time to act on those feelings. Not that there ever would be a time to act on them. They lived in different states. He was sixteen years older than her. She hated Newburgh, and with good reason. This town had given her nothing but bad memories.
But still, he couldn’t help sensing that her hug was a confession of something she was too shy to say. Wishful thinking, probably.
Knowing he’d have to let her go soon, he pressed his cheek to the top of her head and drank in the sweet, vanilla scent of her hair. Holding her, even with a raised console in the way, was its own kind of heaven.
“Really, thanks,” she murmured into his suit jacket. “I don’t think I’d have made it through the morning without you.” Her voice was strained, like she was trying not to cry. Shit. He hated seeing her in any kind of pain. Seeing Mandy in pain had always been his undoing. Always would be.
He palmed the back of her head. How could he tell her he felt exactly the same way, that he would have been lost without her by his side today? He didn’t want to freak her out, because surely she’d meant it in a platonic way, whereas he didn’t feel platonic in the least.
He settled for, “You’re welcome, honey.”
There was that honey again. He couldn’t seem to keep it from slipping out when he was around her. His heart was too open to her. Time to go so he could cool his jets.
He set her away from him, missing her warmth and scent immediately.
She scrambled out of the truck before he could gauge her reaction. Hopefully, he hadn’t made that too weird for her.
He watched as she trotted up the steps to the trailer. Once she was on the porch with the screen door shut behind her, she gave him a shy wave and a smile that hit him right in the heart. Her cheeks were rosier than ever, and he didn’t think it was because of the five seconds of cold she’d endured between his truck and the porch.
He waved and backed out of the driveway. Screw that couple of hours. He was going to change, pick up some Chinese food, and haul ass back over here. Bad idea or not, he wanted to spend time with Mandy. He had a feeling she wanted that too.
* * * *
Cole probably thought I was a freak for bolting out of his truck, but I had to before I did something even more foolish than hugging him, like taking him up on his offer to come inside.
Frozen gravel crunched under my shoes as I hurried to the house. Inside my coat I was burning up with embarrassment. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was rampant attraction. Plus embarrassment.
I waited until I was behind the storm door’s sheet of grimy glass before facing him and waving goodbye. That way he probably wouldn’t be able to see the blush I felt heating my cheeks.
He raised two fingers off the steering wheel before slinging an arm over the passenger headrest to back down the driveway. Sub-zero cool factor. That’s what Cole had.
That was probably why the man flustered me. Butterflies had stormed my stomach as I’d reached for him in the truck a minute ago. I’d feared his reaction, worried he’d think it was too forward of me, that it meant more than I meant it to mean. I’d almost changed my mind halfway to him, but he’d closed the distance and folded me into his arms before I could chicken out.
It had been like hugging a warm, living tree. His strength had seeped through my skin and into my bones. I’d wanted to remain in his embrace forever. I might have only intended it to be a thankful-friend hug, but it turned into so much more. Whether I intended it or not, there were feelings flowing between us.
When he relaxed his grip, I forced myself to let go. It was the hardest thing in the world to decline his offer of company, but if I let him in, I might kiss him. My father had just died, for Pete’s sake. I couldn’t kiss anybody. I shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea of kissing anybody.
What better way to live up to my Newburgh reputation?
Even if by some
But still, he couldn’t help sensing that her hug was a confession of something she was too shy to say. Wishful thinking, probably.
Knowing he’d have to let her go soon, he pressed his cheek to the top of her head and drank in the sweet, vanilla scent of her hair. Holding her, even with a raised console in the way, was its own kind of heaven.
“Really, thanks,” she murmured into his suit jacket. “I don’t think I’d have made it through the morning without you.” Her voice was strained, like she was trying not to cry. Shit. He hated seeing her in any kind of pain. Seeing Mandy in pain had always been his undoing. Always would be.
He palmed the back of her head. How could he tell her he felt exactly the same way, that he would have been lost without her by his side today? He didn’t want to freak her out, because surely she’d meant it in a platonic way, whereas he didn’t feel platonic in the least.
He settled for, “You’re welcome, honey.”
There was that honey again. He couldn’t seem to keep it from slipping out when he was around her. His heart was too open to her. Time to go so he could cool his jets.
He set her away from him, missing her warmth and scent immediately.
She scrambled out of the truck before he could gauge her reaction. Hopefully, he hadn’t made that too weird for her.
He watched as she trotted up the steps to the trailer. Once she was on the porch with the screen door shut behind her, she gave him a shy wave and a smile that hit him right in the heart. Her cheeks were rosier than ever, and he didn’t think it was because of the five seconds of cold she’d endured between his truck and the porch.
He waved and backed out of the driveway. Screw that couple of hours. He was going to change, pick up some Chinese food, and haul ass back over here. Bad idea or not, he wanted to spend time with Mandy. He had a feeling she wanted that too.
* * * *
Cole probably thought I was a freak for bolting out of his truck, but I had to before I did something even more foolish than hugging him, like taking him up on his offer to come inside.
Frozen gravel crunched under my shoes as I hurried to the house. Inside my coat I was burning up with embarrassment. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was rampant attraction. Plus embarrassment.
I waited until I was behind the storm door’s sheet of grimy glass before facing him and waving goodbye. That way he probably wouldn’t be able to see the blush I felt heating my cheeks.
He raised two fingers off the steering wheel before slinging an arm over the passenger headrest to back down the driveway. Sub-zero cool factor. That’s what Cole had.
That was probably why the man flustered me. Butterflies had stormed my stomach as I’d reached for him in the truck a minute ago. I’d feared his reaction, worried he’d think it was too forward of me, that it meant more than I meant it to mean. I’d almost changed my mind halfway to him, but he’d closed the distance and folded me into his arms before I could chicken out.
It had been like hugging a warm, living tree. His strength had seeped through my skin and into my bones. I’d wanted to remain in his embrace forever. I might have only intended it to be a thankful-friend hug, but it turned into so much more. Whether I intended it or not, there were feelings flowing between us.
When he relaxed his grip, I forced myself to let go. It was the hardest thing in the world to decline his offer of company, but if I let him in, I might kiss him. My father had just died, for Pete’s sake. I couldn’t kiss anybody. I shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea of kissing anybody.
What better way to live up to my Newburgh reputation?
Even if by some
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