.

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ didn’t want to think about Ryan being sent back to his unit. Wherever in the world that might be, she knew in her gut it would be dangerous.

      She nodded. “Yeah, he’s going back.”

      “So let me get this right.” Bella grinned and shuffled her chair closer. “You’re telling me that the guy was gorgeous, you were attracted to him and he’s only here for a short time?”

      Jess definitely didn’t like where this was going. She didn’t even bother replying. It wasn’t as if Bella was about to start listening to her now. She never had before.

      “So can you explain to me why you don’t want to jump his bones?”

      She sighed. Did that type of question even warrant a response? So she’d thought about him like that. He was attractive, yes. He was charming. He was, well, nice. Better than nice. Wonderful.

      But it still didn’t mean she was going to let something happen romantically. She’d promised herself no men, no complications, no romance.

      So why would she consider breaking her rules now for him?

      “Jess?”

      She shook her head. “I’m just not interested in Ryan or anyone else for that matter. Not now.”

      “You’re missing the point, Jess.” Bella reached over the kitchen counter and took hold of her friend’s hand. “We’re talking about a guy who’s only going to be here for a short time, before he’s sent miles away. It’s not like it would be something long-term.” She paused. “You could let your hair down, forget all about what’s happened and just live in the now for a while.”

      Jessica didn’t want to hear this. She wished she could close her ears and sing loudly like a naughty child who refused to listen until her friend shut up. Only they weren’t children and Bella kind of had a point. But it didn’t matter what she said or how tempting it might sound. She was a cancer survivor. She had to focus on her health. On her future.

       On protecting her heart.

      And she didn’t want to ruin her friendship with Ryan. What they had might be paper-based, but it meant a lot to her.

      “Well?”

      “No.”

      Bella rolled her eyes. “Give me one good reason?”

      The phone rang. Jessica had never been so pleased for an interruption. Its shrill bleeping made her jump to her feet.

      “Hello,” she answered.

      “Hey, Jess, it’s Ryan.”

      The deep baritone that hit her eardrums sent a lick of excitement down her spine. She could curse Bella for putting ideas in her head!

      “Hi, Ryan.”

      There was a pause. A silence that made her heart pound hard.

      “I was, ah, wondering if you wanted to have dinner tonight after all?”

      Jessica made the mistake of looking up at Bella. Her friend looked like she needed a paper bag, as if she were on the verge of hyperventilating.

      “Is it him?” Bella was mouthing at her.

      She nodded then turned her back. “Sure.”

      Now Bella was flapping her hands. She was in danger of becoming airborne.

      “Quiet,” Jess mouthed as she turned back, but her friend wasn’t listening.

      “Shall I pick you up around seven?”

      “Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

      As she hung up Jessica looked at Bella.

      “Well?”

      Jess gulped. “We’re going out for dinner.”

      “Yaaaaaay!”

      She cringed at Bella’s high pitch. She should never have told her.

      “I can’t believe you’re finally back in the game.” Her friend sighed with satisfaction. “Going out on a date.”

      Jess wished a hole would open up in the carpet and swallow her. Just suck her up and eat her whole. This was not a date. Absolutely not a date. No way.

      “What are you going to wear?”

      Jess groaned. Who was she kidding? This was absolutely a date. It didn’t matter what she tried to pretend, or how she thought about it. She was a girl going out for dinner with a boy, her stomach was leaping around as if something with wings had taken ownership of it, and Ryan had sounded as unsure as she had felt herself on the phone.

      Given that she’d promised herself there was to be no dating for five years, she’d broken her one rule pretty fast.

      But maybe Bella was right. If something did happen between them, if she did want something to happen, would it be so bad? Ryan wasn’t hanging around for long, there was no chance she could have her heart broken or get into something long-term, because he wouldn’t even be here beyond a couple of months.

      “Come on, let’s get you ready.”

      She looked at Bella and tried not to get excited. Ryan would be here in a few hours. She’d be getting in his car, sitting across from him at a restaurant somewhere, looking into those sparkling blue eyes …

      Jess groaned again, even more loudly.

      So much for thinking of him as nothing more than a friend.

      Jessica wished she could quell the inconsistent thudding of her heart, but she couldn’t. It was no use.

      She was nervous. Terrified. And for some reason there was nothing she could do to calm her nerves, her fear or her excitement.

      If Bella hadn’t kept insisting it was a date …

      Argh. The word kept circling her brain like an eagle hunting prey. It wasn’t a date. So why—the more she thought about the word—did it seem she was trying to convince herself of a cold-edged lie?

      Jess parted the blinds to look out at the street. She watched as a couple of cars passed. The third one slowed then pulled up outside her house. Her hand dropped away, as if she’d been burned.

      It was like this morning all over again.

      Except this time she didn’t want to run from the scene. This time she wanted to run into his arms.

      She growled at herself. She needed to stop listening to Bella.

      But despite all her reasoning to the contrary, her promises to herself, the truth was that she was tempted. He was going away again soon. And she was attracted to him. So if he was interested in her like that then didn’t she owe it to herself to have a good time?

      The СКАЧАТЬ