moment, as if checking whether she was serious, before he turned his attention back to the stove. “There’s some hiking involved. You might be more comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts over the . . . suit.”
It warmed her heart when he couldn’t say bikini .
“That is if your neck isn’t too sore to go. You’ve been rubbing it since you got here.”
Had she been? “Lumpy couch last night. I’ll be fine once the kinks are out.”
Ryan scooped the golden toasted bread from the pan. “I’m good with kinks. May I?”
“Uh. Sure.”
He circled behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders.
Ryan’s big hands gently kneaded her tight muscles while his thumbs circled in between her shoulder blades. It bordered somewhere between pain and sexy pleasure. But then, whenever they touched there was a spark and connection she’d never experienced before. “Oh my God, that feels good.”
“Which date should I save this for?”
Without thinking she blurted out, “Do this, and it’ll be the one when you sleep together for the first time.”
His husky voice whispered in her ear, “How many dates would I have to wait to get to that one, Tara?”
If she didn’t know better she’d think he was asking to sleep with her. But she’d made the ground rules clear enough. “Ummm—”
Loud knocking along with Tara’s father’s voice rang out from the porch. “Anyone home?” Her dad’s voice put an instant end to all the naughty thoughts about sleeping together.
Ryan gave her shoulders one last gentle squeeze before moving his hands away. He called out, “Come in.”
Making themselves right at home, her parents settled beside Tara at the counter. Her mom beamed a bright smile. “Good morning, Ryan. How are you today?”
“Great. Breakfast is almost ready. Coffee?”
Her father said, “Please. Black for me. Bring the sugar bowl for this one.” He tilted his thumb toward her mom.
Worried that might set off another argument between them, Tara quickly said, “So how are the wedding plans coming? Anyone panicking yet?”
Her dad grumbled, “My checkbook is panicking, that’s for sure.”
“Ignore him.” Her mom rolled her eyes for Ryan’s benefit. Then she turned and said, “Oh, by the way, Jamie, hair and makeup for the rehearsal dinner starts next Friday at four. And Laura asked me to remind you to bring the necklace you promised her for the something borrowed.”
Tara nodded. “I won’t forget.”
“Jamie?” She looked up to find Ryan staring at her.
Crap! Her mom must’ve just called her that and she hadn’t noticed.
Her mouth opened, but nothing but air escaped.
Her dad jumped in. “Nickname. Long story, but all her family calls her that. Her real name is Tara.”
Way to go, Dad. No wonder the man made the big bucks. And her real name was Tara—now. She glanced at Ryan to see if he was buying it. Didn’t look like it.
Ryan handed out the coffee, then stared into her eyes. “I like long stories.”
Her mom quickly said, “You know how little girls are. They always wish they had a different name. Tara decided at a young age we were to all call her Jamie, and it stuck.” She waved a hand toward her dad. “Tara is a name from his side of the family. I never really liked it anyway.”
Her dad shrugged and drank deeply from his mug.
That part was actually true. Tara had been her beloved great-grandmother’s name. That’s why she’d chosen it. And her new last name, Carter, had been gleaned from a character in a favorite book. But her parents’ excuse seemed just a little too slick.
Dammit! Had they concocted that tale so Ryan could come to the wedding? She’d just talked to them about that earlier, pointing out how it would be impossible for him to come. Everyone at the wedding would call her Jamie. Was this her dad “fixing” everything as usual?
Ryan laid out their breakfast, quickly ate a piece of French toast, and then excused himself to get ready for work. He
It warmed her heart when he couldn’t say bikini .
“That is if your neck isn’t too sore to go. You’ve been rubbing it since you got here.”
Had she been? “Lumpy couch last night. I’ll be fine once the kinks are out.”
Ryan scooped the golden toasted bread from the pan. “I’m good with kinks. May I?”
“Uh. Sure.”
He circled behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders.
Ryan’s big hands gently kneaded her tight muscles while his thumbs circled in between her shoulder blades. It bordered somewhere between pain and sexy pleasure. But then, whenever they touched there was a spark and connection she’d never experienced before. “Oh my God, that feels good.”
“Which date should I save this for?”
Without thinking she blurted out, “Do this, and it’ll be the one when you sleep together for the first time.”
His husky voice whispered in her ear, “How many dates would I have to wait to get to that one, Tara?”
If she didn’t know better she’d think he was asking to sleep with her. But she’d made the ground rules clear enough. “Ummm—”
Loud knocking along with Tara’s father’s voice rang out from the porch. “Anyone home?” Her dad’s voice put an instant end to all the naughty thoughts about sleeping together.
Ryan gave her shoulders one last gentle squeeze before moving his hands away. He called out, “Come in.”
Making themselves right at home, her parents settled beside Tara at the counter. Her mom beamed a bright smile. “Good morning, Ryan. How are you today?”
“Great. Breakfast is almost ready. Coffee?”
Her father said, “Please. Black for me. Bring the sugar bowl for this one.” He tilted his thumb toward her mom.
Worried that might set off another argument between them, Tara quickly said, “So how are the wedding plans coming? Anyone panicking yet?”
Her dad grumbled, “My checkbook is panicking, that’s for sure.”
“Ignore him.” Her mom rolled her eyes for Ryan’s benefit. Then she turned and said, “Oh, by the way, Jamie, hair and makeup for the rehearsal dinner starts next Friday at four. And Laura asked me to remind you to bring the necklace you promised her for the something borrowed.”
Tara nodded. “I won’t forget.”
“Jamie?” She looked up to find Ryan staring at her.
Crap! Her mom must’ve just called her that and she hadn’t noticed.
Her mouth opened, but nothing but air escaped.
Her dad jumped in. “Nickname. Long story, but all her family calls her that. Her real name is Tara.”
Way to go, Dad. No wonder the man made the big bucks. And her real name was Tara—now. She glanced at Ryan to see if he was buying it. Didn’t look like it.
Ryan handed out the coffee, then stared into her eyes. “I like long stories.”
Her mom quickly said, “You know how little girls are. They always wish they had a different name. Tara decided at a young age we were to all call her Jamie, and it stuck.” She waved a hand toward her dad. “Tara is a name from his side of the family. I never really liked it anyway.”
Her dad shrugged and drank deeply from his mug.
That part was actually true. Tara had been her beloved great-grandmother’s name. That’s why she’d chosen it. And her new last name, Carter, had been gleaned from a character in a favorite book. But her parents’ excuse seemed just a little too slick.
Dammit! Had they concocted that tale so Ryan could come to the wedding? She’d just talked to them about that earlier, pointing out how it would be impossible for him to come. Everyone at the wedding would call her Jamie. Was this her dad “fixing” everything as usual?
Ryan laid out their breakfast, quickly ate a piece of French toast, and then excused himself to get ready for work. He
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