Page 48 of Falling For Temptation

I lean forward to press a kiss to her forehead. She sighs, wrapping her arms around me.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” she murmurs against my chest.

I wish I had the willpower to resist her.

“If you wish,” I whisper, turning her face up to kiss her mouth.

21

Harley

“I just realized something,” I say, walking toward Kenna’s Jeep the next morning.

“What’s that?” she asks, clicking the unlock button.

She roped me into wearing another girlie dress, insisting that if I’m meeting Adam’s family, I should look more “feminine.” I asked if she had any long-sleeved turtlenecks, but she didn’t think it was funny. The blush-pink ruffle around the bottom edge feels a little short as it bounces in the wind, but the longer sleeves help me feel more comfortable.

Why do I care what his family thinks?

“Texas feels more like home than anywhere else ever has,” I confess, my voice a little thick.

“Awww.” She stops as we reach the Wrangler, engulfing me in a floral cloud. “I’m so ecstatic to hear that! You make Ole Tex feel like home to me too.”

She extends the hug a beat too long, which I allow because she has turned out to be a good friend. She pulls back and grins at me, green eyes popping against the mint-colored sundress she’s wearing.

She drives just over the speed limit as we make our way to the brunch spot in Greencity’s downtown area to meet her parents.

“My mom will absolutely love you. She was one of those wild childs who was swept up by a sweet guy. She always says my dad made an honest woman out of her.”

I can tell she’s obsessed with her family by the way she brags about them, voice lit with the smile on her pretty face. I wonder what it’s like to have people in your life who you can always depend on.

“He just laughs and says he couldn’t resist the urge to tame her! Ugh, I miss them so much, it’s insane.”

I notice she increases our speed a little in anticipation. A Stop sign looms ahead, but she guns straight through it without a second’s hesitation.

The blaring sound of a siren makes us both jolt in the tan leather seats.

“Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.” She panics. “Stay calm, Harley. Stay calm. Don’t even worry about it.”

The enormous Jeep screeches to a halt on the edge of the street. She’s nearly hyperventilating, wide eyes darting from her wallet to the rearview as she scrambles for her license.

“Hey, it’ll be fine. You didn’t see it so—”

She breaks into my words with a shrill voice, “Oh no, no, no! It will not at all be fine!” She starts to cry, tears trailing through her foundation.

I put a hand on her forearm, stilling her frantic movements.

“Let me talk to him. Just sit there and smile,” I attempt to reassure her as the blue uniform struts up to the vehicle.

“Hello, Officer,” I begin in a high-pitched voice, bending over enough to let my cleavage show. Flashing my best coy smile, I let my eyes drift down and back up at a calculated speed slower than a normal blink.

He clears his throat. My eyes take in his thinning hair and a beer belly, fingers nervously scratching his neck. This shouldn’t take but a minute.

“Uh, miss, are you aware that you just ran straight through a Stop sign?” he asks Kenna, his voice a little tight.

I laugh, tossing my hair over my shoulder. “You are kidding! Did she really? Wow, I was so caught up in her story about the hot-tub bubble party at the Kappa Betas last night that I didn’t even notice!” I turn my eyes to Kenna, hers widening at me. Leaning in toward her ear, I whisper loudly, “He kind of looks like Robert Pattinson.” Glancing up, I bite my lip just to nail the coffin shut.

He physically jolts, closing his mouth and wiping his hand over it.

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