Page 42 of No Summer Hotter than You

“No need to thank me. That’s what we always do for each other, right?” he said with a slight laugh.

We finished our food soon enough. Just as I was about to jump out of his truck and head back in, he spoke up. “Wait,” he called out.

“Yes?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.

“Is it all right if I give you a kiss on the temple before I leave? For practice again. I’m worried about tomorrow night. Bar hopping and everything.” His voice was softer and tender, surprising me.

His cheeks flushed lightly, and I knew it wasn’t from the heat. He looked cute all flustered, after having to ask for my permission like an inexperienced teenage boy. I nodded, unable to say anything out loud.

Anthony leaned across the center console as my breath got caught in a tight ball in my throat.

His lips brushed against my temple lightly for a beating moment before he pulled away. My hammering heart became the only song I could hear as he said something. I couldn’t hear him, but dumbly nodded along. I muttered a quick and weak, “Bye,” closed the door, and marched my way back to work on shaky legs.

I never wanted to admit it, but the hold I had on myself was slowly slipping. It was so clear with the way I was behaving around him.

Look at me, Shoua Lo, who sat in a parking lot on a sizzling 112-degree summer day all because Anthony Hughes asked me to. He was the only man I would ever suffer this much for.

I was at the edge of being all his and he didn’t even know.

CHAPTER 17

anthony

I couldn’t fucking believe it. Shoua actually agreed to let me kiss her on the corner of her lips later tonight. I thought she’d be more opposed it when I casually suggested during lunch that we should practice later. I expected her to frown and complain at the thought of me putting my lips on her.

But no. She agreed to it.

With us going out as a couple tomorrow night, we knew we needed to kiss in front of everyone, especially Evelyn and Kelvin, at some point. It had to look natural. Maybe a little smooch at the corner of the lips would keep the two cousins far away from us this time. Evelyn would be off my chest about making me hers and Kelvin would hesitate to be Shoua’s shadow.

“Shoua?” I shouted after entering her home.

“Hey,” she answered from the kitchen.

I quickly took off my shoes in the foyer and headed to where she was. I wasn’t sure what was for dinner, but she was insistent we eat something healthy tonight. I’m not a good cook and I kindly asked her to do all the cooking ever since we became neighbors. Since she was the chef, I offered to pay her back by covering all our groceries and takeout meals.

For tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was some healthy kale salad with chicken breasts on the side, which I didn’t mind. I just didn’t want her to stress out over losing weight because we were going to the lake.

She already got enough shit from her mom for not being stick thin. I didn’t want her to believe that she had to lose weight just to look good in a goddamn bikini when she was perfectly beautiful the way she was.

“Since I’m lazy, we’re having a chicken kale salad for dinner. If you’re opposed to it, you can make something else for yourself,” she said as I walked into the kitchen.

I snorted. “Why would I never say no to your amazing salads?”

“You complained last time I checked.” Her answer was dry and matter of fact, making me laugh.

“You can’t blame me! We ate nothing but salads for a week for dinner and I got bored of it! Besides, that was at over a month ago. I’m good now.”

Shoua begrudgingly handed me a big bowl of salad after I grabbed two cans of mango flavored seltzer water out of the fridge. She knew me well and gave me extra servings. I always ate the most for dinner after a long day of work.

As we settled across from each other, I glanced at her. I wasn’t sure why I was nervous now, but I hesitated to bring up the kissing practice we needed to do tonight.

“You got something to say?” she piped up without a single glance at me.

I stiffened in my seat and quickly shoved a forkful of salad into my mouth. “Nothing,” I answered as I chewed with an open mouth to prevent her from giving me a knowing look.

I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t just be forthright because she always knew when I was bullshitting. She immediately looked up. “I know you too well, Anthony. I know when you say ‘nothing,’ something is actually bothering you.”

“Nothing’s bothering me.” I lamely sipped on my seltzer, making it even more obvious that I wasn’t being honest. Shoua wordlessly raised a brow at me. Her lips parted and my eyes immediately flickered to them for a second too long. “Okay, fine. So about later . . . Should we do it after dinner or?—”

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