Worth the Risk_ A Contemporary - Megan Hart Page 0,62

the bed. “Wow.”

She repeated the word with a different inflection, this time, less of overjoyed wonder than amazement. She’d slept past eleven a.m. When was the last time she’d done that? College? Arden blinked and yawned, stretched out the kinks in her back and sat up.

No hangover. A rumbling stomach. Clear eyes. And an immense, complete sense of full-body satisfaction she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, Arden couldn’t help smiling. Flushed cheeks. Glowing grin. The restorative powers of good sex were indeed impressive.

She paused, mouth full of toothpaste foam, to look at herself again. Lida was absolutely right. She needed to get laid. She needed more than a solo session with her butterfly or a dream man’s cock. She needed real flesh against hers. Real warmth beside her.

The small, framed photo of Jason she’d hung on the wall over the sink caught her eye, and Arden reached to touch her husband’s face. “Jay, I think it’s time.”

He didn’t protest, just kept grinning, fishing rod in one hand and trophy-trout in the other. Arden searched the photo for any sign he’d disapprove. Be jealous. Hate her from Heaven or from wherever it was he’d gone.

The picture, of course, could tell her nothing. Only her mind and heart could give her the encouragement and permission to move on with her life. She touched the frame again, then spit into the sink. Rinsed. Put the cap back on in the way Jason had never remembered to.

“I love you, Jay,” Arden whispered, but just as he could not accuse her of infidelity, neither could he love her back any longer.

Something had happened to her overnight, something so fantastic and strange she had to keep checking her reflection to make sure she hadn’t woken with a tattoo that said Open for business on her forehead. Men—strangers—made eye contact with her in the grocery store. The gas station attendant gave her an appreciative look-over when she filled her tank. They were flirting with her!

Maybe the man at the gas station had always flirted with her and she’d just been oblivious. Now Arden smiled back at him when he returned her change. She didn’t want to date him...but just seeing his interest made her look around with new eyes.

Consequently, it was way easier to get a date than she’d expected. Brian Doyle had been selling Arden notions and patterns since she’d opened the sewing shop. Today, when the jingling bell announced his arrival, Arden saw more than a salesman’s smile and a nice suit, or a bag of samples and his usual gift of coffee and doughnuts.

Today, Arden saw an overture. How could she have missed it for so long? The way he lingered to chat, even after she placed her order? The extra samples he routinely included? Brian was hitting on her, and probably had been for months.

“I’m sorry to tell you I won’t be back here again.” Brian’s words pulled her out of her musings.

“No? Why not?” It was too soon for flirting to seem natural again, but now that her eyes had opened she couldn’t seem to stop the age-old dance that happened all the time between men and women.

Brian leaned on the counter. He dressed really well, she had time to note, feeling stupid she only now noticed. “They’ve changed my territory. I’m not going to cover this area anymore.”

“That’s too bad.” She meant it too. Brian was a great rep. He’d always been really nice...because he’d been hitting on her. That made her smile, and when she did, he homed in on it like a fly to honey.

“Listen, Arden, I know it’s short notice and all, but I was wondering if you were free tonight. For dinner.”

He was asking her out. She’d decided to date and here he was, the first offer, like a sign. Arden knew better than to turn it down. She couldn’t. She’d lose her courage.

“That sounds great.” She thought for a second. “It works out really well because my girls are both with friends tonight until about eight o’clock. Can we make it early?”

Brian squinched his face like he was going to say no, but then nodded. “Sure, if that’s the only time you can make it.”

She didn’t want her first date to be an inconvenience. “If that’s not good for you—”

“No, no, it’s fine. How about if you meet me at Kendall’s over on Walnut Street? Five o’clock?” He smiled.

How could she have never noticed his charming smile