Page 13 of Snow Place Like Home
It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.
I came out of the bathroom, flipped off the lights, and climbed into bed.
“Are you fake sleeping?” I whispered.
“No,” he snorted. “Just waiting for you to stop hiding in the bathroom.”
“I wasn’t hiding. I was washing my face and brushing my teeth.”
“Sunny,” he said, his tone serious.
“Ace,” I mimicked.
“Did that kiss freak you out?” he asked. The room was dark, aside from the bit of streetlight peeking through the opening in the curtains.
“No,” I whispered. “I liked it. I liked it too much.”
“Why’d you pull away then?” he asked as my bare legs grazed his.
“Oh my gosh,” I groaned over my laughter. “Are you actually naked in my bed?”
“Nope. I’ve got my briefs on. Would you prefer I slept in my Grinch costume?” He oozed sarcasm, but his voice was gruff and sexy.
“No.”
“Answer the question. Why did you pull away after the kiss if you liked it?”
“Because Ilike you, like you. It’s not as casual as you probably think.” I cleared my throat. “And you don’t live here,so I don’t want to let things go too far, only to say goodbye,” I admitted.
His hand moved under my chin, tipping it forward, as we lay on our sides facing one another. “I bought a place here, Sunny. Right up the street, actually.”
“What? You’re moving here?” My voice sounded more like a squeak.
“Yes. I wrote a movie script, and it got picked up by a studio. I’m tired of acting, and I wanted to try the other side of the business. So I can work from wherever I want. I was tired of LA, and I wanted to come back home.”
“Jack didn’t mention it,” I said, my heart racing in my chest.
“I didn’t tell him. It just happened over the last few weeks, and I wanted this weekend to be about their wedding. And to be honest, I wanted to tell you first.” He stroked my hair away from my face, and I scooched closer.
“Why?”
“Because when you told me that you broke up with the asshole and were moving back home, I knew it’s where I wanted to be,” he said.
“You’re really moving back here?”
“Yep. It feels like home. And there’s a girl I’m crazy about who happens to live in White Cap Mountain. And I hear she’s finally single.”
My fingers moved to the scruff on his peppered jaw. “Kiss me, Ace.”
And his lips crashed into mine.
Chapter Six
Ace
Irubbed my hands over my eyes when a little sunlight came through the opening in the curtains. Goldie was just starting to stir, her hot little body pressed against mine.
“Hey,” she whispered as she peeked one eye open to look at me.
