Page 72 of The Charm of You

I accept the coffee, and it instantly warms my hand as I twist it to read the name scrolled across the side in marker. “Asstin. Great. Now she’s going to do it every time.”

“All part of my diabolical plan.” She winks, and her cool demeanor is unnerving, to say the least. “It’s a thank-you.”

“For last night? Is this like a tip?” I try to joke, but my laugh releases like a scoff. My damn twisted tongue.

And good—I’m fucking sweating now.

“I meant, thank you for working on my car.” Her smile falters as she searches my expression. “Are you all right?”

“Of course. Are you? You didn’t catch a… a cold, or anything else from… last night, right?” I give her a once-over, like I can detect cold symptoms just by looking at her.

She appears perfectly fine, though.

“No cold,” she confirms with a giggle.

“You were just quiet when I gave you a ride last night.” I scratch the back of my now-damp head.

“It was late, and I was tired.” She inches toward me, her steps steady. They hold a hint of seduction, almost. It’s not out of hesitation, that’s for sure.

We could not be more opposite right now than on any other day.

Caroline reaches out to slide her hand down my arm and licks her lips. “To be honest, I’m surprised you didn’t have to carry me home after the orgasms you gave me.”

A strangled groan catches in my throat.

“Sometimes, I’m quiet because I’m content, Austin. Nothing else to it,” she whispers up at me, and I can almost taste her sweet mouth.

Only an inch separates us, and it’s too much fucking distance. It wouldn’t take much to close it.

I lean forward, hovering over her tempting lips, and the door swings open with the forceful disruption of crackling thunder across the sky.

“Hey, you two,” Bo chirps at an octave of enthusiasm I’ve only heard from him when talking about NASCAR. The kid is a bigger fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. than I am of dirt roads.

Which is enough to tell me he’s about to fuck with me.

I put a foot of space between Caroline and me, and I angle myself to the side in an attempt to hide my stiffy.

One look at the annoying teenager, though, and I’m back to normal.

“How was fishing?” Bo wiggles his brows. I need to nip his oncoming antics in the bud.

“Amazing,” Caroline gushes as I say, “Fine.”

She pins her questioning stare on me. “Just… fine?”

“No, I mean…” I feel Bo’s irritating gaze on me. Am I fucking flustered? What’s next—I’ll be caught blushing? Exasperated, I turn to him and ask, “What are you doing here? You’re not working today.”

Bo glances around, hands on his hips like he’s looking for something. “I left my shirt here last night, and I need it for my date later.”

“Who in their right mind agreed to go on a date with you?” I toss back.

This seems to pique Caroline’s interest as well, as she carries her attention away from me and onto Bo.

“It’s not so much a date as it is a casual hang at the bowling alley with a group.” He bends behind Caroline’s SUV and rises with a gray button-up shirt over his head. “Gotcha!”

“This is not really a date, then,” I venture.

“Lilian, my friend Jeffrey’s twin sister, is going to be there, and it’ll be my perfect chance to lay some groundwork.” Bo stops in front of Caroline and says, “Sorry, darlin’. I couldn’t pine for you forever. Besides, this behemoth would strangle me if I stared at you any longer. He’s real sweet?—”

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