Free And I Love You by Marie Force

watching him almost as intently as Nina was. Megan wanted to lean into him, to breathe in that cool, expensive scent, and wished he’d put his arm around her again. She’d liked that and wondered if he’d do it again later when they went out together.
    The thought of going out with him, on a real date, gave her butterflies in her belly—the good kind of butterflies, the excited-about-something kind of butterflies.
    “Megan?”
    She realized Nina had been speaking to her while she’d been off with the butterflies. “Sorry. What did you say?”
    “I asked if you’re up for running this place.”
    “I’m sure I could be. As I told Hunter when he talked to me about it earlier, it could give me something to do while I figure out my plans.”
    Only because Hunter was sitting so close to her did Megan feel his body go tense. What was that about?
    “Naturally,” he said, “we’d like to see the financials, including the profit and loss, and have the building and equipment inspected before we make an official offer.”
    “I understand. I’ll need a day or two to get the financial info together. You’re welcome to schedule the inspection in the meantime. If you could make it between two and four p.m., I’d appreciate that.”
    “Will do.”
    “I’ll drop everything off to you when I have it.”
    “Could you let me know if you receive other interest? We’d like to be considered serious contenders.”
    “Absolutely. Thank you for this and for including Megan in your plans.”
    Hunter looked at her then, smiling with such warmth and tenderness that Megan nearly swooned. No man had ever looked at her quite that way. “I’d better get back to my other job before they fire me,” he said. “I’ll see you later?”
    “Yes. I’ll call you when I get home.”
    He withdrew his wallet from his back pocket, took out a card and borrowed Nina’s pen to write something on the back of it. Then he held it out to Megan. “I’ll be at the office until about seven. That’s my extension.” He flipped it over to reveal the number he’d put on the back. “And then at home.”
    She took the card from him, letting her fingers brush against his and enjoying the flash of awareness in his eyes from that fleeing contact. What would it be like …
Okay, don’t go there.
Not with Nina watching this entire transaction and about to pounce on her with a thousand questions.
    “Okay,” Megan said as Hunter got up to leave. The butterflies were doing the backstroke in her belly, making her feel fluttery and overly warm.
    “Talk to you then. See you, Nina.”
    “Bye, Hunter. I’ll be in touch.”
    “Look forward to it.”
    With a last smile for Megan, he left the diner, the bells on the door jingling as he went out.
    After a brief pause, Nina said, “Start talking. Right now.”

CHAPTER 7

    A mused by her sister’s directive, Megan thought about making Nina drag it out of her, but she was equally eager to talk about what’d happened, and Nina would always be her first choice of confidants. “He asked me out.”
    “When?”
    “Just now. In the park.”
    “Oh my God! That’s awesome. He’s so hot. Crazy hot.”
    “You think so?”
    “Are you
serious
? Everyone thinks so. Look at him—all class and buttoned-down hotness. I bet he’s a wild man in bed.”
    “
Nina!
You did not just say that!” And Megan would never admit to anyone that she found the thought of Hunter being a wild man in bed incredibly arousing.
    “Don’t even try to tell me you haven’t thought of that.”
    “Well, not exactly in those terms, but now that you mention it …”
    Nina’s loud laughter echoed off the walls of the empty diner. “Good for you, Meggie. He’s a great guy. You couldn’t ask for better.”
    “Don’t get all excited. I already told him I’m not looking for anything serious.” The thought of not being able to have these conversations with her sister whenever she needed to threatened to ruin her good mood, so Megan