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Needing a little space to think, Amber disappeared into the kitchen. She couldn’t just sit there across from him like that. Not when he was looking at her with those eyes. Those green eyes that always seemed to look straight past every wall she’d ever put up.
She opened the fridge, practically threw her prepackaged salad inside, and slammed it shut again.
Sweetheart.
Dammit.
The worst part was, she’d liked it when he’d called her that. A lot. The word had sparked some kind of full-body reaction and she knew she was blushing again. Cole had that effect on her. He always had. Well, the only other time she’d met him, anyway. But that had been enough to fuel her dreams for months. Okay, longer than months. She’d just started dating Randy when Cole had come to visit Josie. She felt guilty even now remembering the way she used to think about what it would have felt like to have Cole’s hands on her instead of Randy’s, his lips on—no!
She needed to stop that. She couldn’t allow herself to think about Cole like that. Not again. Absolutely nothing good could come out of that. Especially with him in the next room.
“Are you hungry?” His deep, slightly Australian-accented voice called from the living room.
Was she hungry?Was she hungry?If the way her body was vibrating was any indication, the answer wasyes. Hellyes. She was really damn hungry.
“No,” she replied, keeping her voice as steady as possible. “Not even a little.”
“Well, I’m starving.”
She whipped around to see him leaning against the doorjamb, looking even sexier than he had lying on the couch.How was that even possible?
“Let’s go into town and get some food. I saw a pub when I was coming through. I bet they have wings.”
At the mention of a little deep-fried goodness, Amber’s stomach growled.When was the last time she’d indulged in something like pub food?She usually stuck to salads and chicken breasts. Wings would be good.But going out with Cole?That probably wasn’t a good idea. No, it wouldn’t be a good idea at all.
He must have seen her waver, because he added, “Come on. My treat. Besides, it’ll give us a chance to discuss the arrangements here. I’m sure you’ll want a plan.”
Was he teasing her?
Yes.One look at the cocky, but admittedly very sexy smile on his face, told her that he was definitely teasing her. But it didn’t slip her notice that he remembered that detail about her.Had he thought about her at all over the years?
Amber almost laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of that thought.Why on earth would Cole Price ever have given a second thought to his little sister’s uptight roommate, who he met briefly two years ago?
The thought was hilarious. But wings actually did sound like a pretty good idea. And teasing or not, Cole was right: she was going to need a plan. Or, in the interest of trying not to over plan everything, she needed some idea of what they were going to do because it certainly didn’t seem as if either of them would be leaving.
“Okay,” Amber agreed after a moment. “But give me a minute to freshen up. It’s been a long day.”
“Take all the time you need.”
He didn’t move from the doorway, so she had to walk directly past him, turning to the side to squeeze by. “Excuse me.” He grinned, but only stepped back slightly. Despite her best effort to avoid him, Amber’s breast brushed his chest, and the zing of electricity between them almost dropped her to her knees. She couldn’t be sure how, but somehow she kept walking and grabbed her suitcase.
“Amber?”
She froze, her hand on her bag.
“Just for the record,” he continued when she didn’t turn around. “I don’t think you need any time at all to freshen up. You look great.”
ChapterThree
“Josie, answer the phone.”Amber held her phone tight to her ear and looked around her friend’s bedroom. She hadn’t known where else to go to freshen up. There were no other usable spare rooms and there was no way she could stay down there withhim.“Josie, pick up…pick up…pick—” She paced the floor of the tiny space in an effort to slow her heart rate, to calm her mind, to…stop thinking about those eyes and the way they looked at her.
Dammit.
She was in so much trouble.
She was just about to hang up when finally her friend’s voice came across the line. “Amber? Are you—”
“What the hell, Josie?” Amber didn’t waste any time getting right to the point. “You didn’t tell me yourbrotherwas going to be here.”
