Read Online Perfectly Charming (A Morning Glory Novel Book 2) by Liz Talley - Free Book Online

until he was a junior at Stanford, no doubt the memory Jess had of the Brain was vastly different than the man who stood before her today. Even so, the knowledge he’d been so secondary in her world that she didn’t recognize him in the slightest caused a tiny ping of hurt inside him.
    Jess stood in her kitchen, hand hovering over the nearest drawer pull, staring at him like he was a specimen in a petri dish. Her soft mouth hung slightly open, and her amber eyes blinked as she processed that he had, in fact, been her high school chemistry lab partner. The seconds ticked by, uncomfortable as wing tips a size too small.
    “Uh, could you say something?” Ryan asked.
    “I’m sorry. I just—” Jess snapped her mouth closed and moved toward him. Then she actually circled him, like an appraisal. “It’s amazing. You don’t look anything like the kid who—”
    “Sneezed into your chicken noodle soup?” he finished.
    Jess gave up a laugh. “Lord, I had forgotten about that.”
    “And you’d forgotten me,” he added.
    “No, I hadn’t forgotten you. But I never expected you’d end up looking like this.” She stopped, peering up into his face, her gaze catching his. Amazement on her face. “I mean, you’re gorgeous.”
    Ryan felt heat flare in his cheeks at her comment. He’d never been a blusher, but maybe something about his once-upon-a-time fantasy girl circling him the way she was and telling him he was gorgeous made him itchy, embarrassed . . . blushing. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
    “I would. Don’t forget I’ve seen you naked. As a nurse who sees a lot of naked bodies, I’m an expert on what goes for gorgeous, and I gotta tell you, it’s freaking me out a little. The Brain grew into a hottie.” Jess laughed, her eyes sparkling. “I’ll be damned.”
    “Yeah, well, people grow up,” he said, wanting to shift the conversation to something other than his hotness. Sure, he worked hard to be what he was on the outside—tan, fit, and somewhat slouchy. Wearing his shirt untucked nagged at him all day long.
    She sobered at that thought. “I guess they do.”
    “So, do you want to grab dinner? Even though seconds ago you thought I was a creeper who’d been stalking you,” he said, searching for the tried-and-true charm he’d learned to use around women. No longer was he the geek who’d crushed on Jess, stammering around her and turning the color of lithium chloride when set to flame. “I could sort of see the panic in your eyes when you were looking for a weapon.”
    She tilted her head, and her curls fell forward to frame her face. Still so pretty. “I prayed there was a butcher knife in the closest drawer.”
    “I could have taken it away from you,” he said. Because he could have. Thanks to gym time and training in judo, tae kwon do, and mixed martial arts, he was proficient, quick, and strong.
    Jess made a face.
    “I have a black belt.” He’d achieved that several years ago, when he still wore a lab coat.
    “Of course you do,” she said with laughter in her voice. Then she swiped a hand over her face. “This is surreal.”
    “So, dinner?”
    “Honestly I really don’t want to go anywhere noisy. It’s been a long first day for me,” she said, gesturing to the brown bag of wine. “And I have a date with a wine bottle.”
    “Not a great conversationalist,” he said, pulling the wine from the bag and reading the label. Sauvignon blanc. Decent vintage. Nothing soul stirring. “We can order takeout and spend some time catching up. Or I can leave. I’m not trying to force my company on you. I guess it’s nice to see you again. I don’t run into too many fellow Morning Glorinians.”
    “Is that what we are? Glorinians?”
    “Best I can guess,” he said.
    Jess took the bottle from his hand. “I’d love for you to stay. We can catch up, and you can tell me how you ended up here. I figured you’d be curing cancer or something by now.”
    “Nah, I’m just a regular guy.