Finally, she turned her head just enough to look at him, her chin still resting on her knee, and those sapphire eyes hit him all over again. Damn was she gorgeous.
And so fucking unavailable.
He held out his cup toward her. “Want a sip?”
She glanced at his fingers wrapped around the cup and then back to his eyes. “I probably shouldn’t. I’m still supposed to drive home.”
He nodded, bringing his arm back and taking a sip of it, his eyes still on hers. “I don’t think I’ll be driving tonight.” Then he motioned with his head over to Jodi and Free, and Shaun turned her head to look. Free had settled himself in one of the chairs and Jodi was sitting across his lap, her head leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. They were murmuring quietly to each other, Freeman’s lips moving against her temple, and then Jodi laughed. Kasey’s chest ached with a mixture of longing and envy.
Shaun turned her head back toward him and smiled gently, and it made his heart do double time in his chest. “They’re always like that. So gross.”
“I’m just glad to see him happy finally. Not that he wasn’t happy in Texas,” Kasey said quietly, low enough for just her to hear. “But we could tell something was missing for him. Roxy always knew there was someone up here that he left behind. I was clueless. I just thought he needed to get laid more.” He nodded his head toward the two in the chair again. “Sounds like she needed him, too.”
Shaun rested her cheek on her knee and nodded as she looked at him. “Her ex was a piece of shit. She’d been in love with Free for over half her life. She deserves the happiness that he gives her. And he’s so good to her. I couldn’t hope for something better for either of them.”
Glancing at her hands, he noticed her fingers were bare, that engagement ring he’d seen on her finger back on New Year's Eve not in place. His heart quickened, but he shot it down.Just because she’s not wearing it doesn’t mean shit, you jackass. She works on cars all day. She can’t wear it without losing that finger if she gets caught in a machine. Better that she doesn’t wear it.
“What about you?” he asked, clearing his throat, unable to resist digging for information.
“What about me?” she repeated, her brows drawing over her eyes.
“Is your relationship everything that you deserve?” he asked, swiveling his head forward to stare into the flames. His heart was pounding, dreading her answer.Fucking masochist.
He watched her out of his peripheral vision and saw when she turned her face to look forward into the fire, too. “I’m content with where my life is now,” she whispered softly. They were silent for a few moments before she sighed and uncurled her arms from around her legs, setting her feet on the ground. Pulling herself forward, she stood, glancing down at him before speaking to the few that still gathered around the fire, “I should probably head home.”
Jodi looked up from Free’s chest and then stood, crossing the few feet to hug Shaun. Kasey almost laughed at the height difference between the two sisters.
Serenity called over the fire, “Please let me know when you get home safely.” Jodi returned to Free, who enveloped her in his arms a moment later. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”
“I will, I promise, Mom. And no, I’m fine,” Shaun said, glancing in his direction again. “I only had two drinks. Good night, you guys.”
Kasey saw Levi sit up straighter in his seat and then that gruff voice traveled across the fire as he murmured, “Kasey can walk you to your truck, Shaun.”
“Oh, no, that’s really not necessary,” Shaun stammered, whipping her head from her dad’s face to his own and then back again like a ping-pong ball in a volley. “I don’t need an escort to go across the yard, Dad.”
“Humor me,” Levi rumbled, and Kasey took that as his cue, pushing himself to his feet. Setting down his drink on the armrest of the chair he’d just vacated, he had to fight the urge to smile when Shaun rolled her eyes and huffed out an annoyed sigh.
Shaun stomped away from the fire, her arms crossed over her middle. Kasey fell into step beside her, his long legs keeping stride with her angry ones. They were almost to the corner of the house when she stopped.
“I left my keys on the kitchen counter,” she said, glancing over at him. “You really don’t have to walk me to my car. I know my way.”
Kasey just put his hands in the front pockets of his leather jacket and raised his eyebrows, notching his chin toward the back porch that would lead into the house. Shaun huffed again and started across the lawn, climbing the two steps onto the large back deck. Kasey followed, trying not to grin at how annoyed she was. He and Free had done damage to the bottle of bourbon he’d brought, and he was feeling the effects of it.
Sliding the patio door open, she entered and walked through the living room and into the kitchen, and he could hear her swipe her keys off the counter into her hand. A moment later he heard her heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she stalked back outof the kitchen where he waited in the entryway. He followed her to the front door, right behind her, and pulled the door closed as they exited out onto the covered front porch. It was shrouded in inky blackness, and he knew he couldn’t let her leave without saying what was on his mind.
“Shaun, wait.”
Kasey’s fingers wrapped around the upper part of her bicep, stopping her before she could take a step down the porch stairs, and she stared down at the fingers there before raising her eyes to his.
He stared down into her face, partially shadowed in the darkness that surrounded them, half of her face illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon that had risen into the sky. His fingers flexed around her upper arm and his face lowered toward hers, until only inches separated them. He stared into those stormy sapphire blue eyes; the world silent around them except for the sound of their breathing.
He watched her as he licked his lips, then swallowed, his throat moving with the motion, before he whispered, “Don’t… Don’t marry him.”
“What?” Shaun snapped, though it was breathless and made his cock twitch in his jeans. Those dark, raven wing eyebrows dipped low as she frowned, and the look of shock and confusion on her face would have made him chuckle if it weren’t for the urgency to get the words out before she walked away from him again. That tool bag wasn’t here with her, and he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to make her understand how badly he didn’t want her to marry that prick. Shecouldn’tmarry that loser. Whether she knew it yet or not, she washis. Hadalwaysbeen his.
“Don’t marry him,” he repeated, his throat going dry, and then his eyes dropped to her mouth. Dammit he wanted to put his mouth on hers. Taste her lips, her tongue, feel it against his—
Her lips parted and her eyes went wide, and he nearly groaned with the effort it took to not duck his head and press his lips to hers. The bourbon had made him brave, but he held still, and the next second he heard her whisper, “What?”
