Page 56 of His Curvy Distraction

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t really matter. I don’t want that.” I inhaled a shaky breath and forced myself to meet his gaze. “I built you up in my mind as this man who would make all my dreams come true. Foolish, I know, but I felt like you were… You didn’t judge me. You didn’t make me feel like I wasn’t good enough. But when I saw you, I knew I was wrong about you because I’m not good enough for you.”

He laughed mirthlessly. “Wow. I’ve heard the it’s not you, it’s me thing before, but never in a way that made me immediately want to call bullshit.”

“Bullshit?” I gasped.

“Bullshit. Just tell me you don’t want to be with me, Natalie. I can handle it. Hell, you already told me without the words. Is it so hard to just say I don’t like you?”

“It wouldn’t be if I didn’t like you,” I whispered.

“Don’t, just don’t. Don’t say that, Natalie. You made your feelings clear. I wanted to thank you for what you said to the reporter. We can be professional and we can put all of this aside, and when the camp is up and running, we won’t have to deal with each other again. But don’t make a fool of me. Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“You think I’m lying to you?”

“I know you are,” he bellowed. “I know you are.” He sighed and faced away from me again. “We can just sit here until the storm passes. We don’t have to talk.”

I’d been fighting the way he made me feel since I walked into O’Kelley’s, but I couldn’t fight any longer. I didn’t think I wanted to. “I can think of another way to pass the time.” I crawled onto his lap.

His hands went to my thighs immediately, not pushing me away. Shock registered in his gaze, then heat.

I wanted to scramble back to the other side of the SUV and pretend I hadn’t been so bold, but I couldn’t. I wanted him. The man was addictive, and I wanted more.

I moved closer slowly, giving him time to push me off.

He sat still, letting my lips land on his. He sucked in a breath, the cool rush of air whipping past my cheek. His fingers curled into my thighs, betraying his feelings.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and slid closer, needing his body heat, his touch, his lips. I licked his lips, and he groaned, thrusting his tongue into my mouth.

His hands slid up my thighs and cupped my ass, dragging my body tight to his. His erection rose between us, sending tingles through my entire body.

He pushed me back, and I realized that wasn’t tingles. It was a phone vibrating.

Reality was back.

“Yeah?” Omar said into his phone.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

“I apologize, Jane. I’m not going to make it back to work. I should have called you. I wasn’t ready for the storm, and I’m stuck. Yes, I’ll be in tomorrow.” He sighed, then smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Jane. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He hung up the phone and looked up, his gaze slamming into mine.

“Is everyone okay at work?” I asked him.

He nodded and tossed his phone onto the seat next to us. “I thought you had to check in with Daisy and Amelia?”

My phone rang as he finished his sentence. I dug it out of my pocket and turned it to show him Amelia. “Hi, Amelia.”

“Natalie. Are you okay? You didn’t call, and it’s pouring here.”

“Yeah, I got caught in it. I’m… safe. I’m in a vehicle, waiting until I can see out the windows to leave.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried. I was about to send my son out to check on you.”

“No, all good,” I said quickly.

“Okay. You’re off the rest of the day, so get warm and stay safe.”

“I will. Thanks, Amelia. See you tomorrow.”

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