I’d figured that part of me was dead. RIP arousal and butterflies. I’d believed they’d been killed by the betrayal that I’d experienced at the tender age of eighteen when I found out I was pregnant. I’d gone to tell the person that I thought I was in a committed relationship with, only to find out that he wanted nothing to do with me or the baby.
But I was wrong. The same lightning bolts of awareness shot through me when I came face-to-face with Nick last night as I’d had when I’d seen Tim. Thankfully, I knew there would be no temptation to act on it considering the women he dated made up the Maxim Hot 100, and I was, well, me.
I walked to the end of the hallway and into the foyer and realized I wasn’t exactly sure where I was supposed to be. I figured I’d go outside and wait for Kurt there. I made it three steps toward the door when I heard a little voice behind me.
“Hi!”
When I turned around, I saw a girl with huge blue eyes and blonde hair staring up at me. She was the spitting image of Naomi. I recognized her from some of the pictures online, but she was even more adorable in person.
“I’m Bella.” She smiled, and I saw that one of her front teeth was missing.
Seeing her cute, toothless grin reminded me of Callie when she was little. My chest ached, missing those days. It’d been hard. I’d worked full-time while going to school, but I spent every spare minute with my daughter. Those days were over. I was lucky if I could get her off her phone long enough to watch a television show with me.
“Hi, Bella, I’m Skye.”
“Are you taking care of my grandma?”
“I am, yes.”
Bella reached up and grabbed my hand, then started pulling me to the other side of the house. “Come on.”
“Um…” I had planned on waiting outside, but the death grip she had on my hand had me following along behind her.
When we walked into the kitchen, my heart slammed into my chest like a crash test dummy against the wall. Standing at the stove with his back to us was the man who had reminded me that I was a woman wearing only gray sweats. His broad back was all bare skin and muscle.
“Daddy, Skye is going to have breakfast with us,” Bella announced proudly.
“No!” I blurted out. Realizing my response was a little over the top, I dialed it back as I explained. “I was just… I was going to wait outside for Kurt.”
As I explained the situation, Nick turned around, and the view from the front was even better. His chest and torso looked like they had been carved by a master sculptor. It didn’t even look real.
“Please! My daddy makes the best eggs.” Bella tugged on my arm.
The motion snapped me out of the trance I’d been in, staring at Nick’s upper body. Lifting my hand to my lips, I checked for drool before turning my attention down to Bella. “Thank you, but I have to go home.”
When I looked back up, I saw that Nick was grabbing a shirt as he cursed beneath his breath. I swallowed, gulping down the saliva that had pooled in my mouth. He must have noticed my gawking and got embarrassed, or worse, felt violated by my unabashed admiration.
“Sorry,” he apologized as he tugged the T-shirt down his body.
This was even more embarrassing than the uncomfortably long handshake or completely missing hisFriendsreference, even though it was one of my favorite shows.
I might have to quit this job. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I might have dodged stalker territory with my online creeping, but this was worse.
“I don’t know if they’re thebest, but there’s plenty if you’d like to stay.” He grinned as he lifted his spatula in the air.
“Thanks, but I need to get home.” Before I’d even finished my sentence, the door that led to the garage opened, and Kurt came inside.
“Hey, guys,” he greeted everyone as he entered the kitchen.
“Hi!” I said, perhaps a little too brightly, as I lifted my hand awkwardly in a wave. “Can you take me home?” I asked, hoping that no one picked up on the tinge of desperation in my voice.
“Sure,” Kurt nodded.
“Great! Well, it was nice meeting you, Bella.” She grinned up at me, but I could see that she was disappointed I wasn’t staying. It broke my heart a little. As I walked past Nick on my way out, I glanced over and lifted my hand in an awkward wave. “Bye.”
He lifted his hand and replied, “Bye.”
My entire body was tingling as I followed Kurt. It felt like Nick’s gaze was still directed at me, but I was certain that I must be imagining it. I was sure his attention had turned back to his daughter and his breakfast. I told myself I was just projecting again. Still, right before I walked out of the door into the garage, I looked back, and my eyes met Nick’s.
A jolt of awareness shot through me, and I immediately turned back. Kurt was holding the door for me, and I felt my cheeks flush as I climbed into the back seat. On the drive home, I was determined to figure out how to get over this crush, or whatever it was, I had on Nick Locke. It was ridiculous and unprofessional.
I wasn’t sure what my game plan was going to be, but I knew that I had to come up with one. Fast.
