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He yawned and then lolled his head to the side, making her chuckle. “Not much to look at, huh,” she said. “I’ve always been too skinny for my own good. Used to drive Todd crazy. He wanted me to get implants and one of those butt injections like the Kardashians got so I’d fill out my clothes a little better. I’m glad I came to my senses and told him no. Todd was an ass.”
Chewy barked in agreement, and she felt satisfied to have someone in her corner.
She slathered on moisturizer and put all the products in her hair the stylist had showed her, and then she blow-dried it. The convenience and ease of short hair was amazing, but she wasn’t entirely sure she loved it. It had been easy to hide behind her long hair. Short hair left her exposed—her expressions and her feelings. Short hair made her feel like the whole world was watching and she had to be on guard.
“He’s going to be here soon,” she said. “Do I invite him in or tell him to go? I’m not sure what to do.”
Zoe looked at the neatly wrapped boxes of clothes that Raven had messengered over. She had clothes for nights out on the town, loungewear for work, casual wear for the days, and enough lingerie to make the nuns at St. Mary’s blush. Raven had a way of talking a person into things they wouldn’t normally do. She’d have to remember that next time she went shopping.
But this wasn’t a date. At least, she didn’t think so. Just because he kissed her didn’t mean things were moving to the next level. Just the thought of it made her chest get tight with anxiety.
“Colt is not Todd,” she said, looking at Chewy and then back at the bags of clothes. “But I’ve been wrong before. Just because his family is nice and vouches for him doesn’t mean he actually is.”
She ignored the new clothes on her bed and went into her closet and pulled out a pair of old black leggings. She grabbed an oversized Harvard sweatshirt that had a hole in the hem, and then went back to the boxes on the bed and untied the ribbon on the smallest box.
A compromise was in order. Her fingers traced over the icy-blue lace of the bra and panty set and she removed it from the tissue paper. It would be her secret, and Colt would have no idea what was hidden beneath the old comfortable clothes.
“It’s just a normal night at home,” she said. “And he’s just a friend stopping by for dinner. People do that all the time. No big deal.”
Chewy rolled to his feet and gave her a disbelieving look as he listened to her speech.
“I feel a lot of judgment coming from you,” she said. “Maybe you should dial that back some considering I caught you drinking from the toilet this morning.”
He sneezed and then padded off into the living room with his head held high.
“Oh, great,” she said. “Now I’ve insulted him.”
The buzzer rang and she hurried into the living room, wondering why she was feeling as nervous as a teenager on her first date.
“Sorry, Chewy,” she told him as she headed toward the door. “There was no need to call your manners into question. I’m just nervous. I’ll get over it. I do not have the time or the energy for Colt O’Hara. I do not want another man in my life. I do not want him to kiss me again.”
She’d almost convinced herself by the time she opened the door.
“Were you talking to yourself?” Colt asked.
“To Chewy,” she said. “He’s quite the conversationalist.”
Colt’s arms were full of bags and he traversed his way around furniture and toward the kitchen with the ease of someone who was comfortable in the space. She guessed he probably was comfortable. There had only been a day when he hadn’t stopped by to check on her or hang things on her walls.
She followed him into the kitchen and gave a sigh. He was wearing an old pair of sweatpants with the knees torn out and a thin T-shirt that had seen better days but clung to his broad shoulders and the muscles across his chest. It was like he knew what she was going to do even before she did. He was not a man to be underestimated.
“You look comfy,” he said, eyeing her up and down like he could see the underwear she wore beneath. “I’m sorry I’m a little late. I had to shower after my last appointment. Don’t ask because I promise you really don’t want to know this time. And then I went to the market over on Main Street, but it’s right next to the Pet Palace.”
“Mmm,” she said, watching the way his muscles stretched beneath his shirt as he unloaded the bags. She was getting overheated. Or maybe it was hot flashes. Maybe she was in premature menopause. It would certainly explain why she’d felt a little off kilter lately and why her hormones were doing the tango. She hadn’t thought of a man, wanted a man, or touched a man since she’d kicked Todd out of her apartment. And now all she could think about was Colt and that ridiculous kiss.
Chewy came up behind her and butted her in the back of the thigh to get her moving. She’d completely missed whatever Colt had been saying because the blood was rushing to her ears.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said.
Chewy bumped her again and she gave him an exasperated look.
“Mind what?” she asked.
Chewy blew out a sigh and Colt laughed. “Didn’t you hear anything I just said? My mom mentioned that Chewy didn’t have a dog bed and that you were using your good bowls for his food and water. So I picked up a few things for him at the store.”
She felt her heart roll over in her chest. Colt was trickier than she’d given him credit for, trying to win her affection through her dog.
“Don’t be a fool,” she whispered under her breath.
