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Authors: Sophie Renwick

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“Now, Jenna, c’mon. You actually believe that?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

“So, you’re just going to give up?”

“I never said that.”

“Yeah, right. I’ve heard that tone before. Look, does Bryce even know how you feel about him?”

“Well, he should,” Jenna groaned.

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“Have you ever given him any indication that you might be interested in more than just his friendship?”

Jenna paused. “No.”

“And why not?” Sarah demanded.

“Because rejection is something that terrifies me. Especially coming from Bryce. And Chrissy, well, she’s

ruined him. He’s not looking for forever, and that’s what I want. Look, Sarah, I don’t expect you to

understand. I hardly understand it myself, but I do know this: I don’t want to lose Bryce. I want him in

my life, even if it’s only as a friend.”

“That’s just plain avoidance, Jenna. You’re using your friendship as a crutch. You know what I think?

You should march over to the restaurant first thing tomorrow and lay it all on the line.”

“Oh, right, like I can do that.”

“See, you are a chicken.”

“You should talk. I know your secrets, Sarah McCabe, and it’s not like you’re winning any prizes for

bravery.”

Her sister laughed. “Yeah, well, that’s because I’m stuck here in Cowville. Now, maybe if I lived in the

big city—”

“Oh, and there aren’t any phones in Lucan? You couldn’t call—”

“Nope. And besides, I called to talk aboutyour sex life. You see, I’m living vicariously through you. I’ve

been waiting all night for you to get home. Now spill. I want details.”

“Let’s talk about something else. How’s Dad doing?”

“All right. But the next time I want details. Sheesh, even Emily gives me more than this.”

“Yeah, but her stories are made-up.” Jenna smiled as she thought of Emily’s scandalous sex tales. How

Jenna wished it was true for Em, that she had found some gorgeous hunk to bring her out of her shell, but

the baby of the McCabe sisters was awkward and shy and possessed nerdy glasses, not to mention a

severe lack of fashion sense. No, Emily was nowhere near man-magnet stuff.

“Poor Emily.” Sarah sighed. “She needs to get out more and find herself a new job. The library obviously

isn’t doing anything for her social life. Now, as to Dad, he’s doing better. The doctor gave him the

all-clear to go back to work. The corn will be planted soon, and Ashton can’t manage it all by himself.

He’s already overworked as it is.”

“Dad needs to hire another hand. He’s only ever had Ashton. He needs to realize he’s getting older, and

with his heart . . . well, he just needs to come up with a new plan.”

“You try telling Dad that. You know how he is. Stubborn. This farm is his life, Jenna. He’ll never give it

up.”

“But it’s not producing, and its losses are eating away at Mom and Dad’s life savings—what little they

have.”

“Ashton’s been trying to steer him into new directions, but you know Dad. He won’t hear of it.”

“Don’t tell them, but I had an appointment at the bank. I’m trying to get a second loan on my business so

I can help out with the farm.”

“That’s sweet of you, Jen. I’ve started a second job, too, hoping to pull in a little cash to help out.”

“Not at the Cadillac?”

“It’s not that bad, and it’s only a couple of shifts a week.”

“Sarah, the Caddy is no place for you. My God, you must be getting groped and hit on every time you

turn around.”

“I can handle myself. Don’t worry. And the crowd doesn’t get too bad. They’ve got me working with

Tanya, who as we both know is a little free with her lovin’. No one is hitting on me, not when Tanya’s a

sure bet. Don’t worry about me, Jenna. But while we’re talking about it, do you think you might hear

soon about that loan? Because Ashton was telling me the other day that the loan officer from the bank

was here, and he had a bunch of businessmen with him.”

“I hope to hear in another week or so. Don’t worry, Sarah. I’m not going to let the bank take the farm

from Dad. I’ll do anything to prevent that.”

The buzzer to her apartment went off, scaring Jenna out of her skin.

“Is someone there?” Sarah asked.

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“Yeah, the downstairs buzzer just went off. Just a sec.”

