Tess glanced at the bedside clock. It was twelve thirty-five a.m. She’d been tossing and turning in her temporary bed for over two hours now, and it wasn’t because of the unfamiliar setting. She could usually sleep anywhere without a problem, but not tonight. All she could see when she shut her eyes was the horrified expression followed by one of deep regret on Brian’s face after he’d caught her by surprise and kissed her.
His words echoed in her mind, over and over. There was no way she could forget the briefest yet most enticing kiss she’d ever received from a man, no matter what he said afterward.
What was wrong with her? He’d been right—she didn’t have time for complications right now with everything else going on in her life. So why did the thought depress her so much when coupled with the apology that he hadn’t meant to kiss her?
“Ugh.”
Tossing the sheet off her body, Tess stood and entered the bathroom. After using the toilet, she washed and dried her hands, then headed toward the kitchen. A little warm milk might help. No light peeked out from underneath the closed door of the smaller room Andy was using. She listened for a moment—sometimes the only illumination late at night was from his computer screen, which never quite reached the door. After hearing nothing, she made her way down the hall.
In the kitchen, she found a small saucepan and retrieved the milk from the refrigerator. She set it on simmer, then got a coffee mug down from the cabinet next to the sink. Standing there, she couldn’t help but relive the kiss Brian had placed on her lips. How would she ever be able to face him again?
At least, he hadn’t played her. He’d told her flat out he didn’t do relationships, and that wasn’t the kind of guy Tess wanted to get involved with. “Idiot, you don’t want to get involved with any guy right now, much less one who wants nothing more than a one-night stand.”
However, that didn't stop her from imagining what it would be like if Brian hadn't pulled away. His lips had been so soft, but there was a hidden strength behind them. She'd furtively watched his hands as he dried the plates, utensils, and glasses they'd used during dinner. They were a working man's hands—strong and calloused, yet gentle enough to steady her with the lightest touch.
In her imagination, those hands framed her face as his mouth found hers again. The kiss deepened, unhurried this time, lingering until she forgot where they were. His lips wandered to her jaw and the curve of her neck before he drew her back into another kiss, leaving her breathless and wanting far more than she should.
A sizzling sound ripped Tess from her fantasy, and she yanked the saucepan off the stove seconds before the milk would’ve boiled over. Thankfully, it hadn’t burned. After pouring the scalding liquid into the mug, she set the pot in the sink and filled it with soapy water.
Determined to rid Brian Malone from her mind and get some sleep, Tess returned to her bedroom with the drink. The last thing she needed right then was complications and regrets. At least that’s what she kept telling herself until she finally gave in to slumber.
Chapter Nine
Andy tried to concentrate on Mr. Paulsen’s review for the upcoming science final—he really did—but Kelle Vaughn’s long, blonde hair smelled so damn good that it was distracting. AP Chemistry was the only class they shared, and Andy had spent the entire school year sitting directly behind her, doing his best to hide the crush he had on her. She was way out of his league—way, way out. And it killed him that when school ended for the summer break, he probably wouldn’t see her again until September. If he were lucky, she would be in one or two of his classes during their senior year.
In his eyes, Kelle was gorgeous, and as if her physical features weren’t enough, she was smart as hell, too, and among the top five candidates for valedictorian when they graduated next year. And that just made her even more beautiful. While Andy was a mostly straight-A student, he struggled in a few classes to maintain a high grade point average—English, Spanish, and, of course, phys ed. A jock he was not. Seriously, who the hell wanted to get all sweaty during their first period, an hour or so after waking up and taking a shower?
So, yeah, Andy wouldn’t be in the running for valedictorian or even salutatorian, but that was fine with him. He might still win a few of the many scholarships his guidance counselor had helped him apply for. While he knew there was money from their parents’ life insurance policies and the lawsuit settlement, he didn’t want his college tuition to eat through it all. Acceptance to his top three choices—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, and Duke University, located in his home state—didn’t come cheap.
“Andy?”
He blinked several times before he realized Kelle had turned in her seat and was staring at him. Her blue eyes were the color of the Caribbean waters. He still remembered the trip to St. John’s that his family took two years before his parents were killed. Kelle’s eyes always reminded him of what a great time they all had.
Around them, the other students gathered their things and headed for the door. When the hell had the bell rung?
“Um... w-what did you... um... say?” God, why was he so shy when it came to her? He could talk to any other girl in the school—well, at least the ones that talked to geeks like him—but he got all tongue-tied when it came to Kelle.
She smiled, and his breath caught at how it transformed her face to that of an angel.
“I said, some of us are having a cram session and quizzing each other in the library after school. Do you want to join us?”
Did cows moo? Of course, he wanted to join them if it gave him more time with Kelle. “Um, s-sure. That sounds great.”
“Awesome.” She stood and picked up her book bag. “We’ll be in the second-floor study room. See you there.”
She spun around and sashayed up the aisle to the front of the classroom. Andy scrambled to gather his things so he could follow her. However, by the time he hastily stuffed everything into his backpack, Kelle had exited the room and disappeared into the crowd of bustling students making their way to their lockers or their next class.
Damn it. Well, at least he knew he’d see her later. Four more periods to go.
Hurrying into the hall, he weaved his way through the throngs. His math class was completely on the other side of the school, so he didn’t have time to swing by his locker. If he didn’t stop to talk to anyone on his way, he usually could make it with thirty seconds or so to spare before the bell rang again. Mrs. Chang was a stickler for being on time and for not allowing cell phones in her classroom. If she saw you using one, she took it and placed it on the small shelf under the whiteboard at the front of the room, and you had to pick it up at the end of class. Andy would have to wait until lunch period to text his sister to let her know he was staying late to study and ask if she could pick him up after the cram session. Their temporary home in Whisper was outside the school district, so his only option, aside from Tess driving him, was to take public transit and change buses twice, which was a pain. He could take an ride-share, but the app was hooked up to Tess’s credit card, and he didn’t want to abuse his access to it. Thankfully, she had a meeting with a contractor at their house, so she wouldn’t have to drive far to get him afterward.
Ten minutes later, Mrs. Chang talked about what would be on her final exam, but Andy couldn’t recall a single thing she said. He was too busy fantasizing about Kelle.
Tess and Andy had been home about thirty minutes, after she’d picked him up from his study session, when there was a knock on the back door. Leaving him at the table, eating the penne alla vodka she’d quickly reheated for their dinner, Tess stood and hurried over to the door, silently hoping it was Brian. She hadn’t heard from him since he left there last night, and she wondered if he’d been at the shooting that morning.
When she opened the door, she found it wasn’t Brian standing on the porch, but an older couple, a younger woman about her age, and a black dog that appeared to be a Labrador mix. The gray-haired man grinned at her and held out his hand. “You must be Tess—I’m Brian’s uncle, Dan Malone.”
Her eyes widened as she automatically shook his hand. “Oh, Mr. Malone. Hi. Thank you so much for letting my brother and me stay here. I’m so grateful.”
