buzz with the gossip that Dani Hart had an affair with someone like him. Hushed whispers and speculation would fill the local laundromat or the baby food aisle in the town’s one and only grocery store. Someone with a reputation, someone the press had labeled a bad boy had brought a smirch to their quiet, cozy little town. A man who shirked his responsibility to the town doctor’s daughter and left her alone and dying with a child to raise. The gossip, he was sure, would be anything but kind, and once again, miles from the truth.
He placed his hand over hers and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. In all honesty, he had no idea how long he planned to remain in town, but he didn’t think it’d be more than a few days. He wouldn’t be around to protect her or Austin from the gossip. Once he left, people would find some other grist for their rumor mill. His life was elsewhere. He belonged elsewhere.
“I knew that when I agreed to come.” He knew, yet he was still determined to keep his promise.
She closed her eyes and he had the wild urge to reassure her it wouldn’t be as bad as she was obviously imagining, but he couldn’t. He knew better.
She opened her eyes and he saw her concern. There was little he could do to alleviate it short of leaving. He was between the proverbial rock and hard place. If he left, he’d disappoint his kid. If he stayed, then his son would have to face the rumors. Fate had brought them together. What choice did he have but to face it one crisis at a time? His life was too screwed up to do much else at the moment.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“If you are.”
He’d only meant to give her hand another squeeze, hoping to convey that for now, he’d remain by her and Austin’s side. The last thing he’d meant to do was give a slight tug on her hand to pull her closer, but he did. Telling himself pushing that wayward lock of hair behind her ear had been his only intention was nothing but a big, fat lie. Especially when he slid his fingers along her jaw to cup the back of her head in his hand and draw her in to share in his insanity.
“Jed?”
He ignored the confusion in her voice, concentrating instead on how her eyes darkened with desire. Her lashes fluttered closed as he brought their mouths closer together. The instant their lips touched, he knew he was screwed. One kiss from this woman would never be enough. When her lips parted, he swept his tongue inside, tasting, tempting, taking.
His body throbbed with anticipation. Despite their location, he deepened the kiss. She made a sound, a sexy little purr that spiked his libido. God, he wanted her.
The sound of a car door slamming brought him crashing back to reality. She scrambled away from him so quickly, his pride took a hit. Rationally, he understood, but he wasn’t feeling rational. He was horny and for about five seconds, he’d bet she’d been willing.
She dug into her purse, then pulled down the visor and checked her reflection in the mirror. “We should go,” she said, reapplying her peach lip gloss with her finger.
He might have bought her cool, unfazed response if it weren’t for the fact that her eyes were still simmering with awareness. “You know this isn’t over.”
She reached for the door handle. “Of course it is,” she said, then exited the Jeep.
He chuckled. No, it wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
*
Griffen’s insides were trembling by the time Jed pulled open the heavy door leading to the gymnasium and not just out of fear of what lie inside when people saw Jed and Austin together. He’d kissed her. And she’d let him. Worse, she’d liked it. A lot.
The squeak of tennis shoes on the gym floor, the shouts of the boys and their coaches as they warmed up for the game met her, along with the face splitting grin of her son when he spotted them. She scanned the crowd already gathered for the last regular season game and located her father center court. He stood and waved, and
He placed his hand over hers and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. In all honesty, he had no idea how long he planned to remain in town, but he didn’t think it’d be more than a few days. He wouldn’t be around to protect her or Austin from the gossip. Once he left, people would find some other grist for their rumor mill. His life was elsewhere. He belonged elsewhere.
“I knew that when I agreed to come.” He knew, yet he was still determined to keep his promise.
She closed her eyes and he had the wild urge to reassure her it wouldn’t be as bad as she was obviously imagining, but he couldn’t. He knew better.
She opened her eyes and he saw her concern. There was little he could do to alleviate it short of leaving. He was between the proverbial rock and hard place. If he left, he’d disappoint his kid. If he stayed, then his son would have to face the rumors. Fate had brought them together. What choice did he have but to face it one crisis at a time? His life was too screwed up to do much else at the moment.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“If you are.”
He’d only meant to give her hand another squeeze, hoping to convey that for now, he’d remain by her and Austin’s side. The last thing he’d meant to do was give a slight tug on her hand to pull her closer, but he did. Telling himself pushing that wayward lock of hair behind her ear had been his only intention was nothing but a big, fat lie. Especially when he slid his fingers along her jaw to cup the back of her head in his hand and draw her in to share in his insanity.
“Jed?”
He ignored the confusion in her voice, concentrating instead on how her eyes darkened with desire. Her lashes fluttered closed as he brought their mouths closer together. The instant their lips touched, he knew he was screwed. One kiss from this woman would never be enough. When her lips parted, he swept his tongue inside, tasting, tempting, taking.
His body throbbed with anticipation. Despite their location, he deepened the kiss. She made a sound, a sexy little purr that spiked his libido. God, he wanted her.
The sound of a car door slamming brought him crashing back to reality. She scrambled away from him so quickly, his pride took a hit. Rationally, he understood, but he wasn’t feeling rational. He was horny and for about five seconds, he’d bet she’d been willing.
She dug into her purse, then pulled down the visor and checked her reflection in the mirror. “We should go,” she said, reapplying her peach lip gloss with her finger.
He might have bought her cool, unfazed response if it weren’t for the fact that her eyes were still simmering with awareness. “You know this isn’t over.”
She reached for the door handle. “Of course it is,” she said, then exited the Jeep.
He chuckled. No, it wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
*
Griffen’s insides were trembling by the time Jed pulled open the heavy door leading to the gymnasium and not just out of fear of what lie inside when people saw Jed and Austin together. He’d kissed her. And she’d let him. Worse, she’d liked it. A lot.
The squeak of tennis shoes on the gym floor, the shouts of the boys and their coaches as they warmed up for the game met her, along with the face splitting grin of her son when he spotted them. She scanned the crowd already gathered for the last regular season game and located her father center court. He stood and waved, and
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