sneak into your house.”
“Yes you did.”
“No…I…” She looked exasperated and didn’t finish.
“I’m just teasing.”
She raised her chin. “Well, if you give me your cell phone number, I won’t have to resort to espionage.”
He grinned and held out his hand. “Sure. Let me see your phone and I’ll put it in for you.”
Ellie transferred her phone. Their fingers brushed, sending a spark of electricity up his arm. He heard her softly gasp as she pulled her hand quickly away.
Nick froze and raised his eyes to meet hers. He couldn’t move, still reeling from the brief contact. His fingers burned where Ellie had touched him. Had he ever felt this kind of chemistry? Not even Roxanne or the many other girls he’d dated had affected him this way.
His new neighbor was lethal and his heart would probably stop if he ever got the chance to kiss her. Still…it would be worth the risk.
Her face reflected panic and she abruptly turned away from him to put back on her disguise.
He could hear her scrambling to put the dress back on as he punched in his number. When she stopped moving, Nick looked up. He couldn’t help laughing. She was stuck in the dress with only the top of her head sticking out.
“Stop laughing and help me,” she mumbled through the dress.
“Hold on.” When his hands touched her hair, she stopped struggling. Some of her hair had caught in the zipper. Gently, he tried to loosen the strands free. Her curls felt soft between his fingers and he wished he could linger.
“Did you fix it?”
“Not quite.” His voice sounded a little strained. The soft curls recoiled when he freed them from the zipper. She smelled good too, a mixture of vanilla and fruit. As the dress slid over her head, he lifted her mass of curls to the side to re-zip it. Her slender neck was so inviting. He was so tempted…
Someone tapped on his door. It had to be Owen.
Ellie stepped away and her hair fell free, tumbling down her back. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He handed her the phone. “I put my number in. Call me so I can get yours.”
“I will.” She took the phone back, grasping it with the tip of her fingers, clearly trying to avoid any more contact.
He was tempted to reach out and take her hand just to see if the electric charge had only been a one-time thing. Instead, he walked to the door and opened it for the preacher. “Where’s your disguise?” Nick teased.
Owen rolled his eyes. “I’m coming as myself.” He let out a big breath and asked Ellie if she was ready to head back home.
“Yes.” She shoved her hair under the floppy hat. Once her hair was concealed, she looked at Nick sidelong. “Thanks for talking.”
He grinned. “Thanks for coming over. You made my night so much more enjoyable.”
Owen took a hold of his pretend wife’s arm. “Sorry about all the dramatics.”
Nick chuckled. “Actually, all the dramatics have been a nice distraction.” Even though it wasn’t the first time he’d been sequestered in his own home, it certainly had felt like the loneliest. That was until his adorable neighbor showed up.
“You gonna be okay over here?” Owen asked with concern.
“Yeah. My agent will take care of this tomorrow.”
Both Owen and Ellie hesitated, and Nick wished he could find some way to sneak out with them. Owen raised a hand and waved. “Let me know if you need anything.”
After he closed the door, Nick groaned and leaned against the door. He should’ve asked the pastor to get his phone out of the car.
* * *
Ellie wondered if Owen could feel her trembling as they made their way around the side of Nick’s property. She tried to slow her rapidly beating heart by taking several deep breaths.
Owen patted her on the arm. “You okay?”
How could she answer him? She was far from okay. Her fingers still burned from Nick’s feather-light touch. “Yeah.”
The hum of the news trucks and murmurs from the reporters floated across the yard as Ellie and
“Yes you did.”
“No…I…” She looked exasperated and didn’t finish.
“I’m just teasing.”
She raised her chin. “Well, if you give me your cell phone number, I won’t have to resort to espionage.”
He grinned and held out his hand. “Sure. Let me see your phone and I’ll put it in for you.”
Ellie transferred her phone. Their fingers brushed, sending a spark of electricity up his arm. He heard her softly gasp as she pulled her hand quickly away.
Nick froze and raised his eyes to meet hers. He couldn’t move, still reeling from the brief contact. His fingers burned where Ellie had touched him. Had he ever felt this kind of chemistry? Not even Roxanne or the many other girls he’d dated had affected him this way.
His new neighbor was lethal and his heart would probably stop if he ever got the chance to kiss her. Still…it would be worth the risk.
Her face reflected panic and she abruptly turned away from him to put back on her disguise.
He could hear her scrambling to put the dress back on as he punched in his number. When she stopped moving, Nick looked up. He couldn’t help laughing. She was stuck in the dress with only the top of her head sticking out.
“Stop laughing and help me,” she mumbled through the dress.
“Hold on.” When his hands touched her hair, she stopped struggling. Some of her hair had caught in the zipper. Gently, he tried to loosen the strands free. Her curls felt soft between his fingers and he wished he could linger.
“Did you fix it?”
“Not quite.” His voice sounded a little strained. The soft curls recoiled when he freed them from the zipper. She smelled good too, a mixture of vanilla and fruit. As the dress slid over her head, he lifted her mass of curls to the side to re-zip it. Her slender neck was so inviting. He was so tempted…
Someone tapped on his door. It had to be Owen.
Ellie stepped away and her hair fell free, tumbling down her back. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He handed her the phone. “I put my number in. Call me so I can get yours.”
“I will.” She took the phone back, grasping it with the tip of her fingers, clearly trying to avoid any more contact.
He was tempted to reach out and take her hand just to see if the electric charge had only been a one-time thing. Instead, he walked to the door and opened it for the preacher. “Where’s your disguise?” Nick teased.
Owen rolled his eyes. “I’m coming as myself.” He let out a big breath and asked Ellie if she was ready to head back home.
“Yes.” She shoved her hair under the floppy hat. Once her hair was concealed, she looked at Nick sidelong. “Thanks for talking.”
He grinned. “Thanks for coming over. You made my night so much more enjoyable.”
Owen took a hold of his pretend wife’s arm. “Sorry about all the dramatics.”
Nick chuckled. “Actually, all the dramatics have been a nice distraction.” Even though it wasn’t the first time he’d been sequestered in his own home, it certainly had felt like the loneliest. That was until his adorable neighbor showed up.
“You gonna be okay over here?” Owen asked with concern.
“Yeah. My agent will take care of this tomorrow.”
Both Owen and Ellie hesitated, and Nick wished he could find some way to sneak out with them. Owen raised a hand and waved. “Let me know if you need anything.”
After he closed the door, Nick groaned and leaned against the door. He should’ve asked the pastor to get his phone out of the car.
* * *
Ellie wondered if Owen could feel her trembling as they made their way around the side of Nick’s property. She tried to slow her rapidly beating heart by taking several deep breaths.
Owen patted her on the arm. “You okay?”
How could she answer him? She was far from okay. Her fingers still burned from Nick’s feather-light touch. “Yeah.”
The hum of the news trucks and murmurs from the reporters floated across the yard as Ellie and
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