Page 19 of Accidentally In Love

“It’s just a small leak. Easily fixed. I promise.” His thumb stroked her cheek, wiping away an errant tear.

She raised a hand to cover one of his and her blue eyes changed from hopeless to hungry in a split second. Her pupils dilated and he could’ve sworn he heard her breath hitch—not just from the crying.

Chapter 9

He was so close. He smelled so good. He cared so much.

At least it really seemed like he did. And he was nearly a stranger. She shouldn’t be attracted to him. She’d already talked herself out of this once. He was a client. Her first client. But he was everything she’d never realized she wanted in a man—rugged, bearded, country…kind. God, the kindness seeped out of him like the water seeping from her bathroom walls. Why couldn’t she have been more aware of character before she married Lance? Why had she let the fancy cars and jewelry seduce her away from her common sense?

Mick deserved someone much better than her. Someone that had their life put together and figured out. Hers was in boxes all over this house or hidden in various closets.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that the only thing she could think about was how his hand caressed her face. How she wanted to feel his lips against hers. How her heart was racing in her chest just thinking about it. How her belly had tightened and now thrummed inside her.

She stroked her fingers along the taunt tendons in his hand. His eyes gazed into hers and she couldn’t look away. Her lips parted, a silent plea for more. For him to come closer. To take what she wanted to give.

The spicy tang of his cologne hit her senses and she sighed, just a little, but it was audible.

He leaned closer, brushing his lips over hers tenderly almost hesitantly, as if waiting to gauge her response.

She whimpered just a little, parting her lips further, inviting him deeper. Everything faded away. Everything but him.

He slipped his other hand around the back of her neck and crushed his mouth against hers, sweeping his tongue deep into hers, exploring, dominating the kiss. All her worries and stress over the move. Over starting fresh in a new town. Everything disappeared, morphing into one thing—desire. She wanted him.

Then he stopped.

He broke the kiss. Released her face from his strong callused hands.

She wanted to feel those hands all over her. On her skin from head to foot. Instead he was backing away, a glint in his eyes spoke to their shared desire but he was shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, I was out of line.”

She opened her mouth to object. To tell him to forget her earlier rejections.

“I have a date tomorrow night and kissing you isn’t fair to her. Right?”

Laurel swallowed hard, trying to put her thoughts into some type of coherent order.Right? Wait? Was he asking for a way out of his date?At the moment the only thing on her mind was getting her hands on Mick, not on the fact that she’d already spent multiple phone calls talking him up to Felicity, convincing the woman to agree to drive the four hours it would take to get from Dallas to Somewhere. Laurel shouldn’t have called an almost-client, Lance was sure to find out somehow, but it was too late now. Those dice had been cast.

Dammit.He was right. He had a date. Felicity was on her way.Dammit to hell.

She wiped the back of her hand across her swollen lips and nodded. “Yes. Right,” she said, each word choked and difficult to say. “Felicity will be here tomorrow.” She shrugged out of his shirt and handed it back. “Thank you for the help. I’m sure I can manage now until I can get a plumber here tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” he said, his tone turning the word into more of a disappointed sigh than coherent response. He took the shirt reluctantly and headed for the door of her bedroom.

Please stop. Just turn around and come back.Laurel waited, but Mick didn’t stop. She sat frozen on her bed until the slam of her front screen door made every nerve in her body jump. Then the floodgates opened. She laid down, grabbed a pillow, and sobbed into it. Her body shook from the coldness in the air and the coldness creeping around her heart.

It was better this way. Better for Mick.

She was a mess and she needed this business to work. Her divorce settlement money would only carry her so far. Plus matching people was something she was good at. Something that gave her joy.

Then why was she crying at the thought of Mick on a date with Felicity? It wasn’t Felicity’s fault. It was hers. She’d let herself fall for a man. In days. She’d only known Mick a few days and already she was falling head over heels. Absolutely not. She’d made this mistake with Lance. She’d let her emotions consume her. Cloud her judgement.

Not again. No way was she putting herself through that again. The next time she fell in love, it would be with the right man and it would be slow and steady. There would be a foundation for the emotions, not some haphazard jittery energy screaming at the top of its lungs to fall into his arms.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Laurel straightened and sat up. All she needed was a little company. A distraction from her fly-by attraction to Mick. Maybe she just needed to flirt a little?

It couldn’t hurt.

With a little ingenuityand a few of her old sweatshirts doubling as towels, she managed to get cleaned off and her wet hair into a tight ponytail. A little hair gel, smoky eyes, and one of her favorite outfits later, Laurel shoved through the doors of the Long Rock Saloon. Swankier than the cowboy bar further up town, the Long Rock was much closer to the scene she was used to in Dallas. Hardwood and country and contemporary styles mixed—a little leather and glass. More alternative country music than honky-tonk.

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