Page 27 of Somebody To Love

Because she kissed the heck out of him yesterday and had very naughty dreams about him all night long!

Dammit.

“Oh, of course. Let me grab my stuff.”

Normally she’d invite him in, but everything still felt too weird. In under a minute, she’d grabbed her purse and empty bags, hustling out the door. “Ready.”

Kismet’s Farmer’s Market was held every Sunday from May until the first weekend of October. Since it was nearing the end of September, they only had two weekends left. The weather was holding up pretty well for Colorado in the fall. Winter coats were still packed away, but the early mornings could hold a slight chill. Penny always left the house with a light jacket.

She and BJ left her apartment, walking along the streets until they hit Goldmine. The farmer’s market was at the end of the street. The town blocked off traffic to the last three blocks until the market closed at two. Normally, the excursion would be a pleasant one, where they talked and joked about her frustrating clients or his zany siblings, but today they walked in uncomfortable silence.

Two blocks away from the market, she couldn’t take it anymore. Worry and guilt churned in her gut. Stopping in her tracks, she blurted out, “I’m sorry!”

BJ paused, turning to face her. One brow rose. “Sorry? For what?”

She tapped her fingers on her leg, a nervous habit she executed whenever she felt overwhelmed.

“For kissing you last night.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I think I’m the one who needs to apologize. If memory serves, I was the one who kissed you.”

And why was that again? Her scaredy cat nerves refused to go away and let her ask. She decided to be cool instead. Brush it off as a silly mishap. Like those women in that TV show her sister liked to watch.

“Yeah, but I kissed you back and I might have gotten a bit carried away. It’s been a while for me…um, I…” Oh shoot, this was embarrassing. “I’m sorry if I got carried away with it, and, um, yeah. It was just a weird, stupid thing…right?”

Nice going, Penny. Real smooth.

“I think we both got a little carried away,” BJ said, stepping closer. She had to tilt her head up since the man towered over her a good six inches. “And it wasn’t weird or stupid.”

She swallowed the enormous sized ball of nerves currently lodged in the middle of her throat. “It wasn’t?”

He shook his head, pale eyes gazing intently into her own as he reached out a hand to cup her cheek. Slight tremors racked her body as heat shot from the point he touched straight down to all her good parts.

“No. Actually, I think it was pretty hot.”

“It was?”

“Damn near blew my head off.”

Does. Not. Compute.

She’d ask for clarification, but all the breath had left her. It took all her brainpower to continue walking on her own two feet once BJ dropped his hand and turned to head toward the market. She wanted to ask—more than she wanted a waterproof laptop—but her brain could not wrap itself around the implication that BJ had not only started the kiss but enjoyed it too.

Friends did not kiss each other, and if they did, they certainly didn’t enjoy kissing each other.

Unless they’re naked friends.

True, but she and BJ were not naked friends.

Not yet.

Ugh! Her brain really needed to get a new topic to obsess over.

“You need a ride to the rehearsal Friday?”

She glanced up. BJ was inspecting Zak Crane’s tomato crop. When had they made it to the market? She’d been so occupied with her inner turmoil she hadn’t even noticed the noise of the crowd, the smell of the fresh produce, the sounds of music coming from the small band performing at the end of the street.

“Um, no thanks. I can get there myself.”

---