Long Slow Burn by Isabel Sharpe

Author:Isabel Sharpe [Sharpe, Isabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, General, Contemporary, Fiction
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

MARIE STRODE DOWN THE aisle at the Pick ’n’ Save on Garfield. She’d been home all morning, restless and cranky, and finally decided if she had to stare at the walls of her house another second, she’d go completely mental. She’d been alone at the Roots Cellar Bar the previous evening. Quinn hadn’t been able to make their usual Friday night dinner, and though she tried telling herself it was the end-of-the-week ritual she loved, not just seeing Quinn, being there on her own hadn’t been the same. The drinks hadn’t been as bracing, the food seemed less tasty. And reading her newspaper hadn’t produced the kind of sparks that conversation with Quinn could.

Worse was the assumption, based on absolutely nothing, that in spite of his adorable attempts to make her feel attractive as a woman, Quinn had found female companionship for the evening he preferred. That he was making good on his promise to himself to find a serious girlfriend.

Fine. Marie had decided a while back that friendship with Quinn was better than not knowing him; she’d gone into this with eyes wide open. If she was feeling miserable over him now, it was her own damn fault.

So there. She’d beat herself up for a while. Super.

She was heading for the dairy aisle to get milk, and made the mistake of cutting through the frozen foods section. Namely, the ice cream section. Her steps slowed; her eyes peered through the frosted doorways to heaven. A pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey would make a healthy and sustaining dinner. She’d pair it with a bottle of cheap wine, a tearjerker movie and call it a hot Saturday night.

Her hand reached for the door handle even as the sensible calorie-counting part of her brain cried a slow-motion noooo!

“Marie.” His deep voice made her snatch her hand back as if she’d been trying to steal the crown jewels.

“Quinn.” She smiled brightly, cursing herself for not showering that morning, for being so down in the dumps that she’d not even bothered with makeup or decent clothes. But then he’d seen her this way before—in fact, the last time she bumped into him here in their shared neighborhood. Maybe she could summon him from nowhere simply by looking like hell?

Not the superpower she’d choose where he was concerned.

“Mmm, Ben and Jerry’s.” His eyes had drifted to the forbidden fruit. “I’m a Cherry Garcia addict.”

“I’m a Chunky Monkey.” She cringed. No kidding. “Oh, that sounded great.”

He was laughing, but not unkindly. Quinn was never unkind. “I’m going to leave that one out there to mortify you.”

“Thanks. Really. Super. Did you have fun last night?” Somehow she kept the edge from her voice.

“Oh, yeah. You can’t attend benefit dinners without having a great time. Especially eating badly cooked, tepid food listening to self-congratulatory speeches. Don’t know when I’ve had so much fun.”

“You didn’t have a date to liven it up?” Shut up, Marie. For God’s sake. What a masochist.

“Oh, yeah.” He drew the words out. “One wild, red-hot babe I used to work with.

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