Page 19 of Love Like Lightning

That intrusive thought is the bitch slap that I need to chill out. To ignore the fact that Simone has been trying to talk me into arranging a convenient long-term situation with Henry while I’m in town. As if.

“Hi, Henry.” I finally greet him when he reaches me. In my heels, he’s not so much taller than me, so I don’t have to crane my neck to look at him. There’s no time to shift away or move before he swoops in and gathers me into a hug that nearly crushes me.

His arms slip around my waist, and my arms naturally circle his shoulders. In the next second, he lifts me off of the sidewalk so I’m suspended in the air. I breathe in his scent, the hint of spice pleasuring my senses in a way I don’t understand. The hug seems to go on forever with his body pressed tight against my own, and yet it ends faster than I’d like.

Not that I should be hugging him anyway.

The moment my heels touch the ground again, I take a careful step back to try to collect myself. Of course, whatever mind-altering cologne he uses still completely engulfs me despite the fresh air fighting to fill my lungs.

It smells like sin and everything I shouldn’t want.

“What’re you doing back here?”

My heart stutters in my chest, and I try to answer more than once before the words actually leave my mouth. “Back for work, actually. I’ll be here for a bit of a longer stint than last time.” I leave out the fact that it’s going to be at least a month, if not longer, depending on how things go.

“That’s awesome. You look amazing, by the way.” He openly checks me out before bringing those hazel eyes right back to mine. The same eyes I’ve been contending with in my dreams.

I press my thighs together, trying not to dwell on those thoughts.

“Thank you.” I dip my eyes down to my black pumps and try really hard not to bask in the compliment. “I’ve actually got to run to a meeting, but it was really nice seeing you.”

“No worries, I have an appointment too. But I’ll see you around? Are you staying at the B&B again?”

I almost lie and say I’m not just so he won’t know where to find me, but then I reel myself in. It’s not like he’s going to want a repeat of that night a couple of months ago. Why would he? I’m just some girl from out of town, nothing special.

The thought snags on something sharp in my chest, and I can’t help but wonder when I started thinking that about myself. It feels like it’s been an always thing, but part of me, deep down, knows that it started when the men I chose to date said it. And I’m still holding on to all of that, even though I should know better.

Either way, it was clear that he’s a one and done kind of guy, and just because I’m back in town, that doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen.

Frankly, it’s better if it doesn’t.

“I am, yeah. I’ll see you around.” Without another word, I give him an awkward little wave and walk around to get into my rental car.

Before I even can get the door closed, I hear him laughing and glance across the street in time to see him walk into The Well. The bar where we met.

Shaking my head, I close the door and buckle up. I make the drive up to the lodge and try my hardest to keep the memory of my night with Henry pushed all the way down into the deepest, darkest, most remote part of my mind.

It doesn’t work. Seeing him has completely thrown me off my game. It’s not even the sex that keeps popping into my head. Although I may never experience sex that good again.

The conversation we had after? The way he held me even as we slept? How easy things were the following morning?

It was really nice. And I hate that it was the first time I felt like that with a man I slept with. And I’m not willing to concede that maybe I’ve been with the wrong men all my life.

Because I haven’t. I date men who make sense. I date men who complement the life I’ve built, the life I’m still building.

I definitely don’t date men younger than me who work for themselves and live in small towns.

Who’s talking about dating Henry? Hm? No one’s dating Henry.

Pulling into a parking spot, I take a few deep breaths and lock all of that behind my wall of professionalism.

Cam’s waiting on the porch for me, wearing one of his signature three-piece suits, and just seeing him helps me flip my brain to where it needs to be. I get out of my car and walk over to him. When I make it to the stairs, I give them a dirty look before climbing them carefully while clinging to the railing.

Cam holds a hand out to help me, and I take it happily.

“You know they’re not going to care what you wear on your feet. Why do you continue torturing yourself with those?” He eyes my shoes like they might bite him and moves to open the door.

I take a closer look at him. He’s got on one of his favorite suits, blue with a silvery pinstripe that almost blends into the blue. Brown shoes and his leather satchel-like bag. His dark hair is cropped close, almost in a buzz cut. His bright green eyes shine with mirth when his lips kick up in a smirk. His normally pale skin is slightly tanned, and I wonder how he spent the last few months. It’s unlikely he was down in Florida with his family, but maybe he went on a tropical vacation or something.

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