Read Online Cold Feet in Hot Sand by Lauren Gallagher - Free Book Online Page B

maybe gain an ally, since if there was anyone left on the planet who might not be judgmental, it was Jennifer.
     
    “Do you swear on your life nothing leaves this office?” Deanna asked.
     
    “Yeah, of course.” Jennifer leaned forward and rested her elbows on Deanna’s desk. “What’s going on?”
     
    Deanna took a deep breath. “Nick broke up with my sister. I went to talk to him, and we talked, but then…” Shame twisted beneath her ribcage, and her mouth went dry.
     
    Jennifer’s eyes widened. “You… and Nick…”
     
    Sighing, Deanna nodded. “Yeah.”
     
    “Oh, Jesus.” Jennifer sat back with a huff of breath. “About time you two figured it out.”
     
    “Wait, what?” Deanna stared at her.
     
    Jennifer laughed. “Oh come on. Don’t tell me you’ve never wanted him before.”
     
    “I…um…” Deanna shook her head slowly. “I mean, I always thought he was good-looking, but…”
     
    “You never once, even while you were married to that cheating cretin, looked at Nick and thought you’d like to have a slice of that?”
     
    Deanna laughed softly. “Well, okay, but I’ve looked at a lot of guys. And who in this office hasn’t looked at Nick like that?”
     
    “And how many of us would pass up the opportunity if we
     
    got him naked and willing?” Jennifer smirked and held up her hand with her thumb and forefinger forming a zero. “None, sweetie. Especially not you.”
     
    “In theory, maybe,” Deanna said. “But, I honestly never — ”
     
    “ Dee .” Jennifer grinned. Dropping her voice to almost a whisper, she said, “You’re not fooling me.”
     
    “I’m serious, though. He’s always been a good friend, and he thinks the same of me.” Deanna paused. “I mean, I think he has.”
     
    “Nuh-uh.” Jennifer shook her head. “To be honest, half the staff thinks Nick was just with your sister because she’s the closest he’ll ever get to you.”
     
    Deanna’s jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”
     
    “Look, I’m not sure if you two are just so close you can’t see what the rest of us see, but the connection between you two? It’s almost painfully obvious to anyone looking in from the outside.”
     
    “It… really?”
     
    Jennifer nodded.
     
    “But… he and I, we’ve always just been good friends.”
     
    “ Really good friends,” Jennifer said. “Which is why I’m not at all surprised something happened between you two after he called off the wedding. Isn’t that the first time you’ve both been single at the same time?”
     
    Deanna dropped her gaze. It was, wasn’t it? But she’d been single around single men without jumping their bones. She had male friends. Why was Nick any different?
     
    Well, Deanna. Why is he any different?
     
    She waved a hand and shook her head. “Listen, he was upset, I was upset and lonely, we’d both had a little to drink, and we got carried away. That’s all there is to it.” Liar .
     
    “I’m sure,” Jennifer said with a knowing look in her eyes. “Deanna, don’t misunderstand me here, okay? I’m not calling you an opportunist or saying you were taking advantage of the fact that he was suddenly single. I know you better than that. What I do think is that you and Nick have had this super close friendship, and this chemistry that’s visible from space to everyone but the two of you.” She shrugged with one shoulder. “Honestly, I’ve been wondering for a while how you’d feel once he was married, so I just think whatever it was that happened, however you two ended up together, was
     
    probably bound to happen sooner or later.”
     
    Deanna chewed her lip and lowered her gaze again. Hadn’t she thought the same thing while they’d fumbled their way through their little encounter? That, right or wrong, it had been a long time coming?
     
    “Doesn’t make it right, though,” she whispered.
     
    “Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t,” Jennifer said. “And I don’t think he