Free Love Blooms on Main Street by Olivia Miles Page B

to the row of machines where Kara was hard at work, but that would just show Brett that she cared. And she didn’t care. At least, he couldn’t think she did.
    She plastered a breezy smile on her face, hoping that would suffice, but oh God, no. He grinned back, wider than she expected—a smile that probably won him a lot of hearts over time. Well, not hers. She bristled, telling herself it was just a smile, and a cocky one at that, and continued on her path.
    â€œWe meet again,” Brett commented as she neared the weight section.
    â€œBriar Creek is small like that.” Why hadn’t she considered that Brett would have joined the gym? He hardly maintained those hard abs working in the emergency room or with mere sit-ups alone. She wondered if it was too late to revoke her shiny new membership, which was costing her more than she should be shelling out.
    She gave a tight smile that she could only hope passed for polite and inched to her left in an effort to create some distance between them and that sweet smell of soap and musk and spice that had lingered on her bridesmaid dress long after their kiss was over, but Brett stopped her.
    â€œI’m glad you’re here, actually.”
    â€œOh?” She felt the blood drain from her face as she stared up into those warm chocolate-brown eyes.
    â€œI kind of had the impression you were mad at me last night after our talk.”
    She narrowed her gaze as the little bubble of hope burst inside her. The little bubble that whispered,
Maybe he’s had a change of heart. Maybe he saw you walk into the gym in those yoga pants and tight tank top and thought, What a fool I’ve been.
    When would she stop hoping he would say what she wanted to hear? When he stopped looking like that, she decided, tearing her gaze from his perfectly sculpted chest. The very one she’d run her hands down, pressed her nails into…
    â€œWhy would I be mad at you?” she asked. “You established you weren’t interested—”
    His brow pinched together. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested. I said I wasn’t looking for a relationship right now.”
    She refused to allow herself to read into the first half of his statement any more than she should. He was letting her down—again—and stroking his sorry ego in the process.
    She held up a hand and managed a smile. “Relax, Brett. It was just a kiss.”
    Only it wasn’t just a kiss and they knew it. She could tell by the way he nodded slowly, as if digesting this information, reflecting on it. It had been an entire evening of laughter and flirting, small touches, and unbreakable eye contact. By the time their two bodies had finally fused, they could barely keep their hands off each other. The kiss was deep, and long, and if they hadn’t been tucked in the old telephone vestibule of the Main Street B&B, they probably wouldn’t have stopped.
    She’d kissed enough frogs in her lifetime to know when a kiss was good. And when both people knew it.
    She watched his Adam’s apple roll on a swallow. “Just a kiss.”
    â€œI mean, it’s not like we slept together or anything.” She shuddered, thinking of how much that would have hurt. “Thank God for that!”
    His gaze darkened and narrowed steadily on her. “Here I thought you were enjoying yourself that night.” His voice was as smooth as melted chocolate, and just like the dessert, she stamped it out. Not allowed. Not in her world.
    But his words still echoed in her head, followed quickly by red-hot anger. “Did you?” She tipped her head, hoping the flush of mortification would stay at bay. Had it been that obvious? She stiffened as she recalled the moan she’d released in his ear when his fingers had slid up her thigh… “Huh. Well, I don’t really recall. It was so long ago.” She shrugged.
    He stared at her, his square jaw pulsing, and she