“Right.” His breath whooshed out. He managed to help her into the truck without hauling her into his arms. That was a miracle.
But he was still gulping for air and fighting for control when he swung into his seat and pulled the door closed. “This is nuts.”
“Is it?”
“Yes, damn it! My head knows it but my… well, never mind.” He faced forward. Looking at her always got him into trouble.
“Cut yourself some slack.” Her voice was soft.
“No can do.” Jabbing the key in the ignition took several tries. Eventually he started the engine.
“Face it. I have a hot body.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“We’ve established you like hot bodies. What you’re feeling is perfectly natural.”
He choked out a laugh. “I believe that’s my line.” Shifting into drive, he pulled onto the main road.
“You’re convinced I’m on the rebound and it’s obvious you’re having trouble forgetting New Year’s Eve. Let’s admit that we’re fallible but we’re also not gonna let this get the better of us. We’ll deal with it like sensible adults.”
“Yes, we will.”
“By the way, what makes you such an expert on rebound relationships?”
“I’ve been dumped twice and both times I jumped right back into a relationship that burned out in a matter of weeks, adding extra pain for all concerned.”
“Someone else dumped you?”
“Evie, senior year at MU. I proposed. She said no. She didn’t love me enough to bury herself in a small town.”
“That’s how she put it?”
“That’s exactly how she put it.”
“I knew I didn’t like her.”
“I’m glad she was honest. We would have been miserable together.”
“I’m sorry. You never told me you proposed to her.”
“Not something you broadcast. But enough about me. Remember what happened after that jerk dumped Mila last year?”
“Now that you mention it, I do. Not pretty.”
“You don’t want to do that to yourself, Trace. Or to us.” He pulled up to the curb in front of her office and turned off the motor. She’d left a light on upstairs, just like she had on New Year’s Eve.
“Adam Bridger, the voice of reason.” She gave him a smile to show she was teasing.
“Sometimes. Other times I’m a complete dumbass.”
“Or you could be reasonableanda dumbass.”
“True.”
“Since Mila hasn’t said anything I assume you haven’t told her about New Year’s Eve.”
“God, no. Why would I?” He glanced at her, just a quick look. No more lingering eye contact if he knew what was good for him.
