out her tongue. “I was going to tell you about my meeting with Hayden, but I think you need some time to chill on your own.”
I shrugged off my leather jacket and unzipped my coveralls. Her eyes followed the motion. My body came to life.
“I need a shower. And something to eat. And a beer. And then I want to see how that other shade of lip gloss looks on me.”
Her mouth lifted a fraction. I held the edge of the counter to keep from rounding it. The ferocity with which I wanted her caught me off guard.
This morning I’d tried to leave without waking her because I needed to get away from her. From this . . . whatever it was.
The pressure of it still suffocated me, but I needed her. After the shit for a day I’d had, I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to park it on the couch, play guinea pig, and find any excuse I could to touch her.
“Dinner, beer, and lip gloss; I’ve got it covered.”
No longer able to resist, I rounded the island and tapped her on the nose. “Spoiling me.”
She tilted her head back to look at me where I towered over her. So close, yet not anywhere near close enough.
Baker wrinkled her nose, though her eyes smoldered. “You stink.”
The words were husky, a tease, and my body reacted as if she’d given me a compliment.
“And you smell like heaven.”
I ran my nose up the column of her neck, inhaling like a man possessed. Honey. My new favorite scent.
I grazed my teeth on her earlobe, and her hands flew to my shoulders.
“This is a bad idea,” she rasped as I feathered my lips down her jaw.
“I thought we were past that.”
I pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. She rocked her hips into mine. “I thought you wanted dinner.” Her fingers slid under my coveralls, shoving them off my shoulders.
“I’d never choose food over you.”
“That’s a strong statement to make, Grease Monkey.” The tease coated her words, but the vulnerability in her eyes was unmistakable.
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
Her hands framed my neck. “I think you did yesterday. To your sister.”
She was right, but I didn’t bother admitting it. I just wanted to forget it all.
“I’m going to take a shower.” I couldn’t think about yesterday right now.
I brushed my lips across hers and pushed off the counter. She grabbed my hand in silent support. Briefly, I closed my eyes and squeezed back.
Baker didn’t let go until our arms were stretched as far as they could reach.
* * *
“Looks good.” I moved straight to the fridge and grabbed a beer. “This your poison?” I held up a bottle of white wine to Baker.
“Yes.” Her eyes lit, but she wasn’t looking at the wine. They wandered from my damp hair, across my chest, and down to where my sweats hung off my hips. “I ran into your dad at Trish’s truck today.”
“Oh yeah?”
“He had your nephew and Ella in tow. It looked like they were getting the best of him.”
“She’s an infant.”
“Have you met her? The girl is the loudest human being I’ve ever known,” she said fondly. “And Blake is the only one spirited enough to match her.”
“Bet my brother never tells them they’re not blood cousins.” I unscrewed the cap and flipped it onto the counter.
She narrowed her gaze. “What do you mean?”
“Oh come on. Like you don’t see the match they are. My nephew knows all of two words, and all she does is scream, but it’s like they’re speaking the same language.”
“True,” she said carefully after a moment of consideration. “Why would Andrew care if they end up together? And by the way, that’s pretty far-fetched.”
I tipped my beer toward her. “Mark my words, Easy. They’ll end up together.” She frowned like she knew I was right. “My brother isn’t going to let little Ella date until she’s fifty.”
“Did he say that?”
“Didn’t have to.” I pulled a wine glass down from the cabinet. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how protective he is?”
Baker grinned. “Yeah. Of both my girls.” Her eyes went soft.
She deserved that too. The kind of happiness my brother and Trish had. And I prayed she found it.
You could give her that.
I gulped half my beer. Where did that thought come from?
“What else do I need to carry?” I asked, balancing her wine glass and my beer in one hand.
“This.” She held out a paper carton filled with what appeared to