“He slept at the gallery? On a desk?” Fontana glanced away from the road for a split second, long enough to catch Jaime’s knowing wink. In the rearview, Hannah was already covering her mouth to hide a smile. Rivers Cuomo was singing through her crackling speakers about coming undone, something she could personally relate to.
Maybe Campbell could, too.
Hehadlooked a little wind-swept, on the edge of disheveled—which meant hot, bothered, and sexy—when he dropped Kit and Boomer off that morning. Now she knew why he’d kept his sunglasses on and made such a quick exit.
As if bloodshot eyes and alcohol leeching from his pores could make him anything but more approachable.
More lovable.
Not that she needed any push in his direction. Being near him felt like waging war against a bone-deep gravitational pull.
She gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles went white. She had to stop thinking about his eyes, how they deepened to the exact shade of Douglas fir bark when he was vulnerable. It was terrifying that she knew him well enough to spot the shift, let alone act on it.
A flash of affection hit first, followed fast by irritation. Clear evidence she was losing her mind. One moment, Fontana pictured him naked in her bed; the next, she wanted to punch him in the nose.
Did the man know what he wasdoingto her?
She would love to tell him that his vulnerability pierced her heart more than any silly, ridiculously sweet note he’d left on the Jeep’s filthy windshield. A note now tucked in the drawer of her bedside table, right next to the finger vibrator he liked so much.
She must have read it a thousand times.I miss my Sunday kind of girl. Using Etta James to prove his point was crooked business, indeed.
Ugh, she decided with a frown,love made peoplestupid.
Too bad, so sad, Fontana—face the hard facts.
She tapped her thumb against the wheel, counting off the reasons she was debating in her head.
One, she was so far from Campbell’s type, it was comical. Nothing SpecialJessicawas his type—every well-coiffed, jasmine-scented inch of her.
Plus, he was leaving. And he was complicated, with a troubled past. Much like hers.
But he was exactly what she wanted, before she’d even known she was looking.
Handsome to the extreme. Talented beyond measure. Adorable, when it came right down to it. Shrewd, with just the right amount of impudence. And there was alotgoing on behind those incredible eyes. The compulsion to care for him—in a mama-bear, nurturing kind of way—had caught her completely off guard.
In fact, the past month had been one immense, full-of-life adventure. A learning experience. Way, way,waymore than just sex.
Although, every moist, gasping, grinding moment had been amazing.
Talk about pressure. Too much to keep a perfectly delightful train on the tracks, no matter how you played it.
She was quitting while she was ahead.
Good plan. She’d get over him.
One day.
Maybe.
“Talk around town is, you’ve ruined him,” Jaime said in hisI’m-concernedvoice. “But after watching your mind spin for the last two miles, I’m wondering if he’s ruined you.”
“No one’s ruined,” she whispered, clenching the wheel again. The Jeep did a little hop as they bounced over a pothole she hadn’t avoided. “Big boys and girls survive.”
“Who wants to survive without love when they can survivewithlove?”
She directed a scowl Jaime’s way she hoped toasted him where he sat. “Like it’s that easy. How’s it going with Dix, huh?”
Jaime flapped his hands and drew a fluttering breath. “I was waiting for wine to tell you but…we’re moving in together! Promise and Atlanta, whatever works best until you and Campbell figure out your deal and land in one place.” He kissed his index finger and brushed it across her cheek. “So, darling, can you figure out your deal, please? I want my man, but he’s a workaholic, and devoted toyourman.”
