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“You can’t get me all hot and bothered seconds before meeting your dad!” Planting my fists on my hips, I glare at Cole.
He blinks a couple of times before collecting himself. Cole shoves his hands in his pockets, then he has the audacity to smirk at me. “Why not?”
And there’s that bad-boy mentality.
I wish it didn’t send pleasurable shivers all along my nerve endings.
“Because I’ll have a hard time holding conversation if I’m thinking about licking that delicious dip at the base of your throat.”
Cole’s eyes widen, and he smooths a palm over his collarbone, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.
“And for the love of Wite-Out, I’m wearing lipstick again, you dope.” Rummaging in my purse, I pull out a small mirror and an individually packaged makeup wipe. After fixing the smeared edges of my own lips, I quirk a finger at Cole, beckoning to me.
The cocky bastard is smiling as he steps forward. My fingers clasp his chin, and I wipe him clean of red smears.
Why do I get the feeling he likes messing up my makeup? If he keeps doing it, I’m going to make him pay for my next tube of lipstick.
“Okay. We’re presentable. And definitelynothorny.”
Cole snorts and takes my hand, drawing me toward the cute little house. He doesn’t bother knocking, instead opening the front door and yelling, “Dad! We’re here!”
When there’s not a response even after a few seconds pass, I raise an eyebrow at Cole.
He runs a thumb over my knuckles.
“He’s probably out back, grilling. Let’s go find him.”
As we snake through the house, I note framed photos hanging on the walls of a tall thin man next to a surly blonde boy. I make a mental note to return and examine them later. Through a sliding glass door, I spot a lanky, grey-haired man bent over a decent-sized grill.
“Hey, Dad,” Cole says as we step out into the backyard.
Mr. Allemand glances up at our arrival, his sternly set mouth hinting at a smile.
“Cole.” A familiar pair of blue eyes flick to me in silent question.
“This is Summer Pierce. Summer, this is my dad.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Allemand.” I move forward, holding out a hand and hoping my lipstick cleanup was thorough enough.
The man gives a curt nod in greeting, returning my handshake.
“Summer is a librarian. At Downtown Public.”
Is that a hint of pride I detect in Cole’s voice?
Mr. Allemand nods, his gaze flitting between me and the grill. “That’s a good job. You help a lot of people, do you?”
“Oh gosh. All day every day.” Is my voice too bright? I can’t help it. I want Cole’s dad to like me, and when I want someone to like me, I slip into cheerfully informative mode. “That’s why I chose to get my Master’s in Library Science. I’ve always loved how libraries, especially public ones, help the community. And I wanted to be a part of that.” Still, I don’t want to talk about me. “But my job is small beans compared to both of yours.”
Cole and his dad both raise the same eyebrow when they look at me, and the sight is a funny kind of adorable.
I explain myself. “Because, you know, Cole is saving and caring for animals. And you’re keeping people safe when they travel. Cole told me you’re an aviation meteorologist. I would be in constant panic mode if my forecast determined if a plane flew or not. I mean, what if there’s a random tornado you didn’t see on the radar? Or a freak hail storm?” Realizing what I just said, I press my knuckles to my forehead. “Damn it, listen to me. It’s like I’m trying to stress you out. Please ignore all that. I’m sure you’re amazing at your job. No need to worry about planes crashing.” Mortification hits me hard, and I whirl toward Cole. “Make me shut up! I can’t stop saying the wrong things!” I wail.
Then I see a glorious thing.
Cole grins.
The expression takes over his entire face, effectively rendering me speechless.
