Page 12 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
Relief washed over me. The worry I’d had in my heart for days vanished. It was foolish of me to have doubted his character and I cursed myself for insinuating that he’d be anything but honorable.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Seems like all we’ve done these last two years is fuck and fight. We’ve got to figure out a way to be around each other now that you’re back. I don’t want to bump into you on the street and watch you run in the other direction.”
I couldn’t agree more. “We used to be friends once. Maybe we could get back to that.”
“Friends would be good.”
Silas pulled off his faded brown baseball hat and combed his fingers through his hair. It was getting a bit long and could probably use a trim, not that I’d advocate for one. Wh
en he was on top of me, my hands loved to wander through those soft strands and grip them tight. That and his sculpted ass.
Oh, lordy. Control yourself, Felicity! We had just agreed to be friends. I had made a rule. No sex with Silas. What was wrong with me?
“Are you okay?” Silas asked.
My cheeks were flushed and I was starting to sweat. “Great. This shrimp is just really spicy,” I lied.
He dug back into his food as the awkward silence descended again. While I chewed, my eyes wandered around the room so I wouldn’t stare at the man in my guest chair.
The Fan Mountain Inn had impeccably clean and stylish rooms. I had plenty of space for my abundant luggage, and the wide desk provided a more than adequate workspace. But right now, this room was much, much too small.
Silas sat by the door while I swiveled nervously at my desk chair. Between us was the bed. The same bed where we’d had sex just a week ago. Seeing him next to it wasn’t helping me push thoughts of sex aside.
“You were jealous, weren’t you? The other day when you saw me talking to Maisy in the office.”
“What?” I said, pretending to be surprised. “I wasn’t jealous.” My declaration came out in a high-pitched squeak.
Silas smirked, trying to fight back a smile, but it was pointless. He burst out laughing, filling the room with sound as his head tipped back and he let loose.
Even though I was embarrassed he’d busted me on the jealousy thing, I couldn’t keep the corners of my mouth down. Silas’s laughter was a deep rumble, a hearty sound that could warm the coldest of souls. I hadn’t heard it nearly enough lately.
The last time I remembered hearing him laugh had been at Jess and Gigi’s wedding. We’d both had too much to drink and had found ourselves in the backseat of his truck. He’d discovered the Spanx that my satin dress required and had laughed his ass off as he tried to yank them off. That seemed like eons ago.
Silas got control of his laughter and bent forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. He shook his head a few times and then lifted his eyes to mine as he smiled.
Breathtaking. He was breathtaking.
Silas’s smile transformed his face. Dimples broke across his cheeks. His eyes warmed and crinkled. Those soft lips parted, revealing his flawless white teeth.
I was a sucker for that smile and smolder. All he had to do was snap his fingers and I’d leap over the bed and crawl into his lap.
“You’re blushing, Felicity. Are you going to lie and blame it on the shrimp again?”
I shook my head and looked to my lap, embarrassed that he could read me so easily. The room went quiet as the atmosphere got heavy. The sharp contrast from moments ago sent tingles down my spine.
He was staring at me. I could feel his heated gaze, but I kept my eyes fixed firmly on my lap. If I looked up right now, I’d never be able to resist those eyes.
After an eternity, though it was probably only a few seconds, Silas let out a loud breath and stood from his chair. “Got any sweet and sour?”
Phew. “Yeah.” I stood too, going to the TV to help him find the right carton.
We resumed our meal, thankfully without another heated moment. I had resisted once. Twice would have been impossible. After the Chinese had been decimated, I escorted Silas to the door, having learned one thing for certain tonight.
Making friends was hard to do.
Silas
