look.
What made him so different?
Tattoos peeked out the top of his collar, and it was strange how much I wanted to kiss there. He wore a long-sleeved Henley top, but it didn’t cover his hands. More patterns of tattoos decorated his tanned hands. I wanted to see what they looked like against my skin.
“Cora,” Mom said, a bit more snappish.
I blinked and knew I was flushed. The heat had me wanting to fan my face, but I didn’t. Havoc looked at me like he wanted to taste me, and I wanted to let him. But I couldn’t… right?
Suddenly parched, I cleared my throat one more time and dragged my gaze away. I rested it on the safe zone. Mom.
“What was I…?”
She picked up the plate of cookies.
“Yes, the cookies.” I glanced at Havoc and then away again. “It’s best not to eat them.” But he could eat me. Dammit, Cora, no. I laughed nervously. “Mom likes pot.” And that was probably not the best thing to say. “Anyway,” I drew out. “Ah, what are you two doing here?” How did they get there so fast? Then again, I had sat in the car silently cursing myself for a while before I’d left the town.
“We were hoping you—and your mom—would like to come to Josephine’s tonight for a ‘welcome to the town’ drink?” Alton explained. When I looked at him, I did so without having the same type of reaction I did with Havoc.
That was good.
I didn’t suddenly move to a town and somehow become a hussy with every man. It was just the one.
“I’m not sure,” I said, glancing from Alton’s smiling face to Mom’s. “It’s very nice of you to ask, but—”
“Even if it’s just one drink to get to know some of the people around town,” Havoc said, his deep, gruff voice causing me to shiver and clench my thighs together.
That reaction toward Havoc left me cautious about going out that night. Especially where there would be alcohol.
“We’d love to, thank you,” Mom answered, and I swung my wide eyes to her. My breath suddenly caught in my throat.
“We would?” I asked.
“Of course. It’s good to get to know the people in town.”
“Great,” Alton said as he stood from his chair. “Josephine’s is down the end of the main road. We’ll be there around seven.” He nodded toward the cookies. “You mind if I take one for the road?” he asked.
Mom beamed at him. “Go ahead.”
“Havoc, let’s go.” Alton moved around the table, but I didn’t hear Havoc get up, my attention still on Mom. I was also possibly frozen in shock because I was going to a bar with my mom, and a man who I was… attracted to? Obsessed with? Lusting after?... would be there.
No doubt I would embarrass myself.
“Havoc?” Alton called.
It was then I sensed him stand. His heat—warm and comforting—hit my side. I felt a gentle tug at my hair, which brought out a shiver, before he said, “Tonight.”
I managed an “Uh-huh.” He moved around me and then I heard the front door open and close.
“Well,” Mom started. “If I didn’t know what sexual tension was, I would now.”
“Mom!”
“What? It’s natural.” She glared beside her. “It is, Mike. How do you think you got me? If we weren’t so attracted to each other on a different level, I wouldn’t have noticed you across the party.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s not creepy. He’s sweet. I can also see he would protect our girl with everything he has.” She smiled. “Yes, that is good.”
“Are you two done?” I asked, unamused.
“I think so.”
“Good.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know what…. Okay, there could have been something with that man, but I won’t let it go anywhere. You know I’ve sworn off men. We’ll go and have one drink tonight. Stay for maybe half an hour, but then we’re out of there, because I didn’t get a chance to look for a job today, so I’ll be doing it tomorrow.”
“Sure.” She smiled. She agreed a little too quickly, and I wasn’t happy about the speed. In fact, her smile seemed a little too crazy for my liking.
“Half an hour, Mom,” I said again.
She gave me a thumbs-up. “You got it.”
I had a feeling the night was going to be a weird one.
Slipping through the door, I nodded and offered a smile to the bouncers, even when I was pissed way the hell off. Mom couldn’t make it. Behind her locked door, she told