Free The Boyfriend List by Jeannie Moon Page A

that made Jenna smile.
    It didn’t take more than a second for Kevin and Jason to notice her and say hello. But it was Nate who had her attention. He stood with his hands stuffed in a pair of tan chinos and stared at her, just stared. He must have left six voice mails and she’d blown off every single one of them. He’d been nothing but wonderful, and she’d walked away like nothing had ever happened. Like she didn’t care.
    Which was a total lie. She cared more than she should.
    Folding her arms protectively across her midsection, Jenna approached Nate and wondered what she could possibly say to him. How she’d treated him was proof that she was a horrible person.
    “Hi.” It was a start. She felt awful.
    Considering he was, by his own admission, a little on the shy side, Jenna felt her pulse quicken when he didn’t look away. His gaze was steady, unwavering. He was annoyed and he wanted answers. Shy or not, this guy didn’t become a billionaire or wrangle high-strung horses because he lacked a backbone.
    “How are you, Jenna?” His reply felt cold, formal.
    “I owe you an apology, I—”
    A gentle wave of his hand stopped her cold. “Let’s not do this here.”
    Of course he didn’t want to talk about it. Why would he want to talk about being blown off by her in front of his friends? Jenna had never felt more disappointed in her own behavior in her life. It was shameful, especially considering how kind this entire group of people had been in welcoming her into the fold.
    “Yes, of course.” Taking a deep breath with the hopes it would calm her down, she turned to Harper. “Harper, I’ll start bringing my things over tomorrow, okay?”
    “Perfect. It will be nice having you here.”
    “It was good seeing you all again.”
    Jason and Kevin were looking between her and Nate. They knew something. She wasn’t sure what, exactly, but their reaction told her they were more in the know than they were letting on. Nate opened the French door to the patio, inviting her to leave.
    Wonderful. He couldn’t wait to get rid of her.
    “I’ll walk you to your car.”
    ***
    The set of his jaw told her she obviously didn’t have a choice in the matter, so Jenna went through the open door and started walking. This was almost worse than talking about it in front of other people. If they were alone, he’d probably tell her what he actually thought of her.
    She walked faster. Maybe if she got to the car quickly, she could escape. Yes, she was a coward.
    It was no use. He had quickly caught up to her with that damned long stride of his, and grabbed her hand. “Jenna, stop running. Talk to me.”
    Her skin prickled and warmed at his touch. Lord, what this man did to her—she had to run. She had to run to protect her heart. Did she tell him that?
    No. Instead she stopped. Turned. And then tilted her face to Nate, who didn’t look angry, but confused. Sad and confused.
    For someone who wanted to talk, Nate didn’t say anything for what felt like an eternity. He held her hands, pulled her in, and then without a word passing between them, he kissed her.
    And Jenna didn’t fight it because she’d missed him so much.
    The sweet pressure, the movement of his mouth, then his tongue across her lips made everything brighter, hotter. And that’s the way it was meant to be with Nate. They were like a pair of exploding stars, destined to consume each other. Jenna just didn’t know if she had it in her. But he felt so good. So good.
    He broke the kiss and pressed his lips to her temple. Feeling his arms banded around her, she felt safe and Jenna burrowed into the warmth and security of his body. Yeah, she’d missed him a lot.
    “Tomorrow night, I’m taking you out,” he said into her hair.
    “I’ll be unpacking.” That was the truth. She was moving her things into the cottage, and while it was just a few boxes of personal belongings and her clothes, she still had to get her life for the next two months squared