Free When We Touch by Brenda Novak

disillusionment, the sense of betrayal and the blow to her self-esteem were very real and ever-present, especially when she was in Whiskey Creek. But she couldn’t get back with Kyle knowing he had a child with her sister. How would they interact with that child? How would they interact with her family?
    At least, for the first time since falling in love with Kyle, she was feeling desire for another man. The excitement that brought told her life after Kyle was possible; she just had to be careful or she’d land herself in an even worse situation.
    “I’m glad to hear it,” he said.
    Suddenly she became very conscious of the fact that she was wearing nothing but her panties and shirt. She was better covered than if she were wearing a bathing suit. But what had almost happened last night, what she’d wanted to have happen, made her feel very exposed.
    The way his gaze traveled over her body, as intimate as a caress, made her breasts tingle. She struggled to find her voice. “Did I really try to rip off my clothes when you put me to bed?”
    He grinned, which was answer enough.
    “Thought so.” She’d actually brought it up so she could apologize. “I’m sorry. From what you said on the phone, I assumed that…that you might welcome a bed partner.”
    “You think I was rejecting you?”
    She felt her eyebrows slide up. “Weren’t you? I slept alone last night.”
    “Next time ask me when I have the option of saying yes.”

Chapter 8
    Olivia had left her luggage at Brandon’s house. Since she didn’t have a better place to stay, it’d seemed silly to lug it in so she could get ready, then lug it back out. He would have done the carrying for her, of course. He was a gentleman that way. But since her family already knew she was with him, there was no reason to leave his cabin on their account. He’d invited her to use his guest room for as long as she wanted, and she figured she might as well take him up on it.
    That meant she’d be going back....
    “Olivia, what do you think?”
    She blinked before focusing on her mother, who was wearing a flowery dress and had her hair sectioned off in rollers with a scarf tied over the lot, making her look very 1960s housewife. “About what?”
    “The bows that go on the chairs!” The impatience in Nancy’s voice suggested she’d already asked once. “Noelle doesn’t think they match the table runners. Are you sure these are the shade we ordered?”
    Removing the sunglasses she’d been using to hide her bloodshot eyes, Olivia tried to focus. She’d expected these meetings to be difficult. But she was so preoccupied with Brandon, she was finding them more of a nuisance than a challenge.
    “They’re a shade off,” she admitted. “I borrowed these from River City to save money, remember? That’s what you wanted me to do.”
    “But will they look bad?” Nancy refastened a roller that was threatening to fall. Olivia had tried to convince her that a round brush and a blow drier would give her the curl she wanted, but she insisted her hair looked best when she “put it up” for a day—and she was going all out for the wedding.
    “I think they’ll be fine,” Olivia assured her. “They won’t be right up against each other. See?” She held the two fabrics a few inches apart. “You won’t notice they’re not exact, especially with all the shades of pink and peach in the flower arrangements.”
    “I don’t know....” Noelle shot her an accusing glower. “I thought they’d match better than that .”
    She said this as if it was Olivia’s fault they didn’t, although it had been Noelle’s choice. She’d wanted to save money on the chair covers so she could get a pair of very expensive heels that wouldn’t even show beneath her dress.
    Noelle wanted this to be the wedding of the century, which was so unrealistic. But it wasn’t only the color of the chair bows that was bothering her. She’d been hostile all morning. Olivia could feel the animosity;