Her phone vibrated, and she lifted it to see a text from her cousin.
Indie: I have an idea and I need you to tell me it’s as crazy as I think it is.
Clara: I’ll call you now.
Indie: No. This is definitely an in-person conversation. Are you free later today?
Clara: Absolutely. Lunch? And remember, crazy ideas aren’t always bad ones.
Indie: You haven’t heard this one yet. See you soon.
Clara set her phone back down on the counter. Did this crazy idea involve Colt? Maybe she was finally thinking about flying out to California and really talking to him. God, she hoped so.
Indie had shared a little bit about the night they’d broken up. Well, the night Indie had broken up with Colt. Emotions had been high with her getting the news that her tenth and final embryo hadn’t taken and she wasn’t pregnant. And to make things worse, Colt was supposed to be with her to receive the call, only he hadn’t been. Of course, the reason for that had involved his mother.
Clara didn’t know exactly what Indie had said to Colt when he’d finally gotten home, but whatever it was, Clara was certain it had been a buildup of years of frustration.
Clara could still remember the moment Indie had told her they were done. She’d assumed it was just a fight, and Indie was making it sound worse than it was. But almost a year later, Indie was filing for divorce.
Her heart gave a sad twist as she sipped her coffee again, only to immediately scrunch her nose.
Argh.
How did people enjoy the taste of this stuff? Sure, she’d drunk it a lot when she’d lived in New York, but that was becauseshe’d been chronically sleep-deprived and had relied on the caffeine to keep her awake and functioning.
The front door opened and Holden stepped in. His gaze immediately went to her, scanning her body as if needing the reassurance that she was okay.
“Hey.”
She smiled at his deep, raspy voice, but her eyes remained fixed on the width of his chest. The light sheen on his skin. He’d gone for a run, and man, did he look good. It chased a bit of her exhaustion away.
“Hi.”
He took slow, almost predatory steps toward her. “Did you do okay without me?”
“I survived, but it was tough. I might need a reward for my bravery.”
A slow grin curved his lips. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m partial to kisses. And cuddles. And touching in any form.” She set her mug on the counter.
“Is that right?” When he reached her, he slipped an arm around her, hauling her against him.
“Yeah.”
He lowered his head and kissed her neck. “That sounds a bit like a reward for me too.”
“Mm, win-win.”
He kissed her shoulder, and she sighed.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She swayed and grabbed his shoulders.
His hands tightened around her waist. “Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just really tired today.”
“You’ve been tired for the last week. Are you sick?” He touched her head and frowned. “Shit, Clara, you’re hot.”
