“Trees are down, cutting the way into town. Lacey canceled the rehearsal because of the storm. We’re to stay put until it’s cleared.”
“Here? We’re… You’re staying here?”
Brennan nodded.
Those beautiful blue eyes of hers were swirling with emotions he couldn’t decipher. He could read his sister’s looks as if he had a guidebook in his hand, and while there were definite tells Evie had, he hadn’t learned how to read her eyes yet. He’d hazard a guess as to worried, nervous, and maybe even a touch of curiosity. The first one he could do something about. The second? No idea. But the third? Oh, he’d like to explore that possibility but now was not the time. First one it was.
He smiled and took a step closer, even if it might not be the wisest move regarding his sanity. “You look beautiful,” he said. No. Not good enough. “Stunning, in fact.” Better. Still not quite right, but he’d take it because he’d actually gotten the words out.
Evie glanced down. “I guess I should change. Not much point to it now.”
“Or—” Brennan stopped. As a distraction, his idea was brilliant, but could he actually say the words?
Evie looked up at him, her head tilted, opening up the neck he’d had more than one dream of touching, tasting, and kissing. “Or what?” she prompted.
The words wouldn’t come. The vision was there. The two of them. At her small—intimate—dining table. Candles. Sharing a meal. Talking. Like a date. Something he’d dreamed about doing, even when he’d been in denial about his feelings, but never had the courage to follow through.
“Brennan?”
“You could stay like that while we eat… if you want.” Miracle of miracles, he’d gotten something out that resembled non-essential words.
“Will you stay like you are, too?”
“I have nothing else.” Holy sh— He had nothing else. And he was likely staying the night. Normally he had a change of clothes in the truck, but it had been serviced earlier today, and he hadn’t restocked it yet.
“I guess it’s only fair.” Evie smiled. “And I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I’ll see what I can find for dinner.”
Brennan watched her walk toward the kitchen, his gaze lingering on the way the dress shifted with her body’s movement. How would she feel under his hands through it? He gave himself a mental shove and turned his head away. What the hell was he doing? Now wasn’t the time. They were stuck together, and he needed to rein in his thoughts. If he didn’t, he’d likely do something stupid. Pleasurable but stupid.
Like you haven’t already?
He shouldn’t have agreed to come and get her. Any of his other brothers could’ve done it. But Lacey had played on his protective side, complete with turning those pleading eyes of hers on him. He hadn’t been able to say no. She was his little sister, and he’d do anything for her. All of them were afflicted with the same weakness. Oh, he’d seen it coming a mile away. What he didn’t know was why he hadn’t prepared for it, and why he’d given up without a hint of a fight.
Liar.
CHAPTER 2
Evie staredinto her sparsely populated fridge, hoping to figure out something suitable to eat. Anything would be a bonus. She hadn’t planned on being here much over the coming days with all the wedding activities. Whatever she found certainly wouldn’t suit their somewhat formal attire. The butterflies that had invaded her stomach when Brennan had called her beautiful were still there. Add in the look in his eyes, and she was feeling a tad self-conscious… and perhaps a little bit appreciated. When was the last time a man had looked at her with appreciation in his eyes?
Brennan O’Reilly took up far too much space in her cozy cabin. And dressed in the black suit, white shirt and green tie that matched his eyes? He was hot in his firefighter uniform, but now he was positively sinful. Her heart preferred casual. So much safer that way. She tried to shove aside the time their paths crossed when Lacey had invited her to make use of the family hot tub to ease the aches after moving day. Brief as it had been, that vision was etched permanently into her memory. She was an artist, after all. She could appreciate a beautiful body and not be attracted to it. And Brennan most definitely had a beautiful body. His muscles were sculptured, but not toomuch, with lines and veins her fingers wanted to trace—in a purely professional way of course. She’d always found it easier to transpose something onto paper if she studied it through touch first.
He was well proportioned and tall enough that she didn’t tower over him in her heels, which wasn’t all that easy given her five-nine height. His arms were strong enough to fight away fears, and his dark hair long enough to lose her fingers in, but not so long as to get in the way. And those eyes? She’d counted at least three different shades of green earlier. How many more would she find if she was gifted the time to sit and study them?
Okay. Fine. She was attracted to him, in more than a professional capacity. But she’d dated beautiful before, and it had been a mistake. One she wouldn’t repeat. Beautiful expected beautiful, and when she couldn’t deliver well enough, eyes had wandered, followed closely by hands and the rest of the jerk’s body.
She wasn’t model thin, even if she had the height. Her hair was a mess of tangles in the mornings and took a reasonable amount of taming before she could leave the house secure in the fact she wouldn’t look like she’d slept outdoors during a hurricane. An occasional scar or two… or more… from her clumsiness shouldn’t be held against her. Her body was strong and healthy, just not perfect. She was happy with it.
But the ex hadn’t been. His expectations were more in line with airbrushed-magazine perfection. Who could live up to that? But she’d been swept up in the perfection of the romance and attention he’d showered her with in the beginning and missed the signs the relationship was shifting into something else.
Eventually though, she’d remembered what her parents had taught her. A person’s worth was in their heart, not their appearance. Looks could change in an instant, but their heartwas where the truth lived. Her heart had recovered. Her self-confidence was still a work-in-progress.
“Anything in there?”
Evie jumped, and as she turned, almost fell against him. “Sorry.” Her gaze traced the line of his neck, down to the V at the collar of his shirt, and the two buttons undone, and then it jumped to his wrists. She swallowed. Brennan had removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves to reveal those forearms made to protect. That familiar itch in her fingers flared. The need to trace the lines of his veins. To feel the strength and firmness of the muscles. To experience the softness of the hairs. She dug her nails into her palms, giving her something to focus on and the strength to turn back to the fridge and the blissfully cool air, which would hopefully ease the flaming of her cheeks.
Clearly she needed a date, or a strong distraction, before she started doing more than admiring him with something other than professional interest.
Dating him was off the table. She valued Lacey’s friendship far too much to get involved with Brennan. Once was enough to lose a best friend over a relationship. She wasn’t going there again. No matter how hard her heart might hammer when he was close. Purely hormonal. Pheromones or whatever. A side effect of the danger she’d unknowingly been in tonight, and his timely arrival and rescue. That had to be it. She was feeling grateful. Except she wasn’t, because as much as she might want to deny it, these feelings, or hints of feelings, had been around for longer than she was prepared to admit.
