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I reach out, cupping her face in my hands as she presses her body flush with mine. “Do you have any idea how hard it is not being able to kiss you when I want?”
“I don’t know,” she says, her voice husky. “You might need to show me.”
With a groan, I lower my mouth to hers and push her back against the wooden shelves. The kiss is urgent, neither of ustaking our time because we know we only have precious seconds, minutes if we’re lucky.
My hands slide up her sides, dipping beneath the hem of her shirt as I angle my head further and part her mouth with my own, and the world beyond fades.
I forget about my mother breaking her promise.
I forget the sense of loneliness while I walked around my empty house.
I forget about Teagan just outside, or Nikki preparing for dinner, or Joe and the girls hovering somewhere nearby.
I forget about everything except me and Brynn and her magic mouth.
Her hands tighten around the back of my neck as she sinks deeper into the kiss. A groan rumbles in the back of her throat, encouraging as I nip at her lower lip.
“Where the heck did they go?” Teagan calls out, sounding like he’s only feet away.
I spin Brynn around so I’m standing directly behind her, and quickly swipe the bottle of dressing off the shelf, pretending to be reaching for it up above when Teagan flings the door open.
“Found it!” I say victoriously as I lower my hand and show her the dressing. Turning, I glance over at my shoulder. “Oh. Hey, man. Brynn couldn’t find the dressing even though it was right in front of her face.”
I roll my eyes for good measure, but I’m not sure he’s buying it.
Teagan stares at us through narrowed slits, his gaze bouncing between us. “Why was the door closed?”
“It was?” Brynn and I ask at the same exact time.
We glance at each other, and I snort out a laugh while her cheeks burn a deep shade of red.
“You’re acting weird,” Teagan points out.
“I am?” I ask, trying to keep a straight face.Don’t show your cards, Taggart.
Teagan scowls at us one last time before he turns on his heel and heads for the kitchen, calling out, “Dinner’s ready.”
Dinner goes smoothly, without any more blunders or close calls. Teagan and Brynn carry the conversation, talking about their classes and what awaits them in the fall. Mostly, I stick to silence whenever possible because it seems like the safest bet at this point, even when football becomes the topic of conversation.
By the time I push my plate back, I’m already tired of the charade and dying to find a way to get Brynn alone.
“Wanna shoot some hoops like old times?” Teagan asks, and when I glance at him, I can’t help but feel like this is a test.
I shrug, a casual lilt to my voice as I answer. “Winner gets double dessert?”
“You’re on.” He grins. “Dessert is turtle brownies.”
I groan. Nikki’s turtle brownies are my favorite.
“Sure, just leave the women to clean up.” Brynn scoffs.
I should make some smartass comment about a woman’s place being in the kitchen; it’s what I would’ve done before to get under her skin. But I stay mute, aware of Teagan’s assessing gaze. I’m petrified to make a mistake.
I can’t lose him. I glance around the table at the Nichols, and think of my own home, empty and quiet.I can’t lose this.
We rise from the table with a promise to the girls I’ll only be a little bit longer. I follow closely behind as Teagan heads for the mudroom, my gaze lingering on Brynn as we pass.
We toe on our shoes, and Teagan grabs a ball from the garage as we head outside into the sunshine. The hot afternoon has cooled into a pleasant evening with a soft breeze. It’s gorgeous out, the kind of night Teagan and I would normally spend hours messing around on their driveway court before taking it to thebackyard with a football, or heading to Crow’s Creek. But it’s our first night home, which holds the implication we’ll spend the night in. I’m hoping that also means I can bail and head to bed early. Turning in early means a reprieve from the guilt jangling inside my head like loose change.
