Chapter 1 #2
Drew released her and took a step back. He was going to say no; she could see it in his face.
His smile was meant to be polite. Okay, it was her fault for forgetting her new rule about swearing off the male population.
She’d take his rejection and call someone to come pick her up.
She was so close to her parents’ house; she could practically walk there with her suitcase and still make it to most of the rehearsal dinner in town.
“Sure, I’d love to be your date.” His southern drawl and sexy smile held her attention as he stared down at her.
“You would?” she squeaked. “You don’t have to if you already have a date. Or if you weren’t invited, you could be my plus one.”
“No, I’m invited. I don’t have a date, and I would love for you to be mine.” His sexy smile was back in place, and he winked at her. How was she supposed to deal with all this? With him? His outrageousness was off-the-charts sexy, making her stomach feel like it was doing flips.
Again, she had nothing to say. How did he leave her speechless? No one had ever left her with nothing to say, not even Jake. As for that, no one had ever kissed her like Drew just had. No one had ever made her feel so much in such a short amount of time.
“You’re doing it again,” Drew moaned.
“What?” she squeaked.
“Stop looking at me like you want me to kiss you unless you’re ready for me to do just that again,” he said.
“What if I am?” Karlie knew she was egging him on, but she wanted his lips on hers more than she wanted her next breath.
Drew pulled her up against his body and kissed her again.
This time, she was the one moaning and licking his lips.
He opened for her, and she kissed her way in, sucking his tongue into her mouth.
He started to back away from the kiss, and she lightly nibbled his bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth, and Drew went crazy.
His hands were all over her, scorching her everywhere he touched.
Her fingers playfully combed through his light-brown hair that seemed to need a cut and was sexy as hell.
He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, getting a better angle on her mouth.
Drew cupped her ass, pressing her to his growing erection.
She groaned into his mouth and wrapped her legs around him.
Drew snaked his hand up her body to her breast, cupping and squeezing them into his big palm.
She felt his seductive touch and even over her cotton T-shirt, her nipples hardened.
And, as quickly as it began, it was over.
Drew released her and helped her down from the hood of the car, shoving her behind him so fast her head felt like it was spinning.
Karlie all but fell head over ass into her trunk.
“What? Why did you stop?” she asked.
“We have company,” Drew whispered. How had she not heard the car pulling up behind his pick-up?
“Oh God,” she moaned. “My parents.” Drew chuckled. Yeah, he was genuinely laughing at her.
“This is not funny,” she said, slapping his bicep, noting how big and hard his muscles felt under her palm. It took her a minute to remove her hand.
“Well, darling, here you are,” her mother said as she got out from the passenger side of the car. Her dad still hadn’t moved from the driver’s seat. He was staring at Drew through the windshield as if sizing him up.
“Hi, Mom,” she squeaked. Karlie looked at her father, who still hadn’t made a move to get out of the car. “Hi, Dad.” She even smiled at her father and waved, hoping to break the tension, but it hadn’t. Drew started walking toward her dad’s open window. What the hell was he doing?
“Hello, Mr. Angel. I was just helping Karlie with her flat tire.” Drew’s smile didn’t seem to have the same effect on her father that it had on her. Her father didn’t smile back, just sat there like a statue staring them both down.
“Yeah, Dad,” Karlie said, “he was. But I was just explaining to Drew that I don’t need any help to change a tire. You taught me everything that I needed to know.”
“Yes, and I was just explaining to your daughter that a jack might help change her tire,” he countered. Drew’s smile turned smug as he turned to face her. He sauntered back to her side and grabbed her hand to lace their fingers together, bending to give her a quick peck on the lips.
“Drew,” she said, “my parents are—”
“Right here,” her father finished. “And, from what we saw driving down the lane, you two weren’t discussing anything.
If that’s what young people are calling tire changing these days, it’s no wonder there are so many stranded vehicles on the side of the road.
” He looked back and forth between Karlie and Drew, and she could feel the heat coming from her face.
Still holding her hand, Drew cleared his throat and turned to face her father. “Well, Sir,” he said, “Karlie and I haven’t seen each other in a while, and we were just catching up.”
“Huh,” her father grunted. “Well, as I recall, you are both supposed to be at Jenna’s rehearsal dinner right now. Why don’t you leave your car here, Karlie? We can take care of the tire after dinner.”
“Sir, if it’s all the same to you,” Drew said, “Karlie can ride with me since she has agreed to be my date for the weekend.”
Karlie whirled around to look at him. “For the weekend?” she questioned. “I thought we were just going to the wedding together?”
“Naw.” He grinned. “I’m the best man. I need a date for the rehearsal dinner too. You game?” He squeezed her fingers and bent to brush his lips to hers. This time, he lingered a few seconds.
Her father cleared his throat. “I don’t care who she rides with. We just need all of us to get to the restaurant.”
Karlie could tell that her dad was done with Drew’s public displays of affection. Her mom was smiling at them like a loon. Usually, Karlie could count on her mom to chide her for her decisions in men, not smile at her approvingly.
