When we finally part, I’m breathless and my heart’s beating so hard, I think it might push right through my chest. Jordan rests his forehead against mine, his breathing uneven.
“Drive safe,” I whisper.
A soft, crooked smile touches his mouth. “Yeah, I will once the blood flows back to my brain.”
I roll my lips, holding back a laugh.
He hesitates for a moment longer, like he’s not quite ready to leave. When he finally walks toward his truck, I want to call him back and kiss him all over again. But I head inside, lock the door, and lean back against the cold steel.
I’ve officially fallen for Jordan Thorne, and there’s no coming back from this.
CHAPTER 14
JORDAN
Sleep doesn’t stand a chance. It’s after two in the morning, and I’m still staring at the ceiling, the memory of our kiss repeatedly replaying like a favorite song. Every time I close my eyes, I feel her soft, warm lips under mine and the way she leaned into me like she’d been waiting much too long for it to happen.
I keep telling myself to quit thinking about it, but the thought won’t stick because kissing her was even better than I’d imagined.
I bet Ginger is asleep by now. At least I hope she is since she has to be up for work in an hour. I don’t know how she keeps that schedule so consistently. And we’ve gotten snow, so she may need to wake earlier than usual.
Glancing out the window, I find the world blanketed in white. The snow’s still steadily coming down with no end in sight. Her car must be buried under multiple inches by now.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I get dressed, then pull on my boots and jacket. I tug on a hat and gloves, and grab the shovel from the porch as I head for my truck. Placing the shovel in the back seat of the cab, I start my vehicle and make quick work of brushing off my windows while the engine warms up.
The roads are empty, the kind of quiet you only get at this hour or during a snowstorm. Most people are curled up in their beds, avoiding this weather for as long as they can. But not me. Apparently, I’ve lost my mind—more likely, I’ve lost my heart to the sweetest, most caring woman I know. I shouldn’t be going over there. I should keep my distance. But now that I’ve tasted her lips, there’s no reasoning with myself.
I park on the street in front of her house and then make my way up the driveway. The snow’s about six inches deep, still falling short of the top of my boots. I start by shoveling a wide path to the porch. I try not to let the aluminum edge scrape too hard against the concrete, to keep the noise level down and not wake her grandfather. Fortunately, the snow’s lighter than it usually is this close to the coast, and I’m able to move at a decent pace.
When the path’s clear, I move on to her car. There’s a thick, white pile across the roof and hood, so I grab the broom I keep in my truck during the winter months and start sweeping it away. My breath creates fog in front of me, and thick flakes keep landing on my face. My chin’s numb by the time I finish, but when the windshield gleams clean under the garage’s spotlight, it feels great to have done something for Ginger. Now she can have an easier start to her morning.
Returning the broom and shovel to my truck, I grab the handheld brush and run it over her side windows and mirrors. I’m taking a final look, making sure I haven’t missed anything, when the porch light flicks on. The front door opens, and she steps out, bundled in her coat and scarf. For a second, she just stares at me.
“What are you doing here?”
I wave the brush around, pointing to the driveway and car. “I thought you could use some help clearing the snow.”
“At two forty-five in the morning?”
I shrug. “I wanted to help you out.”
She lets out a small, incredulous laugh. “Boy, I must be a better kisser than I realize.”
I flash my teeth in a quick grin.
She steps down onto the cleared path, boots scuffing against the pavement with every step. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to, and figured I’d spare you the trouble of shoveling before work.”
She cants her head, studying me with a look of surprised contemplation that goes straight to my chest, filling it with warmth. “You’re ridiculous,” she says, but her grateful tone doesn’t match her words.
“You’re just figuring that out?” I smirk.
She comes closer until she’s directly in front of me. “You’re really the best. Do you know that?”
I rub the back of my neck, wishing I had something clever to say. “No, I’m really not. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided I’d put my insomnia to good use.”
“You couldn’t sleep, so you shoveled my driveway and cleared off my car?”
