“You like them?” I can’t contain the grin on my face.
“I do.” She’s fighting a smile. “I like how it gives me a little insight in to you.” Her eyes drift to my mouth, and I know she wants to kiss me as much as I want to kiss her, but I hold back because I won’t fuck this up.
“Then I have something else for you,” I admit, stretching across her to reach for the glove compartment. My arm brushes across her chest, sending a fresh wave of blood south to my dick. This woman lights a flame inside me every time we touch, and I know when we finally get down and dirty it’s going to be fucking explosive.
It’s possible I might die of blue balls before then.
Nerves fire at me from all sides as I remove the dog-eared book from the glove compartment. This is a risk, but go big or go home, am I right? I hold the book to my chest. “Do you read?”
“A little. I don’t have a huge amount of downtime, and when I do, I usually draw, but I try to read a book or two a month.”
“This is one of my favorite books.” I run my fingers over the worn cover ofAll the Bright Placesby Jennifer Niven. “I discovered it when I was younger and I was going through some stuff. I think the message is powerful.” I hand it to her, adding, “I want to know you, but I want you to know me too because I’m not just the things they say about me online. Read it and let me know what you think.”
Flipping it over, she reads the description on the back, and I take a few moments to study her.
She’s exquisite, but I can tell she doesn’t realize it. She doesn’t wear much makeup or use a ton of product in her hair. She dresses edgy but always with comfort in mind, and she looks like someone who is content in her skin. I’m dying to know what the ink on her lower arms means and to explore the other tattoos she’s hiding underneath her clothes. She looks good in my car, and I know she’ll look good in my arms, and I truly, honestly, sincerely want to see where this leads.
Because Presley is the first good thing to happen to me in years.
And I really don’t want to fuck it all up.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kent
I stop by the toy store on my way to Eva and Kaden’s house the following night, picking up the latest princess doll for my niece Milly and a bunch of superhero figures for her brother Matthew. On the spur of the moment, I pick up a bottle of wine and some chocolates for my sister-in-law.
I didn’t announce I was dropping by, but I’m expecting Eva to be in because their kids are both under five and I know Kade is out in the city drinking with my other brothers tonight. I got the invite but passed because I know the hot topic of conversation will be Keats and Austen’s June wedding, and I want no part of that shit.
After tapping the code into the keypad by the gate, I drive up the winding driveway to my brother’s plush family home. The security system will have notified Eva of an impending visitor, so I’m not surprised to see her waiting at the front door for me. I park the car in front of the house and hop out, grabbing the bags from the back seat.
“This is a nice surprise,” Eva says, giving me a one-sided hug as I stand awkwardly in her doorway.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I admit when she releases me, stepping aside to let me in.
“Kade isn’t here.” She closes the front door, following me down the hallway and into their open living area.
“I know. I came to talk to you.” I shove the bags at her. “Where are the rugrats?”
“Asleep.” She places the bags on the large island unit in the kitchen, peering inside. “Oh my God. Milly is going to love you forever for this,” she exclaims, removing the box with the doll. “She’s been begging us for this, but Kade told her she had to wait until her birthday.”
I poke my head in the fridge, grabbing a beer. “Great. Now he’ll have extra ammunition to rip me a new one.”
Kaden is my eldest brother, and he’s been the most vocal about the rift in our family, squarely laying the blame at my door. He doesn’t waste any opportunity to berate me, and I’m fucking sick of him sticking his nose where it’s not wanted. It’s the other reason I came here tonight; I knew there was no chance of running into him.
“Kade worries about you, Kent,” Eva says, extracting the wine and the chocolates from the bag. She kisses my cheek, smiling warmly at me. “This was thoughtful. Thank you.”
I shrug, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.
I pop the cap on my beer and grab a wine glass from the overhead cupboard for my sister-in-law. She pours a healthy amount of ruby-red wine into the glass, and I arch a brow.
She slaps my arm, laughing. “Stop looking at me like I’m a lush. It’s been a tough week.”
“Trouble with my brother?” I inquire as we walk into the living area, claiming seats at opposite ends of the gray leather couch.
“Of course not.” Her face lights up at the mention of Kaden, and I wonder if Presley will someday look like that when someone mentions me.
I silently scoff. As if I could ever warrant that kind of lovesick affection. I must be short a few brain cells for my mind to have gone there. I’m under no illusions about this thing with Presley. I mean, it’s a miracle I feel this way about her because no other woman has ever elicited the same response, and I know that’s huge. While there is a strong part of me that wants things to work out with her, I’m self-aware enough to know I will fuck it up because I always do.
