Page 24 of Faking I Do
“Be careful.”
I eyed him through narrowed lids. “Careful of what?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. Something’s off.”
“You aren’t responsible for the actions of your dad and your pops, you know.” My breath caught in my chest as he lifted his gaze to meet mine.
Our fingers brushed. “I know. There’s still no excuse for it though, and I don’t want you to get mixed up in it.”
“Whatdoyou want, Bodie?” Silence pressed down around us. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as his gaze flickered to my mouth.
He took a step even closer, invading my personal bubble of space. “I want . . .”
I wet my lips with my tongue, uncomfortably aware of the ball of warmth gathering in my core. “Yes?”
He leaned down, his gaze searching mine.
My heart dipped, flipped, and tripped around in my chest. Just like the time I tried to boogie-board down in Galveston and got swept up in a wave then tossed and tumbled to shore, not knowing which way was up.
He lowered his head, his mouth moving closer to mine. The realization that he was about to kiss me engulfed me, flooding all other thoughts out of my head.
I fisted one hand in the front of his shirt and held on to his shoulder with the other. As my knees gave out, he gathered me against him, his strong arms pulling me tight to his chest. My breath caught in my throat as I focused on the midpoint of hisbottom lip, so eager to feel his mouth on mine. I let my eyes drift closed then waited, the anticipation almost too much to bear.
A loud crash came from the front-office area. Bodie pulled back, his eyes unfocused like he’d just been jerked out of a dream.
Shotgun bounded through the warehouse, headed straight for us. When she reached us, the dog jumped to her hind legs and bounced up and down, trying to lick Bodie’s face.
“I’m okay,” Zina yelled from the front room.
“What happened?” I shouted.
Zina joined us, holding a frayed piece of leash. “She looked so sad in the truck I wanted to bring her in. I didn’t realize she’d chewed halfway through her leash though.”
As the shock wore off, I stepped back, unsure about meeting Bodie’s gaze. “You’ve got your hands full.”
“She’s keeping me on my toes.” Bodie barely looked at me as he rubbed his hands over Shotgun’s head. “I’d better get home. You’ll let me know when you decide to hold the sale?”
“Absolutely.” I touched a finger to my lips.
Bodie picked up the ceramic beaver. “Yeah, there are some real finds here. Make sure you lock up if you’re here by yourself.”
“Aw, isn’t that sweet? You looking out for her like that?” Zina landed a playful swat on Bodie’s arm. “Seems like old times.”
“Right.” But the look he gave me didn’t seem like old times at all. There was something new simmering in the depths of his eyes. I wasn’t sure what to call it, but it made me feel exposed. It made me feel vulnerable. It made me feel like tucking tail and running as far and as fast as I could.
“Well, that was fun,” Zina commented once Bodie left. “What do you think he really wanted?”
“What do you mean? He said he saw my truck and wanted to make sure all was okay.” I shrugged, not wanting to talk aboutthe almost-kiss until I’d had a chance to mull it over on my own. “What’s so weird about that?”
Zina lifted a small box from a lower shelf and began to cut the tape holding it closed. “Personal safety checks from the deputy sheriff? Is that typical?”
I cleared my throat. “I don’t know why not. Based on the way the employees feel about the warehouse closing, I suppose someone could come by and start some trouble.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Zina turned to face me, a ring of fake flowers resting on top of her thick, black hair. “Am I ready for the Renaissance festival?”
Grateful for the change of subject, I grinned. “You know what would be fun?”
“What?” Zina picked up a lacy fan and fluttered it against her chest.
