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Oh no, her friend looked ready to puke. Time to exit the car. Fast.
Sophie unbuckled her seatbelt—thank god for the seatbelt—and opened the door. “We’re okay, we’re okay, come on, let’s get out of the car and see the damage.”
Her legs wobbled like a newborn colt’s. The crinkled hood of the compact car spewed smoke, crushed into the bumper of the black truck in front. A big green sedan’s bumper was practically hooked on the car’s flattened rear. Tiptoeing over shattered glass, Sophie picked her away toward the driver’s side door.
Sophie yanked open the door, where Kelly sat frozen and eased her out of her seat. “Come on, let’s get out. You’re going to be fine.”
Kelly looked far from fine.
Horns honked from the traffic stuck behind the pileup and angry drivers shouted, drowning out her friend’s feeble reply.
“Sophie,” a deep voice shouted.
She glanced up and Nick sprinted toward them from across the street, his brow furrowed.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” He reached for her. “Someone call 911,” he directed the small group of gawking bystanders.
“We don’t need an ambulance. We just need to get out of the road.” Sophie ignored his hand and guided Kelly to an empty bench on the far end of the sidewalk. Kelly sank onto the bench and dropped her head between her legs.
She rubbed circles on Kelly’s back. “Just breathe, we’re fine. Everything is fine. It was just a fender bender.”
Nick stood in front of them, his tanned face pale, moisture beaded on his forehead. “Please tell me you’re okay. Please let me help.”
“I think we’re fine. Maybe you could get our purses out of the car and call the police?”
“Of course, of course, I’ll take care of it. Just stay where you are.” Nick charged back toward the accident site.
An hour later they’d given a police report, watched the accordion-like remnants of Kelly’s car towed away, and checked each other for signs of serious wounds. Once Nick was satisfied neither of their injuries necessitated a visit to the hospital, he bundled them into his car and drove them home.
Back at the cottage, Sophie set Kelly up in her bed, plumped the pillows, and tucked in the lace coverlet. “Just rest for a few hours. I’ll check on you.”
When Sophie returned to the living room, Nick sat on the couch, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.
“Nick?” She’d figured he’d have headed back to work after bringing them home.
He patted the couch next to him. Not knowing what else to do, she sat.
Nick clasped her hands and gazed into her eyes. “You scared me. The crash sounded like a bomb exploded. I thought I’d lost you.”
Lost her? What?
Heat curled down her spine from his intense gaze. Time to defuse his attention. “I’m fine, just shaken up and a couple bruises—not a big deal. I’m more worried about Kelly. Her car’s totaled, and she’s already a nervous driver.”
He pulled her into a hug and stroked his strong hands down her back. An involuntary shiver racked her body. Where was this affection coming from?
He shifted back. “Well, let me know what I can do to help.”
“That’s sweet of you but I think we’re good. So…” Yeah, between the warmth from his skin, his clean masculine scent, and the concern on his gorgeous face, she was burning up.
Nick raked one hand through his thick tawny hair. “Look, I’ll just put it out there. I can’t stop thinking about you and I really want to get to know you better. Will you let me take you out again and we can see if the third time’s the charm?”
Her heart started galloping in her chest. Hadn’t she decided to take the safe road? No rebound? This caring, sweet side of him could drop her from simple lust to full-blown infatuation. Fast.
Right now, Nick signaled danger: Too kind. Too handsome. Too everything.
“I’ve wanted to see that new Quentin Tarantino movie. Wanna go tomorrow night?” Nick smiled.
A movie. A date. A safe date. An opportunity to hang out, without the distraction of their over-the-top chemistry. Could she handle it?
