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“No?”
She met his smile. “Okay, she probably did.”
“So you can’t cook? Have you been living in your mom’s basement your whole life?”
“No! Of course not! Why would you think that?”
He blinked at her response and shook his head. “I’m just wondering what you eat.”
“Oh.” Right. He didn’t know she was a slacker loser with no career path. “Sandwiches. Salads. I can cook up some mean nachos if I need to. And by ‘need to’ I mean every Friday night.”
He laughed. “You sound like a few cowboys I know. Aside from the salads, I mean.”
“Can you cook?”
He shrugged. “A little, but I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I’ll make you pot roast sometime if you’re nice.”
“Then I’ll be nice.”
“Yeah?” He waited as she opened the trunk, and as soon as it swung up and blocked the others’ view, Shane stepped closer and rested his hands on her hips. “Damn, I’ve been wanting to touch you since I saw you.”
“Oh.” Her pulse hammered, pushed on by the danger of being seen and the thrill of him wanting her.
“You look so…”
She waited for him to say sexy. Or hot. Or beautiful.
“Sweet.”
She shook her head.
“You do. You look cute and untouchable. Like someone I shouldn’t think dirty thoughts about.”
God, what was she supposed to think about that? She wanted to be sexy and hot and beautiful. She didn’t want to be sweet and cute like a cozy little friend. But his hands tightened on her hips and he kissed her, and what the hell did she care how she turned him on, as long as she did? He shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be touching her here, only a few feet away from everyone, but he couldn’t resist.
Merry smiled against his mouth and he pulled back.
“Damn, you’re adorable,” he said, answering her smile. “I guess we’d better get this food?”
“I suppose it shouldn’t take quite this long to gather up potato salad.”
“Maybe.” He touched her jaw, brushed his thumb over her mouth, then dared one last quick kiss before he let her go. When he closed the trunk, Merry expected everyone to be looking at them, but no one seemed to have noticed their strange behavior. No one except Cole, whose intent gaze made her cringe.
But Cole wouldn’t say anyth
ing. He wouldn’t want his best friend neutered.
And after that one close call, the barbecue was lovely and fun. The men were adorable, sitting down at the table and taking off their hats, looking half naked without them.
Even Rayleen seemed on her best behavior, complimenting Easy on the ribs and only complaining about the bright red highlights in Grace’s hair three times.
Easy told stories about Cole as a boy, and Grace hung on every word, looking so soft and happy that Merry curved an arm around her waist and hugged her.
Grace laid her head on Merry’s shoulder. “What is it?” she whispered.
“Nothing. This is just so nice. So…right. It feels like home here, doesn’t it?”
Grace was quiet for a long moment. They both watched Easy as he told a story about a snowstorm that dumped four feet of snow in one night. “Yes,” Grace finally said. “It does.”
