Bad Case of Loving You Read online

  It tasted like a lie, one she’d been living by for a long time. But what else could she tell him when he was poised to walk out her door? The idea of letting him walk out of her life again had something akin to panic fluttering beneath her breastbone. It wasn’t just about the sex. She’d missed him. But she had a feeling that saying so would just make him run faster.

  Because this felt like the only opening she’d get, she strolled over to him, keeping her tone casual and flirty. “I’d love to pursue that short term with you.” Not above using feminine wiles to woo him to her way of thinking, she trailed her fingers down his arm. “I think we’d both find it mutually beneficial.”

  Ty hesitated. She knew he wasn’t unaffected by her, knew he was battling his own lust, and prayed he’d lose.

  “I don’t live here, Pais. I’m in Eden’s Ridge.”

  At four hours, that wasn’t too far to drive from time to time. It might not be what she wanted, deep down, but she could work with that. “Perfect. Then we aren’t in each other’s back pockets worried about expectations. Just fun, when it works for both of us.” She’d had this conversation, this arrangement, before and it had never left her feeling hollow. But it had never been with Ty.

  He turned her to face him, skimming his hands down her arms before pulling her in and lowering his mouth to hers. Without a word, she recognized his goodbye in the lingering play of his lips. The heartbreaking taste of it flooded her, making her want to weep. But she didn’t hold on and didn’t say anything as he pulled back.

  “Last night was amazing. I’m glad we ran into each other.”

  She understood that this was all she was going to get. Even as her foolish, nostalgic heart cracked again, she forced a smile. “Me, too.”

  “I’ve gotta get on. I’m already late checking out of my AirBnB.”

  “Sure. Of course.” She wanted to ask for his number. His email. Something that wouldn’t mean the absolute closing of the door between them. But she walked him to the door, with Duke prancing as escort.

  Ty scrubbed Duke’s ears and lifted his hand in a wave as he trotted down the front steps.

  Despite the cold, Paisley stood on the porch, watching him stride to his truck. She’d known this was the likely outcome, even when she’d invited him home last night. It wasn’t fair to be upset with him for sticking to the script.

  He paused, one hand on the truck door. Paisley held her breath.

  Look back. Look back at me.

  Without turning, he called, “You remember that time our junior year, what you said when you were trying to talk me into breaking into the city pool for a midnight swim?”

  Her heart began to trip. “If I remember correctly, it was something to the effect that you should lighten up, and you needed more fun in your life.”

  “You were right.” Pivoting, he closed the distance between them, taking her mouth again in a frustrated kiss as his arms wrapped tight around her, like maybe he didn’t want to let her go any more than she did.

  Hope broke open inside her like the dawn, and this time, Paisley held on. Maybe this wasn’t goodbye after all.

  As Duke began to bark—in approval or annoyance—Ty broke the kiss, resting his temple to hers. “Let’s keep in touch.”

  They weren’t quite the words she’d wanted to hear, but they were more than she’d expected. “I’d like that.” She gave him her number, peering over his shoulder to make sure he entered it correctly into his phone.

  Typing out a quick text, he pocketed the phone and offered an apologetic smile. “I really do have to go now.”

  Feeling buoyant, Paisley waved him away. “Go, do the thing. We’ll talk soon.” It was easier to watch him slide into his truck now, knowing it was true.

  She stood on the porch in her flimsy robe, not feeling the cold at all as he backed out and drove away. There was no way to know how this would turn out. It might just lead to a few weeks or months of stupendous sex. Or it might be the opportunity she’d been waiting for since she was eighteen years old to show him their story wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  I hope you enjoyed meeting Ty and Paisley! Their story continues in MADE FOR LOVING YOU, the final book in the Rescue My Heart trilogy. Or you can go back to the beginning to check out Ivy and Harrison’s story in BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE (Rescue My Heart Book 1) and Laurel and Sebastian in WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (Rescue My Heart Book 2). Or you can hop on over to read about Emerson and Caleb in LET IT BE ME (Men of the Misfit Inn Book 1), or Maggie and Porter in BRING IT ON HOME (The Misfit Inn Book 4).

  Other Books By Kait Nolan

  A complete and up-to-date list of all my books can be found at https://kaitnolan.com.

  The Misfit Inn Series

  Small Town Family Romance

  When You Got A Good Thing (Kennedy and Xander)

  Til There Was You (Misty and Denver)

  Those Sweet Words (Pru and Flynn)

  Stay A Little Longer (Athena and Logan)

  Bring It On Home (Maggie and Porter)

  Rescue My Heart Series

  Small Town Military Romance

  Baby It’s Cold Outside (Ivy and Harrison)

  What I Like About You (Laurel and Sebastian)

  Made For Loving You (Paisley and Ty)

  Men of The Misfit Inn

  Small Town Southern Romance

  Let It Be Me (Emerson and Caleb)

  Wishful Series

  Small Town Southern Romance

  Once Upon A Coffee (Avery and Dillon)

  To Get Me To You (Cam and Norah)

  Know Me Well (Liam and Riley)

  Be Careful, It’s My Heart (Brody and Tyler)

  Just For This Moment (Myles and Piper)

  Wish I Might (Reed and Cecily)

  Turn My World Around (Tucker and Corinne)

  Dance Me A Dream (Jace and Tara)

  See You Again (Trey and Sandy)

  The Christmas Fountain (Chad and Mary Alice)

  You Were Meant For Me (Mitch and Tess)

  A Lot Like Christmas (Ryan and Hannah)

  Dancing Away With My Heart (Zach and Lexi)

  Wishing For a Hero Series (A Wishful Spinoff Series)

  Small Town Romantic Suspense

  Make You Feel My Love (Judd and Autumn)

  Watch Over Me (Nash and Rowan)

  Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Ethan and Miranda)

  Burn For You (Sean and Delaney)

  Meet Cute Romance

  Small Town Short Romance

  Once Upon A Snow Day

  Once Upon A New Year’s Eve

  Once Upon An Heirloom

  Once Upon A Coffee

  Once Upon A Campfire

  Once Upon A Rescue

  Summer Camp

  Contemporary Romance

  Once Upon A Campfire

  Second Chance Summer

  About Kait

  Kait is a Mississippi native, who often swears like a sailor, calls everyone sugar, honey, or darlin', and can wield a bless your heart like a saber or a Snuggie, depending on requirements.

  * * *

  You can find more information on this RITA ® Award-winning author and her books on her website http://kaitnolan.com.

  * * *

  Do you need more small town sass and spark? Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases, book deals, and exclusive content!

 

 

  Kait Nolan, Bad Case of Loving You

 

 

  Thank you for reading books on Archive.BookFrom.Net
Share this book with friends