Let Me Be The One by Bella Andre

Vicki.”
    “I want to. Cooking always settles me down when things go haywire.”
    He gave her a look that asked without words just how many times she’d had to deal with haywire before now. “It sounds so good that I’ll keep my post-game meeting quick.”
    He was clearly reluctant to leave, so she put her hands on his back and pushed him toward the door. “Go be a superstar. I’ll see you tonight.”
    When he finally left, closing the door behind him, she wanted to collapse against it. Both from the fury and frustration at what James and Anthony were pulling, and from just how hard she was working to keep her feelings for Ryan hidden.
    She looked more closely at her new sculpture. She knew what she’d felt when she was making it...and she knew what she felt now as she looked at it. Ryan had felt it too, she was certain of it. He might not be trained in art or sculpture, but she valued his opinion. And she’d believed him when he said he thought it was fantastic.
    Of course, there were other things she’d felt during the past hour, in addition to the anger at her ex snooping in on her life and James trying to intimidate her.
    Because when she’d looked up to find Ryan watching her from the doorway, she’d been hit with a level of silly-stupid giddy she’d never felt with anyone before. Not since she was a teenager, anyway, when she’d hear Ryan pulling his classic rebuilt car up to the curb outside her parents’ garage.
    It had been so easy to go down memory lane with him and to reenact that night when she’d tried to teach him to make a pot. Only, she’d never have been bold enough at fifteen to get between his legs like that.
    She’d known better today, hadn’t she? Being that close to him, with her hands on his while his heart beat strong and steady against her back, his breath on her bared neck, was borderline stupid when she was trying to keep it together around him.
    But how could she resist?
    A knock came at the door and then her new friend, Anne, popped her head in. The clothing designer was in her mid-twenties, with bright green and blue hair and a shocking number of piercings. She also happened to be a brilliant artist with extremely wise eyes.
    “Did the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen find you?”
    Vicki had to laugh at that far-too-accurate description of Ryan. She was glad to feel the laughter rush through her, replacing some of the anger and frustration, if not the lingering desire.
    “He did.”
    “And?” Anne held up her hand. “No, never mind. I don’t want to have to hate you even more than I currently do, so it’s probably better if you don’t give me any details. So,” she asked with a lightning-fast change of subjects, “are you ready for this afternoon?”
    The board members—and James—would be here in less than four hours, along with someone to film the fellowship applicant’s progress to send to her ex in Italy.
    Forcefully pushing away the sense of impending defeat that wanted to ride her, she said, “Hopefully. You?”
    Anne shrugged. “Who knows. They’ll either love what I’m working on or hate it. But honestly, whether they do or don’t, I don’t much care.”
    “Wait a minute.” Vicki was confused. “I thought you wanted the fellowship.”
    “Oh, I do. Badly. The money would be fabulous, not to mention the contacts.” Anne shrugged. “None of that changes whether or not I like my project, though. So caring about their opinions is kind of beside the point, don’t you think?”
    Vicki had to nod. Because Anne was right. Beyond right, actually. “How’d you get to be so smart so young?”
    “Battle scars, baby. Once I realized that I beat myself up more than they ever could, I decided to start with kindness at home.” She made a funny face. “I’ve got to find a sexier way of saying that.”
    “No, you don’t,” Vicki said softly. “Kindness is incredibly sexy.”
    It was something Ryan had proved to her again and again.
    “You want a