She was disappointed that it was over. She’d enjoyed the quietness of it, the coziness.
Oh who was she kidding?
She’d also enjoyed spending all that time with him. She’d enjoyed their conversation, those shared glances, the way it felt when his fingers brushed against hers and the way his gaze followed her round the room.
And then there was that moment when he’d leaned on her a little too heavily. She’d been convinced he was about to kiss her, but he hadn’t.
Why?
She zipped her case with so much vigor she almost broke it.
A man like Ethan Black didn’t hang around asking for permission. If he’d wanted to kiss her he would have done it.
She wished he had.
“Ugh.” Cross with herself, she hauled her suitcase to the door.
She’d come here to do a job, and she’d done that job.
Time to go home.
Time to get on with her real life. Not her dream life.
She was going to miss Madi. The dog was adorable. Bouncy, fun and endlessly affectionate.
But most of all she was going to miss Ethan.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“SO WHAT’S GOING ON?” Susan rested her hips against the desk as Ethan studied the scan in front of him.
“He’s had a bleed—” Ethan pointed at it with his pen but she shook her head.
“I meant with you.”
“Me?” Dragging his gaze from the scan, he turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”
“You seem different.”
Ethan leaned back in his chair. “Different? In what way am I different? I had the flu. I may have lost weight.”
“You poor, pathetic baby. No, it’s not that. You’re more relaxed. More like the old Ethan.”
“There was an old Ethan?” That was news to him.
“When I first met you, you were fun. Occasionally you even made me laugh. Lately you’ve gotten more serious.”
“You may not have noticed, but this is a serious job we do here. Life and death. That kind of thing.”
“All the more reason to enjoy the life part. So come on.” She nudged him so violently he wondered if he should be concerned about internal injuries.
“Come on, what?”
“Tell me the truth. It’s Harriet, isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“The reason you’re suddenly mellow. She has softened all your rough edges. Living with her is good for you.”