Page 28 of Dangerously Tempting

I know she doesn’t intend to, that she just wants me safe, but it happens all the same. Parents are able to withhold things or tell us white lies to protect us, but as soon as it’s flipped around and we’re the ones doing it to protect them, it’s a problem.

“I’m not alone, Mom. I’ve got my friends. I’ve got Theo.”

“Of course you do. But mama bear is what you need, I think. Sounds like this woman needs a thorough whooping.”

I can’t help but laugh. “As much as I appreciate that, please don’t. I don’t want anyone else getting mixed up in this. Pretty certain I’ve already screwed up by dragging someone else into it.”

“How would you do that?” Dad asks, confused.

I tell them about Amelia and how we met, leaving out any details they definitely don’t need to know about, and how we reconnected when I returned to the city. Mom huffs a sigh after I’m done, and I prepare myself for her verbal lashing.

“I’m glad you’ve found someone, but what terrible timing.”

“Mom,” I grumble.

“You have to tell her, Jameson. Don’t keep her in the dark about this.”

“I don’t want to scare her for no reason. She could be harmless.”

“I didn’t raise you to be so dumb,” she responds without hesitation.

“I second that,” my father adds, and I pinch my nose.

“I already regret calling.”

“You just don’t like being told you’re in the wrong,” Mom says dryly.

Thankfully Theo pulls into the garage, and a patrol car pulls in a few moments later and I’m able to rush them off the phone so I can deal with it. I decide that if the cops don’t think it’s that serious, I won’t either. Surely they know better than me.

17

Amelia

Playlist: "Something Beautiful," SVRCINA

A few days later, we’re sitting in Jameson’s living room watching Family Feud when he jostles my leg playfully with his knee. “So, when am I going to get you on the back of my bike again?”

I snort, narrowing my eyes at him as I put my legs over his, and he rubs my calves. “Do you not remember me saying that thing is death on wheels?”

“I do, but I’d never let anything happen to you.” He says it with so much surety that I want to laugh.

“It’s not you I’m worried about, it’s the other idiots on the road.”

“Then trust me to keep an eye on them. Trust me to make sure that we’re safe.” He tugs me closer, so I slide onto his lap, and I let him but groan in frustration.

“You’re just gonna keep asking until it happens, aren’t you?”

“I mean, I can… or you could just give in and have a little fun.” He looks up at me with puppy dog eyes and I groan again, covering my eyes.

“No, that’s not fair! You can’t hit me with the puppy dog eyes over this.”

He tickles my sides and I drop my hands to try and get his hands away, squirming half off his lap in an attempt to flee his fingers, laughing all the while. He follows me across the couch as I scooch away, tickling different parts of me as I contort away from his hands. He pins me with his weight, tickling me until I’m crying where I’m laughing so hard.

“Mercy!” I cry, gasping for air as his fingers retreat and he finally lets up. I dab the tears from my face and glare up at him to find him giving me the pleading look again, and I throw my head back against the cushions with a sigh. “Fine,” I force out. “I’ll trust you to keep us safe. But so help me, if we end up roadkill I will haunt you forever.”

“How’re you going to haunt me if we’re both roadkill?” he asks with a grin, and I swat his arm.

“I’ll find a way. I always do,” I say stubbornly, and he laughs.

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