you, Kennedy!” she called out as they climbed into the Jeep. “You be nice to that one, Mr. Channing. She’s special.”
I put a hand on his chest before he could comment on my specialness. “Don’t take the bait, Wiki. You’re better than that.”
Joe said his goodbyes to Collin and Harlow, and just like that, we were alone.
“What do you think?” he asked as he hauled open the passenger door for me. “Now that you’ve met a superstar?”
“I think I deserve a medal for the restraint I showed.”
“That’s what you call restraint? Wow, Penny. Just wow.” He shut the door with a wicked grin and crossed in front of the truck.
“What are you talking about?” I asked as he climbed in and started the engine. “I couldn’t have been more natural in there.”
“Oh, gee Collin!” Joe fluttered his eyes as he spoke in a sticky sweet voice. “That’s so interesting! Tell me more about your fascinating life!”
“Am I sensing jealousy here? Can’t handle your brother getting all the attention?”
“Sweetheart, if that were true, I’d have lost it a long time ago.” He gave me a look that was pure sin.
“Well, you see, as it turns out, learning about Collin’s fascinating life was really learning about you. The man who put everything on hold to keep his brother safe.”
“You’re making it sound like a bigger deal than it was.”
“I don’t know. Seems to me Collin would disagree with you.”
“He does that just to get under my skin.”
“You’re not good at taking compliments, are you?”
The more I thought about the way Joe treated Collin, the more I felt like I was standing at a precipice, toes over the edge, arms wide as I leaned into the mysteries of this man I’d misunderstood from the start.
I turned to find Joe staring at me, one hand on the wheel, his gaze bouncing between my face and the road. A smile teased his lips. “You’re very beautiful.”
“Me and my dirty penny hair.”
“Don’t you knock your hair. I fucking love your hair. I daydream about running my hands through it.”
“You daydream about me?” The news sent a confusing blend of excitement, lust, and celebration through me.
“Oh, Kennedy Reagan Monroe. If you knew what I’d done to you up here—” he tapped his temple “—you never would have gotten in this truck with me.”
“That’s funny. The same could be said in reverse.”
I watched as that revelation sank in. First, the slight frown of confusion. Followed by the head tilt of understanding. Then desire darkened his eyes right before he gave his attention back to the road.
Moments later, we bumped to a stop in front of Nan’s house. Wordlessly, we climbed out of the truck and met at the sidewalk. “I had a really nice time.”
I gripped my hands behind my back so they wouldn’t grip him—though my self-control was slipping. I was seconds away from leaping into his arms. In an effort not to embarrass myself, I started for the house, but Joe gently took my hand, stopping me in my tracks. Heat surged through me as he pulled me back. We stood toe to toe, so close I could feel the warmth of his body against mine.
“As far as first dates go, that was a pretty good one.” He slipped a hand around my waist and drew me into his embrace.
“We’re upgrading it to a date now, are we?”
“Definitely a date.” He brushed my hair off my face then ran his hand through it. “God, your hair. I think I have a new obsession.”
I studied him, drunk on his scent. On the electricity sizzling between us. On the perfect night out with a man I thought I couldn’t stand, filling myself with tacky drinks and good company and the hopes of something really freaking amazing growing between us.
“I’m going to kiss you again,” he said. “I’m going to kiss you again and I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop once I start.”
“Good.” I tilted my head toward his. “I won’t want you to stop.”
A breeze blew, lifting my hair as Joe’s eyes zeroed in on my lips. His hand came to my cheek.
“Look at you two!”
We jumped like we’d been caught cheating on a test in elementary school.
Delores had abandoned her ceremonial velour track suit for one circa 1990—made with swishy material that announced a person’s comings and goings with enough friction to start a fire. Either the woman moved like a panther or we were way too caught up in each other.
“I just