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“I’m not allergic,” I replied then took a seat.
“Thank God,” she whispered. “Because I plan to make this a truce.” Leah grinned then and I forgot to breathe for a second as I looked at her.
Oh boy …why did my heartbeat rapidly against my ribs suddenly?
Chapter Three
Leah
Wefinishedthechickensoup I prepared in a matter of minutes, and Tommy set his plate aside before he leaned against his chair and sighed.
“Fine, you’re an amazing cook,” he smiled at me. “I’m not going to lie.”
“Thank you,” I replied, and chuckled a bit. “You find it difficult to admit that I’m an amazing cook but yet you emptied the plate, and it seems like you want more.”
“Are you kidding? More? I can’t even lift my legs.”
We laughed again and he shook his head before he made a hand gesture toward the plate. “Danielle loves this chicken soup and she used to make it a lot when you guys were here. I’m surprised you remember how to make it.”
“I shared her my Gran’s recipe you know.”
“Really?” I nodded and watched him comb his fingers through his full blonde hair before he licked his lips and stared at me. Our gazes locked and for a second, I nearly forgot to breathe.
There was something intense about the way Tommy looked at me. It wasn’t there before. His eyes stayed on mine, then he slowly looked down at my lips before he met my gaze again.
“I uh … ” he stuttered then got on his feet. “I should do the dishes.”
“Let me help,” I said and got up at the same time that he did. He walked around the table to the sink, and I picked up our plates from the table. My fingers brushed over his when I tried to place my dirty plates in the sink, and we jerked apart immediately.
His touch burned, and the spiraling nerves that sparked alive in me also burned with it. I dragged in a deep breath, then pressed my right hand to my chest.
Tommy’s brows squished together as he stared at me, then he looked down at his hands for a second. Neither of us said any words. My heart was beating so fast, I feared he would hear the quaking sound.
I wet my lips with my tongue, then cleared my throat to break the thick fog of desire slowly clouding my thoughts and my brain. Tommy Thatcher was older than I remembered, but he had aged with much grace.
His eyes were bluer than ever, and the wrinkled lines on their corners made him look even more handsome. He had grown out a little beard, and his hair was longer too. It reached the middle of his ears and fell to the side of his face in a center part.
Unable to stop myself, I let my gaze drift down the rest of him. He had steaming hot biceps … they bulged out of the sleeves of his black t-shirt, and the bodice of the shirt hugged his chest. My fingers itched to touch them and feel their tautness.
Get a grip.Flushing with undeniable heat and horror too, I turned away from him.
“I’ll do the dishes,” I said and turned on the water faucet. Tommy didn’t move an inch while I began washing the plates. I tried to pretend I didn’t feel the heat emanating from his body as he stood there, but it was hard to ignore it.
I rinsed my hands when I was done and spun around to find him standing there. His chest heaved and he still made no move to walk away.
“Tommy?” I called and heard his sharp intake of air before he took the first step toward me and reached out to touch my hair. “What are you doing?” I questioned, feeling faint because his fingers grazed my cheeks.
“I have no idea,” he answered then leaned forward and slowly brought his lips towards mine.
My breath hitched in my throat, and my lids fluttered close before I realized what was happening.
“Leah,” he murmured, and I swallowed hard again to push down the lump forming in the base of my throat. “This is insane,” he continued in a hoarse tone.
The air around us thickened with unspoken hints of desire, and I gripped the edge of the sink tight, needing support because my knees felt wobbly. I hadn’t felt anything like this in my twenty-four years.
The shiver that coursed through me brought anticipation, and it stirred my nerve endings alive. I realized I wanted to kiss Tommy. It was an illicit thought, but I toyed with it anyway.
My eyes snapped open, and I stared at his lips. He moistened them before they parted, and I felt his hand on my chin again. He tipped it higher, then touched my lip with his thumb before he groaned.
