AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good Lord, what was that?”Darby flopped back onto the pillows in my bed. “It was better than I remembered even, and that’s saying something.”
I was too tired and satiated to move and closed my eyes. “Even better. What is this between us?”
“Extreme chemistry?”
“I guess that’s what you’d call it.” I rolled over to my side facing away from him, hoping he would curl up next to me.
“Is this okay?” Darby slid into place behind me and draped his arm over my hips.
“Sure. As long as you don’t mind?”
“What would I mind?”
“My last boyfriend didn’t like to snuggle after sex,” I said. “He always rolled to the other side of the bed as if I were too hot or something.”
“You are hot.” Darby nuzzled my neck.
I giggled. “Not yet. You have to give me a little recovery time.”
“How long will that take?” He kissed my shoulder and made circles on my hip with his fingers.
“It’s a miracle. I’ve recovered already.”
“A modern medical miracle,” he said, pulling me on top of him.
The morning would come soon, I thought, as I wrapped all four of my limbs around him. And I didn’t care if I woke tired. Losing some sleep would be worth every moment.
17
DARBY
Iyawned through first period the next morning, and every muscle in my body reminded me of the night before. By lunchtime, I’d decided I would lock my classroom door and take a nap and woke after twenty minutes feeling much better, and even better after another cup of coffee. By the time the last bell rang, I was ready to conquer the second part of my day. The portion that would include Jamie. Thinking of her gave me energy.
After school, I headed out to the inn. Breck had lent me his truck for however long I needed it, for which I was grateful. Once I got the payment for the gazebo project, I could put a decent down payment on something new. Maybe a small SUV? I could picture Jamie and myself in it together as we drove to the park for a run. Then we’d go back to our place and cook dinner and share about our days. I could tell her about my students, and she could relay stories of her customers.
I blinked away the daydream as I pulled into the parking lot of the inn. The sight of Jamie’s car made my stomach flutter.You’re a fool for love, I told myself.You could get hurt.
I told myself to shut it and parked in the back, near my construction site. My muscle aches had subsided and I was ready to get to it. If all went as planned, I’d be done by the end of the week with plenty of time to spare. The wedding was still a couple of weeks away. Jamie would be able to rest easy knowing that all would be just as the bride requested. I wanted her to know she could trust me to do as I promised. In all things, not just the project. The more time we spent together, the more I could see how she watched me for clues for when I would leave or let her down. Not if but when. A distinct difference.
I worked for a good hour, listening to music in my headphones as I sawed and sanded and nailed. The weather, although sunny, was cold and crisp. A gorgeous fall day that required work gloves and a quilted vest to stay warm. The scent of woodsmoke from the fireplace reminded me why autumn was my favorite time of year, especially in Emerson Pass.
Mostly, I’d kept my insecurities from taking over my brain today. However, as I worked, it worried me that Jamie had not come out to say hello. Was she regretful about the night before? Had we taken it too far and now she was worried about how it would affect the project and our friendship? That one worried me the most. What if she wished she’d never agreed to work with me or spend all this time together?
When I looked up from my work, Jamie was striding across the lawn toward me. I yanked out my earbuds and stuffed them into my pockets. My chest filled with warmth when she smiled at me and waved. Darn, she was gorgeous—all business today with her hair in a bun and dressed in black slacks and a beige turtleneck sweater.
“There’s a sexy man in the garden of my inn.” Jamie held out a napkin with a gooey-looking cookie wrapped inside. “I thought I better come investigate and see if you needed a cookie.”
I pulled her into an embrace. “I’m glad you did. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”
“No, I just got really busy. Lots of check-ins today, which I’m excited about.” She wrapped her arms around my neck. “But all I could think about was getting out here to see you.”
“Really?” It was as though she could read my mind and knew just what I needed to hear. “I was out here thinking you might have regretted last night. I didn’t hear from you all day and you know, my mind kind of spiraled.”
“I totally understand.” She pressed her mouth to mine. “But that wasn’t it. As a matter of fact, I can’t stop thinking about last night.”
“Full disclosure, I had to take a nap at lunch today. Not that I’m complaining.”
She laughed. “I did the same thing in my office. If we meet up tonight, we should try to get a little more sleep.”
