Page 54 of His Curvy Distraction

“I wish I knew. I have no idea what’s going on. All I do know is I don’t want you to end up in the middle of anything. You are going to do amazing things here. And you need to tell Amelia to roll back her big ideas if it’s not what you want.”

Natalie shook her head, her brown hair tumbling around her shoulders. “I can’t. She’s been so good to me. I’m horrible with people, but Amelia never makes me feel like I’m a liability. She is amazing, and if she has ideas to improve on this place, I’m going to listen to her.”

“If it means you’re overwhelmed and can’t function, she needs to know.”

Natalie swallowed roughly. She turned her head away, tears in her eyes before she hid them from me. “I’m handling it.”

“Hey, I’m not trying to say you can’t. I want to see you succeed. And not because I’m the mayor. I want to see Natalie Edwards succeed. Even if you don’t want me to share in it.”

“If I succeed, it’s good for the whole town.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about, Natalie. I’m talking about you. I’m talking about this. I’m talking about you not wanting me. I apologize for kissing you again. I have an emergency kit in the back. I’ll get it, give you some space.”

I twisted in my seat and shoved my body through the too small gap between the seats. I hit the horn with my hip and grabbed the back of the seat, not at all gracefully falling onto the backseat.

What was one more embarrassing moment in front of Natalie Edwards? She couldn’t possibly think less of me, so why did I care?

13

Natalie

Omar leaned into the trunk and grabbed his emergency kit, because of course he was prepared and had an emergency kit.

He sat again, and I quickly looked away before he caught me watching him. He leaned forward and handed me a blanket and a bottle of water.

Silence stretched between us. The warm air from the vents heated the space, but I was still shivering, the cold air outside combined with the rain dropped my body temperature in a hurry.

I shook as I unfolded the blanket he gave me. My flannel shirt was plastered to my wet skin. I glanced back at him, considering taking it off.

He avoided my gaze. He sat behind the driver’s seat, out of my line of sight unless I turned to see him.

I tried to pretend he wasn’t there, but it was impossible. His scent filled the vehicle, his warmth radiating around me as though it were a part of the heat coming from the vents.

He fought to take his coat off, dropping it to the floor behind my seat. He was drier than me, but not by much.

“You should take off your shirt,” he growled.

Was he joking? “Yeah, sure.”

“I’m not trying something here. You’re freezing. If you don’t get rid of some of your wet clothes, the blanket and the heat won’t get through fast enough. You’ll get sick.” He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it onto the floor with his coat, leaving him in a black tank that caressed his muscles.

My gaze snagged on his chest before I realized I was staring. I yanked my eyes away and pulled off my soaked flannel shirt, tossing it onto the floorboard at my feet. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and leaned closer to the vents, willing the warmth to sink deep into my body.

I stared out the window at the storm. We were going to be stuck there for a while. An uneasy silence and temporary unspoken truce between us.

“I was going to find you to thank you. I didn’t intend for it to go like this, but I wanted to say I appreciated your words. Your apparent support of me. I… I would never have expected it, but it’s greatly appreciated.” His quiet confession was as sincere as it was unnecessary.

“I meant every word. You are good for MacKellar Cove. And that picture…”

“It wasn’t your fault. The man who took it, and the reporter who published it, they did this for a reason. I’m going to do everything I can to keep you out of it. I hope you speaking up for me doesn’t send them looking your way.”

“If it does, I’ll handle it. I… I don’t want that, but it’s not fair for you to get punished for trying to help me.”

“It’s fine.”

“Why don’t you like me?”

“Excuse me?” he barked.

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