Read Online Nick Of Time (Blue Ridge Romance 2) by Allison B. Hanson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Allison B. Hanson
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Family Life, best friends, Bachelor, Domestic Life, doctor, wedding, fantasies, Mountains, encounter, Forever Love, Single Woman, Charade, blue ridge, Romantic Cabin, New M.D. License, Gay Fiancé, Straight Façade, Little Brother, Famous Rock Star, Screw-Up, Out Of His League
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of those things?” Cooper raised a brow.
“Did you just meet me ?” He grinned at his brother, who simply shook his head and laughed.
The rest of the week hurried by, and soon it was Friday morning. Tucker didn’t see Nichole, nor did he have a chance to get her number from Cooper’s phone.
Once, when he asked where she was, Cooper informed him that she was putting her hours in at the clinic to make up for the time she would be missing later in the week.
It was the first time Tucker really understood that she worked. Hard. In his mind, he had always pictured her with her hair and makeup perfect, spouting orders to her underlings while picking lint from her long white lab coat. For some reason, she was also wearing four-inch stilettos, but that was a leftover fragment from a younger fantasy.
The rehearsal and the dinner afterward were in the same lodge where the reception would be held the next day. It was pretty swanky, with wood beams and stone everywhere.
They’d blocked off a bunch of rooms in one wing by the banquet hall for guests, but Tucker—paying for his own room—settled on a suite that looked out over the river. It had a balcony and a hot tub. He also paid for the suite on the opposite side of the building as a gift for the bride and groom.
The sight of Nichole when she walked into the lodge nearly knocked him over. She was wearing jeans and a sweater, nothing fancy. But he hadn’t seen her in a few days, and his brain had apparently been trying to downplay her sexiness as a defense mechanism.
As he’d helped Cooper with last-minute details for the wedding, he’d found himself thinking about Nichole. Of course now that he could see but not touch her, it was more than a little frustrating. Maybe they’d have more time together when the wedding was over. If he even wanted such a thing.
Surely the day in the cabin had been one of those situations that couldn’t be replicated. If they forced it, they would end up hating each other again. He remembered when he’d tried to kiss her good-bye and got jumbled up.
That was how they really were. The time in the cabin had been a fluke. He would never be good enough for someone like Nichole. He’d always known that. Even his stardom wouldn’t help him break into her world.
Although he wouldn’t mind testing the theory.
As Nichole got ready for the rehearsal and dinner, she had to admit to herself that she was taking a little more time in the hope of impressing Tucker.
It was stupid really. He was famous and had dated strippers and wannabe models. She barely remembered to shave her legs half the time.
Over the last few days, she’d kept waiting for the regret or shame to wipe away her happy memories of the cabin, but so far she was still just plain happy.
She even felt a little empowered. She’d let herself go—more than once—and it was an amazing feeling. Not something to feel guilty about. She knew a lot of women who were perfectly fine being on their own. Women who took casual lovers and kept their lives uncomplicated. Nichole wanted to be like that.
Who better to have an affair with than the king of casual?
Seeing him earlier that day had been a shock. She’d never paid much attention to him before, happy to ignore him altogether, but today she’d had some strange awareness. It was as if she was attuned to him, could feel him wherever he was.
She’d caught him staring at her twice. Both times he’d smiled unashamedly. That was Tucker. He was sexy without even trying to be. It was as infuriating as it was mesmerizing.
With a sigh, she looked in the mirror. It was the best she could do. She wasn’t horrible, she just wasn’t . . . amazing. At least not by rock-star standards. Unless one was stuck with her in a cabin during an ice storm, that is.
With another sigh, she tucked her key card in her tiny purse and went down to meet everyone for the rehearsal. She was ten minutes early and was shocked to find the only other person
“Did you just meet me ?” He grinned at his brother, who simply shook his head and laughed.
The rest of the week hurried by, and soon it was Friday morning. Tucker didn’t see Nichole, nor did he have a chance to get her number from Cooper’s phone.
Once, when he asked where she was, Cooper informed him that she was putting her hours in at the clinic to make up for the time she would be missing later in the week.
It was the first time Tucker really understood that she worked. Hard. In his mind, he had always pictured her with her hair and makeup perfect, spouting orders to her underlings while picking lint from her long white lab coat. For some reason, she was also wearing four-inch stilettos, but that was a leftover fragment from a younger fantasy.
The rehearsal and the dinner afterward were in the same lodge where the reception would be held the next day. It was pretty swanky, with wood beams and stone everywhere.
They’d blocked off a bunch of rooms in one wing by the banquet hall for guests, but Tucker—paying for his own room—settled on a suite that looked out over the river. It had a balcony and a hot tub. He also paid for the suite on the opposite side of the building as a gift for the bride and groom.
The sight of Nichole when she walked into the lodge nearly knocked him over. She was wearing jeans and a sweater, nothing fancy. But he hadn’t seen her in a few days, and his brain had apparently been trying to downplay her sexiness as a defense mechanism.
As he’d helped Cooper with last-minute details for the wedding, he’d found himself thinking about Nichole. Of course now that he could see but not touch her, it was more than a little frustrating. Maybe they’d have more time together when the wedding was over. If he even wanted such a thing.
Surely the day in the cabin had been one of those situations that couldn’t be replicated. If they forced it, they would end up hating each other again. He remembered when he’d tried to kiss her good-bye and got jumbled up.
That was how they really were. The time in the cabin had been a fluke. He would never be good enough for someone like Nichole. He’d always known that. Even his stardom wouldn’t help him break into her world.
Although he wouldn’t mind testing the theory.
As Nichole got ready for the rehearsal and dinner, she had to admit to herself that she was taking a little more time in the hope of impressing Tucker.
It was stupid really. He was famous and had dated strippers and wannabe models. She barely remembered to shave her legs half the time.
Over the last few days, she’d kept waiting for the regret or shame to wipe away her happy memories of the cabin, but so far she was still just plain happy.
She even felt a little empowered. She’d let herself go—more than once—and it was an amazing feeling. Not something to feel guilty about. She knew a lot of women who were perfectly fine being on their own. Women who took casual lovers and kept their lives uncomplicated. Nichole wanted to be like that.
Who better to have an affair with than the king of casual?
Seeing him earlier that day had been a shock. She’d never paid much attention to him before, happy to ignore him altogether, but today she’d had some strange awareness. It was as if she was attuned to him, could feel him wherever he was.
She’d caught him staring at her twice. Both times he’d smiled unashamedly. That was Tucker. He was sexy without even trying to be. It was as infuriating as it was mesmerizing.
With a sigh, she looked in the mirror. It was the best she could do. She wasn’t horrible, she just wasn’t . . . amazing. At least not by rock-star standards. Unless one was stuck with her in a cabin during an ice storm, that is.
With another sigh, she tucked her key card in her tiny purse and went down to meet everyone for the rehearsal. She was ten minutes early and was shocked to find the only other person
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