Page 5 of Nailed

I glanced at Sam’s truck. It looked a lot more roadworthy than my civic.

Sam’s expression was kind—I didn’t think he had an ulterior motive.

But I shook my head. “That’s really sweet of you. I’m not coming right back, though.” I’d booked a couple of nights at a B&B in rural New Hampshire to decompress after the conference. As someone who’d started out life perpetually shy and awkward, I still had to work hard to put myself out there. I knew this weekend was going to take everything out of me.

Sam looked disappointed. But he nodded. “Okay.”

Behind him, another pickup was pulling into the lot.

I opened my door. “I guess I’ll see you there if you decide to go?”

Sam nodded again. “Sure.” He hesitated a moment, then blurted, “Sarah, if I do go, do you think you could introduce me to Jamie? Cora said she would, but it would mean a lot coming from you.”

“Of course.”

I’d been planning on actively avoiding my boss all weekend. But I’d figure something out. Maybe I could introduce them over email.

But just as I said that, I realized I recognized the truck that had pulled in and was idling behind Sam.

My stomach tied itself in a knot as the window rolled down. A giant of a man sat in the driver’s seat, his silver hair peeking out from under a dark blue hat, one that matched irises nearly the same shade.

Furrowed brows. A signature scowl. Eyes looking directly into my soul.

Without breaking eye contact with Jamie Reilly, I said to Sam, “Or, I guess I could introduce you right now.”

CHAPTER3

Jamie

When I’d seen Sarah from the street, a painful warmth had run over my skin. She wore jeans and a puffy white coat, and her dirty blond hair twisted over her shoulder in a thick waterfall. I didn’t see her dressed casually like this very often. It felt intimate.

So did swinging by her apartment building. Not to mention lying awake in bed last night thinking of being in a hotel with her, even if our rooms were several floors apart, like I’d requested.

Then I’d seen that she hadn’t been alone, and nearly bent my steering wheel into a taco.

“Hello, Jamie,” Sarah said coolly.

My eyes jerked to the kid. Who the hell was he? A boyfriend? He looked a little young for her. Late twenties maybe.

The irony of that thought wasn’t lost on me.

Still, Sarah deserved a man, not a boy. I gave him a once-over. He blanched but recovered quickly, giving me a nod and a smile. “Hello.”

I didn’t even have time to ignore him, because Sarah planted her hands on her hips and said, “What are you doing here, Jamie?”

The cold had made her skin so pale the freckles across her nose seemed to pop. But it had turned her cheeks a delicious shade of pink, too. She kept her expression guarded; her soft, slightly squared jaw tense; straight brown brows slanted.

“Those aren’t snow tires,” I said.

She blinked. I could see the anger flaming behind those pretty hazel eyes. “Yes, they are. And you didn’t answer my question.”

I shouldn’t have come by. This was supremely stupid. I should have been on the highway, minding my own goddamned business. But it was too late now. I jumped out of my truck, my feet crunching in the snow. “I wanted to make sure your vehicle was prepped for a couple hundred miles of winter driving.”

Sarah blinked as if she was confused by what I’d said. No wonder—when was the last time I’d shown concern for her, besides throwing her a last-minute invite to the conference?

She folded her arms. “Thanks, but I can handle a bit of snow.”

“Those tires can’t.”

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