“Yes, I do.” A devilish grin curved his lips, and he said, “I wasn’t lying about you starring front and center in my spank-bank.”
Holy cow. He was brash, but he was honest. She fell a little harder for him right then and there.
“What did they say in that Tom Cruise movie? ‘You had me at hello,’ Chloe.”
He pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss. As their lips parted, he grabbed her butt with both hands, sending a thrum of lust skating through her.
“You’re so handsy all of a sudden.” She wasn’t used to letting a man grope her, but that spell he’d cast must still be working, because she didn’t mind his hands on her. She craved them.
“A year and a half, babe,” he reminded her. “Let me know if you want me to come over before your meeting to act out some of those erotic scenes.”
His lips came coaxingly down over hers, and he kissed her like they had all the time in the world. She was surprised to find herself toying with the idea of taking him up on that pre-book-club-meeting offer. But the longer they kissed, the harder it was to hold on to her thoughts. If she got this hot and bothered by kisses, they’d need all night to act out those erotic scenes. As enticing as that was, putting off her friends for a man would make her exactly like her mother, and she was not going to be that person.
Not even for the king of mind-blowing kisses.
Chapter Nine
CHLOE CARRIED A pineapple boat full of fruit salad into her living room Friday evening, listening to the rain through the open windows, trying not to let her disappointment bring her down. It had been raining all day, and she’d had to move the book club meeting indoors. A luau wouldn’t be the same without sand beneath their toes, but she’d done an admiral job of transforming her cozy cottage into a tropical island. She’d gone to the party store during her lunch break and bought a banner with ALOHA written in letters that looked like sticks, and she’d hung it over the fireplace. She’d bought a grass-fringed tablecloth for her dining room table to match the one that came with the luau hut, which she’d put up around the card table. She’d hung a string of tiki lights from the roof of the hut, and it looked just as cute as she’d hoped it would. The two blow-up palm trees she’d bought on a whim were the perfect addition to the evening. While she was out, she’d also bought a handful of toys for Starr’s daughter to play with. They may not have a beach, but they’d have ambience.
She set the fruit salad on the table between the coconut cups with the colorful drink umbrellas and the cheese and cracker spread. The kebabs would be ready shortly after the girls arrived, which should be any minute. She grabbed her phone on her way into her bedroom and gave herself one last look-over in the full-length mirror. The grass skirt and coconut bra were a bit much, but she didn’t care. She’d spent too many years wishing for costumes and special parties.
She put on her dragonfly anklet, put two colorful leis around her neck, and took a picture in the mirror to send to Justin. He’d sent her pictures of some of the dogs from the rescue last night. He’d given her fair warning about their appearance, but her heart had broken over the sad shape they were in. Some were so malnourished, their ribs were showing, and they all had cuts and scars all over their bodies. She couldn’t get the images out of her head. One dog had to have its leg amputated, and the dog Justin had feared would lose his eye had in fact lost it. In the picture, the one-eyed dog, a brindle pit bull with white fur on his chest, was licking Justin’s face. His fur was shaved around the surgical area, and it looked raw around the stitches, but Justin had said the dog was in good spirits. He’d also said the dog had whined when he’d walked away. She could only imagine the rescued animals craving love like she and Justin had as kids. She’d stared at those pictures so often this afternoon, she’d finally printed them out.
It had felt amazing last night allowing herself to feel all of the emotions she’d been holding back