Calista slipped into the passenger seat. “Look. I’m sorry.”
His stomach knotted. “No problem.”
“I like you, Andy.”
Oh, shit. Here it comes.
“But when you kissed me—”
“You thought of the asshole who treated you like shit.” He gripped the steering wheel, wishing he could take those last words back.
“I wasn’t going to say that,” she spat.
He rounded on her. “No? Then what?”
She lunged toward him, crushing her mouth against his. Lust warred with anger, leaving him breathless and hungry for her. But when he reached for her, she pulled away.
“I was going to say I liked it.”
“But?” There’s always a but.
She sat back in her seat and buckled herself in. “I need some time to get everything straight in my head.”
He shifted the car into reverse and backed out of the parking space. “Okay.”
The ride home was quiet, with Calista mostly staring out the passenger window. He stole glances but couldn’t see her face and had no clue what she was thinking. He gritted his teeth. I so screwed this up.
By the time he pulled into her driveway, fat raindrops slapped the windshield. She reached for the door handle and paused.
“You’re my best friend.” She peered over her shoulder at him. “I don’t want to lose you.”
He forced a smile. “You won’t.”
The corner of her mouth twitched. “You’re a good kisser.” She sighed. “I just need a little time. Can I call you tomorrow, maybe meet for lunch?”
He looked out the windshield, sheets of rain blurring the scenery beyond, and nodded. “Sure.”
The door slammed, and she was gone.
And damn if she hadn’t taken his heart with her.
Chapter Four
After a long night of dreams filled with images of Andy, Calista woke more conflicted than ever. He’d been upset with her when he’d dropped her off the night before. She knew she’d hurt his feelings. But he was the one constant in her life, and she didn’t know if she was ready to risk everything by becoming intimate with him. Her relationships always seemed to end badly.
But, damn…when he’d pressed his lips to hers? That had been a complete toe-curler. It had taken every ounce of restraint she possessed to stop with just the kiss. Delicious tingles rippled low in her belly at the memory. She needed to make things right with him somehow. Grabbing her cell off the nightstand, she punched in his number.
“Hello.” His deep baritone voice set her stomach to fluttering again.
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Hi, me.” He sounded his normal jovial self.
“I was wondering about the lunch I mentioned last night. Do you still feel like grabbing something to eat with me?” She eased onto the side of her bed, toying with the fringe on her comforter, preparing for rejection.
“I do, but I need to head into the restaurant early today. The AC unit is down, and I have to meet the repairman in an hour. Why don’t you meet me there? I’ll whip us up something tasty.”
“Are you sure you’ll have time? I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“I’m sure.” He chuckled. “Sweetheart, the last thing you are to me is inconvenient.”
There went those damn butterflies again. “Okay. I’ll see you around noon, then.”
She disconnected and started her Saturday morning routine. By eleven thirty, she found herself more than ready to see Andy. She’d re-visited the kiss they’d shared the day before about a thousand times. The man had definitely stirred something inside her, but she needed to make sure she wasn’t transferring emotions she craved from another person to him.
The last thing she wanted was to hurt him or use him as a rebound. That wasn’t her style, and he deserved much better. On the other hand, in all the relationships she’d had, good and bad, she’d never experienced the racing heart and flutters the way she had when Andy kissed her. And, she longed for more.
After locking up the house, she skipped down the sidewalk, unable to wipe the smile off her face at the prospect of seeing him again. Lord, she just wished she knew if pursuing a relationship with him was the right thing to do. The man was nothing like the other men she’d fallen for in the past. Isn’t that the point?
There wasn’t a mean or bad bone in his body. He was laid back, funny, attentive. He’d always been a rock she could lean on. Weren’t those the qualities she truly wanted from a man? Not the self-absorbed jerks she usually met.
She rounded the corner, Andy’s restaurant just half a block away, and stopped dead in her tracks, unable to breathe for a second. Across the street, Ben stepped out of a liquor store, a bag clutched in one arm. Pausing on the sidewalk, he reached across his chest and rubbed his other shoulder for a moment then winced. He tilted his head to the side and massaged the joint. Had he hurt himself somehow? A moment later, his gaze shifted, locked on her, and Calista tensed.