Page 27 of Slow Kind of Love

Chapter Nine

Elise was having a hard time concentrating. Just back from the gym, she’d been sitting in her living room tugging on her sneakers for the past five minutes. She’d untied them, and then her mind wandered to things that made her blush. Things that made her hot and bothered. She’d given herself a shake and reached for the sneakers again, but then she’d see something through the front window—a cardinal, or the neighbor’s cat—and she’d forget about her shoes. Even Pancake had no luck. The dog had been sitting patiently by the cookie cupboard waiting for his treat ever since Elise had walked through the front door.

It seemed she couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the images in her mind. The ones she couldn’t shake, of her and Link on the counter in the back of Poppy’s boutique.

God, she still couldn’t believe she’d done that.

It was only when Pancake barked because of the doorbell that Elise blinked once…and then twice and jolted to her feet.

She almost tripped on the loose laces, and, with a curse, she barely gained her balance before the door opened and Heather walked through, bringing with her a gust of wind that fell over Elise’s heated skin, causing goose bumps to spread like a rash.

“Hey,” she said, surprised to see her bestie. “Did we have plans I forgot about?”

“Um, no.” Heather tossed her coat and hat. “But we definitely need a catch-up because I was just at Bella and Hooch and—”

Alarmed, Elise tried her best not to show the panic she wasn’t entirely sure she kept from her voice, because it fell out of her in a high-pitch assault that made her wince. “What did Poppy say to you?”

Heather slowly shrugged and shook her head. “Poppy said nothing. I was stocking up on candles, and Shelli Gouthro reached for the last Spring Has Sprung scent, which is my favorite and no way was I letting her have it. I managed to snag it before she did and, you know we had one of those fake laughs, and then she asked what was up with you and Link Major.” Heather’s eyebrows rose dramatically. “And I had to act like I knew, because of course, if anything was going on between you and Link, you’d tell me. And she was like, ‘Are they together? Because they sure looked like they were, holding hands and everything.’ And I’m like, ‘Well yes, they’ve been together for a while now.’ And she nearly dropped the bowl in her hands and asked me what the sex was like between the two of you.”

She was afraid to ask, but had to. “What did you say?”

“I told her that at first you could barely walk after sex because he’s such an animal, and now…”

Elise groaned.

“You’re all good now because you do it every chance you get and all the cobwebs have been wiped clean.” She snorted. “Or rather licked.” Heather’s eyes narrowed, and she took a few moments, as if Elise were a bug she was studying. “You had sex with him yesterday.”

“How can you tell?” But her hands were on her heated cheeks, and those damn images hovered at the edge of her brain.

“I can tell. When?”

“At the fundraiser.”

“Good.” Heather frowned. “Where?”

“The back counter of Poppy’s shop.”

“Is it a big counter? Like were you lying down?”

“No.”

“So you were bent over the counter.”

“No.”

“So you were sitting on the counter.”

Elise nodded. “Between two big rolls of cellophane wrap, some brown paper rolls and a cutting board.”

“I’m impressed.”

“God, don’t start.”

“No, really,” Heather continued as if this was a normal conversation to have. “That would call for some interesting bending of legs and arms and avoiding sharp objects like a cutting board. I’m wondering how in hell did you not throw out your back?”

Cheeks red, Elise couldn’t keep help herself. She giggled, and then Heather joined in, and the two of them collapsed over the counter in the kitchen, Elise holding her side because it ached. She was still trying to catch her breath when she glanced up, at first thinking the tears streaming from the corners of Heather’s eyes were happy ones, but then the smile shattered and her friend ran a shaking palm over her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Elise asked, instantly concerned.

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