“Absolutely not.” Hallie slung her purse over one shoulder. “Especially after your generous order at the Autumn Festival.”
Throwing his head back, his groan morphed into an embarrassed laugh. “You had to go there, didn’t you?”
“Of course.” A grin slid onto her face. “And you’re taking care of my website. Trust me, we’re more than even.”
Christian tossed his wallet onto the table. “Do you want to see it?” he asked eagerly before shoving the last bite of pizza into his mouth.
“It’s done?”
“Not completely, but I’ve gotten a good start on it.” He stood, wiping his mouth on a paper towel. “Hang on, I’ll get my laptop.”
A tug-of-war between Hallie’s head and heart took place as he exited the room. If she left now, maybe she could prevent her crush from turning into the kind of feelings that didn’t go away without copious amounts of heartbreak.
Perhaps it already had.
On the other hand, she wanted to stay. To see her website’s progress, sure. But if she were honest with herself, her feelings were plunging way past the infatuation stage already.
Christian reentered the room a minute later, his laptop open in one hand while he typed with the other. He placed it on the table in front of her. “Take a look at this.” Remaining behind her, he planted one hand flat on the table next to the computer while the other gripped the back of her chair. The position was unsettlingly intimate, and way too tempting.
Hallie scrolled through the home page, pretending not to notice the way his spicy scent permeated her senses in deliciously inviting ways.
Focus on the website, Hal. Not on how good he smells.
The homepage was created with a warm cream color as thebackground. Photos of her favorite bakes—outlined by shapes resembling pale green doilies—were placed at pleasant angles with a few lines of description beside each one. Christian had included links to order for special occasions in prominent positions throughout the site. The whole vibe captured the exact look she’d been unable to create herself.
“I love it!”
“It’s a starting point.” Even knowing he stood right behind her, Christian’s voice came closer than she’d expected. “We can change anything you’re not happy with.”
Shaking her head, she clicked to another page from the menu at the top. Though unfinished, the start looked as beautiful as the homepage. “This is amazing, Christian. Thank you.”
Shivers danced across her spine as his breath tickled her cheek. Turning to look at him, she forgot all about the website when their eyes locked, only inches apart.
Look away.Her brain urged her heart not to plunge deeper into this hole it had created.
But when Christian’s captivating gaze dipped to her mouth, just as it had during their impromptu dance, her heart declared all-out war. Her brain had no control over the situation.
It would be so easy to kiss him right now. Her pulse accelerated as the temptation to close the short distance between their lips magnified the longer he stayed there.
She wanted to. So much.
Why was he hesitating?
You’re an independent woman. You make the first move.
As her heart urged her to take a leap, her brain fought back with a strong counterattack, listing all the reasons why she shouldn’t. Her brother would hate it, for one thing. She was past the point of listening to him, though.
No, the strongest arguments against starting anything with Christian were fast asleep in their beds upstairs. A kiss with him carried more weight than any other relationship she’d had before. She couldn’t sacrifice her boundaries to appease her romantic appetite.
Still, she didn’t pull away. Maybe one little kiss wouldn’t hurt. It might even take some of the edge off all this tension. Slowly, she began to move toward him, closing the gap inch by agonizing inch.
Christian sucked in a breath. The fragile string pulling them together snapped in two. He backed away, rubbing a hand down his face before taking a seat next to her.
Hallie’s heart dropped to her gut as he slid the chair further away. A heaviness rushed into the empty space.
“It’s taking longer to finish than I’d hoped.” His tone was forced as though trying to ignore what had almost transpired between them. “My boss has piled on the workload pretty thick lately.”
Hallie had to take a few seconds to reorient herself with the conversation. “No problem. It’s probably a lot to manage on top of raising the girls.”
