Page 66 of Too Good to Be True

“I should probably go before it gets any later,” he said and disentangled himself from her.

She immediately missed his warmth. “I’ll walk you out.”

While he redressed, she went into the bathroom and donned her robe. Then she peered into the mirror and saw her hair was rumpled and makeup long gone. Yet her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bright. She looked properly sexed up, and she smiled at her reflection. Sex looks good on me!

When she went back into the bedroom, he was dressed, but his hair was also disheveled, and his shirt was wrinkled. Somehow it only made him look sexier.

She looped an arm through his, and they left the room and went downstairs. While he put on his shoes and windbreaker, she stood nearby. It was still raining, but not as hard, almost in deference to his leaving.

“My aunt and uncle are helping me move in tomorrow, but they should be gone by midafternoon. Come over and have dinner with me.”

It sounded more like a plea than a question. She guessed he was still worried she’d decide to go out with Eric instead. To rid him of that notion, she stepped over to him and slipped her arms around his waist. “Yes.”

His shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her closer. “I don’t want to leave.”

“Tomorrow night will be here before you know it.”

“Not soon enough.” He dipped his head down and kissed her, and it was no quick kiss goodbye. It was long, deep, and passionate like he wanted to leave her something to remember him by. As if I’ll forget!

After they reluctantly parted, she stood in the doorway and watched him jog to his car and get in. She waved as he backed out of the driveway and drove away. Then she closed and locked the door and leaned her back against it.

“Wow!” It was hard to wrap her head around everything that had happened. If she hadn’t been naked under the robe and smelled like him, she wouldn’t have believed it.

She flicked off the lamp in the living room, replaced the throw on the couch, and went back upstairs. Then she took off her robe, put on her pajamas, and slipped underneath the still-warm covers.

Closing her eyes, she recaptured some of the moments they’d spent together and smiled in the dark. She felt like she did after indulging in a chocolate shake: satisfied, energized, and a bit guilty. Would she do it all over again? Absolutely. Did she regret it? No. However, she still had some concerns.

First, she’d have to cancel her date with Eric tomorrow. What excuse could she give him that would sound believable? She hated to lie, but in this case, she had no choice.

Then there was the matter of hiding her relationship with Nick from Fran and their coworkers, including her friends. While Kelsey and Paige would probably be thrilled for her, she couldn’t risk them accidentally leaking something at the office. Gossip spread like wildfire, and she didn’t want to be at the center of it.

More importantly, she’d have to guard her heart. It would be so easy to fall for Nick, but she couldn’t, not completely. Once he gained more work experience, he’d probably return to Florida and look for another job there. She couldn’t blame him. Florida was his home, just like Michigan was hers. Not to mention the allure of the warm weather and beaches. Summers here were brief, and the winters long. She was used to it, but it would be a tough transition for a Floridian.

If she were to continue this relationship, she’d have to think of it as temporary, a fling. The trouble was, she’d never had a fling before and wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. She couldn’t ask her friends for advice without giving herself away. Then she thought of her sister, Jenna.

Jenna had recently turned thirty and had never been married. She’d had her share of flings, though, and since she didn’t know Nick, she’d be able to provide an unbiased opinion. It struck her that Jenna was closer to Nick’s age than she was. People often commented on how much she and her sister looked alike. If Nick had met Jenna first, would he have been attracted to her instead? It was a disturbing thought, and she quickly pushed it away.

Now it was close to one o’clock in the morning, which was way past her bedtime. Usually, she was in bed by nine and sleeping by ten (another indication of old age). She took a few deep breaths and hugged the extra pillow to her chest. She caught a whiff of Nick’s cologne, which he’d teasingly labeled Eau de Testosterone, and smiled.

I’ll be terrible at having a fling. I shouldn’t be thinking of him right now and wishing he were still here. I should just take what I can get and be satisfied with that. Otherwise, I’m just setting myself up for failure.

After her little pep talk and a few more deep breaths, she finally fell asleep.

The next morning, she waited until what she thought was a reasonable time and called her sister. The phone rang four times, and she was just about to hang up when Jenna answered.

“It’s only eight o’clock,” she grumbled.

“I’ve been up since six.”

“It’s Saturday.”

“Do you want to call me back later?”

“No. What’s up besides you?”

“Why are you whispering?”

“Hold on.”