Page 61 of Already Callin’ You Mine

I fumble for my phone, heart racing. I don’t know if it’s because of Jace, being startled, or something else, but there’s no time to worry about it. Because if someone is calling this late, that can’t be a good sign.

“Hello?” I answer without fully looking at the screen.

“Pres,” my mama’s voice chirps through the phone. “Sorry to disturb you. But I was just wonderin’ if that’s you in a truck out in the drive, or if I need to be worried that someone is stalking the house.”

Busted…

“Nope, that’s me. I…errr…Jace gave me a ride home and we were…” Shit…what were we doing? Oh, that’s right, not something I’m going to tell my mama about. “Talking about some work stuff. No need to worry. I’ll be inside in a minute.”

“Take your time, baby. We’re perfectly content to hang out ’til you’re done.”

Oh, we’re done. Did we finish? No. But we’re done. Because there’s no do-over on this kind of moment thanks to foreplay interruptus via one’s mother.

“Be right in.”

I tap the end button, heaving out a massive sigh. This could not have gone any worse. The last thing I needed was another reason to be embarrassed in front of Jace. Yet here we are. Add another tick into the Presley is a hot mess column.

“So much for not getting caught,” Jace jokes.

“To be fair, she did think we could be a stalker instead of up to no good.”

“I don’t know if that makes me feel better or not.”

Same, actually.

“I…I should go. Let them get home. We’ve all got work in the morning.”

Jace nods his understanding, but doesn’t hide his disappointment either. Can’t say I blame him. After all, I was the one who was ninety percent of the way to her first non-self-induced orgasm in years.

Sucking in my mommy tummy, I close myself back up and slip out of Jace’s lap. It feels weird, cool air rushing around me, my hot skin prickling from the change in temperature. Weirdness aside, I need to go. Need to make a quick exit so I can go hide in my shower and pretend like this never happened. Like there wasn’t a part of me who was thinking she might have a chance with this man.

I reach for the door, my hand ready to pull the handle, but Jace stops me. His hand covers mine, pulling it off the door, still holding it as he sets it in my lap.

“Pres, what are you doing on Saturday?”

Saturday? Errr, ummm…laundry? Is that an acceptable answer? Wait, no, this Saturday is the Hickory Hills Fall Festival. I promised Otis we’d go. He’s been talking about Touch-A-Truck all week.

“Same thing as everyone else in this town,” I say, trying to be coy. “Hitting up the Fall Festival.”

“Can I take you?” His eyes are hopeful, making my pulse skip. “Please. Let me take you and Otis. I want to spend the day with you two.”

He wants to spend the day with us? Both of us?

I melt, the giddy feeling from earlier returning. This time, with a vengeance.

“It’s a date.”