The Charm of You: A Grumpy Sunshine, Small Town Romance (Sapphire Creek Series) by Georgia Coffman

Author:Georgia Coffman [Coffman, Georgia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-11T00:00:00+00:00

chapter

twenty-two

CAROLINE

As I pull into a spot in front of Cream and Sugar and hop out, my feet are much heavier than they were an hour ago.

I waltzed into the garage like I was floating on freaking air, only for Austin’s grimace to jerk me back into reality with a resounding splat.

Last night was amazing, right? There’s no way I dreamed it.

His touch was too hot to be fictional.

The intimate moments we shared are too seared into my skin to be an illusion.

And the vibrations of his dirty words have burrowed too deeply into my nervous system to ever be unearthed.

Sure, the ride afterward was quiet, but I was sincere when I told him it was because I was content. The honest truth is that I was beyond sated and limp from the life-shattering pleasure I experienced thanks to him.

I figured the honest truth was a bit excessive, but the little he gave me this morning was rude… or endearing. I can’t decide.

He seemed to be tongue-tied, which I found wildly charming.

But what if I’m wrong about him? The hardheaded man is nearly impossible to read.

As I approach the coffee truck, Maren leans over the counter and jokes, “Did Austin hate the nickname so much he sent you back here to return it?”

She might be kidding, but I detect a hint of genuine plausibility in her tone. After all, it does sound like something the brooding and confusing-as-hell mechanic would do.

I huff out a frustrated breath in response.

Maren hops down from the truck, an apron tied around her slim waist, and brushes the loose strands of chestnut hair out of her eyes. “Step into my office.” She gestures toward the picnic table, where she and I chatted the other day.

I follow her lead and sit opposite from her, my coffee cup between us. My drink is now cold, and although I plan to get a fresh, hot one before I leave, this is comforting me now.

I need something to keep my hands busy.

“Talk to me,” she gently urges.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” My laugh is humorless.

How many times have I thought and uttered that exact statement this week? I should be getting tired of it by now. People around me should definitely be tired of hearing it.

In New York, I told Melissa about my juice cleanse twice in one week, and she gave me the strongest eye roll I’ve ever been on the receiving end of. I could almost feel her annoyance like a slap on the wrist.

But this is Sapphire Creek. The people around here are my friends and family. They never tire of helping a neighbor, or a distressed former homecoming queen.

Honestly, if they knew the truth about me, they probably wouldn’t bat an eye. Knowing them, they’d rally behind me and form some kind of campaign to restore my image. It might not help, but it would be cute and quirky and meaningful.

But the realization doesn’t alleviate my adamant resistance. In fact, it just fills me with a different kind of humiliation.

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