Free To Live by Dori Lavelle Page B

nerves.
    The doorbell rang ten minutes later and Kelsey was surprised to find Shaun standing there. He wore scuffed jeans and a black pullover, and carried a toolbox.
    Her heart turned over. "Shaun, what are you doing here?"
    "I'm the handyman. Brian told me you have a dripping faucet on your hands?"
    There was a tingling in Kelsey's stomach as she tried to resist returning his captivating smile.
    For the past two weeks, they'd managed to just be neighbors. When they bumped into each other, they said hello and went their separate ways. No one had invited the other for a drink or dinner or anything else. She'd filled her days with walks on the beach, long naps, dinners at the Soup and More restaurant across the street or at Brian and Sarah's, and watching cooking shows on TV.
    But she did need help with the faucet. If Shaun was the man to fix it, so be it. She'd let him, and then they'd go back to being neighbors.
    "Thanks. Please come in."
    Shaun nodded and walked past her into the sitting room, leaving behind a trail of intoxicating cologne. "How have you been? It's been a while."
    "I've been great." Kelsey led the way to the kitchen. "Nothing to complain about. Except the faucet, of course."
    Standing in the kitchen with him, Kelsey felt suddenly awkward. The room was too small and she didn't know what to do with her hands. Offering him something to drink would be good—but she found she couldn't move, and so she just stood there staring at him.
    Under the sink, Shaun turned off the water supply. When he loosened the plastic cover on the top of the faucet with a flathead screwdriver, his biceps contracted and relaxed, and Kelsey couldn't stop staring. She felt an urge to run the palm of her hand along his stubble. Then suddenly the memory of him kissing her at the market flooded her mind. Goose bumps popped up on her skin.
    Great . Now she would be fantasizing about him again for the next few days.
    She had to get out of the kitchen before he turned around to find her gawking. "If... if you need me, I'll be in... I'll be in—"
    "Thanks. I'm almost done." His voice held no emotion whatsoever.
    Finding refuge in the dining room, Kelsey pulled out a chair and dropped her head into her hands. She didn't want it to be true, but she had missed him. Even more frightening, her foolish heart was falling hard for him.
    When Shaun was done, Kelsey finally managed to offer him coffee as a way to thank him and also poured a cup for herself. She wasn't normally a coffee drinker, but felt she needed some.
    As she sipped, she hoped Shaun would drink up and leave. The longer he stayed, the more uncomfortable she became. She could no longer relax in his presence, as though they had crossed some invisible line and there was no going back to being simply friends.
    Shaun didn't look like he was in a hurry to leave. Instead, he followed her into the sitting room and sat down next to her on the sofa. Kelsey kept her eyes glued to the blank TV screen.
    Shaun put his cup down. "Kelsey, is something wrong?"
    She turned to him, fingers wrapped too tightly around the cup handle. "No. Why do you say that?"
    "In the last couple of days you've been avoiding me. Did I provoke you in any way? The other night... If I overstepped some boundaries, I apologize."
    Kelsey shook her head, but her eyes locked with his for a long time. And then, like two poles of a magnet, their heads moved closer. So close she could feel his warm breath on her face and then the touch of his lips on hers. The blood rushed to her head and her temperature rose.
    As quickly as they had met, their lips parted; Kelsey came to her senses and pulled away. "You should leave." If he stayed she was certain she wouldn't be able to control herself.
    Shaun got to his feet. "Okay." There was no expression on his face. Then he gave her a half smile. "By the way, I heard you found a cooking school. Good for you."
    Then he walked out the door.
    Kelsey closed the door behind him and sat back on the