“That’s no problem,” he said as he flipped through the selection.
While Mike was busy studying the afghan kits, I surreptitiously leaned toward him and—god help me—I sniffed. That’s right, I was sniffing the man right there in the middle of my store. And he smelled…scrumptiouswas the first word that came to mind. Like he’d just finished rolling in a pile of autumn leaves and then walked past an oven full of baking bread. For real. He smelled like warm yeast rolls and fresh air. I could have eaten him up on the spot.
“What about this one?” he asked, turning toward me. “Are these good colors?”
I felt my face heat and quickly looked down at the kit in his hand to hide my flush. I didn’t know what had come over me. I hadn’t felt this way around a man in—I couldn’t even remember the last time, to be honest. Probably sometime in the Pliocene Epoch.
Since my divorce, I’d made only two cursory attempts at dating, but the results had been so awkward and unsatisfying in both cases that I’d given up the endeavor entirely. I’d begun to suspect that part of my life might be over. I was nearing fifty, and menopause was just around the corner. Perhaps my libido was waning, or maybe I was just tired of men. The prospect of dating one certainly seemed like more trouble than it was worth when I had a satisfying substitute in my nightstand drawer that boasted a rechargeable battery and a lifetime guarantee—which was more than any man I was likely to meet could offer.
Until now.
Until Mike Pilota walked back into my life, and I found myself blushing like a schoolgirl as my insides quivered with an excitement I hadn’t felt in years.
I cleared my throat as I pretended to examine the afghan he’d selected. “I think it’s lovely.”
“Really?”
I looked into his deep brown eyes, which seemed to glimmer at me as his face crinkled into a smile. It was the first time he’d smiled since he’d entered the shop, and it turned my knees to jelly and my stomach to a roiling kaleidoscope of butterflies. There were dimples under that beard somewhere, I remembered. Two of them, one on either side of his beautiful, perfect mouth.
He was gazing at me expectantly, waiting for me to respond, but my tongue suddenly felt too large for my mouth. All I could manage was a weak nod.
“Good.” His smile got a little wider as his eyes remained on mine for what felt like a long time.
Too long.
My chest prickled as I felt the flush creep down my whole body, making me unbearably hot all over. I was dying. Trapped in that too-long moment like a fly caught in a spider’s web. I couldn’t look away, not when Mike Pilota was gazing into my eyes, but I wasn’t sure I could stand to stay that way for another second without literally combusting in front of him.
“I’ll take it,” he said, finally breaking the spell as he held his purchase out to me.
I grabbed it and practically sprinted behind the register, grateful to put some space between us. Slipping on my reading glasses, I rang up his purchase as quickly as my shaking hands could manage and endeavored to ignore the way my blood pressure spiked when his fingers grazed mine as he passed me his credit card.
Down, girl. Don’t make a fool of yourself—again.
“I hope she enjoys it,” I said as I bagged up the afghan kit and handed it across the counter. So what if I’d dropped one of my business cards into the bag? I did that with most new customers—when I remembered.
“Me too,” Mike said, and his eyes latched on to mine again. “Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.”
The butterflies in my stomach ramped up to a flapping vortex. “That’s what we’re here for,” I replied with an awkward chuckle.Very smooth, Dawn. Well played.
“It was really good to see you again.”
“Same,” I answered weakly. Then added, ever pathetic and hopeful, “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
The corner of Mike’s mouth tugged upward. “I hope so.”
My brain shorted out. All I could do was stand frozen in place as his words bounced around in my head like a game of Pong.
Mike Pilota hoped he’d see me again. Holy crap!
He’d already turned to go. He was moving toward the door. Soon he’d be gone, possibly forever.
“Mike!” I called out.
He stopped and turned back.
I hurried over to him, stopping just in front of his broad chest. I had to crane my neck to look up into his face, which was open and curious as he watched me.
“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” I blurted before I could chicken out.