“Wait,” Karlie said. “You’re the best man?
” So what if it took her a minute to catch up?
Things were moving way too fast right now.
All this touching and kissing was just throwing her off her game.
“How are you the best man? You and Jake weren’t even friends when I left here eight months ago.
How are the two of you best friends now? ”
“We aren’t,” Drew said. “He and my brother were best friends growing up, but my brother is on active duty in the Navy, and he got shipped out two days ago. Ryan asked me to step up and take his place to be Jake’s best man.”
“Oh,” Karlie mumbled. “That’s so nice of you.”
“Now I will have the prettiest date at the wedding.” Drew was once again tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Such a sweet gesture, standing in for his brother.
Why hadn’t she ever noticed Drew before?
Sure, she remembered him from high school and parties around town.
He never seemed to even notice her with all the other girls in town throwing themselves at him. How did he need a date for the wedding?
“I think that you are sweet to stand in for your brother,” she said.
“I would love to be your date this weekend, thank you.” She smiled at him, forgetting that her parents were still there until they both cleared their throats.
“We can leave my car here and I will ride with Drew, but I need to clean up and change before the rehearsal dinner. I certainly can’t go like this.
” Karlie gestured to her shorts and T-shirt, and her mom nodded.
“Can I shower at the house, and then we can meet you at the restaurant?” she asked her mom as she and Drew got her suitcase and put it into his extended cab.
“Well.” Her mom shifted from foot to foot, obviously nervous. She couldn’t seem to look Karlie in the eyes as she went on. “Your sister is staying with us, along with all her bridesmaids. It’s bad luck for Jake to see her before the wedding, and Jenna wants a traditional wedding.”
“Yeah, that’s worked out since she’s pregnant.
” Karlie felt bad the moment she said it.
It was going to take a lot of practice not being snarky about her sister’s new situation.
Drew coughed, not a real cough but one to grab her attention.
She looked up at him as he was closing her trunk, and he was not smiling.
“Sorry,” she sassed. “I’ll try harder to be a little nicer about my sister marrying my ex-boyfriend.
” Drew finished loading her things into his truck and returned to her side, pulling her hand into his own, throwing her off balance.
“So, where am I supposed to stay?” she asked her mom, already knowing her answer.
“Um, a hotel?” Her mother sounded more like she was asking a question rather than telling her.
“Is there a special hotel in town where the wedding guests are staying?” At this point, Karlie just wanted a quick shower and some place to crash.
Her mother started to twist her hands together, a sure sign that she didn’t want to tell Karlie the next part. “Well, yes—but they are completely booked.”
“Everywhere is booked,” her dad said. “A big convention for NASA is in town.” He went on to explain that she couldn’t even get a rental car, let alone a hotel room.
“Great.” Karlie threw her hands up and let them fall, slapping them against her thighs, forgetting that her and Drew’s hands were linked.
Drew chuckled, “How about you stay with me?”
“Stay with you? Seriously?” Karlie countered. “How can we stay together? We don’t even know each other. Up until a few minutes ago, I thought you didn’t even know my name.” It was adorable the way his brows furrowed, and his eyes squinted as he studied her.
“How can you say we don’t know each other? That’s ridiculous. We’ve known each other since senior year,” Drew challenged.
“Look, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable with me staying at your place,” Karlie explained.
“I want you to stay with me. I have a house, and you can have your own space if you want.” He raised their joined hands and kissed her fingers, one at a time.
Her insides felt as though they were melting, and her knees felt weak again.
She even stifled her moan because her parents were still watching them.
“Okay, fine. I’ll stay at your place—with you.” She just wanted a shower and to get tonight over with.
“We’ll meet you at the restaurant,” her dad said. Her mother gave them a smile and a wave over her shoulder as she got into the passenger side of the car, and Karlie watched them drive off.
Drew helped her up into his truck after he double-checked that her car was all locked up.
It was nice the way that he helped her, even though she didn’t need the help.
He slid into the driver’s seat and gave her one of his panty-melting smiles.
Yeah, that was nice too. She could get used to those smiles.
No, no, no. Karlie needed to remember that she was only there for three days, to be the bigger person and attend her sister’s wedding, and then she was going home to Georgia.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy her date for the weekend first, right?
She just needed to remember her new mantra—no men, and that should keep her on track.
She would just need to keep repeating it to herself.
How could she have thought that living with Drew for the next three days was a good idea?
It was the worst idea she’d had in the entire eight months since leaving Alabama.
She would need to be on her toes with him and take lots of cold showers.
Yeah, another plan—that’s what she needed.
“Buckle up, honey,” Drew said as he took her hand into his own, linking their fingers.
“We’ll be at my place in five minutes.” Five minutes to get her racing heartbeat under control.
Five minutes to get her traitorous body to behave.
Five minutes to silently chant her new mantra.
Karlie buckled up, knowing full well that it was going to be a long five minutes.