quarter of a second about telling him to stick it, but she wasn’t that stupid. She was freezing and she was certain she’d lost a few brain cells. She shuffled her frozen body to the car and slid inside.
Thankfully he had the heater blasting, and her coat was on the seat next to her. She pulled it over her. And then he scooted over toward her.
She shot him a look. “Wha…what are you doing?”
“Warming you.” He pulled her against him. “Are you out of your mind running out of the house without a coat? It’s five degrees outside.”
No wonder she thought she was going to die out there.
She wanted to argue with him, but he’d opened his coat and drew her against his chest and he was so damn warm all she could think about was the heat of his body. She was shivering uncontrollably now and couldn’t seem to stop her teeth from chattering.
“I’ll be f…f…fine in a minute. Then you c…can let me go.”
He rubbed her back and hair, his voice gentle. “I know. I will.”
The snow came down harder now, obliterating her vision of the outside. The heater and their breath fogged the windshield and windows, reminding her of what they used to do in his car to steam up the windows. It had a lot to do with body heat, but not because she’d been stupid and walked outside in the cold. Those thoughts and memories coupled with being in his arms again warmed her more than the heater.
“I…I’m…”
“Shhh. Just relax, Riley. Your body is so cold. I’m not going to move this car until you’re warm, so you can just listen to me.”
She was still shaking, so he was probably right.
“I’m sorry. Really sorry. I was out of line. Seems like I’m always hurting you and I never meant to. The things I said were unforgiveable. It was a knee-jerk reaction.”
“More like a jerk reaction.”
He laughed, the sound deep and vibrating against his chest.
“You’re right there. I was a total jerk. For some reason you bring out the worst in me.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Not what I meant. God, Riley, I just make a mess of things when I’m around you, don’t I?”
“You seem to.” She wasn’t going to let him off easy. Not this time.
“If you don’t want me to talk to the television people, I won’t.”
She listened to his heart beating against his chest, so strong and sure. She had always believed in Ethan. From the time she was fourteen years old he’d been her rock, her lifeline, and everything she’d loved.
Until Amanda.
She’d been running away from the answer for so long. It was time to stop and just ask the damn question.
“Tell me about Amanda.”
She felt his heart speed up.
“What do you want to know?”
She lifted her head and met his curious, wary gaze. “Why did you choose her over me? I didn’t even know you were interested in her.”
He offered up a half smile. “I wasn’t. She wanted me.”
Riley frowned. “No she didn’t.”
“Honey, she had a thing for me for years. She wanted me as much as she wanted the career you ended up with.”
She shook her head. “That’s not true. I mean, yes, she was a singer, too. A great singer. Of course that’s the career she was after.”
Riley and Amanda had met in choir freshman year. Amanda had a beautiful voice, clear and strong. Her parents had spent a fortune on private lessons. Amanda intended to go to college and study music. Fame was in her future, she’d told Riley. She wanted to front a rock band, or become a pop star.
She had the chops for it. Riley had been mesmerized by Amanda’s voice. They’d spend hours together at Amanda’s house, harmonizing on songs.
They’d become friends and had been inseparable in all things.
Except Amanda had never had a boyfriend. She said she was too busy with her singing lessons to worry about boys. But she’d never begrudged Riley’s relationship with Ethan, because Riley had always included her. She’d never shut Amanda out, had always tried to fix her up with guys so they
Thankfully he had the heater blasting, and her coat was on the seat next to her. She pulled it over her. And then he scooted over toward her.
She shot him a look. “Wha…what are you doing?”
“Warming you.” He pulled her against him. “Are you out of your mind running out of the house without a coat? It’s five degrees outside.”
No wonder she thought she was going to die out there.
She wanted to argue with him, but he’d opened his coat and drew her against his chest and he was so damn warm all she could think about was the heat of his body. She was shivering uncontrollably now and couldn’t seem to stop her teeth from chattering.
“I’ll be f…f…fine in a minute. Then you c…can let me go.”
He rubbed her back and hair, his voice gentle. “I know. I will.”
The snow came down harder now, obliterating her vision of the outside. The heater and their breath fogged the windshield and windows, reminding her of what they used to do in his car to steam up the windows. It had a lot to do with body heat, but not because she’d been stupid and walked outside in the cold. Those thoughts and memories coupled with being in his arms again warmed her more than the heater.
“I…I’m…”
“Shhh. Just relax, Riley. Your body is so cold. I’m not going to move this car until you’re warm, so you can just listen to me.”
She was still shaking, so he was probably right.
“I’m sorry. Really sorry. I was out of line. Seems like I’m always hurting you and I never meant to. The things I said were unforgiveable. It was a knee-jerk reaction.”
“More like a jerk reaction.”
He laughed, the sound deep and vibrating against his chest.
“You’re right there. I was a total jerk. For some reason you bring out the worst in me.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Not what I meant. God, Riley, I just make a mess of things when I’m around you, don’t I?”
“You seem to.” She wasn’t going to let him off easy. Not this time.
“If you don’t want me to talk to the television people, I won’t.”
She listened to his heart beating against his chest, so strong and sure. She had always believed in Ethan. From the time she was fourteen years old he’d been her rock, her lifeline, and everything she’d loved.
Until Amanda.
She’d been running away from the answer for so long. It was time to stop and just ask the damn question.
“Tell me about Amanda.”
She felt his heart speed up.
“What do you want to know?”
She lifted her head and met his curious, wary gaze. “Why did you choose her over me? I didn’t even know you were interested in her.”
He offered up a half smile. “I wasn’t. She wanted me.”
Riley frowned. “No she didn’t.”
“Honey, she had a thing for me for years. She wanted me as much as she wanted the career you ended up with.”
She shook her head. “That’s not true. I mean, yes, she was a singer, too. A great singer. Of course that’s the career she was after.”
Riley and Amanda had met in choir freshman year. Amanda had a beautiful voice, clear and strong. Her parents had spent a fortune on private lessons. Amanda intended to go to college and study music. Fame was in her future, she’d told Riley. She wanted to front a rock band, or become a pop star.
She had the chops for it. Riley had been mesmerized by Amanda’s voice. They’d spend hours together at Amanda’s house, harmonizing on songs.
They’d become friends and had been inseparable in all things.
Except Amanda had never had a boyfriend. She said she was too busy with her singing lessons to worry about boys. But she’d never begrudged Riley’s relationship with Ethan, because Riley had always included her. She’d never shut Amanda out, had always tried to fix her up with guys so they
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