. “I think a woman would have to be dead to resist Cullen’s charms.”
Sydney squinted at her. “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”
Lily raised her shoulders and let them fall. “Would that be such a bad thing?”
“A bad thing?” Sydney repeated. “I don’t know if I’d go so far to call it a bad thing. Risky, maybe. I mean Cullen Dunlevy does have a reputation for dating beautiful, one-dimensional women. You certainly can hold your own in the looks category—especially in this dress.” She held up the green number again and gave it a little shimmy.
“I haven’t seen that side of him,” Lily said. “Except for one text that he received from a woman named Giselle. He was supposed to see her that night, but he didn’t. He came home and he’s been home every night since I’ve been working for him.”
“From what I understand about Cullen, he’s involved with a lot of women and none of them are interested in a relationship.”
“What makes you think I’m interested in having a relationship with him?”
“Really?” Sydney gave Lily a look that said she didn’t completely believe her. “You’re not?”
Lily’s gaze found the newspaper that Sydney had discarded. Her heart squeezed. Maybe it was just her pride. She and Josh had been together for so many years. She’d been on a few dates since they’d broken up, but she hadn’t found anyone that she wanted to get serious with. Still, she knew herself well enough to know that not wanting a second date with Mr. One-Date-Wonder was a far cry from being one of many in the dating pool of a guy she wanted to see again. She couldn’t deny the chemistry she felt with Cullen. Was the chemistry mutual or was that how he worked? His M.O.?
“I don’t know what I want,” she finally admitted.
“I don’t mean to discourage you,” Sydney said. “If that were the case, I wouldn’t be so happy about getting Cinderella ready for the ball. I don’t know Cullen well, but from what I do know, he seems different with you.”
“It might be the kids,” Lily said, but instantly remembered the feel of his lips on hers and the way he’d told her without mincing words that he wanted to kiss her again. Her girl parts hummed to life at the thought.
Oh, this was bad.
As if reading her mind, Sydney said, “I say go for it, but just be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
* * *
Early the next morning, Lily was pulling fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven when Cullen, who was freshly shaven, smelling like a god and all dressed and ready for work, entered the kitchen.
She’d never known simple black pants and a white button-down that was open at the collar to be quite so sexy.
“It smells like heaven in here,” he said as he took a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You do know how to tempt me, don’t you?”
There was a gleam in his eye that made her stomach tingle. Maybe that was what was sexy about him. Maybe the black pants and white shirt were a blank canvas for those eyes.
“You know me,” she said, holding his gaze and quirking an eyebrow. “I aim to please.”
There it was.
He just made it so darn easy to flirt and she couldn’t help herself. It was as if he coaxed it out of her. Yeah, but after all, he was a professional flirt. Should she expect anything else?
Full-time doctor; part-time flirt.
Or was it full-time for both? she pondered as she used a spatula to serve a steaming iced cinnamon roll.
She’d gotten to work earlier than usual, letting herself in with her door key. She’d spent a restless night tossing and turning, thinking about her conversation with Sydney. Finally she’d given in. Rather than lying there while the squirrels of doubt ran rampant in her head, she got up and went into her grandmother’s kitchen that was now her kitchen and started mixing up dough for cinnamon rolls. She wasn’t going to figure out anything by overthinking it. So she vowed to press on, business as usual. The rolls would have just enough time to rise and she could pop them in the oven once she got to Cullen’s place. Her job was to care for the kids…and him, since he was letting her…and that was exactly what she intended to do.
