Page 10 of Most Likely to Fear Love

Cassidy: If you’re sure.

Me: I’m sure.

Cassidy: Alright, thank you. I’ll let you know when it’s the right time.

Me: You do that.

I gave her a few moments to reply and when she didn’t, I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I glanced up at Sarah, who was watching me with a raised eyebrow.

“Everything okay?” Her voice was laced with sisterly concern.

I hesitated, unsure how much to share. Cassidy and I hadn’t discussed telling others about our arrangement. But this was Sarah, and keeping things from her had never been my strong suit. Still, it really wasn’t my business, so even though it cut me, I said, “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’ve just got something going on.”

“Do I need to be concerned?”

“No, you don’t. I’m just helping a, uh, a friend who’s going through a hard time.”

That made her smile. “Of course you are.”

CASSIDY

Ifelt a little breathless as I heard Harle’s truck pulling into my drive.Don’t be ridiculous. He’s probably not even as hot as you remember.

Ha, as if. The moment he climbed out of his truck, what little breath I had left whooshed from my lungs. He waseven hotterthan I remembered.

I watched from behind the curtain as he walked up the drive. How ridiculous was it that just the simple act of walking was sexy when he did it. He took the steps two at a time and then his frame filled my porch. His broad shoulders cast a shadow across my door. My heart skipped a few beats, and I pressed a hand to my sternum as if that could somehow calm it down.

Honestly, there was no need to get so flustered. This was all just biology. Cold, clinical baby-making. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

The knock came, three sharp raps that seemed to echo through my entire body. I jumped, startled, even though I was expecting it.

“Coming!” I called out, wincing at how high and breathy my voice sounded.

I fluffed at my hair, for no particular reason, then dragged in a deep, steadying breath. It didn’t work. My hands shook as I reached for the doorknob.

It’s fine. You’ve done this before. He’s just here to... to...

My mind blanked on the clinical terms as I swung the door open. Harle. Smiling down at me.

“Hey, Cassidy.” His deep voice skittered across my skin, raising goosebumps. His eyes roved over me, taking in my figure hugging, burgundy knit dress. I might have been imagining it, but maybe a bit of heat flickered there? No, of course not. When he raised his eyes to mine, his expression was perfectly neutral. “You look great. Are you going out?”

“Um, yeah, just with the girls. Did you want to come in for coffee?”

“No, it’s okay.”

Oh. Well. That felt a bit awkward. “Of course, no problem. I understand you’re probably busy.”

Harle’s lips quirked up in a half-smile. “Not too busy. Just figured you’d want to, uh, take advantage of the viability window.” He handed over an insulated bag and yeah, I felt the zap of electricity when our fingers brushed. “You said the first hour was the most important, right?”

“Right, yeah.” Jesus, why did I always blush so much around this guy? I smoothed my hand down my dress again, suddenly hyper-aware of how form-fitting it was. “Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.” He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms across his chest. “I actually had an idea about that.”

“About stopping by?” Huh?

“Yeah.”

My heart rate picked up again. “Oh?”

---