Licking her lips, she shrugged. “It’s not a big deal, Kasey.”
“It is if you’ve made yourself clear and he’s not respecting that.”
Shaun laughed out loud at that, cocking one eyebrow high. “You do hear yourself, right?”
Kasey had the decency to look chagrined, his lips tilting up in the slightest smile, making his eyes crinkle at the corners, but his next words made her belly do flip-flops. “You and I both know there’s a difference, darlin’. You wouldn’t have almost kissed me Saturday night if you didn’t want it. You don’t want that sleazebag anywhere near you, that’s obvious.”
“I didn’t almost kiss you,” she whispered, her face flaming as she stared up into those stormy, rain cloud blue eyes.
“Yes, you did,” he whispered back, leaning slightly closer, so that less than a foot separated them. “And you’re thinking about it right now.”
“I am not,” she argued, though it came out breathless.
“You’re a terrible liar, Shaun,” he chuckled, his eyes dropping to her lips. Then, he whispered, “Does your fiancé know that you think about me?”
Growling low in her throat, she shoved her hands into his chest, pushing him away from her with all her might, making him stumble back a step. “God you’re such anasshole! Did you come here just to make fun of me? Get out, Kasey. Leave me alone.”
“What? No,” he murmured quietly, a look of confusion passing over his face briefly before taking that step forward again. She glared up at him, her lips pressed into a thin, hard line. “I can’t leave you alone. I’ve fucking tried.”
Her mouth opened in a silent gasp, her eyes going wide. “Try harder,” she pleaded breathlessly, and his eyes dropped to her mouth before raising once again to hers. “Kasey, please.”
He raised one hand, reaching out to tug on one stray curl that had fallen out of the messy bun she’d piled her curls into that morning, and she held her breath as he tucked it behind her ear, letting his fingers drift along her cheekbone. Then, his thumb trailed over her chin, before rising to sweep along the ridge of her bottom lip, making her gasp. Her heart thundered in her chest.
“I’m going to taste this mouth eventually, darlin’,” he murmured huskily, and she believed him undoubtedly. “Tell me you don’t want that.”
“I don’t want that,” she whispered, but even she didn’t believe the words.
He chuckled again, sweeping his thumb across her bottom lip one more time before letting his hand drop back to his side.“You’re a liar. But I forgive you. Because I’m going to make you take back every lie you’ve told me, doll.”
And then he was gone, sauntering back out the main garage bay door and out of sight while she struggled to remember how to breathe.
ELEVEN
“He’s absolutely insufferable,” Shaun muttered sourly, dropping down into the middle of the couch. Jodi laughed, rounding the corner of the couch to sink into it, two glasses of red wine in her hands. Shaun took one with a thank you, taking a long drink of it. Roxy followed, a glass in her hand, and she lowered herself into the far corner of the couch. “He thinks he’s God's gift to women or something.”
“Sounds like Kasey,” Roxy muttered dryly, making Shaun nod in agreement.
“I mean, he is outrageously good looking,” Jodi murmured, her tone light and teasing.
“I heard that,” Free called from the kitchen, and the three women laughed.
“He’s still got nothing on you, babe,” Jodi called back, and then they heard Free chuckle. Turning back to Shaun, she asked, “So he just showed up, out of the blue? And what is this with that Nate guy?”
Shaun folded her legs beneath her and swirled the wine in her glass, staring into it. “He’s been on this kick asking me out a lot lately. I’ve tried to explain to him that I’m not interested, and that I don’t date coworkers, but he’s not taking the hint.” She shuddered then, remembering the darkness that sometimes lurked in his eyes. “He sometimes acts like I already belong to him. It’s creepy.”
Freeman rounded the corner from the kitchen into the living room, sitting on the arm of the couch next to where Jodi sat. “You don’t think he’s dangerous, do you?” he asked, and Shaun smiled at the protectiveness that hinted in his deep voice.
“No, I don’t think so,” she said hesitantly. “I’m never alone with him, though, so I’m really not worried. He’s just a little overzealous.”
“If you ever feel unsafe—”
“Dad made sure all of us kids took firearm safety classes, Free,” Shaun said gently, cutting him off. “I have my concealed carry permit. I know how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble my pistol, and I’m a decent shot. It stays in my glovebox. He’s harmless though, I promise.”
“Keep it on you, if it’s in the glovebox it doesn’t do you any good,” he said gruffly, and Jodi reached out to place a hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. Glancing over at the other end of the couch at the redhead that reclined in the corner, he said gently, “I just had to have this talk with Roxy, too.”
“Yes, Dad,” Shaun quipped dryly, but softened it with a grin when he glared over at her from under dark brows. She laughed out loud. “I will keep it on me, I promise.”
Free nodded and stood, retreating to the kitchen, and Jodi reached out to take a notebook off the coffee table in front of them. Opening it, she scanned it, running her finger down a long list written on it. “What do you want to work on tonight?”
