Page 11 of Finding Happily Ever After
But that was coming a close second.
Averyclose second.
“Hi.” He raised his hand in a slight wave. Without taking his eyes off her, he smiled. And it wasn’t his imagination that she turned a very slight, but very sexy shade of pink. A detail he liked. A lot. “Damon was helping me out with the hike I’d planned.”
Damon raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
“Okay,” Aiden came clean, “I hadn’t planned it yet. Not really. But, in my defense, I just found out about taking over the Outdoor Ed class.”
“Right.” Damon, whom he’d just met, didn’t bother trying to hide his disbelief.
Aiden shot him a look. Wasn’t there some kind of bro code or something? He should have his back.
“Well, it sounds like if you’re going up on Rainbow Ridge, it will be a great hike and you won’t even need snowshoes. Hi, I’m Katie.” The woman thrust her hand out at him. “I used to help out Doug Ivar with equipment for his class, so if you need anything at all, let us know. We’ll help you out.”
“Thank you, that will be a huge help.” It really would, because he was in completely over his head. “I’m going to take you up on that.”
“Please do.” Katie grabbed Damon’s arm and started to pull him away. “I think Natalie was going to try on a few pairs of boots,” she said. “Maybe you could give her your opinion, Aiden. Damon and I have to sort the snowshoes, so we’ll be right over—”
“We do? I didn’t think—”
“We do.” She shot her husband a look, and Aiden had to look away so he didn’t laugh. They were very obvious. “Let us know if you two need any help, okay?”
Katie managed to successfully drag Damon to the other side of the store, and when they were alone, Aiden turned to Natalie, who lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
“That wasn’t very subtle, was it?”
“Not at all.” He chuckled. “But I’m not going to lie and say I don’t appreciate her effort.” There it was, the slight pinking of her skin again. “So,” he decided to change the subject, “you’re coming on the hike with us on Tuesday?”
She shrugged again. “Why not? I mean, especially since you went to all this effort to plan it.” She grinned and added, “After you invited me.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, you got me. There was no hike planned. I only invited you because I really wanted to spend more time with you.”
“No way.”
Her sarcasm was sexy as hell.
“I know,” he said, playing along. “It’s hard to believe that I’d make something like that up, but I just…” For a second, he debated playing it cool again, but really? What was the point? “I wanted to spend more time with you.”
She dipped her head, but he didn’t miss the smile on her lips. Was she shy? She hadn’t struck him as the shy type when she’d been instructing the class. Quite the opposite. She’d been in control and in command. It was sexy.Verysexy to see a woman with that kind of confidence.
This was different.
But also, endearing.
“Did I embarrass you?”
“No.” She looked up, and straight into his eyes. “I’m wondering why you didn’t just ask.”
“Ask what?”
“Ask me out.”
And there was that bold confidence again.
Damn. This woman was such a contrast. He couldn’t figure her out.
And he liked it.
