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“Oh my god,” Reese groaned, unclenching her hands from his shirt and jumping away from him. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I just did that.”
“Woman, look at me,” Cash said softly.
When she kept her eyes on the floor and distanced herself from him, Cash relented, giving her a minute. When Reese wouldn’t look at him, he could feel her pulling away without moving another step. She was taking all that glorious heat with her. He decided to solve the problem the only way he knew how. Cash trapped her back against the counter. Before she could slide in either direction, he wrapped her in his arms and tucked her head under his chin.
Reese kept her eyes closed tight, her head resting on his chest. She tried to steady her breathing. The way he touched her and held her wasn’t helping. She could still feel the tingling of his lips on hers. Her heart raced, making Reese lightheaded until she thought she might pass out right there on his kitchen floor. All of that from one kiss. This is what happened when she gave in to her body and did stupid things like kiss the hot, annoying neighbor.
Grasping her chin, Cash forced her gaze to his. “Reese, Beautiful, there is nothing wrong with having something for yourself.” He couldn’t stand watching her silently berate herself, especially when there was no need. He wanted her, and he knew she wanted him.
“Let’s just have dinner, okay,” Reese did her best to ignore the situation.
All she had to do was get through dinner. Then she could go home and pretend nothing was going on until Cash lost interest and moved on to someone else. Easy enough, she told herself. Just get through dinner without anything else happening. It can’t be that hard, right? Eating. Talking. Absolutely no touching. No more kissing and definitely no climbing up the front of him to wrap her legs around his waist so she could grind her throbbing pussy on his rock-hard length.
Chapter 7
“What did you want to talk about?” Reese broke the silence. She was perched on a stool at Cash’s island, eyeing him cautiously while making her selections from what looked to be the entire menu from the one and only Chinese food place in town.
“Mav,” Cash answered while he scooped rice onto his paper plate.
“What about Mav?” Reese stopped in mid-selection of the various kinds of dishes in front of her to bristle.
“He needs something to do. He is smart and picks up on shit way faster than most kids his age. The kid needs to have a good long talk with another man,” he replied, still focused on the food.
“So now you are going to give me parenting advice? Besides, he and I already had the talk.” Reese dropped her fork before she stabbed the idiot on the other side of the island. It would be a shame to get blood on these beautiful countertops, but if Cash decided to keep criticizing her parenting, his counters would need to be scrubbed.
Cash missed the scowl on her face. His attention solely focused on the different kinds of chicken in front of him. Instead of choosing, he took some of each. He ordered lots. Cash wanted Reese to have whatever she liked. The problem was he didn’t know what she liked, so he ordered some of everything.
“I don’t need someone I don’t know giving my kid pointers on how to get girls into bed with him.” Her temper was about to be unleashed, and Reese knew precisely where to aim. Where did he get off criticizing her? One day with a teenager does not qualify him to sit in judgment over her.
“What?” Cash coughed, almost choking on his dinner. His brain finally caught up to her half of the conversation. “That wasn’t the particular talk I was going to have with him. But, just so you know, if you ever want to try out any of those things from the becoming a man talk, all you have to do is say so. I will be a very willing volunteer,” Cash’s wink had Reese rolling her eyes in his direction.
“It will not work, you know.”
“What isn’t going to work, Beautiful?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” Reese shook her head at him. She was still pissed, but she kept her temper in check. “Did Mav do something?”
“Yeah,” Cash looked like he was enjoying her unease. “The kid is smart. He understands machines.”
“Okay,” Reese was lost. She had the distinct feeling Cash was hedging toward something else. He acted like a grown-up version of Mav when he wanted to ask her something. Something he wasn’t sure she would say yes.
“I know my son is smart. Mav’s grades have never been the problem. His teachers love him. The problem is he keeps getting into fights. Just that one kid, Brecken, seems to be able to push his buttons. His parents own the drug store and donate a lot of money to the school. Mav gets in trouble, and Brecken’s family donates another wing to the school.”
“He must come by it honestly,” Cash smirked, catching the fortune cookie she tossed at his head. “I know the kid who is giving him shit. I used to beat the crap out of the kid’s father when he did the same thing to me in school. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree.”
“So, you want to give him fighting tips? I think you are missing the point. I have to find a way to keep him in school, not get him expelled.”
“No, I want him to help me at the garage. It is close enough he can walk, and it will keep him busy.”
“Are you doing this so I will sleep with you?” Reese couldn’t help but ask.
There had to be an ulterior motive. There was no way she was ready to believe a good-looking single guy she met two days ago was prepared to saddle himself to her and all her baggage. It might be okay if he wanted a one-night thing but, wait. What was she thinking? Damn dinner. Dinner in a dreamy kitchen was making her think about things she had no business considering.
“No, I am feeding you in hopes one of these days I will wear you down. After I do, then I will get to feast on that gorgeous body of yours. I am not going to lie. The thought of spreading you out on my bed has been on my mind since the first time I saw you. But Mav is separate. I like your kid. He reminds me of me at that age. The kid is a grease monkey. He needs to focus on that instead of fighting Captain Shit Stain.”
“Um, wow,” Reese wasn’t sure which part to respond to first. The part where he admitted to fantasies of having her in his bed, the part where he understands Mav isn’t going to be dragged into their whatever is going on here, or the part where he refers to the bane of her son’s existence as Captain Shit Stain.
“Just think about it,” Cash shrugs.
