Page 55 of Flippin' Cowboy
But it sure did seem like he was in a hurry to leave now that he’d gotten laid.
The front door opened and slammed shut, leaving her alone in the cottage.
Last night had been magical. This morning, cold reality slapped her in the face.
Nick Evans had priorities. And no matter how supportive—and sexy—he’d been last night, she wasn’t anywhere near the top of his list.
With a click, the cottage’s electric baseboard heaters turned themselves on. Winnie sighed and shut off her alarm. Time to face a new day.
Wincing at her sore thigh muscles and bruised girly bits—Nick hadn’t been exaggerating when he warned her about not being able to walk—she climbed out of bed and staggered to the kitchen. There she started a pot of coffee and pulled a loaf of bread out of the fridge for toast.
She set a lone mug and single plate on the counter and stared glumly down at it. She normally liked living alone. But her new home felt empty and much too quiet this morning.
With a sigh, she left the coffee maker to work its magic and plodded down the hall to the cottage’s single bathroom.
As the hot spray from the shower hit her skin, she lathered up, and tried to analyze her feelings.
One thing was clear: instead of getting Nick out of her system last night, she wantedmore. More kisses. More fantastic sex. More ofhim.
Oh, no. She shivered, suddenly terrified.This was just supposed to be a one-night stand. I can’t fall for him!
What if he hurts me the way Geoff did?
Before the wedding, she had trusted Geoff completely. They’d been friends and business partners for years before their relationship turned into something more.
Sure, she’d known he wasn’t perfect. But then again, neither was she. But she’d never expected him to betray her like he did. It was like she’d never really known him at all.
And now, here was Nick. She had needed what he’d given her last night.
But she couldn’t let herself fall in love with him. Not when her man-picker was so badly broken.
She definitely wanted to have sex with him again, though. She would just have to keep thing between them a “friends with benefits” situation.
No strings attached. That was definitely the best and safest approach.
Friends, she thought resolutely.Just friends. Nothing more.
But still, she couldn’t suppress a treacherous flutter of happiness at the thought of seeing Nick again in an hour.
Chapter 18: Bump in the Road
“You’re in an awfully good mood for this early in the morning,” Kelsey observed as she leaned her elbows on the breakfast bar. She clutched a steaming mug of coffee like a life preserver.
Nick couldn’t argue with her. Normally, he’d be as cranky as hell after only four hours of sleep. But this morning was different. Sure, he was tired. But he felt almost buoyantly happy, an emotion so unfamiliar that he hadn’t been able to identify it at first.
“What makes you think that?” Nick asked. He did his best to school his expression to blandness before turning from the stove.
“Oh,please,” Kelsey said around a massive yawn.
She unwrapped one hand from her mug and held up a finger. “One: it’s a weekday morning, and you’re making your special weekend blueberry pancakes.Thatconfused me for a hot second. I thought I might have lost track of what day it was.”
Nick couldn’t help grinning at her.
She raised a second finger. “Two: Despite the hideously early hour, you were smiling when I walked in. And you still lookwaytoo freaking chipper.” She took a long swallow from her mug. “So, either you got laid or aliens abducted you and I’m currently talking to a pod person.”
Busted!Nick thought wryly. Out loud, he said, “I’m taking the fifth.”
“You’re no fun,” Kelsey complained. “But for the record, I want to hug whoever put that smile on your face. Do I know her?”
