Page 7 of Bad Boy Crush

“Of course.” She held her smile until she turned her back on him. Then she collected herself—and her breath. What was with her today? She’d never been awkward around him before, had she?

Only when you first met him.

Right. The moment his shop door had swung open and revealed a tall, wide, sexy, smiling man when she’d been expecting a gangly sixty-something grandfather type. She’d mentioned her fiancé right away in an effort to stamp out the instant attraction before it turned into a raging forest fire.

She climbed the patio stairs and collected his empty glass. Elli followed her up and into the house. Once the door was shut behind them, Elli let her have it.

“Okay, what is up with the crazy sex tension going on between you two?”

“I don’t know!” Lou had been facing the sink but spun around to face her friend. Elli looked positively delighted. “God. I knew you could tell. I’m so transparent.”

“As a windowpane, my friend. But you’re not the only one. He’s looking at you like you’re lunch.”

That was…alarming. Lou filled his glass with more ice from the dispenser on the freezer door, her movements jerky.

“Where’s the squirrel?” Elli lifted the empty cashmere sweater, her expression anguished. “Oh, no. Did it—”

“No, no, he’s fine. Thumbelina is also a boy. Lara picked him up about an hour ago since I can’t leave.”

“Isn’t your interview tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Grateful for the change of topic, Lou relaxed incrementally. “Hopefully, Ant is a miracle worker. I can’t miss it.”

Elli leaned on the countertop and returned to the previous topic with no preamble whatsoever. “Sooo, about that tension…”

Lou considered asking her to drop it, but she could use someone to talk to. She didn’t understand what was going on either. “Did you notice anything…different about him today? About the way he looked?”

Elliott frowned in thought. “He looks the same as he always does. Fedora, piercing brown eyes, body that won’t quit.”

Lou let out a laugh. “Right?”

“The man is hot, Lou. There’s no denying it.”

“I don’t deny it, I just…wasn’t allowed to react to him before.”

“Because you were married. And then you decided to be mad at him. Why would you have reacted to him when he wasn’t a viable dating option?”

“I’m not dating anyone.” Especially Ant, Lou mentally tacked on. That was an outrageous idea. And weirdly tempting. She scrunched her nose. Maybe she could blame sleep deprivation on her bizarre reaction to him today.

“Why not? It’s been almost two years since Liam and you split.”

“A year and eight months.”

“You’ve lived here for over a year now. You’re employed, settled. Available.” Elli paired the last word with an eyebrow waggle.

“Ant is my friend. Was my friend.” Lou twisted her lips. “I’m not sure what he is now.”

“Other than hot.”

“Right. No! Elliott! You tricked me.”

“Fine. I’ll stop.” Pleased with herself, Elliot giggled. “I just don’t want you to miss an opportunity to be more than friendly with your friend down there. You want him back, don’t you?”

“As a friend?”

“Sure. You can start there.”

Lou let out a breath, considering. “I was so upset when I found out he knew about the affair. I felt betrayed by both of them. Do you know what that feels like?”

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