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JP brought his lips to her cheek and brushed a chaste kiss there before whispering, “Thank you for helping out with my daughter.”
A shiver ran straight down her spine, settling between her legs.
He drew back with a chuckle, running a hand through his wet hair. “Never thought I’d be saying those words to a gorgeous woman. Come on, follow me for some grub.”
As he headed for his kitchen, Hannah allowed herself a moment to regroup. How was it possible to be so affected by such an innocent gesture, especially when it hadn’t fazed JP? There she stood in the middle of his den like an idiot with what might as well have been a brand on her cheek, while he whistled a jaunty tune in the kitchen.
She was so in over her head.
Kayla. Keep the focus on Kayla.
And cue guilt for lying to the man about to feed her as a thank you for her kindness.
“Grab a seat,” he said over his shoulder as she entered the kitchen. He stood bent, peering in the fridge.
Hannah forced herself not to notice the way his dark sweatpants stretched over his buttocks. Okay, she took a tiny peek. And spared a second to wonder if he had any tattoo there as well.
“Want a drink? Your choices are soda, diet or regular, iced tea, water, or formula.” He straightened then faced her with a wink.
Hannah laughed. “Sure. I’ll take a regular soda. Thanks.”
The smile she received should not have lit her up the way it did. None of this had anything to do with Kayla and everything to do with her curiosity about the man in general. That and her enjoyment of his company so far. She needed to steer her thoughts back to Kayla and off the man making her stomach all fluttery.
“Grab a seat.” He handed her a can before plopping into a chair at a large round table.
“Thanks.”
Silence thickened the air between them, making Hannah hyper-aware of the way his gaze tracked the movement of her can to her lips. She loved soda but didn’t let herself drink it too often. Usually, she reveled in the treat, but today she barely tasted it. Her senses were already overloaded with awareness of JP and couldn’t process the added input.
As the seconds ticked by, Hannah couldn’t help but wonder what he knew of her sister. Or what he thought of her at this point. He’d liked her enough to…make a baby with her. But now? It didn’t really matter since Mary Anne wasn’t alive, but he had to have strong feelings where she was concerned considering the situation he now found himself in after a one-night stand more than a year ago.
After swallowing a few more bubbly sips, Hannah mustered the courage to ask, “So, um, is it okay if I ask about Kayla’s mother?”
JP stilled with his can halfway to his lips. A deep freeze settled over the kitchen, coming from the block of ice formerly known as JP.
Oh, my God, she shouldn’t have asked.
She’d be lucky if he didn’t tell her to mind her own business and toss her out of his house.
He cleared his throat as though to talk, but she leaned forward, pressing a hand over her racing heart. “I am so sorry. That is none of my business whatsoever. We aren’t even friends. Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. You don’t owe me any kind of explanation about your life.” Her words tasted sour, knowing how many lies she’d already told to get close to him. “Crap, I’m sorry.”
She shouldn’t be allowed near people.
With a huff of laughter, he ran a hand across his stubbled chin. She’d have thought he would have shaved when he showered but had to admit the dark shadow gave him a roguish appearance. A strange urge to test if it was soft or scratchy overtook her with so much strength, she had to clench her drink to keep her hand in line.
“You’re fine, Hannah. It’s a normal question. One I’ll have to get used to, I guess. Shit.” He straightened then set his can down, staring at it as though it held the solution to all his newfound problems. “Kayla’s mother is dead.”
She bit her lip to keep the whoosh of air from leaving as his words hit like a punch to the gut. Yes, Mary Anne was dead. Gone. Never coming back. She stared down at the table to give herself a moment. Would hearing those words ever stop hurting?
After clearing her throat, she lifted her gaze. “I-I’m so sorry.” Tears sprang to her eyes, but Hannah blinked them away. How awkward would it be for her to break down at his table over a woman she wasn’t supposed to know? “Were, um, were you together long?” Sickness twisted her belly. What kind of person asked these questions when they already had the answer? But she had to know how he felt about her sister.