Jenna carried the phone to the intercom, and pressed the TALK button. “Hello?”

“Hey,” came the deep reply. “You didn’t get any dessert tonight. Thought I’d bring some by.”

“Oh, my God,” Sarah squealed into the phone. “It’s him.”

Jenna released the TALK button and hissed into the phone. “Shhh, he’ll hear you. Now be quiet, or I’ll

hang up.” She pressed the button again. “It’s kind of late, but sure, c’mon up.”

“I cannot believe you just reminded him how late it is,” Sarah said.

“Yeah, well, some of us have to get up early in the morning for work. And oh, God, I gotta go, Sarah.

I’m in my nightgown. I can’t let him in looking like this.”

“Okay, but I want details tomorrow.”

Jenna hung up the phone and made a beeline for her bedroom. She was almost there when she heard the

pounding on her door. Too late.

She froze, a number of scenarios running through her mind, all of which involved leaving Bryce standing

at her door while she prepared to wow him. Which would take far longer than the thirty seconds she had.

With a groan, she turned around and padded across the hardwood floor of her apartment. With a deep

breath, she gathered her control and pulled the heavy chain from the lock, then turned the dead bolt.

Opening the door, she cracked it just enough so she could peek around the corner.

She almost had heart failure right there on the spot. Standing before her was Bryce, wearing silver oven

mitts holding a casserole dish covered with tin foil. She saw that his hazel eyes looked a touch more

green in the light coming from the hall. That devilish dimple of his was out in full force as he smiled down

at her.

“Hey,” he said, his voice a deep rumble from his chest. “You gonna let me in?”

“I, um,” she ran a self-conscious hand through her hair. “I was just heading off to bed. It’s kind of late.”

“Yeah. I know. Sorry about that.” The green in his eyes seemed to fade. “I won’t keep you. Let me just

drop this off and I’ll be out of your hair. It’s getting too hot to hold.”

Her gaze dropped to his hands and she noticed how he kept redistributing the weight of the casserole

dish. He was likely getting scalded.

Every sane thought flew out of her head in that instant. The door was flung wide, and she was ushering

him into her apartment, not thinking of how she was dressed.

He noticed the candles lit on her coffee table, and she redirected his attention to the galley kitchen ahead

of him.

“Was I interrupting something?” he asked, his voice suddenly taking on a strange tone.

“No, why?”

“The candles? The fact that there are two glasses sitting on your coffee table.”

“I often light candles, and what would two glasses signify?” she asked, slapping a hot pad onto the

countertop.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he growled. “Maybe the fact that you were having a drink with a guest. Is that why

you ditched me tonight, because you had another date?”

“Another date?” she asked, her eyeballs nearly popping out of her head.

His face seemed to grow a bit pale as he looked around. “Is he still here? Is that what you meant when

you said you were going to bed?”

Jenna couldn’t breathe. Was Bryce questioning her about her private life? She didn’t know whether to be

elated or ticked off at his gall. Where did he get off asking her such questions? The man who catted

around with a different woman every night of the week.

“Is that why you’re wearingthat ?”

Now it was Jenna’s turn to go pasty. Oh, Lord, she’d forgotten what she was wearing. Suddenly, she

wanted to cover her body with her arms, with anything, even the little white tea towel hanging from the

handle of the oven would suffice.

“Where is he? Waiting for you in bed?”

The accusatory look in Bryce’s eyes suddenly made her irrational. Oh, so it was perfectly normal,

acceptable even, for him to get laid every night by a different woman, but she wasn’t even allowed a

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date, let alone a sleepover.

That did it. Jenna plunged in. “There is no one here, if you must know. Not that it’s any of your business,

Bryce,” she sneered, “but I frequently wear this sort of thing to bed. I like nice lingerie. Now, I think you

better go, before we both say something we’re going to regret later.”

He reached for her arm, stopping her. “I’m sorry, Jenna. I had no right to question—”

“You’re damn right you had no right to question me about my personal life. I don’t pry into yours, so stay

out of mine.”

