Damnit.She shivered.Her body remembering too much.
You were about to be a married woman, Bethany.Pull yourself together.
The reminder fell on deaf ears.Benny was in her space.All too familiar warm woodsy musk making it hard to breathe.
His hand went to her shirt where he pinched the navy material sitting above her waist.“My fire department tee?”One eyebrow raised, all accusatory.“You think you’re stealing this, NeNe?”That was exactly what she was doing.“Well, think again.”
When she didn’t reply, his grip tightened, the baggy cotton growing tighter and tighter against her skin.Not helping the whole breathing thing.
Benny’s attention went to her hair next.No longer pristinely pinned, it lay loose over her shoulders.Slowly, his fingers traced the length of a messy brown strand, before sliding it between his thumb and forefinger.When he let the strand slip, and his gaze met hers again, she knew she was in trouble.Big trouble.The kind where if you don’t run screaming now, you’ll end up naked on your ex-boyfriend’s kitchen floor regretting your life choices.
Because you’re really acing the whole life choices thing today, aren’t you?
“I-I,”I what?Think.“I should go.”Yes.She should.But where?
I could ask Lucy?
Lucy was the only friend she had that still lived in Woodvalley Pines.But calling her meant turning on her phone.Explaining why she’d run out on her wedding.And what on earth she was doing at her ex-boyfriend’s house...in his boxer shorts.All things she wasn’t quite ready to deal with just yet.
Shit.
She didn’t move.Which was lucky because she didn’t think she’d get very far with Benny still clinging onto her shirt.
“And where have you decided to go—to your parents or to the man you left at the altar?”
Those pathetically sad options were looking better and better by the second as more sharp ex-boyfriend fumes invaded her senses.
“I’ll stay in a hotel,” she rushed out, before remembering the small town didn’t exactly have a thriving tourist district.Benny’s brows lifted, clearly thinking the same thing.But then her memory finally proved useful.“Oh!”she exclaimed.“The Evans brothers!”She was gleefully pointing her finger in his direction now.“They opened guest cabins a while back, I’ll go stay there!”
Benny’s face hardened.“No.”
“No?”she repeated.Unsure what that look on his face was all about.
“No,” he said again.“You’ll stay here.I’ll have Rachel go get your things from your apartment.”
Who the hell was Rachel?Oh.Is that his girlfriend?
Just the thought had Bethany stepping back.Releasing her shirt from Benny’s hold and breaking the spell his eyes had her under.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, suddenly finding the shiny wood beams far more interesting than him.But it didn’t last long, Benny’s black loafers stepped back into her space, and a moment later, his big hand was cradling her cheek, gently tipping her head up to meet him.
“She’s my friend’s wife.”God, she hated that he knew exactly what she was thinking.And how darn smug that grin was.“She’s also too damn nice to turn away so she’ll have no problem getting your things.”
Nice or not, she had a feeling Doug wasn’t going to just let some stranger waltz into his home and take her stuff.
“That’s nice of you, but it’s not necessary.I’ll grab some bits from the Farm n’ Fresh on my way over to the Evans ranch.”
Are you seriously gonna walk around the Farm n’ Fresh in Benny’s boxers?
Her inner voice made a good point.She’d caused enough scandal for one day.This town was far too small.Back in Denver she never had to worry about small town gossip.She remembered then, more shit to add to the show.She’d just moved her residency to the Goldacre Medical Clinic.
Just freaking peachy.
“What was that look?”The concern in Benny’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“Nothing,” she lied.“Can I borrow some sweats?”
He took a moment to run his eyes up and down her again.Heat scorching her skin as he did.When he was done, instead of answering her question, he pulled out his phone.
