Gosh, she tried so hard, too. She wanted to see the end of the movie—when the girl finally realized it was Topher Grace who was her knight in shining armor the entire time, and Josh Duhamel was just a pretty face.
She tiptoed around the sectional and into the kitchen where she left her purse. She pulled out her phone, planning to tap her favorites and call home. When she opened the screen, she saw a single message bubble waiting. Her stomach twisted. It had been weeks. He hadn’t tried to contact her after she busted outof Chicago. Maybe it was her naïveté again thinking it was that easy? But her intuition told her otherwise, and the words on the screen were a shock, but not a surprise…
Max: Humiliation isn’t really my style, sweetheart. I don’t like misplacing my things.
“Everything alright?” She gasped and spun around as Justin walked up the single step onto the hardwood floor.
“Oh, yeah…” She let out a light chuckle and gave him a smile. “Just checking my phone to see if Chris tried to call. He didn’t… Must’ve just assumed I was safe here.” She tucked her phone away in the pocket of her bag.
“I’ll give him a call and apologize for not bringing you back. I swear, I didn’t mean to fall asleep…” The sheepish grin on his face told her it was only half the truth. Someone turned off the movie, and it wasn’t her.
“Oh, I’m a big girl. He knows that. We can give him a call on the road.” She gently patted his shoulder as she walked by. “I’m going to use the bathroom real quick and we can get going.”
She was the fastest potty-goer on planet Earth, convinced it was from her two years of waitressing. You had to be quick if you wanted good tips. She was still dressed from the night before, so she washed her hands, smoothed her hair, and pinched the freckles on her cheeks.
Coming back into the kitchen, she could see Justin’s head in the fridge, digging around for whatever he was looking for. She could tell he’d just been grocery shopping, probably to get everything he needed for their dinner. She watched as he climbed out of the appliance. He was so tall, it probably felt like being reborn.
“I stocked up on Greek yogurt and bananas. How does that sound for a grab and go?” He flashed a smile as he extended a small round container to her.
“A bachelor who keeps a healthy breakfast in tow? Look at you…” She dropped her mouth open, exaggerating her astonishment.
“I’m not like other guys, sugar.” Still grinning, he closed the door, a whoosh of cold flying toward her bare feet. He pointed to a drawer inside the big wooden island and asked her to grab two plastic spoons while he ripped a bundle of bananas apart. She found the silverware, and Justin put everything in a grocery sack. She felt his large hand at the small of her back as he began leading her toward the front door.
Blythe sucked in a small breath, the warmth of his touch seeping through her top. She slipped on her shoes, and he stepped in front of her, opening the large wooden door. She stepped over the threshold, and Justin locked the door behind them, giving it a nice tug for good measure.
She tried not to stare at him as they ate their breakfast. He shoveled down his yogurt cup before he put the pickup truck in drive. He was casually enjoying his banana now, one hand on the steering wheel. Why was watching Justin eat his fruit so freaking appealing? Her thoughts derailed. She wanted to be the banana…
Woah, settle down, girl.
He must’ve seen her from his peripheral and turned to look at her straight on—she felt caught.
She scrambled for her words.“I’m sorry I fell asleep last night. I really wanted to watch the movie, and I hardly got any of that Mister Glaze popcorn, either,” she pouted, poking her lip out dramatically.
“Sugar, that wasn’t even my best work. And if I’m not mistaken—you are free and single, so I’ll have the chance to doyou one better next time.” The side of his mouth lifted, and his eye wrinkled in the corner.
What was it about men when they looked at you that way? Thesmirk.It was only reserved for their idiot friends and girls they were interested in… Was she really a girl he was interested in?
“Why are you so far away? Unbuckle that seatbelt and get your ass over here.” His voice was like butter and thunder, and she almost melted at his command. She clicked the button, and Justin practically dragged her into the middle spot next to him. Butterflies threatened to destroy her insides as she placed a knee on either side of the gear shift.
“That's better.” He drawled, then laid his corded forearm on her thigh, his hand resting on the ball at the top of the stick. She stared out the windshield as they drove, her mind only derailing further. She’d never had a stick between her thighs before… Good god, the dirty thoughts just kept coming.
She’d never thought those kinds of things with Max…or any other five second boyfriend she’d had in high school before him. This was new. It felt odd, but not in a bad way. More like…she kind of liked it, and wouldn’t mind if the naughty things kept intruding on her thoughts more. It had to be the damn Mister Glaze. Maybe she needed to block him so he never showed up in her feed again.
JUSTIN
“How was your date?” Addie met them at the door.
“You two in love yet?” Chris never did beat around a bush.
“They sure are…” Evie chimed from behind the two. “Justin kissed her in the barn the other day.”
Justin’s eyes locked on Evie, and she shrugged her shoulders.
“What?” she sang, innocent as a dove, “You did…”
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. She was so damn cute, and she wasn’t lying. He had kissed her, and he’d own it in front of her uncle, too. “I did. Now I just have to hope she’ll let me do it again sometime…” He winked at Evie, then looked to Blythe.
“I don’t know about that. We’ll have to see…” Blythe smirked with her arms folded over her chest, her hip popped to one side.
