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“Thanks for a fabulous evening.” He stood outside the bathroom, staring at Heather. No part of him wanted to walk away. He wanted, needed to say goodnight properly. He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek and neck to her shoulder. He ran both hands down her arms and clasped her hands in his.
“I should say goodnight,” he whispered. He leaned toward her, watching her eyes. When he was millimeters away, they drifted shut.Sweet heaven. He brushed his lips over hers and let go of her hands. “Sweet dreams, sweet Heather.”
“You too.” Her voice was husky with unspent emotions.
He darted into the washroom and stayed there until he heard her bedroom door shut. He wanted to believe he was a gentleman, but in reality, he was a coward of the worst sort. He didn’t have the guts to go for what he wanted.
What he wanted wasn’t just physical, though that kiss had rocked him to his toes and sent his heart into overdrive. He was beginning to think that a relationship with Heather, a real one, might be just what he needed.
Sleep didn’t come easily. He was completely caught up in thoughts of Heather. They shared a lot of opinions. They even agreed on most aspects of politics. Neither of them went to church often enough, but they both had solid faith. They meshed well together. She was invigorating and peaceful to be with. The dichotomy of his feelings was uncomfortable.
Being near Heather filled him with calm and excitement for what might come in the future. He stared up at the ceiling wondering if being her friend was going to be enough for either of them. The sun was rising before he started to drift into sleep.
Chapter 15
The overcast morning couldn’t bring Heather down. The radio played softly in the inn’s kitchen as she prepared for breakfast and waited for Ella to stop by on her way to school.
She hummed as she mixed cranberry bran muffins to go with the eggs benny. She was going with bacon bennies rather than ham. Breakfast was buffet style. Of course, those with special dietary needs were always welcome to order something. She slid some muffins into the oven and recalled Zander’s love of her baking. It was flattering that he liked her food.
She’d had trouble dragging herself out of the apartment this morning. She wanted to kiss him awake, or better yet lay down beside him for a cuddle. Instead, she’d left him sleeping on her sofa with King beside him on the floor. The dog didn’t even twitch an ear when she got up. She didn’t have the heart to wake them after staying up so late last night. After too much staring, she’d left her house key on the table along with a note for Zander.
It was only six-thirty, so it was too early to expect him, but she was looking forward to seeing him. She felt … connected to him after last night. The connection was more than she expected when she agreed to the fake date as a trial run.
She hugged herself as memories of their kiss slipped in. Holy moly. So gentle, so sweet. Brief though it was, she felt his caring in the tender press of his lips to hers. Her heart had fluttered. It was lovely, but not what she needed from him.
The goal had been to see if she was ready to trust a man again. Her first intention was helping out a friend, but she was slipping into something deeper than she anticipated and wasn’t sure she objected to the change, except, of course, if it impacted her job and future plans.
Voices intruded on her thoughts. Lexi was talking to someone in the lobby. Guests didn’t typically get up this early. A man’s laugh barked out, breaking the near silence. Zander. She’d recognize that laugh anywhere! Her heartbeat accelerated in anticipation. She felt like a kid on Christmas morning.
She took stock of her morning progress as she waited for him to invade her kitchen. The croissants were already cooling, and she had cookie dough in the fridge ready to hit the oven as soon as it was free. It was empowering to be on top of her work after a rough night’s sleep. Knowing Zander was sleeping in the next room had made her restless and her romantic dreams about him had kept waking her.
She hummed along with a Bryan Adams tune as she worked. Sensing someone in the room, she turned and there he was. Zander leaned against the doorjamb like some kind of Greek god. Handsome, sexy, a bit scruffy and in need of a shave. He must have showered because his hair was damp. Oh, sweet heaven, he was the stuff fantasies were made of. Dragonflies danced in her belly. A tiny voice in her mind whispered, “That hunk of sweet man is mine.”
“Morning.” His low rumble slid across her skin like buttered whiskey leaving shivers in its wake. His smile was devastating to her equilibrium. Unconsciously, she stepped toward him, needing to be closer.
“Morning.” She stopped in her tracks as she struggled to get the words out past a lump of desire in her throat. A foolish grin spread across her face. “Coffee?”
“Sure. I’d like that.” He ambled further into the kitchen and held out his hand. “Here’s your key. Thanks for letting me sleep.”
“You looked so peaceful I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
He placed the key in her palm and slid his fingertips back across hers. Lightning flashed up her arm and she barely suppressed a gasp of shock. Whoa! The man packed a punch. She shoved the key in the pocket of her black work pants. She fumbled for something to keep the conversation going past her sudden attack of nerves.
He spoke before she found her voice. “I missed you this morning.”
“Me too.” No sense denying it.
“How long before there is something to eat?”
She laughed at the fake despair in his voice. “Just like that, you roll into my kitchen and demand food?”
“Well, I did spend the night with you last night, and usually breakfast follows a night together?”
“Whoa!”
She whirled toward the angry voice. Derrick stood in the doorway. She hadn’t heard him enter.
“Something going on I should know about?” he demanded.