“Sorry,” he whispered, rubbing his hand down her arm. “I’m just . . . I don’t know what’s wrong with

me tonight.”

“I don’t know either,” she snapped.

“Jenna,” he said, turning her around to face him. “I just wanted to bring you something for your birthday.

To let you know I was thinking of you.”

“You completely forgot it was my birthday.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, you did. But I forgive you. You’ve had a lot on your mind.”

“I don’t want to fight, Jenna.”

“Me neither.”

His gaze drifted over her shoulder, toward the TV. “What were you watching?”

“Nothing much. There’s a Brat Pack marathon.The Breakfast Club just finished, and I thinkPretty in Pink

is playing next.”

“You lovedPretty in Pink ,” he said, smiling down at her. “I should know. We watched it together about

a dozen times.”

She’d told him she was in love with Blane, but really, she just liked to pretend that Bryce was Blane, and

she was Molly Ringwald’s character, Andie, and that kiss at the prom . . . that that would someday

happen to her and Bryce.

“What do you say we have some dessert and watch the movie? For old times’ sake,” he added.

She noticed he hadn’t taken his hand from her arm, and now his fingers were running along her skin in

slow, lazy circles. “Okay,” she said in a breathless rush. “Let me get the plates.”

“I’ll find the plates. You go and relax and get ready to be bowled over. I’ve outdone myself with this

dessert.”

“Okay,” she said, smiling, liking the way her body had grown all soft and tingly. “I’ll get a blanket and

some drinks. I’ll meet you at the couch.”

As she walked away, she knew Bryce was watching her. She tried to remain confident, tried to think that

maybe he actually liked the way she looked in the pink satin chemise. But she just wasn’t sure. And it

wasn’t like she could look over her shoulder and see whether he looked turned on—or disgusted.

She also knew she shouldn’t be sitting on the couch, entertaining Bryce, wearing something like this. She

should pull on her fleece pj bottoms, the ones with the moon and stars on them, and the baggiest

sweatshirt she could find. But the inner vixen in her quickly nixed that train of thought.

She could do this. She would sit there in her chemise and try to believe that she looked sexy enough to

turn Bryce on. Not that she would take it any further tonight, because that wasn’t part of the plan. She

couldn’t just fall into Bryce’s lap. She needed to show him that she wasn’t the sort of woman he could

beckon with just a flash of his dimple.

It wouldn’t be easy, but she would have to ignore Bryce and how damn good he looked in his white

T-shirt and snug-fitting jeans. She’d also have to ignore the wetness that had suddenly erupted between

her thighs.

Bryce couldn’t think. Hell, he couldn’t breathe. Watching Jenna saunter away in that pretty little chemise

was playing havoc with his synapses. He didn’t even blink as he watched her walk away. The

ecru-colored lace skimming just beneath the luscious curve of her cheeks commanded his attention, not

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to mention fueled his imagination.

She had the finest ass he’d ever seen. Full and round, begging to be cupped by his hand.

Shit!What was he thinking, cupping her ass? This was Jenna. Safe little Jenna. The friend he hadn’t had

any sexual thoughts about. Well, not since . . . Okay. He finally allowed the dirty truth to come up. There

had been a few times when he’d awaken from a vivid dream, his sheets tangled and wet, his brain

burning with images of him and Jenna.

But he’d always laughed it off. Always thought it absurd. He used to tell himself that the dreams were

about Jenna because she was the only woman he really knew well. They were friends, had spent a lot of

time together. Naturally she’d invade his dreams.

Pressing forward, he leaned over the counter and watched Jenna. Her profile was just as stunning as the

back view. Her breasts were just as hot as her ass, and the way they bounced and moved as she

reached for the blanket that lay across the back of the sofa had him groaning.

Man, he was hard. And completely fucking losing it.

Jenna was a friend. He wanted that friendship. Depended on it. No way was he going to toss a decade

of friendship down the toilet because his subconscious all of a sudden decided to cough up a few

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