She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,29
into the back seat, and Piper said, “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. My friend Trish hurt her foot and her mother had to come get her, but she thinks she’ll be fine by Saturday,” Jolie said.
“I hope so.” Piper handed her a cookie and said, “We figured you might be hungry.”
Jolie’s eyes lit up. “Thanks!”
Piper made a mental note to tell Harley to ditch the apples and bring on some sugar.
“Uncle Harley usually brings fruit or granola bars,” Jolie said around a mouthful of cookie. “This is so much better.”
Oops . . . Harley was probably doing what Delaney had asked him to.
“Guess what?” Sophie said excitedly. “I might spend the night at Aurelia’s house and play with Bea Saturday night!”
“Good for you,” Jolie said in the same bored tone she’d used yesterday.
Sophie chattered on about the things she wanted to play with Bea if Uncle Harley let her spend the night—and she didn’t stop talking until she climbed out of the truck at Harley’s house.
The front door flew open as Piper grabbed grocery bags from the back, and Jiggs darted out to greet the girls.
“Our girls are home, Jiggsy.” Harley stepped onto the porch using the crutches, his ankle neatly wrapped. He was wearing a pair of basketball shorts and his navy hoodie, zipped up to the center of his chest. The sexy dusting of chest hair peeking out told her he wasn’t wearing a shirt beneath it.
Their eyes connected, and the crazy lust she’d been trying to outrun ricocheted inside her. She felt her cheeks burn, and he cocked an arrogant grin.
Damn switch flicker!
Jolie tried to walk past him, but he swept an arm around her, hugging her as he kissed the top her head, and said, “How was soccer?”
“Fine. How’s your ankle?” she asked.
Jiggs rubbed his body against Harley’s leg.
“Good. Thanks for asking.” He released Jolie, and as she walked inside, Sophie put her arms around her uncle. Her backpack slipped from her shoulder as she hugged him. “Hey, squirt. Did you have a good time with Piper?”
“Yes! I got a new Dork Diaries book, and Aurelia invited me to spend the night Saturday. Can I? Please? I want to play with Bea.”
“Sure.” Harley arched a brow in Piper’s direction and said, “A sleepover on Saturday sounds like a great idea.”
Piper stumbled over her own feet, and he chuckled.
“Thank you!” Sophie gave him another quick hug, then headed inside.
Harley set his eyes on Piper again as she ascended the porch steps, sending sparks searing beneath her skin. Her arms were full of groceries, and his arms were open wide, as if greeting her in this fashion were totally normal. She had to think fast because she did not trust herself right now. Not after thinking about him in all sorts of compromising positions all day.
“Don’t even think about it, Dutch,” she said as sternly as she could, thankful for the paper grocery bags. At least she had a buffer between them.
“Oh, I’m definitely thinking about it.” He stepped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her, his frustratingly handsome face peering down at her from above the groceries.
If he kept looking at her like that, the paper bags were liable to catch fire.
“How was your day, Pipe? Still thinking about me?”
“No. Definitely not. In fact, I thought about everything else but you.”
“You suck at lying. We could put those sucking skills to much better use.”
Holy crap. Maybe you’re not a cuddly cub after all.
He waggled his brows like he was teasing, but his seductive tone told her he was dead serious. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, which made him grin even more arrogantly. That riled her up enough to find her voice.
She thrust the grocery bags at him and said, “Since you’re up and around, you can get the rest of the groceries. I’m going to fix your shower. I told Sophie I’d dye her hair, and then I’ll get out of yours.” She stalked back to the truck.
“I’d rather you got tangled up in it,” he called after her.
“Dream on, Dutch.” Was he really hitting on her like this? Or was this the same way he always teased her, and she was just losing her frigging mind?
She retrieved the bag from the bookstore as he hobbled inside. Harley came outside as she was collecting the supplies she’d brought with her to fix the bathroom and joined her by the back of the truck. He moved surprisingly swiftly on those crutches.