Page 24 of Suddenly Single
She put her hands on her hips. Her gaze fell to his mouth. “You’re probably right,” she said. But she didn’t move.Her eyes were glistening with what he read as desire. “I do want to get an early start tomorrow,” she muttered, as if trying to convince herself.
“Leaving Lake Haven?” he asked evenly.
“Don’t know,” she said to his mouth. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.” She tossed her braid over her shoulder like she was on a runway and suddenly started for the door.
Edan followed her out onto the terrace.
She paused and looked up at the sunset. “Yep, it’s stunningly beautiful here.Not Scotland beautiful, maybe.But beautiful all the same.”
“Aye,” he said.But he was looking at her.
She glanced up at him.“Listen—”
He quickly held up a hand to stop her before she could say anything.
Of course that didn’t stop her from saying more.“I can be really impulsive, obviously.I guess that’s not exactly news, but sometimes, I get a little carried away.I’m just saying—”
“We’re good,” he said.
Jenny smiled.She teasingly shoved his shoulder. “Okay, if you say so.” She walked down the steps to the grass. “Oh, by the way, is the restaurant opening tomorrow?”
She was the most unusual woman.Edan was a little dazzled by the kiss and really didn’t know what to say.He shoved his hands into his pockets.“Do you think you might have a tapeworm?”
Jenny laughed gaily.She had a beautiful spirit to match her beautiful smile. “I probably should get that checked out.” She picked up the sides of her skirt, held them out, and curtsied. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Mr. Mackenzie,” she said in an awful British accent. “See you,” she said, and fluttered her fingers at him before tottering off.She trailed her fingers lazily across the backs of his lawn chairs, and as she walked along, the caramel-colored braid of hair swung above her hips.
Edan stood there watching her walk away, his hands still deep in his pockets, that kiss still thrumming through his body. When she’d disappeared into the shadows of dusk, he walked to the edge of the terrace and looked out over the golf course and the lake beyond.He saw horses grazing in a fenced field, the blurry shapes of vacation homes in the distance.A cool air, crisp and feeling of coming rain, was settling in around the lake.
And yet, Edan was burning up inside.
Seven
What is the matter with me?
Yes, she was impetuous, but this was ridiculous.
Jenny fell onto her bed, covered her face and a groan with a pillow.Why whywhyhad she kissed him like that? No warning, no build up—she’d gone right for the jugular.Sometimes, she amazed even herself with the things she did.Her face felt hot, and she wondered if he’d seen how embarrassed she was for having accosted him.
And yet, she wasn’t exactlysorry, because that had been one super hot kiss.And lest there be any doubt, that aloof and distant man had participatedfully.
Jenny fell asleep thinking of that kiss and woke up with the sensation of it still buzzing through her. She was debating whether or not she should apologize again when her phone rang.Jenny dug it out from beneath the bedspread and answered it.
“Hey!” Brooke shouted into the phone.
Jenny winced at her loud voice, then yawned.“Hi, Brooke.”
“So I heard your boyfriend flaked on you,” Brooke announced.
“Wait, what? How do you know that?” Jenny asked, then remembered. “Oh. Right. Bethany.”
“She’s worried about you.She said you won’t answer your phone now.”
“I won’t?” Jenny yawned. “I was out last night and didn’t have it on me.”
“Keep it on you at all times.Is it true you’re staying at some inn that’s closed? Is that even safe?”
“Okay, I did not say that to Bethany,” Jenny said, sitting up.
“She looked up quaint inns at Lake Haven online.How long are they going to let you stay there?”
