friend’s name since he was a country music superstar almost anyone would recognize. By the time he got to the part where his mom was chasing both of them around with a stick, Quinn was smiling again.
“You love it here,” she said.
He shrugged. “Oak Creek is home.”
“Have you ever thought of living anywhere else?”
He turned to take them back toward Oak Creek. “Once. It was for a job that would’ve taken me away for a while, but I knew I would’ve been back.”
He’d never actually told anybody about that, so he hoped she wouldn’t press for details. No need to point out why the Army hadn’t accepted him.
He continued before she could say anything else, “Can’t say I can imagine myself living anywhere else.”
“Are you part of those Linear Tactical guys?”
“I don’t work for them, but my brother, Finn, is one of the owners, and I train a lot with them.” If his Army plans had turned out the way he had hoped when he was younger, then he would’ve been part of the Linear Tactical team, but he was happy as a mechanic.
But hell, he might not have that job much longer.
Tipsy or not, he wasn’t going to tell her the truth about his situation, so he did what he was good at—distraction by entertainment.
“You know, you haven’t said, ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner,’ to me yet. I usually get that within the first five minutes of someone finding out my name.”
She smiled, but he got the uncanny feeling that she was aware that he was redirecting her.
“I’m surprised they don’t go with a song. Baby, it’s Cold Outside.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Or Ice, Ice Baby.”
“Baby Got Back.” She put her little hand up to her mouth like she was afraid she’d gone too far.
He threw his head back and laughed, delighted. “One of my favorites.”
They shot baby song lyrics and movie quotes back and forth to each other the rest of the way home. He pulled up outside her house, which he truly hoped looked worse in the dark than it did in the light. “Your castle, madam.”
She was still tucked over in that corner looking very snug, like she wasn’t interested in moving. And now she was studying him the way she’d studied his truck and the drinks.
He shut the truck off and leaned back against his door so he could study her in return.
“Would you like to come inside?”
Cue inappropriate hard-on number three.
Damn it, Bollinger. If you take advantage of her, you’re going straight to hell.
He swallowed and looked out the windshield before turning to face her. “How about a raincheck?”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and smiled. “But it’s my birthday...”
Oh, sweet Jesus.
“And I’m doing all sorts of new things on my birthday.”
Yep, he was going to hell.
“I think that might be the tequila talking.”
She paused for a moment and looked thoughtful, though a slight smile graced her lips. “Maybe.” She fiddled with the top button of her blouse before slipping it through the hole. “But maybe I should drink tequila more often.”
He needed to stop this before it got out of hand. “How about a birthday kiss?”
Her face lit up. “Yes.”
He’d keep it light, sweet, and sexy...just like her. But their lips met and there was nothing light and sweet about it.
Her lips were hot. Demanding. He’d bet anything that wasn’t her normal kissing MO, but it was fucking sexy. Her fingers gripped his hair and pulled him closer as she laid herself back against the door again.
Yes, he definitely liked his truck’s bench seat.
It wasn’t long before he was almost stretched out on top of her.
He nibbled at her full bottom lip, coaxing her mouth open and that tongue—which had been driving him to distraction all night with the frosting—out to play.
Damn, he could kiss this woman forever.
It wasn’t long though before he wanted more than her lips. Her head fell back with a low, sexy moan as he began to kiss his way down her jaw and throat. She tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer as he made his way up to her ear.
“We should stop this, Cupcake. You’ve had too much to drink.”
“I’ve had the perfect amount to drink.” She shifted so she was more completely under him, then reached to loosen another button on her blouse, revealing the functional white cotton bra underneath.
He couldn’t stop staring at the pale swells in the moonlight. At this point, all he could do was hope that he wouldn’t drool on