The Reunion: Shelby's Chance Meeting (Starting Over Series) Read Free

chest against his and her face in the curve of his neck. For a brief moment, she stalled as his cologne wafted past her nose. Would it be inappropriate to lick his neck, she wondered?
     
    As he caught her, his strong arms stretched around her waist. She ’ d never felt quite so safe and protected. What was this man doing to her?
     
    “ So sorry …” she stammered as she got her feet under her. He held on for a moment to make sure she was stable before he released his hold. She swore she heard his breath catch as her face brushed up the side of his neck on the way up.
     
    “ We ’ ll be in touch, ” was all he said as he turned back toward his desk and she backed out of the office.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    Shelby sank deep into her garden tub full of bubbles and took a sip of her glass of wine. Sure, most women would like to be out on a date on a Friday night, but she was content with a quiet house and thoughts of the dashing Brian Chadwick she had met earlier in the day.
     
    At only five o ’ clock in the afternoon, she knew that sinking into a hot tub with wine was probably not the best idea, but she was alone and able to do whatever she wanted. And right now she wanted some wine. She wasn ’ t accustomed to drinking wine when the sun was still up, but she figured it was night time somewhere.
     
    Suddenly, her thoughts of serenity were interrupted by her doorbell ringing. She tried to ignore it, but the person was insistent when they rang it two more times. She jumped from the tub, pulled her hair into a loose ponytail and threw her fluffy white robe on. Naked underneath, she hoped the person at the door would be brief with whatever they had to say.
     
    She flung the door open without thinking and saw Brian standing there. OMG was all she could think. He was now wearing his white shirt minus the jacket with the sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms.
     
    “ Mr. Chadwick! ” she said in shock as she instinctively put her hand over her chest.
     
    “ Ms. Ashwood. You look … wet, ” he said smiling.
     
    Noticing she hadn ’ t done a very good job of drying off, she saw a puddle of water on her hardwood floors.
     
    “ Oh, shoot! ” she yelled as she stepped back onto the carpet of the living room. “ Come on in. Make yourself comfortable. I need to get dressed, ” she said trotting out of the room.
     
    When she returned wearing her black yoga pants and a pink t-shirt, she noticed him crouched down in his nice suit cleaning up the water on her floor with a dish towel he ’ d apparently found in her kitchen.
     
    “ Thanks, ” she said as she walked over to him. He looked up and smiled as he handed her the damp towel and stood up.
     
    “ No problem. I grew up with three sisters. They were always running around wet, ” he said laughing.
     
    “ I won ’ t ask, ” she said smiling. “ So, what are you doing here, Mr. Chadwick? ”
     
    “ Please, call me Brian. ”
     
    “ As long as you call me Shelby. ”
     
    “ You got it. I came by to take a look at the damage to your vehicle first hand. That way I can fast track the repairs for you. ”
     
    “ Sure. We can just go outside and I will show you, ” she said pointing at the front door.
     
    “ Are these your kids? ” he asked picking up a photo of the three of them together. She had taken them to a pumpkin festival in the north Georgia mountains one year when Kenny didn ’ t want to leave the farm.
     
    “ Yes. ” She was unsure of showing a complete stranger what her kids looked like. But, since they were with Kenny a couple of hours away, she figured she was safe.
     
    “ They are adorable. ” 

    “ That ’ s an older picture of us at the pumpkin patch. You can see I am actually sitting on a big pumpkin, ” she said leaning in and pointing. Her hair brushed across his chest and she heard his breath catch again.
     
    “ The car, ” he said as he put the photo back on the table and backed up.
     
    “ Right. The car,