Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,105

the dance studio with their class and movies all night. Louisa is at April’s, and they’re having a sleepover. So it’s just the three of us tonight.”

She disappeared back into the kitchen, and I paused to stare after her. After putting the last fork into place, I circled the table and followed her. I waited a beat as she opened the oven and pulled out the pan of stuffed peppers. The smell had my stomach growling. There were huge planks of bread ready to go in the broiler, and she’d made ratatouille.

No wonder the girls weren’t here. Mom and I loved all of this, but Becca acted like we were killing her when the stuffed peppers came out. She would eat the stuffing in the peppers but not the peppers.

“I made banana pudding too,” Mom said as she set the pan on the stove top and then switched the oven over to broiler. I waited until the planks of bread were in before I folded my arms. Not even looking in my direction, she said, “Don’t take that attitude with me, Jacob. Go wash up and brush your hair before your girlfriend gets here.”

I made a face, but before I made a step, she patted my cheek and gave me a smile.

“It wouldn’t kill you to shave, too. Girls don’t like the burn when you get intimate.”

I cringed. God. “Mom!”

She cracked up and snapped a towel out to swat me. “I have four children, Jake, I assure you, I know what that burn feels like, and while you might not mind in the throes, it’s not always fun after.”

I was out. Fuck. The word played over and over in my mind, like it got stuck on repeat, and she laughed at me as I beat a hasty retreat to my room for a clean shirt. Nothing wrong with what I had on, but after that little performance, I didn’t hesitate to hit a quick shave.

Fuck. Me.

There was not enough brain bleach in the world to get that image out of my head.

The smell of garlic and hot bread filled our place as I checked my jaw, then I did a quick brush of the teeth. Better to have minty breath to start with, even if we both ended up tasting like garlic afterwards.

I’d just made it back to the living room when the doorbell rang. “I got it.”

“Dinner in five,” Mom answered. “So no sneaking off to test that shave.”

I groaned, but I was still laughing when I opened the door. Frankie stood there looking absolutely adorable in a pair of jeans and one of her Torched T-shirts with a jacket over her shoulder. I lifted a hand to wave to Coop, who was backing out before wrapping an arm around her and pressing a kiss to her lips.

“Hey, Baby Girl,” I murmured as I tugged her inside, even as I took her jacket from her. It wasn’t that chilly, but it might be later. Good call to bring one. Her hair fell in a pile of silky soft waves, like she’d blown it dry but hadn’t worried about straightening it. The glassy look to her eyes was gone, and she was nowhere near as flushed. With my lips pressed to her forehead, I checked her temperature. While not accurate, the fact she wasn’t burning up was a good sign. “Still feeling good?”

“Yeah, I sound worse than I am.” She sounded stuffy. “And before you get bossy, I promise, I took a nap. Coop insisted.”

I bet he did. But she curled into me, so I wrapped my arms around her and cradled her close. Yeah, Coop was right about one thing—when Frankie didn’t feel good, she got super cuddly. Never going to hear me complain about it. “All up to date on your cold meds? Don’t make me call Jeremy on you.”

She giggled against my chest, then patted me before wiggling away. “I am. Took them before I came over, and my next dose is at bedtime. So I’m good for food. I brought my appetite too.” Course, she also made a face. “Too bad I can’t smell what’s cooking, I bet it’s awesome.”

“Stuffed peppers,” Mom called as she carried the big platter out to the table.

“I can get the rest,” I told her as I draped Frankie’s jacket over one of the chairs. Mom smiled at me and patted my cheek. I stared at her, hopefully communicating ‘do not fucking bring up the intimate burn again.’

Dammit. Brain bleach.

I needed

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