“Rain's easing up,” he said.
“Thank God.” Rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she followed his gaze, she worked on repressing a shiver. Now that the storm was passing and taking most of the day's humidity with it, the air felt breathable again. Crisp. Clear. “Who knew the rain was so cold?”
The guy's features lapsed into what she was beginning to think of as one of his signature expressions: wry smile with cocked eyebrow. “I believe I did mention—”
“Yeah, you told me it was going to rain. Had you mentioned that the rain was going to be cold, maybe I would have listened to you. Don’t worry, though. I'm not mad. Just disappointed.”
He laughed, triggering the renewed swoop of something thrilling and unfamiliar low in her belly.
She laughed.
Arrested, his eyes thrown into shadow by his cap again, he sobered until all his boyish and teasing attributes gave way to a clear-eyed intensity she found disconcerting. Then he stuck out a hand.
“Edward,” he told her. “Harper. Pleasure.”
“Reeve Banks.” She hesitated, wishing there was a polite way she could refuse to shake. She could say, I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a cold—don’t want to spread germs! Then she wouldn’t have to engage in an act that, with this guy—Edward, his name was Edward—would feel way more intimate than a standard introduction.
But her hand was already in motion, probably because it wanted to touch him.
The actual contact was brief, a mere second and a half of his big hand, with nice fingers and well-kept nails, engulfing her smaller one in a firm grip.
But the energy surge between them—did he feel it, too?—felt like a pronged lightning strike to some vague point inside her. And when he quickly dropped her hand, crossed his arms and backed up a step, he left a tingling wake of awareness, as though she was now more alive than she’d been seconds ago.
“So,” she said, also backing up a step as she shoved her hands deep into her pockets.
“So.” Keeping his gaze lowered, he gestured to his SUV. Took another step away. “I’ll wait in my car.”
“Okay. But...What should I call you?”
He stopped. “Call me?”
“Ed?” she asked. “Eddie? Ned? Ted? Teddy? Please tell me you have a zippy nickname of some sort.”
Laughing, he shook his head. “You could give me one.”
Reeve thought about that and decided the strong name suited his commanding air, not that she planned to tell him that. “Edward is good.”
“Glad to hear it. I’d hate to think I’ve been walking around with the wrong name all these years.”
“It’s been known to happen.”
Another laugh from him, but then he seemed to catch himself at it and locked his expression down. He took another step toward his car.
“Thanks again,” she called after him, fighting an inappropriate stab of disappointment. The man was soon to be engaged or, at the very least, in a relationship serious enough to warrant a gift of an expensive piece of jewelry.
Taken was the word she was looking for. He was taken. And she...
Well, she had plenty of unfinished business to keep her occupied when she wasn’t drowning beneath the workload of her pediatric residency. “For everything.”
He nodded, a faint frown contracting his brows. “Reeve, huh? I like it.”
“It’s original, anyway,” she said, thinking of all the times she’d vainly searched kitschy souvenir shops for a keychain, doorknob sign or ID necklace with Reeve on it. “I’ve never met another Reeve.”
“Yeah.” Something in his expression warmed. Softened until the corners of his eyes crinkled with an unfulfilled smile. “Neither have I.”
If you enjoyed this excerpt, buy LET’S DO IT now!
© Copyright 2017 by Sally Young Moore Writing As Ann Christopher
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This is a work of fiction. All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone, living or dead, bearing the same name or names. All incidents are pure invention from the author’s imagination. All names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information or retrieval system, is forbidden without the prior written permission of both publisher and Author copyright owner of this book.
For information, contact:
Blue Iris Press LLC, 7350 Montgomery Road, #36476, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.BlueIrisPress.com
e-Book ISBN-13: 978-0-9968618-1-6
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-9982072-1-6
Excerpt From Let’s Do It © 2015 by Sally Young Moore Writing As Ann Christopher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A recovering lawyer, Ann Christopher has been published since 2006 and writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her very first book, a tragically bad starter novel, will forever remain under her bed, where it belongs. She’s also written a young adult horror novel, Monstrum.
When she’s not writing, Ann likes to do the following, in no particular order: read; cook; eat; hang out at Target looking for new stuff she doesn’t need; crochet; quilt; play with her 2 rescue dogs and 2 rescue cats; and travel the world with her family. Her favorite cities are Washington, D.C., Venice and Paris, in case you were wondering. She lives in Ohio with her husband and over-scheduled teenagers.
If you’d like to recommend a great book, share a recipe for homemade cake of any kind, or have a tip for getting your teens to do what you say the first time you say it, Ann would love to hear from you!
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Back Cover Copy
Also by Ann Christopher
Dear Reader Letter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Also by Ann Christopher
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction to Excerpt
Excerpt from LET’S DO IT
Copyright
About the Author
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