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“Good night.” I reached over to turn his lamp off, feeling a surge of surprise when I felt his arms go around my neck. Closing my eyes, I hugged him back, squeezing him as tight as I dared, relishing the idea that he trusted me enough for this.
When I stepped out of his room and pulled the door closed, I stood in the hallway for a long moment, trying to pull myself together. Progress. So much progress. Ally was just finishing the dishes when I got to the kitchen and she had her back to the door. I watched her, obviously admiring the view because, well, damn. But it was more than that. The more I got to know her, the more the layers were peeled back. She was a pocket goddess, one hundred per cent, but also… She had the heart of a lioness. Words couldn’t express how I felt about what she’d done for Jesse today, especially now that I understood how scared she’d been.
I could fall in love with you, Allegra.I let that thought sink in for a moment, waiting for the usual fear and trepidation to hit me. But it didn’t. I could so easily fall in love with her, and I didn’t mind the idea of it. Not this time. Not one bit.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t actually that easy. I had Jesse to think of now, and it wasn’t like Ally was receptive to me. As I thought that, she must have felt my presence, because she looked over her shoulder, catching sight of me in the doorway. I saw the exact moment she retreated, pulled in on herself, drew that protective curtain around herself. It killed me.
“Kitchen’s done.”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
“I’m gonna head off. Zara’s waiting for me.”
“Okay.” She hung the dish towel over the handle on the oven, grabbed her purse and shopping bags and started heading to the front door without even looking at me.
“Allegra.”
“What?”
“I need to move my truck. With the delivery of garden supplies in the driveway. I’ve blocked you in.”
“Oh.”
I followed her out, keeping my headlights on for her while she put the bags in the back of the jeep. Then I backed out of the drive, parking on the street and leaving the engine running. When she moved to get to her door, I quickly stepped in front of her, cutting her off just enough that she’d have to brush by me.
“Gabe…” Her eyes were dark and uncertain, like she thought I was about to make a move and wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
I cupped her face, her gorgeous, beautiful face, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Thank you,” I said simply.
She let out a breath, looking at me a little more steadily. “You’re welcome.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.” Then she was climbing into her car, not looking at me as she started it up. I closed the door for her, then went to my truck, watching her back out and drive away.
Confusing. That’s what this was. So fucking confusing.
CHAPTER22
Ally
“Just ‘fess up, you’ll feel so much better.”
“There’s nothing to confess.”
“Bullshit. Have some more chocolate.” Zara pushed the box of truffles closer to me and I took one, biting into it while I absently stared at the pattern on the living room rug. “And some more wine.”
I held my wine glass out to her, letting her fill it right to the top. Fuck knows I needed it. “Look, I know you’re shipping us, but it was just a one-night stand. You really shouldn’t read so much into it.”
“Two nights, actually.”
“One, two, whatever.” I knew she was looking at me, so I kept my gaze averted, sipping the wine as a thousand thoughts tumbled through my mind. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“What doesn’t?”
“Any of it. That I think he’s so hot, for a start.”
“M’kay…”
