Page 13 of Love in the Time of Conversation Hearts

He laughs good-naturedly, then side steps the woman to place a hand on my shoulder. “I’d like you to meet Cora Bennet. She is the director of tourism for Heartsong, and recently spearheaded a campaign to win an improvement grant for our town.”

I wipe the condensation from my hand and offer it to her. “Nice to meet you, Alexandra…?”

“Dupree.” Her gaze slithers over me. When she finally accepts my handshake with a limp palm, her upper lip is slightly curled. “I thought this conference was for town leadership? You know, council members. City planners. Mayors.” She glances pointedly at Adam, then at the hand he’s left resting on my bare shoulder, which I become acutely aware of at the same moment.

I wet my lips, but before I can speak, Adam jumps in.

“There are few, if any, members of our council who have their thumb on the pulse of our town better than Cora. She alone is responsible for leading Heartsong into modern times with her initiatives to not only grow tourism but to improve life for our residents. Quite frankly, if that’s not leadership, I don’t know what is. I’d certainly follow her anywhere.”

He punctuates his speech with a genuine smile aimed right at me. It warms me like a spotlight, and I feel the heat creeping up my neck in response. I bloom with pride at his endorsement, my spine straightening, which makes me realize just how much I’d wilted from Alexandra’s snide comment. I love my job, and I’m damn good at it, too. The fact that Adam has noticed is just a cherry on top.

“Well, Adam. Glad to know it’s not just me. Seems you only know how to go for one type of woman,” she remarks, nostrils flaring.

I expect him to clarify that we are not a couple. That we’re coworkers who merely tolerate each other on the best of occasions, and combat like children on the worst. But he says nothing of the sort. Instead, his arm slides lower, finding that spot on my lower back that somehow floods me with warmth and drains me of it all at once. He flashes his most disarming smile directly at me and says, “Oh, don’t worry. Cora’s nothing like you.”

I can’t look away. Can’t even flinch for how deeply frozen I am on the outside. Internally, though? My mind is racing. Heart galloping. My stomach flips, and a delicious pulse between my legs has me aching.

No. This is absolutely not what I should be feeling for a coworker. For Adam Sullivan, no less. But his cool gray gaze, his soothing hand, and his words—solely meant to infuriate an ex who has long since stalked off—all have me reeling, anyway.

I swallow past the knot in my throat. His gaze dips to that spot, as though he can see the unraveling.

“Are you okay?”

My nod is pathetic. More of a twitch. I try to take a sip of my drink but come up empty. We both glance at the glass, then at each other, and I clear my throat. “Never better. I just need to hunt down our dear friend, Raven.”