The Inn at Laurel Creek Read Online Free Page A

graphic designer?"
    "We're visual thinkers." I pulled my back away from the chair. "We create messages through visual mediums. You know, things like ads, presentations, you name it. I have three accounts I manage. You might know one of them if you're from the Atlanta area."
    "That I am," he said. "Been there my whole life."
    "Me too."
    "So what's the company I might know?"
    "Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority."
    "What's that?" he asked.
    "You know, MARTA? The transportation company? They run the buses and trains and stuff."
    "Oh, MARTA," he said. "I thought that stood for moving armed robbers through Atlanta." He laughed.
    I laughed, too. "I hadn't heard that one before."
    "I'm pretty sure I just made it up."
    "Got it." I nodded. "Anyway, I'm the lead on their account."
    "That's cool," he said. "So what do you do for them? Their advertising?"
    "I work with their advertising company, yes, but I do a lot more than that. I handle all of their internal marketing pieces and stuff. I also designed the format for the messages on the buses and I'm in the process of creating a mural piece for the inside of their new railway bus. I'm really excited about that."
    He tilted his head. "Look at you. You are excited. Your eyes are sparkling and your face is flushed. Clearly you love what you do."
    I touched my cheek. "I go a little overboard when I talk about work sometimes. I'm sorry."
    "Don't be sorry. It looks good on you." He leaned over and brushed a hair away from my face. His lips were less than six inches from mine, and I had to force myself from tilting my head to kiss him. "You have a beautiful smile."
    His touch caused the butterflies sleeping in my stomach to wake up and dance. I desperately wanted to set them free, but knew the only way to do that would involve physical contact and I didn't want to force myself on him. "Oh, thanks." I stood. "Well, I guess I'd better go and get ready for dinner."
    He stood too. "Yeah, me too. So, I'll see you in the dining room then?"
    "Yup," I said walking inside. "That's where they serve dinner, so I'll be there."
    He shuffled from one foot to the other. "Okay, great. See you at dinner," he said, walking toward me.
    I backed up into the house, my eyes locked with his. "Okay. See you at dinner."
    He stepped closer, his body not even an inch from mine. His fingers just barely grazed my hips, sending sparks sailing directly into my skin and throughout my body. "Dinner then," he whispered in a deep, sexy tone.
    "Uh huh. Dinner," I replied, and then quickly turned and walked up the stairs to my room, my heart racing the entire way.
    I shut my door behind me, leaned against it and sank to the floor. "Holy crap, Ben is hot." I pressed my hand to my chest. "Slow down little one, you don't wanna go and have a heart attack right when things are gettin' good, do ya?" I inhaled deeply through my nose and blew it slowly out through my mouth. "Wow. Wow. Wow."
    Five minutes later my butt was sore from the hard wood floor, so I got up and lay across the bed. The windows in the room were open and a gentle breeze floated in, the smell of lavender settling on the duvet. My eyelids weighed a ton and I forced them to stay open, staring at the popcorn ceiling, thinking about Ben and not even realizing I'd drifted off to sleep.
    ***
    "Carly honey, everything okay in there, dear?" It was Lou, knocking on my door.
    My eyes shot open and I sat up, startled. "Ah, yeah, I'm good, Lou. Just a sec." I climbed off of the bed, ran my hand through my hair and searched in the dark for the door. When I opened it, Lou was smiling.
    "Well look what the cat drug in," she said. "I guess you plum needed yourself a bit of a nap, huh?" She eyed my hair.
    I patted my head, trying to make myself presentable. "What time is it?"
    "It's after ten o'clock," she said. "We was gettin' worried about you. Figured I had better check and make sure you was still breathing right quick."
    I crossed my arms. "I missed dinner."
    "That you