Free Loose Ends by Lucy Felthouse Page B

amplified by the tumult of feelings that suddenly washed over me. Shock, regret, delight and the one reaction he’d always managed to get from me; arousal. As I hadn’t been prepared for any of those emotions, I needed some time out.
    Which was why I was hiding in the Ladies toilets, head in my hands. After a few minutes of wondering what to do, I mentally kicked myself. What on earth was I getting so worked up about? Nothing had ever happened between us; we’d never fallen out or stopped being friends. We’d simply drifted apart. So there was absolutely no reason in the world I shouldn’t just go over and say hi. That was what any normal person would do.
    I resolved to be normal, for a change. I lifted the lid and used the toilet while I was there then came out and washed my hands, splashed some water on my face and touched up my lipstick. A quick spritz of perfume and I was ready to face the world.

Chapter Two
     
    Heading back into the bar, I caught sight of Kat and Alex who had managed to get rid of Jenny. They were keeping themselves entertained by chatting up the barman, by the looks of it. I went over to them. I thought I may as well get a drink, since they already had the barman’s attention.
    “Oh, hey,” said Kat as I reached them. “You’re back. Have you been to speak to him already? What happened?”
    “No, I’ve only just come back from the Ladies. I was coming to get another drink.”
    “Don’t be so ridiculous!” hissed Alex, surprising us both. She was usually the mild-mannered one. “Go over without a drink, and he’ll offer to buy you one.”
    She had a point. That sorted, the girls flapped their hands at me, urging me to go off and find Jonathan. I made my way farther into the room, but I couldn’t see him. He certainly wasn’t where I’d last spotted him. Glancing back at the girls, I saw they were watching me like hawks. There was no escape; I’d have to keep looking. They would never allow me to go back over there with the excuse that I couldn’t find him. With friends like mine, who needed enemies?
    I scoured the room, which, with its dim lighting, wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Finally, I saw him. He was feeding coins into the jukebox. Alone. Before I had chance to wimp out, I walked over to him. I had a quip on the tip of my tongue, ready.
    I stood behind him and said, “I hope your taste in music has improved in the last five years!”
    He jumped slightly then turned around. He’d obviously recognized my voice straight away because he was grinning.
    “I thought it was you!” he said. “How are you doing? You look great!”
    Before I had chance to respond, he’d wrapped me in a hug. He’d never been a skinny guy, but as I hugged him back and my face pressed against his chest, I could feel how solid he was. There was pure muscle beneath the shirt he wore. A delicious heat started to flicker between my legs.
    I pulled back before I did something stupid, like allow my hands to stray toward his ass. The temptation was definitely there, especially as he still knew how to wear a pair of jeans. Over eight years after I’d first caught sight of that backside, it looked equally good. Possibly better, due to his bulkier frame.
    “I’m good, thanks,” I replied, still checking him out. “You look pretty good yourself!”
    It was true, too. Aside from the still-gorgeous ass and additional body mass, he looked good enough to eat. Working abroad obviously agreed with him. He carried a nice tan, and his hair was shorter. It suited him. I was pleased to note, though, that he still had his trademark facial hair. Ahh, the times I’d fantasized about having it brush over certain parts of my body were too many to count.
    I focused back on his face before my mind wandered too much. Jonathan had obviously seen my slightly dreamy expression, though, as I saw a mischievous twinkle appear in his blue eyes. God, I remembered that look. It inevitably meant trouble.
    “So,” I said