“Bear?” Her eyebrows lifted. “That’s not very feminine.”
Who said the damn dog’s name had to be feminine? “Thought she was a bear when I first saw her slinking around in the bushes. It was the first thing that came to mind.”
“Have you decided to keep her then?” Jess walked toward the kitchen, where a kettle already sat heating on the stove.
He and Bear stood in the open area between the living room and the kitchen. “Yeah.”
Jess smiled. “I’m glad.”
“No one came looking for her, and the shelter’s full.” He glanced down at Bear. She sat at his side, her tail swishing against the hardwood floor.
“She knew she was yours since that afternoon you found her in the woods,” Jess said.
“How’s your knee?” he asked, both to change the subject and because something seemed off with Jess this morning. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about her movements suggested she was in pain.
She shrugged, rubbing at her knee absently. “Still sore, on and off.”
“You had it looked at yet?”
“Keep thinking it’s better, and then it’s not.” The kettle started to whistle, and she walked to it. She filled two cups with hot water and handed him one, gesturing to a box of teabags on the counter.
He just stared at it. “You pick.”
She dipped a tea bag with a purple tag into his cup, and then chose a yellow one for herself. He decided not to ask why his was purple. Instead, he followed her to the kitchen table. Bear walked beside him and lay down at his feet, resting her head on her front paws.
“Who would have thought you and I would end up business partners?” she asked, a soft smile curving her lips.
“Yeah.” It was something, all right. Hell, it was amazing to be able to sit here with her at her kitchen table, almost like friends. That wasn’t something he’d ever thought he’d be able to call Jess, but now that it was within his grasp, he wanted to grab hold with both hands.
“The Halloween party at the spa is next weekend. I had to step up my game this year after you guys put on such a great show at the haunted zip-line.” Again with the sweet, sexy smile.
“Ethan’s idea,” he said.
“I figured. Too bad he missed most of it on his honeymoon.”
“They got back a few days ago.” Mark swirled his teabag in the cup, watching the water turn a golden brown. They talked while they drank their tea—which wasn’t as bad as he was expecting. He still didn’t care for it, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the excuses for drinking water he’d had overseas. At least Jess’s tea wasn’t likely to give him dysentery.
He stood to take his empty cup to the sink. When he turned around, he bumped right into Jess, who had come into the kitchen behind him. Automatically, his hands went to her shoulders to steady her. She let out a breathless sound that shot straight to his groin.
Their eyes locked, and she leaned closer.
Fuck.His blood heated, and his pulse pounded. He shouldn’t do this. It was better if they stayed friends. But his head bent toward hers, drawn by a force too powerful to resist. Just before their lips touched, her eyes rolled back and she fell limp in his arms. Her teacup hit the floor and shattered, and he could have sworn his heart stopped too.
***
Jessica fought against the bursts of light blasting behind her eyelids. She’d been battling a migraine all morning and had been feeling much better, but then right before she kissed Mark, the pain had intensified until she felt like the top of her head might blow off.
“Jess,” Mark’s voice drifted in through the waves of pain.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
But she wasn’t. She was starting to think she wasn’t okay at all. These headaches, the constant fatigue…and yesterday, the pain in her knee had switched from her left knee to her right. What if she’d inherited the arthritis that had crippled her grandmother? How would she be able to keep up her duties at the spa if her body rebelled against her?
“Not okay,” Mark said, echoing her thoughts. “You blacked out for a second. I’m driving you to the hospital.”
“What?” She forced her eyes open, looking up into his concerned face. Spots danced around her vision, and her stomach roiled. “I don’t need to go to the hospital…”
He swept her into his arms and started toward the front door, apparently not taking no for an answer.
