Page 60 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
It wasn’t fair.
“Morning,” she mumbled after Rose and Emma had already greeted him and thanked him for taking over as Dahlia’s chauffeur.
This time Dahlia didn’t dally over her goodbyes with Rose. She didn’t quite trust herself to hold it together if she did. She squeezed her little sister tight and whispered in her ear. “I’ll be back.”
“I know you will,” Rose whispered. “Love you, sis.”
Love you too.
She couldn’t get the words out past the lump in her throat. So instead she kissed Rose’s cheek and let her go, turning abruptly to follow JJ out the door.
She stopped beside the front door, but her luggage was already gone. JJ had taken it for her.
She sighed as she shut the door behind her.
Of course he had.
20
JJ wasn’t sure if he should be offended or delighted by Dahlia’s behavior as they headed toward the cabin.
He cast a quick sidelong glance her way. Yup. Sure enough, she was still fidgeting with the handle of her bag, crossing and uncrossing her legs like she couldn’t get comfortable.
And her silence? It was a doozy.
She hadn’t met his eyes once since she’d climbed into his truck. And her contributions to small talk had been awkward at best.
He felt a grin tugging at his lips. Another man might think she was being rude, but he knew better. If she were truly unhappy with him or to be in his company, he’d know it.
The way Dahlia was so upfront with her emotions and said precisely what she was thinking, that was one of his favorite things about her. If she was mad about something, she’d have told him.
So no, this anxious tension was something else altogether. And by the way she wouldn’t quite meet his gaze, the way her breathing had grown erratic and her lips parted for air when he’d leaned over her to grab his phone out of the cup holder where he’d stashed it.…
Well, that was all the confirmation he needed that she felt it too, that strange but undeniable connection whenever they were close. The way a simple glance could make a room feel charged like lightning was about to strike.
He shifted his hands on the wheel and glanced over once more. Her posture was so rigid, it looked like she was trying to balance a book on top of her head.
He fought another inappropriate chuckle at the sight of her pinched lips.
She might be tense, and no doubt on edge about making her flight, but she was just as beautiful as ever.
Her hair was all perfect and straight, shiny like silk. She was wearing a little makeup, and her city style was back on full display with the perfectly fitted tight jeans and the leather jacket.
It was like she’d donned her armor to head back home, and while he preferred to see her relaxed and casual, there was no denying how beautiful she looked.
Untouchable, but beautiful.
The thought had his hands fidgeting again like they were just itching to touch her. To mess up that perfect hair, to kiss those red lips until her gaze was dazed and that tension gone.
He took a deep breath and forced his eyes back to the road.
“Thank you,” she said suddenly, breaking the silence. She cleared her throat. “For driving me. Again.” She cast him a quick rueful grin. “I’m sure you have better things to do with your time.”
“I can’t think of anything,” he said. “In fact, there’s nothing I’d rather do more than hang out with you right now.”
Her cheeks grew pink, and he had to swallow hard to hold back a laugh. Not at her expense, of course. She was just too adorable when she was flustered.
And besides, he just couldn’t help these waves of happiness whenever he got past that armor of hers. A blush from Dahlia was basically the equivalent of an emotional outpour from anyone else.
