Free Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken Page A

reached out his hand and took hers. She smiled
    "I was wondering if I'd scared you away earlier," she said.
    Colin stopped short. "Me? Scared me?" He pulled her close by grabbing her other hand. "Oh no, you definitely didn't scare me. Quite the opposite in fact."
    "Is that right?" She grinned and Colin leaned down, touching his lips gently to hers. 
    He pulled back after only the slightest touch. "That's right."
    She smiled but then her face turned serious. "I need to tell you something."
    Colin's gut reaction was to put his fingers in his ears like a child. He didn't want to hear what she was going to say. Not if he wasn't going to like it. He swallowed hard and prepared himself to hear the worst. "What's that?"
    "It's been a long time since I've been with anyone." 
    "Okay." He tipped his head to the side. "Why do I get the feeling that there's more?"
    "There is." She smiled weakly. "It was a very serious relationship and he left me when I needed him the most. It crushed me. And when it ended, well, I kind of shut down. The only thing left for me was work. So when the holidays came up, I came up here to hide. I couldn't face it." She looked down and added, "And I can't believe I'm telling you all of this."
    "No," Colin said. He squeezed her hands and she met his gaze again. "I'm glad you are. I could tell there was something on your mind at dinner."
    "You could?"
    He laughed at her surprise. "I know, I can hardly believe it myself," he said. "I'm not generally known for being very perceptive."
    "Well, it's been a little while since I've been on a date, and I just thought it was fair that you knew what you were getting into to."
    "A date?"
    She blushed. At least, Colin thought she did. It might have been the cool air. 
    "Well, I guess, I thought...never mind." 
    Was it a date? It'd been so long since he'd gone on an actual date, and not just out for drinks and sex. "No," he said and leaned forward, letting his lips caress hers again before pulling away. "You're right. It is a date. Our first date." 
    "Well then, since we agree that it is a date," she said. "I suppose I should tell you that I used to have a rule about dating."
    Colin pulled back just enough so they could continue walking, slowly now, towards the villa. "Tell me," he said. 
    "I know this sounds kind of awkward, but I think I should put it out there because you seem like the type of guy that has different ideas on things."
    What the hell did that mean? He thought, but instead said, "Just say it, Andi."
    "I don't sleep with men on the first date." 
    Colin coughed to hide his shock. "And you think I'm the type of man who sleeps with women right away?" 
    She stopped walking and tipped her head, challenging him with her eyes. "You more or less told me that you don't do relationships, and you're an attractive man, so-"
    "You think I'm attractive?" he smiled and she swatted at him. 
    "Tell me I'm wrong," she said. 
    Colin shrugged. "I can't." He started walking again. 
    A few moments later they reached the front door and Colin slid the key into the lock. Before he opened the door, he turned to Andi and said, "I might have been that guy, before, but I think things are changing."
    "Is that right?" She smiled with so much sass that it took all the willpower he had not to kiss it away. 
    Instead of answering her, he pushed the door open and let her walk in ahead of him. 
    He didn't know what frustrated him more. The fact that she was right, or that he wished she wasn't.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    The cold air blasted through Andi's house coat and pricked at her skin. Colin was already waiting in the hot tub and steam floated up, creating a mystical cloud around him. It had been her idea to try out the tub since neither of them was ready for bed. She regretted her idea, just for an instant when she saw his hard, naked chest. More likely it was her stupid, no sex rule she regretted.
    "Jump in," he said. 
    "It's