Sporting (Unleashed Romance #3) - Kylie Gilmore Page 0,6

lips before she turns abruptly to Sloane. Interesting. “How bad is the damage?”

“I’ll have to order a new bumper,” Sloane says. “Fortunately, the surrounding area is intact.”

“What do you think of her back bumper?” I ask.

Jenna slaps my arm playfully. “Fresh.”

I grin, enjoying this new flirty vibe. What was I so worried about? She probably never gave my note a second thought with all the excitement of leaving home for her new adventure in college.

Sloane shifts to inspect the Honda’s back bumper. A moment later, she jams her hands on her hips. “I’m estimating a couple of thousand for Eli’s work. Fifteen hundred for yours, Jenna. I looked up replacement bumper cost before you got here and, fortunately, there’s not a lot else that needs to be done. Just some touchup work. I’ll send the insurance companies a detailed estimate for both cars. Let’s see how much they agree to cover, and I’ll get back to you for the go-ahead.”

“Fifteen hundred!” Jenna exclaims. “Forget that. I can live with a dent in my bumper.”

“It’s really not safe to drive a car with a damaged bumper,” Sloane says. “You want it to protect you in case of another accident.”

Jenna presses her lips together before turning to me. “How much is your deductible?”

“Thousand.”

“Mine too. This is a very expensive fender bender. Plus my insurance will go up because it was my fault.” She worries her lower lip, finally looking as upset as I am about the whole thing. Somehow it’s not much consolation.

I step closer, wanting to make her feel better. “Let’s grab some lunch, and we’ll work out the details.”

She nods. “Okay, sure, where?”

“The Horseman Inn is closest. Plus I happen to know the owner.”

She smiles a little, her brows still knitted in concern. “Yeah, me too. I’ll meet you there.”

It’s a date.

3

Jenna

This is not a date. I’m having lunch with Eli for a specific purpose. It’s just that the air feels charged between us, and I’ve caught him checking me out a few times. Probably because I’ve been checking him out too. I never noticed how beautiful his hazel eyes were before. There’s a thin light brown ring around the green with glints of gold throughout. His dark brown hair is trimmed short, emphasizing his masculine wide-set cheekbones and clean-shaven jaw. And I can’t help but notice how his snug black T-shirt stretches across his broad chest and wide rounded shoulders. Bulging biceps, muscular forearms, big man hands. I can admit it. He grew up into a world-class hottie.

I glance guiltily around. Sydney’s here somewhere, probably back in the kitchen at the moment, and I can’t help but wonder what she’ll say about the two of us having lunch together. It’s completely innocent, but what if I can’t hide the lust I’m battling?

I pick up a fry and dip it in ketchup. I usually just have a salad for lunch, so today I went for a hot lunch—warm roast beef sandwich and fries. It’s heavenly. I was blessed with a high metabolism, so I can eat whatever I want. Good thing too because I always sample my newest baking creations. “So what did you have in mind?”

His hazel eyes are intent on mine. “What do you mean what did I have in mind?”

My face heats, which is odd. I hardly ever blush. Nothing fazes me. “You said we’d work out the details about the fender bender.”

“Oh, yeah.” He takes a sip of water. “I don’t want you going broke over this. Just contribute whatever you can, and I’ll cover the rest.”

“Eli, that’s not right.”

“You could pay me in installments. Is that better?”

I let out a breath. He’s being kind, much more than I expected after how angry he was before. The truth is, I’m on thin margins at my bakery, still paying off startup costs for the new equipment I had to buy. “No, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have said anything about the cost. I’ll take care of it.”

Sydney pops up by my side, her light brown eyes darting between me and Eli. Her long auburn hair is up in a high ponytail. “Hello. What’s going on here?”

I try for a neutral expression, careful not to look directly at Eli or her. “We were just working out the details on paying for our fender bender. It’s expensive, and both of our cars have damaged bumpers.”

Sydney gasps, grabbing my shoulder. “Are you blushing? I bet I know why. Did Eli confess when he was fifteen—”

Eli cuts her off. “Syd,