Page 78 of Chasing Kaylee Kringle

“You are just trying to mess with me,” she said, stepping to the side of the sidewalk.

“Why would I do that?”

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Because you think it’s funny.”

“Well, I mean it is a little funny that you don’t want me to read it, but I actually am enjoying the series. It’s like crack.”

Both her eyebrows hiked up her forehead. “You are comparing books to hard drugs, you do realize that, right? You are an FBI agent talking about a comparison between books and drugs.”

“Well, yeah, I’ve done a little time undercover,” he deadpanned.

Kaylee gave him a strange look. “Are you for real right now?”

Rick chuckled. “No, I’ve never done undercover work, and I’ve never smoked crack.”

“Well, you’d be really good at it cause you had me going for a minute,” she said, walking again, and it only took him half a stride to catch up.

“So what are you up to tonight?” he asked.

Kaylee hesitated for a second, and he already knew he wouldn’t like the answer. “I am going to go shopping with Josie.”

“What are you shopping for?”

“Some date clothes.”

His step slowed as his heart nearly plummeted to his feet. “You’re going on a date? When?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you,” she said lightly. “You might show up and make things awkward.”

“I might,” he admitted, dying to sit her down under a bright light and drag every detail from her, but he had no right to ask for more than she was willing to give. “How about you tell me who you’re going with?”

“I’m going out with Benny.”

He snorted. “The delivery guy?”

“What’s wrong with the delivery guy?”

“You don’t like him.”

“I never said I didn’t like him. You just happened to assume I didn’t like him because I turned down his previous invitation, but now that I have my list, I can check off number ten.”

Rick racked his brain, trying to remember what number ten was, and finally just asked, “And that would be what?”

“Have a one-night stand.”

Rick frowned. “Technically, you’ve had a one-night stand, since we only had sex the one time.”

“I’m not counting that.”

“You’re not counting it?” he repeated, affronted by her disrespect. “Do I need to regale you with everything that happened so you remember?”

“It was the middle of the day, and no, you don’t need to do any of that. I remember everything; I’m just not counting it.”

“And why is that?”

“Sex under false pretenses.”

Rick’s jaw clenched. “There were no false pretenses, and besides, most one-night stands happen under false pretenses.”