“I think you need to wipe the drool from your mouth,” Liz taunts as I stare at Colt fitting the next board into place.
“Jealous?” Brooke fires back.
Liz narrows her eyes and heads over to Gentry, practically rubbing against him like a cat, which is odd given that she’sfollowed Nate around all day. Nate doesn’t like it and calls out, “Brooke, darlin’, wanna help me with this?”
“Good grief.” Liz shoves past Brooke, grabbing the board before my bestie gets the chance to move.
When Colt shoots a knowing look my way, and I hide my giggle by turning around.
The afternoon has its share of entertainment. Liz “accidentally” drops her water bottle, making Nate bend down to pick it up while she watches. Brooke rolls her eyes so hard she nearly falls off the ladder and right into Gentry, who’s conveniently positioned right there and catches her with a smug grin. They stay frozen in the spot, my bestie in his arms, while he looks down at her. They should recreate that move the wedding photos.
Later, Colt pulls up his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face, and I almost nail my own thumb instead of the board. He sees my slip-up and winks, heading over to check on me.
“Want to refill the Gatorade with me, cupcake?”
“Sure.”
He grabs the large cooler, and we head inside to the kitchen, where the staff has given us permission to set up an area just for our crew to snack and refill as needed.
Before we reach the back entrance, I catch my toe on a crack in the pavement and stumble right into Colt. He catches me one-handed, his biceps flexing, my mouth landing dangerously close to his. What is with all the catching today?
“You all right there?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
We’re so close I can practically feel his breath on my lips, the familiar jolt of electricity igniting between us. He sets me upright, but before I can reach for the door handle into the kitchen, Colt steps in front of me, his brown eyes searching mine.
“Hallie.” His voice is low and gruff. “Why did you bid on Nate and Gentry at the auction, Hallie?”
“Isn’t that what auctions are for, Colt? Donating money to a good cause?” Deflection at its finest.
“Why not me?”
The question knocks the breath right out of me. “I don’t know.”
“It should’ve been you as my date, not Liz. We both know Gentry’s in love with Brooke—has been since the first grade. You have no chance with him.”
I laugh softly. “You think I’m interested in Gentry?”
“Well, aren’t you? I’ve seen the way you watch him. The way you danced at the auction.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
And then our lips crash together in a fiery explosion of heat right behind the nursing home.
Colt drops the cooler with a resounding thud, his hands sliding into my hair, fingers threading through the strands. His body presses against mine full of heat, hunger, and want, all tangled together. Our lips collide, raw, unrestrained, a battle for control. His tongue teases mine, warm and delicious, and I feel the spark all the way down to my core.
“You taste so fucking good, Cupcake,” he murmurs, his breath ragged between kisses.
My hands grip his back, twisting his t-shirt, pulling it loose from his jeans. He lets out a low, wolfish sound that vibrates against my lips. His scent, musk and pine and something wholly him, wraps around me, baking the moment into memory.
Then the door to the kitchen swings open.
We jump apart like guilty teens just as an employee steps through, hauling two large trash bags toward the dumpster. Coltbites his lip, shoving his hands into his back pockets, trying to look casual but failing as my pulse races. My face burns at getting caught, although the employee has headphones in and doesn’t seem to notice us.
