Page 19 of A Summer Mismatch
The back of Julia’s hand accidentally brushed his, and all his thoughts zoomed to that. He swallowed.
“Research. Right. Are you working on a new book?” Did his voice sound normal? How was he supposed to sound? Hold his hands? Did he always swing his arms this much, or was he walking weird in hopes that their hands would brush again?
How would she react if he just reached out and took her hand in his?
“I am.”
“How’s it coming along?”
“It’s not.” She groaned and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.
“Why not?”
“Because the creative centers of my brain have gone on vacation.”
He chuckled, then tried to hide it by sucking his lips inward. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not funny.”
She waved her hand in the air, tantalizingly close to his face. “No, laugh away. I said it in a funny way on purpose.” She smiled at him. “Actually, I was going to talk to you on Tuesday, but since you’re here now… I was wondering if I could pick your brain about elephants. I think I want my next main character to be an elephant, and I need more information before I can even get a story idea.”
“Sure,” he said before she’d completely stopped talking. “I mean, anytime. Whatever time works for you.” He tried, in vain, to make his voice sound less eager. “So, you know, whenever.”
“Should we exchange numbers?” she asked slowly, and then rushed to add, “I wouldn’t abuse it, or like call you all the time—”
“I’d love it if you called me all the time.”
They stared at each other for a beat, and he wondered if his smile looked as shy as hers did. “Okay, then.” She told him her number, and he texted her so she’d have his.
She stopped walking and gestured to the bungalow behind him. “This lemon-colored one is my grandparents’ bungalow.”
“My grandparents are only a few bungalows down the beach. The tangerine-colored one.”
“It’s destiny that they’ll be friends, then,” she replied. “Lemons and oranges. It’s citrusy fate.”
“It’s written in the stars.”
Her eyes shone. “I do love the stars.”
“Me too.”
They both stared at one another, and on an impulse, Logan leaned forward to give her a hug. She wrapped her arms easily around his waist, and her head fit perfectly into his neck. He breathed in the coconut-and sunshine-scent of her hair, aware of every single place their bodies touched, especially where her nose grazed his neck, right across his racing pulse point.
“I’m glad we ran into each other,” he said, his voice hoarse.
She looked up at him. “Me too.”
“Step away from my granddaughter!” a man shouted.
Julia pushed back and Logan sprang away to find a man stomping toward them, committing attempted murder with his glare.
CHAPTER TEN
Julia
Julia’snormallyeven-keeledgrandpastalked toward her and Logan, his face redder than she’d ever seen it. Logan stood behind her, close enough for her to lean into his chest if she wanted. And, oh, she wanted.
But first, she had to deal with her grandpa’s unexpected personality morph into Mr. Hyde.
“Grandpa!” she called out. “What in the world?”
