Sure, it was the polite thing to do – offering to show a stranger how to find the place they were looking for. But it certainly wasn’t thesanething to do, given that she now felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. The guy was so hot that even his handshakes left her feeling like she needed a cold shower.
The logical option would have been to just tell him to either head left or right as appropriate and then let him find his own way, given that every store in this town appeared to be on the main drag. It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to find the store on his own. She could’ve been free of this agony.
Instead, she was sweating like crazy – and she didn’t think it was just because she was having to walk at double pace just to match his insanely long stride. She could tell that he was trying not to get too far ahead of her, but his height and his generalno-nonsense, go-getter corporate demeanor meant that she was struggling to keep up.
But all of that wasn’t the worst part.
Oh, no.
Theworstpart was that Chloe herself had absolutely no idea whether they were heading in the right direction. She would’veswornthat turning left was the correct option, but now she really wasn’t sure at all. Girdwood Springs was apparently full of charming old buildings – which, of course, was nice, but it made it difficult to find thisspecificcharming old building.
Still, she supposed it could have been worse. The day was cool and the air was crisp and clean, and the trees were awash in a riot of fall colors that popped out against the deep blue sky overhead. Leaves crunched under her boots as she scurried along the sidewalk.
If she was going to die of embarrassment, then at least it was a nice day for it.
She chanced a glance up at his face. His expression was impassive, his eyes fixed directly ahead, but it wasn’t sitting quite right. There was definitely something going on beneath that cool exterior, and despite her better judgment, she really wanted to know what it was.
Her eyes drifted down to the lines of his clearly very expensive suit, which was still immaculate, despite everything. He lookedincrediblyout of place here, strutting up the street like a grumpy male model who’d been zapped off the runway by some kind of alien teleportation beam and then dumped into a tiny mountain town in the middle of nowhere.
That being said, at least he was no longer lounging around on doorframes with the jacket slung over his shoulder. She’d almost imploded when he’d done that – and it had so clearly been unintentional on his part. He was just so effortlessly attractive that it almost hurt.
Her thoughts were turning less and less appropriate by the second, and she had even less idea of where this bookstore was than when they’d set out – she was in need of a distraction, and fast.
Given that she was technically the local here – relatively speaking – it really was on her to be hospitable.
“So, what is it you do for a living?” she asked. “Do you research family trees or something?”
He grimaced, obviously doing battle with himself for a long moment, before coming to a conclusion. “No. I’m a lawyer.”
Well, that explains the outfit. And the personality.
The answer, however, left her more intrigued, and she found herself continuing the conversation out of actual interest, rather than duty. “Do you usually go on road trips to places you’ve never been in order to research your clients’ histories?”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t the most polite way of putting it… but Ethan also wasn’t the most polite person she’d ever met.
“I…” Ethan seemed to be struggling with himself for an answer. Chloe raised an eyebrow as she watched a series of different expressions chase their way across his face.
“No,” was the answer he eventually seemed to settle upon, without elaboration.
O… kay.
Despite everything, Chloe felt just the slightest urge to be mischievous rising up within her. Maybe it was just because Ethan was so obviously the absolutestereotypeof a rich, arrogant lawyer. Or maybe it was because she felt at such a distinct disadvantage, having to move at a brisk trot in order to keep up with him, despite the factshewas the one who was supposed to be showinghimwhere to go.
But something about Ethan just made her want to ruffle his feathers.
“Oh, so this is just like… a personal favor then,” she said, raising her eyebrows at him. Maybe even wiggling them a little. “For a veryspecialclient?”
Ethan turned his head to look at her, and she couldn’t really tell whether he looked more baffled or affronted.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I just wondered if you had a personal stake in this project, or if it was all business,” Chloe said. Maybe, if she insinuated hard enough, he’d let it slip whether or not he had a wife or a girlfriend.
Not that she wanted to know.
“It’s… a little of both.” Ethan’s handsome brow knitted again. “It’s a complicated situation. One that I… probably shouldn’t… discuss.”
“For legal reasons.” Chloe nodded. “I get it. But I guess it’d have to be a pretty weird case for you to have to come all the way out to this mountain town and go searching through a bookshop for… something.”
