The Summer of No Attachments (The Summer Friends #2) - Lori Foster Page 0,29

loved me. Until Dad passed away when I was twelve, they were always there, always supportive, and after he died, Mom filled all the empty places the best she could.”

“Does your mother live nearby?”

He shook his head. “About four hours away, but she’s indulging a hot romance right now.” His mouth quirked. “Some dude she met at bingo. Nice guy, no kids of his own. He’s crazy about my mother.”

“You like him?”

“I like seeing her happy.” Reaching up, Corbin smoothed her hair again, then teased a springy curl between his fingers. “Normally she’d have been here by now to meet her grandson, but they’re doing this big drive across the country in his RV. Lots of touristy stops along the way.”

“Sounds fun.” Very aware of the gentle way he played with her hair, Ivey smiled.

“Justin is excited about the gifts,” Corbin went on, “but not nearly as excited as I am giving them.”

“Everything is still very new for both of you. I’m sure you’ll get it in check.” It felt incredibly natural, sharing this moment with him. Ivey put her hand to his jaw. “In the short time I’ve known you, he’s already warmed up and relaxed more.”

Turning his head, Corbin kissed her palm. “Sunset is a good place. It seems to have that effect.”

“I think it’s your love that’s doing it.”

“God, I do love him. It was only minutes after Darcie dropped that bombshell on me that I started feeling it. By the end of the day, I was consumed with the need to protect him. I wanted to make him feel secure.”

“Does he miss his mom?”

“He never says, but he must, right? I tried talking to him about it once, but he shut down and since then, I don’t want to pressure him.”

“He just needs time. Keep being so attentive and understanding, and you’ll get there.”

His gaze flicked from her eyes to her mouth and back again. “I hope you’re right.”

Giving in to the impulse, Ivey went on tiptoe and put her mouth to his. A gentle kiss of reassurance. At least that’s how she’d intended it. But once her lips touched his...

Chapter Five

He hadn’t been prepared, but once her body went flush against his, he got with the program real fast.

What was it about Ivey that struck him so hard, got him talking about very private matters and thinking very intimate things? He’d known her only days but it felt like years.

She brought fun with her whenever they visited, and he never knew what she might say, where she might verbally go. She laughed with him, and sometimes at herself, which told him she was a good sport who didn’t take herself too seriously.

God knew he found her attractive, too. Her light brown hair was a mass of tiny, wild curls as unpredictable as Ivey herself. Her big green eyes could be bold or filled with concern, bright with teasing or soft with concern.

She looked great in her business wear, but dressed down like this? Shorts and a tank shouldn’t have been so sexy, but on Ivey, with her smiles and her protective nature and the love she had for animals in need, it came together in the sweetest, most irresistible package, hitting him like an emotional punch.

Getting involved should have been the very last thing on his mind. He had a full plate arranging a new life with a son he hadn’t known about, relocating to a new area, setting up house, getting to know the people.

Hectic as that might be, Ivey just seemed to fit. Effortlessly. Where he felt like he was working on everything else, with Ivey he was just...comfortable.

And against his body? Yeah, she fit there, too. Only the fact that Justin, Lang and Hope were nearby kept him from getting carried away.

Well, and Ivey herself. He’d felt it when she pulled back earlier, so he’d tried to chill. Pressuring her in any way was the very last thing he wanted to do. Regardless of how he felt, he could and would tamp down any urges that went too far, too fast.

But Ivey had been the one to up the ante again—and he was incredibly glad. The way she kissed him, or more like attacked his mouth, made him think she hadn’t been properly appreciated in far too long.

Her ex had to be the biggest tool alive.

As she adjusted and readjusted, she continually took the kiss a little deeper. She tasted sweet and hot, felt soft in his arms, and he loved the