Page 14 of Easy On Me

“Fair enough.” He lounged in his chair, the same boneless posture I’d seen the night before. I really loved how he moved, with a smooth economy of motion that was somehow the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. He winked at me over his cup. “Wanna go out on the lake?”

Tucking one foot underneath me, I studied him. “You own a boat?”

“I do. Little fish and ski I bought with my year-end bonus last December.”

“Won’t it be cold?” The weather had been mild all week, but still. It was November, almost December.

He shrugged. “Wear a sweatshirt. Bring a jacket.”

I eyed him a moment, considering, envisioning a lazy day with him. I’d been boating plenty of times – Marilyn’s family owned a home at Lake Seminole – but never as part of a date. And I guess this counted as a date.

With another sip of coffee, I rolled a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “Okay. I’ll need to go home and change.”

A wide grin lit his face, and my breath caught. Happiness made him even more handsome, if that were possible. I found myself wanting to put that look on his face as often as I could.

And that wasn’t terrifying at all.

Chapter Four

Jase

She was waiting for me when I pulled in the driveway, her white BMW parked in the double carport.

As if she belonged.

As if we were still together.

Fury jolted through my veins like a hit from an energy drink. I didn’t live in her corner of social media, but I knew about that video where she claimed Hannah was the reason we weren’t together. I also knew Hannah had been humiliated, in person and online, because of that video. She’d done that to her sister, the one she’d been closest to, the one who loved her best.

Setting my jaw, I slammed the truck into park and pushed the door open.

Elizabeth jumped out of her car and ran around the hood of my truck. “Jase.”

Her arms outstretched, ready to embrace me, she caught one look at my clothes and came to a dead stop. That halt was so fast it would have been comical if I hadn’t been so damned mad and disgusted.

My mouth twisted. I was filthy head to toe after being knee deep in dirt, working on an excavator, and I stunk to high heaven.

Guess that threw a kink in her planned little reunion.

Glancing around for a camera, I swallowed my smartass comment.

Not worth my time.

I ignored her and strode for the back door.

“Jase.” Pique sharpened her voice. I kept walking. “John Carpenter.”

Then I rolled my eyes. She wasn’t my mama, and that only worked for Mama. As I unlocked the back door, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Heels clonked on the concrete, clattered on the step behind me.

I glowered over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“No, you don’t.” Arms folded, I turned, blocking the door. No way she was getting in my house.

That was reserved for Tyler now.