Summer Kisses by Theresa Ragan, Laurie Kellogg, Katie Graykowski, Bev Pettersen, Lindsey Brookes, Diana Layne, Autumn Jordon, Jacie Floyd, Elizabeth Bemis, Lizzie Shane Page B
Authors: Theresa Ragan, Laurie Kellogg, Katie Graykowski, Bev Pettersen, Lindsey Brookes, Diana Layne, Autumn Jordon, Jacie Floyd, Elizabeth Bemis, Lizzie Shane
Tags: Romance
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wake her up? Why hadn’t Sandy kicked Derrick out of her apartment?
Sleepily, Jill trudged into the room. As she glanced around, she plunked a hand on her hip. “Where’s Ryan?”
“It’s alive,” Sandy said as she came to Jill’s side and tried to fix her hair.
Jill swatted her hand away.
“Ryan’s asleep,” Derrick said from the kitchen.
“Then why are you still here?”
“Because he’s our savior,” Chelsey said with way too much enthusiasm. “He added red and green chili peppers to the chili,” she went on, “and it turns out that’s exactly what was missing. The woman who sent in the recipe, you know, the one who won all those competitions…well, I just talked to her on the phone and sure enough, she forgot to include a few ingredients when she typed out the recipe for us.”
Jill grunted. How could she omit chili peppers from a chili recipe? “Did you tell her how much trouble she’s caused us?”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Chelsey assured her before she looked back at Derrick and batted her eyelashes.”
For the first time since hiring Chelsey six months ago, Jill noticed how perky and cute she was with her blonde curly hair that bounced around her pale shoulders every time she moved. She looked amazing in her sleeveless sundress and strappy sandals. Surprisingly, Jill found herself wanting nothing more than to tell them all to leave. And then she wanted to pick up the phone and call that woman and tell her she didn’t deserve to win any ribbons at the next county fair if she couldn’t even get one simple chili recipe right.
Breathe, Jill, breathe .
Derrick was right. She had the baby blues, and she had them bad. All of this negative energy was wearing her out. Since when did she care what Chelsey wore or if everybody looked amazing except for her? She wasn’t vain like her mother and sister. She didn’t have to look perfect every second of the day. For the umpteenth time in the past week, she found herself wanting to cry, which only served to make her want to cry even more because she wasn’t a crier by nature. Her hormones were definitely out of control and she didn’t like it one bit.
Jill turned away to head back to her room when suddenly Ryan’s cry pierced her eardrums. She looked over her shoulder at Derrick. “Your baby is crying. I’m going back to bed.”
CHAPTER NINE
Thomas stood near the rose garden. Tonight he wore a tuxedo and the moonlight glistened off of his hair and played with the angles of his face, throwing shadows across a nicely shaped jaw and long straight nose.
Across the way, Derrick sat poolside in nothing but a pair of colorful board shorts. His fingers plowed through thick wet hair, sprinkling droplets of water over a bronzed chest and well-worked biceps.
Both men looked Jill’s way as she walked toward them, hips swaying.
“She’s beautiful,” Thomas said.
“Yes,” Derrick agreed. “And she’s all mine. You blew it, buster.”
Jill’s eyes popped open. She stared up at the ceiling. What was wrong with her? She hardly knew Derrick and yet she couldn’t shut her eyes without dreaming about him. Not once, but twice!
Her heart hammered against her chest as she realized she was absolutely, certifiably losing her mind. There was no other explanation. Derrick wasn’t her type. She wasn’t attracted to men with deeply tanned bodies and big muscles. Flashing white teeth and sparkling eyes that winked with mischief were not her cup of tea. No sirree. She liked professional men who took life a little more seriously. She preferred a man in a suit who used his brains more than his brawns.
The clock on her nightstand read three o’clock.
She looked back at the ceiling before giving the clock a second look. No way was it three o’clock. It was closer to nine o’clock in the morning the last time she had awakened to the sounds of everybody partying in her kitchen. If it was three o’clock, that would mean she’d slept six hours
Sleepily, Jill trudged into the room. As she glanced around, she plunked a hand on her hip. “Where’s Ryan?”
“It’s alive,” Sandy said as she came to Jill’s side and tried to fix her hair.
Jill swatted her hand away.
“Ryan’s asleep,” Derrick said from the kitchen.
“Then why are you still here?”
“Because he’s our savior,” Chelsey said with way too much enthusiasm. “He added red and green chili peppers to the chili,” she went on, “and it turns out that’s exactly what was missing. The woman who sent in the recipe, you know, the one who won all those competitions…well, I just talked to her on the phone and sure enough, she forgot to include a few ingredients when she typed out the recipe for us.”
Jill grunted. How could she omit chili peppers from a chili recipe? “Did you tell her how much trouble she’s caused us?”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Chelsey assured her before she looked back at Derrick and batted her eyelashes.”
For the first time since hiring Chelsey six months ago, Jill noticed how perky and cute she was with her blonde curly hair that bounced around her pale shoulders every time she moved. She looked amazing in her sleeveless sundress and strappy sandals. Surprisingly, Jill found herself wanting nothing more than to tell them all to leave. And then she wanted to pick up the phone and call that woman and tell her she didn’t deserve to win any ribbons at the next county fair if she couldn’t even get one simple chili recipe right.
Breathe, Jill, breathe .
Derrick was right. She had the baby blues, and she had them bad. All of this negative energy was wearing her out. Since when did she care what Chelsey wore or if everybody looked amazing except for her? She wasn’t vain like her mother and sister. She didn’t have to look perfect every second of the day. For the umpteenth time in the past week, she found herself wanting to cry, which only served to make her want to cry even more because she wasn’t a crier by nature. Her hormones were definitely out of control and she didn’t like it one bit.
Jill turned away to head back to her room when suddenly Ryan’s cry pierced her eardrums. She looked over her shoulder at Derrick. “Your baby is crying. I’m going back to bed.”
CHAPTER NINE
Thomas stood near the rose garden. Tonight he wore a tuxedo and the moonlight glistened off of his hair and played with the angles of his face, throwing shadows across a nicely shaped jaw and long straight nose.
Across the way, Derrick sat poolside in nothing but a pair of colorful board shorts. His fingers plowed through thick wet hair, sprinkling droplets of water over a bronzed chest and well-worked biceps.
Both men looked Jill’s way as she walked toward them, hips swaying.
“She’s beautiful,” Thomas said.
“Yes,” Derrick agreed. “And she’s all mine. You blew it, buster.”
Jill’s eyes popped open. She stared up at the ceiling. What was wrong with her? She hardly knew Derrick and yet she couldn’t shut her eyes without dreaming about him. Not once, but twice!
Her heart hammered against her chest as she realized she was absolutely, certifiably losing her mind. There was no other explanation. Derrick wasn’t her type. She wasn’t attracted to men with deeply tanned bodies and big muscles. Flashing white teeth and sparkling eyes that winked with mischief were not her cup of tea. No sirree. She liked professional men who took life a little more seriously. She preferred a man in a suit who used his brains more than his brawns.
The clock on her nightstand read three o’clock.
She looked back at the ceiling before giving the clock a second look. No way was it three o’clock. It was closer to nine o’clock in the morning the last time she had awakened to the sounds of everybody partying in her kitchen. If it was three o’clock, that would mean she’d slept six hours
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