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“Me? I’m not. You’re torturing yourself by refusing to see that the man is totally into you.”
“I’m not…refusing to see it. I see it, okay? Hell, I felt it when he kissed me.”
Harper gasps dramatically and smiles. “Seriously? You’ve been holding out on me? He kissed you?”
“Yes, now can we stop talking about this? He’s standing like five feet away and can probably hear us.”
“Oh, he can definitely hear you,” Rhenn replies. “Your whispering skills could use a little work.”
Kill. Me. Now.
“Well, since you two have an errand to run, I’ll let you get to it,” Harper says, offering me a wink before slapping Rhenn on the back. She leans in and whispers something in his ear, making him bark out a laugh, before walking away to join our family.
“Ready? My truck is running.”
“What did she say to you?” I ask without moving a muscle.
“None of your business,” he sasses with a smirk and a wink. That damn smirk. I hate it, yet it turns my panties into useless scraps of lace.
I also ignore the excitement that races through my blood as he reaches over and grabs my hand. He’s probably just being gentlemanly. You know, like guiding me through the yard, around all of the construction remnants and potholes so I don’t trip. I’m sure it has absolutely nothing to do with attraction and desire.
Rhenn’s work truck is big and tall, and I almost need a running start to leap up into the monster. Instead, before I can spring into action, I feel his hands wrap around my waist. I feel his body as it comes in close behind me. I feel the sexual tension engulf me, almost as if it were its own living, breathing thing. “Up you go,” he whispers, as he gently lifts me into the air as if I weigh nothing.
There’s a slight tremble in my hands as I reach for the seat belt and try to secure it in place. Not because I’m worried about being alone with Rhenn – well, not unless you consider the fact that I wouldn’t mind more kisses as being a worry. Because kissing Rhenn was definitely a bad idea and should definitely not happen again.
Even if I really, really want it to.
There’s nothing between us except a little sizzle and spark. Attraction. But at the end of the day, I’ll go my way and he’ll go his. At least we will when he completes this job. That doesn’t stop the disappointment from rearing its ugly head when I think about it. Even if I know that kissing him again would be bad (a very nice bad), I know it’s not smart. It doesn’t fall in line with what I see for myself in the next few years.
But damn, would it be a nice distraction.
And that’s what Rhenn is: a distraction. Instead of looking forward, toward the bed and breakfast and the plans I have when I finally take it over, I keep finding myself glancing to the side. To him. But his presence is only temporary, I keep telling myself.
“So tell me about your friends. Meghan seems great,” I say, breaking through the haze of desire that swirls around inside the too-small truck cab.
“They’re the best,” Rhenn says, pulling his truck onto the road that leads to town. “I met Nick back in grade school when he was a short little skinny kid. He was being picked on and I stepped in. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
“He met Meghan when he came back to town after dental school. She worked at the office he eventually took over. It wasn’t an instant spark, considering she was with another guy. He died in a car accident a few years back and it was hell on her,” he says, confirming what I had already gathered.
“That’s horrible.”
“It was, but eventually, after a couple of years, she started seeing Nick. It was a slow burn kinda thing, but as you can see, the rest is history.”
“I’m glad she found love again. I couldn’t imagine what she went through,” I say absently, my stomach churning as I picture my sweet cousin struggling to get through her days.
“They went through it together and came out stronger on the other side.”
“That’s very astute of you, Mr. Burleski.”
“I have my moments,” he quips with a side grin. “What about you? What’s with the rush for more food?”
“We weren’t expecting as many to show up today. Not that I’m complaining, because I’m not. It’s nice to finally meet more of the family we’ve been hearing about. Brian and Cindy seem great, and I think my brother Jensen was foaming at the mouth to meet Sawyer,” I say with a giggle, recalling how starstruck my brother was to meet the former major leaguer.
“They’re solid people. I knew Brian and the girls from around town, but didn’t really get to know them well until Nick started hanging out with his hygienist. The grandparents are a hoot. I think I’ve heard them talk about sex more than I did when I was living in the frat house in college,” he says, making me laugh.
“I’m learning that real quick. When we met them, Aunt Emma patted Jensen’s ass. I think Samuel’s head almost exploded,” I reply with a laugh.
“Oh, she’s a feisty one. Just wait,” he says, and something tells me there’s definitely more to come where Emma and Orval are concerned.
