Page 19 of Tinder Embrace
Giggling, she pushed off the couch. It took all I had not to try to entice her back. We needed space before I did something unforgiveable. Like show her what taking advantagereallylooked like. Not that I'd ever do anything Sophie didn't want, but something about the way her gaze lingered on my mouth made me think it wouldn't take more than an invitation to get her into my bed.
We'd spent the weekend together under unusual circumstances. She tolerated my grumpy ass now, but how much longer would that last? Sooner or later, I'd annoy her, or she'd bug me. We were too different. I wanted peace and the farm, and Sophie deserved someone who could be devoted to her.
We'd split up when it became clear I wouldn’t put her first.Couldn’tput her first, if I wanted to keep my commitments to my family andmy employees. Then, all that would be left was the fallout. I rubbed my chest.
Been there, done that. Didn't need a repeat.
Sophie and Jo were too close for me to shit where I eat. Crude, but accurate. And something I needed to remember. Instead of tumbling her into my bed like I wanted, I needed to reestablish boundaries.
"Goodnight, Bee."
"'Night, Davis. Thanks for letting me crash."
I snorted, not sure she meant to be funny with her last comment and not wanting to hurt her feelings.
Sophie smacked her forehead with her hand. "I meant stay in Jo's room, obviously."
"Obviously."
"Anything for a friend of Jo's," I added.Anything for you,I rephrased silently as she slipped into Jo's room.
Chapter 8
Sophie
Davis was nowhere to be found when I made my way to the kitchen Monday morning. I was desperate to see him in the flesh to convince myself that last night hadn't been a dream.
Had he really kissed me like he meant it? I'd turned into a giant puddle of swoon on the couch. Keeping my cool long enough to retreat to Jo's room was a testament to my self-control, which was waning fast when it came to him.
Spending time alone with him had been an education. The cute, growly farmer had morphed into something else altogether: a beast when it came to kissing. Who knew Davis had that much passion in him? Apparently, my nipples did. They were freaking psychic, tingling when he was near. I'd written off the attraction as stifled hormones, butnope. He was the real deal. Which was going to make things forking complicated.
I visited Jo and the farm weekly and was bound to run into him, whether or not we made it as a couple.
And that was assuming a heck of a lot. One kiss did not a relationship make.
The way I was desperate for more excuses to hang out with him was a red flag. The attraction imbalance between us made me wary. If we got together, I wanted it to be because it was what we both wanted, no reluctance on either side. Getting caught up in my enthusiasm when he didn’t share it would make for another red flag. Heck, at this point, I was verging on red flag bingo. Which sounded bad, until I considered that Davis was the prize. But I didn’t want to watch his interest turn to contempt. Not everyone had the stomach for a full dose of my enthusiasm, and he seemed more immune than most to my charms.
However, he had been slowly revealing more of himself over the weekend, warming to me. Those glimpses of the man behind the grunts gave me hope. I was beginning to suspect that his bluster protected a soft heart.
Maybe it was time to give him a chance and see if he’d soften further. After all, Izzy and Ivan were making it work. Ditto Eve and Brady. If they could stick the landing, why couldn't Davis and I?
I winced.
Not that I'd been doing so good with smooth landings lately. Shuddering, I relived the last few seconds of my flight in Bee-gonia. I was already dreading taking her up again, and I hadn't even figured out what was wrong with the burner yet. Frowning, I opened my note app and added taking my burner for servicing to my to-do list. It was still early in the season, and I hadn't booked many flights yet, which might be my saving grace. I wouldn't have to force myself back into the air before I was ready.
After a quick breakfast, I texted Davis. Considering I’d stayed over as part of my offer to help him with chores during his recovery, I hadn’t actually done much.
Sophie: Hey, roomie. Heading to work in five. Need any help before I leave?
Davis: Warming up my truck for you. Come on out.
Davis's sweet gesture made the bitter cold when I stepped outside more bearable. March weather in eastern Washington was capricious. We bounced from rain to snow to sun on any given day. Thankfully, the summers were hot and dry, a great match for hot air ballooning. My hobby lined up perfectly with my school schedule. I'd leased Bee-gonia so I could offer chartered flights during my weeks off. It made for a fun side hustle.
However, I wouldnotbe telling my parents about my crash-landing. If Mom realized that taking me to a balloon rally at the tender age of thirteen would lead to me piloting and crashing my own balloon, she might have regrets.
Frost covered the ground, and I could see my breath as I shivered on my way to Davis's truck. He loomed next to the passenger side, nodded his version of good morning, and opened the door, watchful as I scrambled inside with my purse and school bag.
Very aware that he'd kissed me silly the night before, I kept up a steady stream of chatter on the ride to Bluff Elementary. The familiar brick building eased some of my anxiety over trying to make small talk. I should have realized that was a losing proposition after his first grunt. Making conversation with Davis when he wasn't in the mood to talk was like conversing with a rock. Impenetrable. He'd been so open with me last night, almost teasing and playful, and I'd thought that some of that new comradery might stick. No such luck.
