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“You might realize dating me doesn’t feel right in the end, like when we were younger. You might regret trying.”
“Well, let me dispel that worry for you.” She wraps her arms around my neck, getting even closer. “I love you, you big dope. I’ve loved you as long as I’ve known you. Sometimes just as my best friend. Sometimes as more. But since you’ve been back, those feelings have multiplied. They’ve grown so big I can barely concentrate some days, and seeing you half naked didnothelp. So you don’t have to worry about me having second thoughts. Jake is okay with us dating. The only question left to ask is…are you okay with this? Or will you always feel guilty about our history?”
No way in hell, if it means I get to have this woman.
I kiss her hard. Dive right in, capturing her lips before either of us can change our minds. I move in closer, deep and hungry, on the edge of desperate. She moans. My answering grunt is savage.
How did I end up worthy of Jolene’s love?
My hands are in her hair while she grips my shoulders, breathing hard.
I press my forehead to hers and murmur, “Yes and no.”
“Yes and no?”
“Yes, I’m okay with this—withus.No, I won’t feel guilty about being with you. Not if Jake is okay with it. Something this right can’t be wrong.”
We both smile, and I gather her closer, pulling her between my legs with her back flush against my chest. My arms are latched around my best friend, probably too tight. For the first time since barging in here, my chest doesn’t feel like it’s vibrating. I’m calm enough to look at my surroundings.
Whoever fixed up the stairs also redid the interior. This smaller side is sparse, the walls painted a deep red. A shimmery curtain divides the space.
Curious, I lean forward, tug it aside, and freeze.
“So…um, this place looks different.” There’s a mirror on the ceiling with a small plush cushion below. Bars have been installed on the wall, and handcuffs and a riding crop are in the far corner. “Are we in a sex room?”
She snorts, her ear closest to me burning pink. “I believe we are.”
“Oh my God.” I bury my face in her neck and laugh, the two of us shaking and losing it together. Could this day get any wilder? “Who owns this home now?”
“New couple from Raleigh. They’re only up on weekends. Apparently, they have a kinky sex life.”
I’ll say. There are large beads and a collection of different-shaped vibrators in a basket, which has me thinking about Jolene’s vibrator and the not-so-subtle comment she said a moment ago. “What were you saying before about seeing me half naked?”
She leans her head back and noses my neck. “You have to know your body drives me wild. Half the women in this town want you doing theirrenovations.”
I chuckle, still can’t believe I can breathe her in like this—lightning storm and fresh spring growth. A new beginning, no more guilt holding me back. “The only woman I plan to do renovations for is you, Daniels. But I don’t want you to move out.” I lean over and drop a kiss on her beauty mark. “I want you to keep living with me.”
She tips her head up, suddenly bashful. “We’re not even officially dating.”
I rub my nose against hers. “We’re already doing it—living together. Why quit now?”
“In separate rooms?”
“No fucking way.”
She melts into me. “Yeah, okay. But…”
“But?”
“I need you to promise me something, Cal.”
The serious note in her tone has me tensing. “Anything, Jo. Ask, and it’s yours.”
“No more schemes. No interfering in my life. I understand what drove you to start that Larkin rumor, but it wasn’t cool. You pulled that prank on Lane Ternent eons ago and have likely done other deeds over the years to avenge me or help me in some way. While the sentiment behind the meddling is sweet, I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need saving. I don’t want you working on my apartment without telling me. Next time, if you’re worried about something or about me, start a conversation about the situation. Talk to me about it, but don’t take over and cut me out. I need to make my own mistakes and find my own solutions. Most of the time, you’re meddling because ofyourissues and concerns, not mine.”
Yep, I’m definitely tense.
I’d wager tasking Sandra with extricating Jo from the Barrel House—having the building sold and Jo evicted to chase her true dreams—counts as meddling. And she’s right. My actions aren’t selfless. I interfered to make myself feel better after hurting her. Lennon was spot-on too, berating me for messing up his renovations. Jake is furious with me for setting him and Larkin on a mysterious collision course. I need to learn to let life unfold naturally.
