Page 15 of Chasing the Sun

Say no, say no.

“I’ll take a little more coffee if you don’t mind.”

She might have been surprised if she weren’t leaning against the counter right next to the coffee pot. Since he’d made breakfast, she felt it was a reasonable request.

“Sure.”

She carefully carried the mostly full pot to the table, praying she wouldn’t stumble and spill it all over him. She had to lean in to pour, and she avoided his eyes as she filled his cup.

At age twenty-seven, she’d discovered that chemistry was a real thing. She’d felt it before. That sizzle. That acute awareness of another person that made one’s spine tingle whenever they were near. It was inexplicable and intoxicating, and it was happening right then. The pull was magnetic and disconcerting, making her want to lean in and push away at the same time.

She tried not to look in his eyes when she straightened back up, but she couldn’t help it. She had to see if he felt it too. At that exact moment, Molly came racing into the room with Lucy cradled in her arms like a baby.

“We forgot to feed Lucy,” she said.

Bryce stood up from the table immediately and disappeared down the hall, presumably to get Lucy’s food. It was the perfect time to escape.

“I’m going upstairs to take a shower. I’ll see you later, okay, Molly?”

“Okay,” Molly said, still distracted by her pet.

Chloe hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs, grateful for the reprieve. She didn’t breathe easy until she was in her bedroom with the door locked.

Had she imagined the whole thing? Her friends always told her she should have been a writer. She had a gift for storytelling and an overactive imagination. Still, she’d have sworn he felt it too.

Thank goodness she was leaving for a while. She needed to get away and clear her head, but first, she needed a cold shower!

Chapter 6

Bryce took another sip of wine and turned the page. He was reading an engaging novel of World War II, but he couldn’t seem to concentrate. It was almost ten o’clock at night, and Chloe was still out. He felt ridiculous waiting up for her, but he wanted to make sure she got in all right.

He’d tucked Molly in almost two hours ago. Then he’d gone back downstairs, poured a glass of his favorite wine, and settled in the living room with his book. He’d have done the same thing whether Chloe was there or not, but he usually went to bed by now since he had to get up early for work.

I’ll wait a few more minutes, he thought and went back to his book.

Just then, he heard the garage door open, and he felt a flicker of relief. Even though Chloe was an adult, he still felt responsible for her while she was under his roof. Not that Naples was a high-crime area, but she was unfamiliar with the city, and it was dark out.

“Hello?” she called out.

“In here,” he replied.

Chloe stepped into the dimly lit living room and swept her eyes over him.

He was wearing a faded Miami Dolphins T-shirt and a pair of plaid sleep pants. This was how he dressed every night until he got into bed and ditched the pants, but maybe it had been a mistake.

“Hi,” he said, still clutching his book in one hand.

“Hi.”

“I was reading and having a glass of wine before bed.” He realized how ridiculous that sounded. As if the book and wineglass hadn’t already given him away.

“Anything good?”

“Hmm?”

“Your book.”

“Oh. Yes. It’s very good if you like historical fiction.”