Well, that was a blunt answer.“Then why are you doing itnow?”
“When I asked you if you believed in second chances, I washoping you’d say yes.”Those thick lashes lifted.“I don’t like the way ourpaths crossed again, but I’m glad they did.”
There were no words.
A playful grin appeared.“I noticed you in high school,Abby.I thought you were pretty and smart.I liked how you were always thefirst one in the class and the last one out.”
Oh my God, I was always the first one in and the last oneout.
“I liked how you were nice to everyone, even the assholeswho didn’t deserve it,” he continued, those azure eyes glimmering.“So, yeah, Inoticed you, but you had a boyfriend.You always had a boyfriend.I respectedthat, but I know you noticed me.”
The warmth increasing in my cheeks had nothing to do withembarrassment.
“You know, every couple of years, you’ve crossed my mind.That’s the damn truth.”His eyes met mine and held.“It was always unexpected.Never unwelcomed.Did you think of me?”
“Yes.I’ve thought of you,” I whispered.
His grin turned smug.“Hell yeah.”
Stunned by what he was admitting, it still didn’t makesense.“I’ve seen you around town, Colton, since I moved back.At the store orthe movies.”I left out the part that he was with someone else because that wasirrelevant.“You never noticed me then.”
“Then I’m a fucking idiot if that’s true.”
I blinked and my gaze centered on his well-formed mouth.What did his mouth feel like?Was it hard?Soft?A mixture of both?And whatdid he taste like?I bet a marvelous mix of coffee and man.“Colton—”
“I should’ve noticed you.Damn, I hate the idea that Ihadn’t.”Sincerity filled his tone.“I notice you now, Abby.”
My heart started tripping all over itself.“This doesn’tseem real.”
A chuckle rumbled out of him.“Why not?”
“Because these things don’t happen in real life,” I toldhim, leaning back and needing the space before I decided to find out exactlyhow his mouth felt and what he tasted like.“They don’t.”
His brows knitted together.“This is happening.It’s reallife.”
“You are not getting what I’m saying.”I drew in a deepbreath.“Extremely gorgeous men like you—”
“You think I’m extremely gorgeous?”His grin reappeared andso did the left dimple.
I shot him a bland look.“Like you don’t know that.And see,that’s the thing.You’re the gorgeous, confident cop and I’m not the worstthing walking on two legs, but I’m not the type of woman who snags the interestof a guy like you.That only happens in books.”
He stared at me for a moment and then he shook his head.“First off, what the hell do you mean by woman like you?”
“Do I really need to spell it out for you?”
His eyes narrowed.“Yeah, yeah you do.”
Frustration rose, racing across my skin like an army of fireants.He couldn’t be serious.“I don’t look like the woman I saw you at themovies with.She was a tall, thinbeautifulblonde.No one in thisworld would describe me asthatbeautiful woman with the hot guy.Theywould be like, wow, he’s really with someone quite average.And I’m totallyokay with being that average chick.I know what I am, so this doesn’t makesense.I mean, unless you’re just horny and want to get laid and you have noother prospects at the moment, then that makes more sense, I guess.”
He opened his mouth, closed it, and then tried again.“IfI’m horny and want to get laid?”
Yeah, I sort of couldn’t believe I said that myself.
“Honey, how old do you think I am that all I’m about isgetting laid?”he asked.
“Well, I mean, I get horny and want to get laid too, andwe’re roughly the same age.”I really needed to shut up.“All I’m trying to sayis that it’s human nature.”
“Human nature?”His blue eyes brightened as he laughed underhis breath.“Can I just tell you that I’m thrilled to hear you get horny, andhoney, you want to get laid, I’m your man, but you don’t really know me, Abby.”
