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“Screw you,” I muttered. But the cab waswarm,my feet were screaming, and the rain seemed to hammer down harder in response. There was no doubt in my mind that if I made a break for it, he would catch me and bring me right back. But, God, itsmelledlike him in here. Panting to catch my breath, I turned to glare at him as Jameson’s door swung wide. He settled into the driver’s seat, arm jutting in my direction as he set the wet jar of stones back in my lap, and wordlessly threw the truck into gear. But there was a smile playing on his lips, and despite my better sensibilities, I didn’t freaking hate it like I should’ve.
I’d tried repeatedly to convince myself it had just been imagined, my body picking up on the tension, but there it was again. That…heat. Thatdraw. I’d never felt that with Eric. Not with any of the men before him, although the list wasn’t particularly notable. A few fun flings. Even fewer boyfriends.
Our silence lasted all of one minute in the cab, and then he was glowering at me, planting a violent war between my tongue’s desire to demand ‘what’, and my mind’s absurd dedication to being a petulant child.
Jameson caved first. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, not this again.I’m from Florida. We like color. Sue me.”
“Where the hell are your boots?”
“Boots?” I balked, looking down at my expensive, name-brand tennis shoes. Expensive, name-brand tennis shoes that were positively soiled, caked in onyx mud, maybe even beyond repair.
“For fucks sake, Lizzy. Rhyett didn’t make you get boots?”
“Some men don’t feel the need tomakewomen do things.”
His displeasure rumbled in his ribs, and then he was flipping a U-turn as I yelped. “What in the hell are you doing? We’re two minutes from home.”
“You need boots.” He eyed me pointedly but seemed to skip my general breast-age area. Were they that bad? Geez Louise. Tiny boobs are still boobs. “And a real fucking jacket.”
“Rhodes, if I solemnly swear to find myself Alaska-approved attire, will you please just take me home? I’m exhausted. I don’t have any money on me.”
The man’s ensuing eye roll could put Brexley’s to shame. Which was saying something. He jerked his head over his shoulder. “Back seat.”
“Excuse me?”
“There’s a thermos full of coffee in the back seat. Your teeth are chattering.”
“That happens when your psycho-neighbor kidnaps you a block from stripping down for a hot bath.” My cheeks heated as I realized what I’d just said, instantly remembering his focused eyes, the way my skin ignited under them as they heated with what could only be described as hunger. The tiny quirk in his smile seemed to say he had too.Well, shit.“Oh, shut up.”
The bastard drug his bottom lip between his teeth. On the list of things that made my ovaries weep, that deft little move was right at the top. Right up there with a man settling his hand around the collar of his shirt, that fictional book boyfriend doorframe lean, and the moment they scoop their fingers into my hair to angle my head for a kiss.Le swoon. All of which I assumed he would be spectacular at. At least, right until I remembered Jameson was the peeping Tom I was speculating about.
Jameson, the peeping Tom…who’d just kidnapped me for rain boots and was headed in the opposite direction of the only big box store in town. I was not about to ask him where we were going, and absolutely didn’t need to because before I knew it, we’d pulled onto the black dirt road that led to the Rhodes property. Brex and Rhy had brought me here twice–once for introductions, and again for a barbeque with Rhyett’s parents, Milo and Juniper.
Nonplussed, I let the jar of sea glass settle in my lap and turned for the thermos. Okay, so when that steam hit my face and the warm cup settled in my palms, I was a little grateful he’d told me it was there for the taking.
He’d barely shifted his truck into park when Jameson threw open his door. The man moved like there was a freaking fire to put out. He rounded the car to mine and didn’t seem to care that I was shaking my head as he looped a hand under my elbow and pulled me out into the mist he’d vowed to help me avoid.
“Come on,” he muttered, waltzing right up and entering the code to the garage. Warmth immediately seeped into my bones, the smell of home-cooked food greeting us. Was that chicken soup? Of course, it was chicken freaking soup on a day like this. Juniper was absolutely the kind of woman who would make it from scratch.
As if no further explanation was needed, Jameson waved his arm at a wall of meticulously organized boots and rain gear with a game show host’s flourish. Overladen coat hooks sat to either side, boots of every color and size laid out on the shelves and ground below it. It looked like the entire town had turned up for supper.
“What?” I asked, blinking, equal parts confused and flustered. Was he telling me to steal gear from his family? Rather than responding like a human being, he grumbled something unintelligible and took a step back to eyeball my now soaked and frozen feet. On the tail end of a sigh—as thoughIhad drughimaway from his plans for a warm bath and bowl of whatever the hell could be scrounged out of the fridge after work—he stepped up to the shelf and snagged a knee-high pair of rubber rain boots that had a white and blue fish pattern on the inside. He flipped one over in his hand, scowled like they’d offended him, and returned it to the shelf before swiping another one. This one had coral-pink turtles inside. With a curt nod, he snatched its mate before passing them both back to me.
I stood there dumbfounded, physically aware of the ache forming between my brows in my confusion as he pulled a basket off the shelf, fishing a few pairs of clipped-together gloves out before eyeing my hands and tossing all but one set back. He huffed. Shifted. Scanned the wall. Dove in and came up with a hot pink jacket in one hand and a deep maroon in the other. Both were way cuter than anticipated.
Jameson shook the neon one, making sure he had my attention. “This one is for hiking or if you’re on the water. You like pink. Plus, we can see brighter colors if you fall in, or if you cross paths with a hunter—which you will.” I did like pink, and dammit, there were little flowers on the lining. He shifted to hoist the deep red one up. “This one’s for town.” When I didn’t immediately react, his brows hiked up expectantly.
“I can’t take your family’s stuff,you’rebeing ridiculous.”
“None of the prior owners will ever notice, even if they do come home. They’ve been abandoned, I swear.”
“Jameson.”
“Lizzy,” he growled back. “I mean it. Personally, I would prefer to take you down to see Luca and have him set you up with your own fitted sets, but you seem as likely to scream kidnapper as accept the gesture.” Okay, he had a point. He shoved the pile into my chest, and I scrambled to catch everything when he let go. “Here, take these. One more thing.”
“What? No. Hey—Jameson!” But he was gone, vanishing through the door into the house. Did I…did I follow him? Where was a girl to go when she was being forcefully gifted hand-me-downs? When he reappeared, he looked smug, which was somehow adorable and terrifying.
