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Her eyes light up, and she swallows hard. "My muffins?"
"Yep," I reply.
She bites her lip and nervously looks down at her feet. "Well, thank you. I haven't had anyone to share them with. I didn't realize they were that good."
She steps back, straightening her top, and gives me a warm smile before heading toward another booth.
I think she feels this tension between us too.
God, she is fucking gorgeous.
When she stops at another booth, one with vegetables, she begins chatting with an older woman who continues to glance my way. I watch her close her eyes to smell each of the herbs and laugh at something the older woman is saying.As I observe her interacting with the older woman, a sense of longing fills me, and I wish I could be the one to make her laugh and share those intimate moments.
I move closer to hear their conversation and let my gaze linger on her face, aware that the old lady is still eyeballing me.
This old lady may become a problem.
THIRTEEN
AVA
“This basil is truly divine, Sherrie. You know I grew some out in my greenhouse, but I swear mine is never as flavorful as yours.” I inhale the robust smell of the basil and follow Sherrie’s gaze to James.
I didn’t realize how close he was to me.
But I want him closer.
When our eyes met, there was something different in his ocean-blue eyes that made me weak at the knees.
My stomach tightens, and I see an emotion I haven’t seen in a long time. An emotion that I share with him.
Want.
It is intense, and I feel it too.
When he ate the muffin I gave him, his lips touched my fingers, and I felt a shift in the air around us. The way my stomach jumped and my thighs clenched together was a reaction I was not expecting. It felt like I couldn’t recognize my own bodily reactions. Not that I was at any point complaining. No, this was curiosity. I want to understand these feelings—I need to understand them.
But surely, I was mistaken. I had to be misinterpreting his signals,right?
I won’t say Sherrie’s expression was accusatory, but it was not trusting.As friendly as the locals were, they did not trustoutsiders.And right now, James is an outsider.
“Oh, Sherrie, this is James. He’s my, well, you see.” I stuttered, looking back at James for help.
I was at a loss for words.I desperately searched for the right words to explain the situation to Sherrie, but nothing came to mind. The silence between us grew uncomfortable, and I could feel James' eyes on me, silently urging me to say something. He allowed me the opportunity to create a narrative that I was comfortable with, but what words do I use to describe the man I had grown fond of when I wasn't sure he felt the same way?I had yet to plan out what to say if someone asked. My mind had gone blank, leaving me at a loss for how to articulate my feelings for this man. Or at least give an explanation of who he was while protecting my secrets.
Fuck.
James gave me an amused grin, fighting his laughter.
Prick.
“Boyfriend,” James stated like it was a fact.I stared at James, my heart racing.
I jerked my neck, and my eyes were wide at his admission. My shocked expression didn't seem to bother him at all. I hadn't yet mustered the courage to confess my feelings, whatever they were. The word lingered in the air, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was a slip of the tongue or if James was giving me a subtle clue about his own feelings toward me. He casually moved my bags to one arm and shook Sherrie’s hand with the other.
Then he met my gaze and gave me that boyish grin that made me weak in the knees.He has this effect on people…Not just me.
Sherrie broke the tension, and I let out a nervous whoosh of air and turned my attention back to her.
