Unbound by Olivia Leighton

found myself thinking, as if trying to push some sort of telepathic message across to Jack: Ask me out already! At least ask for my number!
     
    “ Heading back out there again anytime soon?” I asked.
     
    “ I don’t know. Probably.”
     
    I had another question at the ready, but didn’t want to seem too obvious. It was on the top of my tongue, but I managed to swallow it. And it was a good thing I did, because he almost crossed the line I was hoping he would cross with his next question.
     
    “ SO, are you here every day?”
     
    “ Yeah,” I said with a shrug. “It’s a glamorous life.”  I tossed my hair over my shoulder in a teasing sort of way, indicative of a starlet at the Oscars.
     
    He nodded and smiled at me, paying cash for his items.  God , this guy is hot as sin.   Wow.  His model-worthy smile could light up a room and melt panties off of any hot-blooded woman, including mine.  I handed him the paper sack with a steady hand, refusing to give into the sex-crazed monster suddenly lurking in my brain.
     
    “Then I'm quite sure I'll be back soon,” he said softly, making sure to hold my eyes.  Oh Jesus Christ!   My insides completely melted into some odd mixture seemingly consisting of runny oatmeal and pop-rocks.  “Bye, for now.”
     
    “ Later, Jack.”
     
    We held eye contact for another two seconds before he turned around. His eyes were dark brown, almost chocolate. But despite the lack of color, there was a lot going on in them. He had one of those stares that was beyond expressive.  I could totally get lost in those deep pools of chocolate.
     
    When he turned away, I frowned. Amber Dawson slowly walked down the aisle towards me, hidden from Jack by two display racks. She froze at the edge of it as Jack opened the door and turned back to me. He gave me a dazzling smile, a wave, and then he was gone.  Oh, good God!
     
    Amber wasted no time in coming to the counter. She gave me an evil grin and nodded. “If you don’t mind my saying so, that guy is beyond hot.”
     
    “I suppose some people might think so ,” I said trying to sound professional to avoid a lengthy conversation which I was positive would turn to my love life.
     
    “Please.  All people ,” she said, flipping her radiant hair back with a smile. “I can’t remember the last time I saw you speak to a man for that long. And I don’t know if you are aware of it or not, but you were looking at him like you were a starving bear and he was a piece of meat.”
     
    I gasped.  “ I was not!”
     
    Amber beamed, nodding and grabbing my arm lightly.  “Oh, you totally were! But so was he! Seriously, Mac, you need to get out and play. When he comes back in and asks you out, you better say yes and have some fun.”
     
    I looked at her for a moment then the door of my shop. 
     
    “He will ask you out the next time he's in,” she said, nodding to the front of the store.  “So obvious.”
     
    “We’ll see.”
     
    “ And when he does, ” Amber said, ignoring my doubt, “you damn well better accept. Let this be your warning: if you let that man get away without at least sampling his skills in bed, I’m going to pounce.”
     
    Of course you are .
     
    I sighed and then gave her an exasperated look. “Is that why you came in today?  To discuss my love life?  You didn't seem too interested in that rock-climbing gear.”
     
    She laughed.  “No, and no I wasn't – hate rock-climbing . I saw that guy walk in when I was across the street and followed him in because I wanted to introduce myself. But then I saw that you two were on the verge of something, so I backed off.”
     
    “ Well thanks.”
     
    “Welcome .” She shrugged and smiled.
     
    We both snickered a bit at this and it helped me to realize that I hadn’t been so excited and hopeful in quite some time. First there was the possibility of acquiring the float plane and now there was the possibility of a man being in the picture, and one