Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,76

them. He shifts in the seat, adjusting himself. “Don’t tempt me.”

“What?” I ask, standing up to head toward Jade and Henry before the mob of people swallows them up and I lose sight of them.

“You know exactly what you’re doing.” He joins me, his hand finding my ass and squeezing.

“That’s highly inappropriate behavior for a zoo,” I say over my shoulder.

He inches closer. “You do realize this torture you’re inflicting will be returned tenfold in the form of me denying you orgasms, right?”

I laugh so hard people around glance over.

“What’s so funny, Mommy?” Jade asks.

“Oh, Reed just told a joke.”

The two small faces look to him. “Tell us!”

“Well…” he pauses to think of one. “Why did the dinosaur cross the road?”

They look at one another, their mouths transforming to different shapes as they try to think.

“Give up?” he asks.

Jade looks at me eagerly waiting for the punchline, so she can laugh as hard as I did.

“What? What?” Henry pleads.

“Because the chicken wasn’t born yet.”

The kids giggle, look at each other, and shrug before turning back around.

“Tough crowd.” Reed shakes his head and then leads us out of the dolphin area with his hand on the small of my back.

For the rest of the day, we sneak touches and manage to get in one chaste kiss while the kids were enthralled with watching the chimpanzees fly from tree to rope and back.

We stop to drop off Henry, and Reed asks if we want to go in and meet Henry’s grandparents.

“I want to see your room.” Jade opens the door of the taxi before I can object.

“That’s what I get for letting her sit by the door.”

Reed pays the taxi driver and waits patiently at the car door until I get out.

Henry and Jade walk right into the house.

“Jade!” I softly scream because I’m sure Henry’s grandparents won’t appreciate them storming in so noisily.

“Ned is quiet, but Helen will keep you here until tomorrow if you let her, so you might want to plan your exit now,” Reed says as we walk up the path to the front door.

Again, his hand lands on the small of my back and those butterflies slap their wings in my stomach.

Reed knocks on the door. “Helen? Ned?”

“Reed.” A woman emerges out of the kitchen drying her hands on a waist apron.

She’s cute, with short, curly dark hair and a small frame. I’m not sure I’d even think she was a grandparent.

“Helen, this is Victoria Clarke, Jade’s mom,” he introduces me.

She holds out her hand. “What a pleasure. We’ve heard so much about Jade and you. You guys have had a lot of joint outings it seems.” She smiles and her petite hand fits in mine.

“It’s great to meet you as well. Yes”—my eyes search Reed out—“we have been doing a lot. The kids have fun together.”

“Henry just adores Jade. Talks about her all the time.”

A huge boom rocks the floor, a few glass knickknacks wobble in the curio cabinet to my left.

“HENRY!” a man sitting in a recliner yells, who I assume is Ned.

“Sorry!” Henry screams down. It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard him speak.

Helen glances over to the bald head, shakes her head and waves him off. “Grumpy,” she whispers.

“I hear you,” he says.

“Then get up and introduce yourself. Reed is here with Jade’s mother.” All the while she’s lecturing him, she’s eyeing us with an apology.

“Who’s Jade?” he asks.

“Listen to your grandson every now and then and you’d know.”

The recliner rocks, creaks and then it’s not only a bald head in my view but the rest of his imposing figure. A tall man and if Henry gets his grandfather’s height, basketball might be in his future.

“Evening, Ned.” Reed approaches the man, hand out, straight back.

“Reed,” he says, but his eyes are on me.

Immediately, I want to shrink into a ball and roll back down the porch.

Reed returns to my side. “This is Victoria. Henry’s friend Jade’s mother.”

Ned’s big hand swallows mine up. Callused palms scrape against my skin while we shake.

“Hi,” I say in my meet-the-parents sweet voice. They aren’t Reed’s parents, but they are important to him.

“Pleasure.” He eyes Reed. “Is this what you do when you take Henry out? Use him as bait?”

I swallow deeply and Reed laughs, though it’s not his usual one. This one is forced, and I can tell he’s uneasy.

“No. We met during a drop-off at school. Henry and Jade were already friends and I know Victoria from way back.”

“Well, if I’d known you can catch something like