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She kissed the tip of his nose. “I’d love to.”
“Good, because our dispatcher gets a little handsy when she drinks.”
Anna Beth snorted. “I’m your buffer?”
“You’re the Costner to my Houston, baby.”
“Stop being so irresistible and the ladies won’t chase you.”
“Please. You can’t turn all this off.”
Anna Beth shoved his shoulder playfully. “I heard all about it at Tammy’s. All the ladies love them some Jared Cross.”
“Any and all rumors about me have been exaggerated. I swear.”
Anna Beth nuzzled his neck. “I don’t care about your dating history, I really don’t.”
“You seemed a little put out about my dating history last night. 'Officer Friendly' ringing any bells?”
“It seems you aren’t the only one with insecurities. When the ladies told me about your track record, I thought you might have been blowing me off like everyone else.”
“Despite the scarlet brush I’ve been painted with, I wasn’t being a player. If I went out with a girl and we didn’t click, I let her know. I never seemed to click with anyone…except you.”
Anna Beth ducked her head and he took her chin in his hand, listing her gaze back to his. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I feel guilty you never experienced a long term relationship with anyone else, while I—”
“Don’t. I’m not keeping score. I’m not bitter that you married Ian. Well, not anymore, at least. I never had you in the first place and even if we’d started dating then, who knows if we’d be together now. Everything happens for a reason and in the right time. You needed Ian and I needed to find myself. Our pasts shape us and I just want to enjoy where we are right now.”
Anna Beth slid her hand around his neck, pressing her lips to his. She kissed him hard, and he opened his mouth, his tongue playing with hers as his hands gripped her hips, his fingertips pressing into her butt.
When they came up for air, both gasping, Jared whispered, “What was that?”
“I’m enjoying the moment.”
Jared smiled, dropping his head down to lay his forehead against hers. “Me too.”
Anna Beth moved her hands from the back of his neck down to his chest, making her way over his stomach to the edge of his shirt. She slowly inched it up, every graze of her fingers against his abdomen making him crazy.
Jared sat up and helped her by pulling the shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the floor. She knelt on the floor between his legs, her fingertips running lightly over his pecs, tracing a circle around his nipple. He let her explore his body, groaning when she placed her mouth in the center of his chest and left a series of kisses down over his stomach. He cradled the back of her head, his eyes closing as her warm breath reached the skin above his jeans. When her fingers unbuttoned his jeans, Jared’s heart kicked up ten notches and his cock pressed painfully against his zipper.
Suddenly, the front door opened and a chorus of women’s voices erupted in the entryway. Rip, who’d been sleeping on the rug in front of the T.V., jumped up and ran into the other room, his whole-body wiggling. Jared lifted Anna Beth by her arms back onto the couch. He didn’t bother buttoning his jeans, but grabbed his t-shirt off the ground and slipped it back on.
Sarah and several of her friends came around the corner, stopping when they saw them.
“Well, what are you two doing?” her aunt asked.
Anna Beth reached out and paused the movie. “Just watching Home Alone and baking cookies. What are you guys doing here?”
“The heat went out at the Community Center and they had to call someone to come fix it, so we thought we’d set up a folding table in the kitchen and work here.”
Jared stood, smiling. “I guess I should grab Rip and clear out then. Let you have some girl time.”
Anna Beth climbed to her feet and glanced from their audience to him. “Thank you for breakfast and helping with the cookies.”
“Anytime. Text me later?”
“Yes. Let me walk you out.”
