“Doctor JoJo calls these brush bots. It’s easy to make; you just have to follow the steps, right Doctor JoJo?” Cameron asked, looking up as Jordy approached.
I didn’t miss how he cozied up right next to me when he made it to Cameron and his little friend’s station. When his hand brushed against mine, I felt it in my spine. I snatched my hand away like I had touched something hot.
“Can you not?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help myself,” he muttered.
“Mom, can we have cheese pizza tonight?” Cam asked, interrupting our mumbled exchange.
“Uh, sure. I’ll order one from Pizza King when we get home.”
“Sounds good. Cheese pizza is my favorite too,” Jordy noted before turning his full attention to Cam and the other student to explain what they needed to do next.
I stepped aside and let Cam finish doing his thing while Jordy continued on to another group of students to offer hisexpertise. The rest of the class went by without incident, and before long, we were taking the awkward but quick ride back to my grandmother’s house. Pulling up to the house after the ten-minute drive didn’t bring me the comfort that I thought it would since there was a strange car parked out front. I did not want company right now.
“Hmph,” Jordy grunted, inadvertently drawing my attention away from the car.
“What?” I quizzed, allowing my brows to bunch together as I turned to him.
“Nothing. See you Thursday, buddy,” JoJo told Cam as he hopped out of the car.When I reached for the door handle, Jordy grabbed my hand. “Harper.”
“What?”
Jordy didn’t immediately respond but he kept his hand on mine so that I understood he wasn’t ready for me to move. The quiet intensity of the moment had my stomach in a knot. I didn’t need him reading too much into things. I was doing this for my son.
“Thank you for coming.”
“I only came for Cam.”
“I know, but I’ll take whatever I can get of you for now.”
I sighed. “Jordy, please.”
“You know I want you back, baby, but this isn’t just about that. Let him come back Thursday, Harper. You see how much fun he had learning about circuits and all that boring stuff. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Don’t let anything happen to my baby, JoJo.”
“I got him, Harper. I love how eager he is to learn. He said I was a nerd just like his mom but the cool kind.”
We shared a laugh at my expense, and that somehow relieved the tension around us. “He calls me a nerd because I’m alwaystrying to get him interested in learning. He loves it when I’m not doing too much.”
“Well, I think this is a way to win him over.”
“It feels like it.”
“Let me earn your trust back, Harper,” JoJo requested before kissing the back of my hand.
I cursed in my head as my breathing shallowed. His lips lingered as he turned my hand over and pressed a kiss to the palm of my hand. I pushed away the urge to squeeze my thighs together as another kiss landed on the inside of my wrist. Damn him!
“Let me go order this pizza,” I said, attempting to change the subject.
“Harper,” Jordy called, then waited for me to respond.
“What is it, JoJo?”
My heart thudded in my ears as he leaned closer. I averted my eyes, but I knew how he was about eye contact. Just to test him, I didn’t immediately look at him. As suspected, he waited until my eyes settled on him before he spoke.
“I’m not going away this time, and I’m damn sure not letting you get away from me again.”
