Win Me Over (34 page)
Authors: Nicole Michaels
“Your love is sweet miseâ”
She stopped immediately, her body going still. That's when he glanced up and realized she'd moved in front of a window over the sink. There was a reflection.
She'd seen him.
Her body jerked around, her hands ripping the earphones from her ears. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes were wide, panicked.
“Watching the show.” He smiled. Couldn't help it. God, she was so damn cute he could hardly stand it. He pushed off from the door frame and stepped into the kitchen. The temporary island separated them and she looked like a caged feral animal for a long second, and then smooth as silk as she pulled a mask over her emotions. But she didn't run, yet. Small mercies.
She cleared her throat and set her pen down on the plywood. “How long have you been standing there?”
He shrugged. “Long enough to enjoy it.”
“I'm working.”
“And working hard, I see.” He nodded toward her spread of food and drinks.
“I had to eat,” she said. There was just a hint of defiance in her tone. “Did you need something? I have a lot to do.”
He stepped around to the end of the island. Closer to her. She didn't move, but he could see the tension in her shoulders. She was wearing jeans and a baggy, long-sleeved Royals T-shirt. It hid her curves from him, but he had a good imagination. And a good memory.
He glanced down at the open cooler and then picked up one of her extra beer bottles. “You gonna share?”
“I hadn't planned on it.”
“Of course you didn't but it would be the polite thing to do. Right?”
“I'm not really a polite person.” She lifted her chin, trying to be tough. He knew better.
“Bullshit, Lindsey. You're
too
nice.” He pulled a screwdriver out of his tool belt and used it to pry the top off the beer before taking a long drink. He swallowed hard with a wince. “Damn, that's some sweet shit.”
“You can hardly complain since it wasn't for you. I happen to like it.”
He took another drink and set it down on the island, the plywood wobbling, and then took another step toward her. He didn't miss how she backed slowly away, her eyes never leaving his. They were the most gorgeous color. Green fading into brown, like a mix of grass, honey, and chocolate. Her long lashes fluttered as he stared at her just a moment too long. She was uncomfortable. He knew that, but he needed this.
“I never thought I'd see you again,” he said. Last summer he'd discovered their connection of mutual friends and had been shocked. And fucking ecstatic.
She looked down and immediately began fidgeting with her earphones which were connected to the phone in her pocket. “I
hoped
to never see you again.”
That gutted him, but it wasn't a surprise. Especially after how she'd reacted last fall when he'd finally seen her for the first time face to face. He'd thought of her nearly every day for years after he'd broken things off eight years ago. As his son Tanner grew up, he'd become distracted and busy, but she'd never been far in the back of his mind. He'd dreamed of her.
“Surely you don't mean that,” he said.
She looked up quickly. “Why wouldn't I? There is no reason for us to know each other anymore. It's just an unfortunate accident that our friends met and fell for each other.”
“When Derek showed me that blog and I saw your face,” he chuckled, remembering the moment, “I felt like I couldn't breathe.”
Her eyes fluttered for a moment, but she quickly turned and walked around the island in the opposite direction. She picked up her beer but didn't drink, only squeezed it, almost as if it were an anchor to keep her hands from shaking. “Please don't say things like that.”
“Linds.”
“Don't call me Linds,” she snapped. “That's what my friends call me. We are not friends.”
Derek felt tension take hold of his jaw and he moved it around to unlock it before he responded. “We used to be more than friends.”
“I barely remember that.”
“You're a very bad liar.” He cocked his head to the side.
“Well, you are a very good liar, and that I
do
remember. So forgive me if I don't wish to speak to you anymore or ever again.”
Her eyes went cold and so did his body. She meant it. She was done with him. In no way, shape, or form did she want to use this opportunity, this second chance. He wasn't sure if he was ready to accept that yet, but one thing was certain, he needed to move slowly. It appeared that maybe tonight was not their night. So much for the holiday of love and romance, his girl wasn't feeling it quite yet.
Derek picked up the beer bottle and nodded to her. “All right then. I'll just leave you to your work. Happy Valentine's Day, Lindsey.”
He turned and left, striding through the hallway. Suddenly he was overcome with fury. She acted as if their breakup had happened a year ago. They'd been young, for God's sake. It was tempting to turn around and give her a serious piece of his mind, but he knew that definitely wouldn't have the desired effect.
He opened the door and strode across the yard while taking several pulls of that shitty fruity beer before throwing the nearly empty bottle into the giant dumpster behind the house.
Once in the barn he got into his truck and pulled out of the back end of the structure, down the driveâignoring the lit-up kitchen windowâand onto the main road. He sat there for a minute before pulling out, taking a deep breath. What the hell did he think was going to happen? He'd charm her into forgetting what he'd done? That was stupid thinking. Lindsey was a smart girl. She felt deeplyâeven if she didn't always show it. There was no way she was going to forgive him.
He'd hurt this woman, badly. He knew that. Shit, the whole thing had nearly killed him too. That whole time in his life was a complete clusterfuck. But he couldn't regret it because out of that mess he'd gotten his son. Tanner was everything to him and he'd done the only thing he could do at the time. Or at least he kept telling himself that.
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When she's not writing, cooking, or hanging out with her family,
NICOLE MICHAELS
is a portrait and wedding photographer. She enjoys writing love stories with happy endings and lives outside of Kansas City with her husband and three sons. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemauthor to learn more. You can sign up for email updates
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Also by
Nicole Michaels
Blame It on the Mistletoe
(e-original)
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Contents
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
WIN ME OVER
Copyright © 2015 by Nicole Michaels.
Excerpt from
Draw Me Close
copyright © 2016 by Nicole Michaels.
All rights reserved.
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eISBN: 978-1-4668-6223-4
St. Martin's Paperbacks edition / September 2015
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