“She does,” Jase replied for her.
Plans that could easily change, but still, plans.
“Give us a second?” Heather asked. “Jase, will you walk me across the street?”
“Gladly.” He grabbed her hand and marched across the street with her, not speaking.
“You don’t talk much when you’re angry, do you know that?” she asked when they got to the door of her shop.
He grunted.
She had to reach on her toes again so they were face-to-face. Well, face-to-face-ish. He was way taller than her, so it was more like chin-to-nose. She pressed her palms against his cheeks and tilted his face to hers. “If you don’t want me there, I won’t come. But I can hold my own with your family—if that’s what this is all about.”
He sighed. “You don’t understand. They seem fine on the surface, but soon enough they’ll be slipping under your skin and you’ll be revealing your deepest secrets without realizing it ever happened.”
“What am I going to say? Tell them that thing you did last night with your tongue?” His eyes flared. She went on, “Jase, we’re just us. They’re them. But they’re a part of you, and I’d like to get to know that part.”
“I went through training you can’t even imagine. Training to prepare me for the worst of the worst this planet has to offer—people who thrive on breaking us down. People who take a Navy recruit and turn him into a pile of mush.” He was totally serious. “Heather, they have nothing on my family. Because my family uses sweet saccharine to lure you in. Then they’ll ruin everything.”
“They cannot be that bad. I love yourbabushka. Your mom and sister seem great.”
“Oh, they’re great. They’ll just involve themselves in our relationship.”
“They’re part of you.” She pecked a kiss against his lips. “Let me in. Let me know them.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” He stroked her cheekbone.
She unlocked the door, pushing it open. “We’ll be in it together. It can’t be that bad.”
He grunted again. She glanced over his shoulder. His mom and Anna were on the sidewalk outside of their shop. They both waved.
“They’re watching us,” she whispered.
“Of course they are.” He turned their direction and gave a little wave.
“Be serious for a minute.” Heather gently grabbed his arm. “Are you frustrated because I’m invited or because they’re sticking their noses in?”
“I’m frustrated because I want you all to myself.” The air between them got heavy.
She linked her arms around his neck. “I think that you’re trying to be sweet.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle this.” She glanced to his mom and sister. Yeah, she could handle this. They loved him and she…oh God….nope. Not going there. She really liked him a lot. So she already had something in common with his family.
Like…a whole lot of like.
21
Chapter Twenty-One
Heather held on to Jase’s waist as he pulled his Ducati into the driveway of his family’s huge Cherry Creek home. He parked, and she tossed her leg over the side, pulling her helmet off and hoping like hell her hair wasn’t totally smashed. Jase had assured her the dress code was casual, but she still went with a summer dress and her hair down. She’d even curled it—not that it mattered with the way the helmet had likely smashed the curls.
Jase went with his perpetual jeans and T-shirt combo—this tee had his company logo on the front.
She retrieved the box of cookies she’d made from the saddlebags. Flower-shaped sugar cookies seemed appropriate, decorated with extra-sparkly sprinkles and a dash of edible luster dust. She’d added a dozen chocolate chip, because one could never go wrong with chocolate. “You ready?”
“No,” he replied. “Let’s do it, anyway.”
