Page 27 of Five Alarm Kiss

Laurel huffed out a breath, eyes narrowing in response to the lamest excuse on the planet.

It could be the truth.

“No, really,” he insisted. “She is.”

She had to admit, he looked sincere. Either that or he had the best poker face in the world.

Crystal blue eyes sparkling with mirth, Jake called to the guy in the hoodie. “Yo, Chase! Who’s Jess to me?”

Chase hiked a brow. “Are you finally losing it?” he asked. “Surprised it took so long.”

“Humor me.” Jake nodded toward Laurel.

“Jess is the one who got the beautyandbrains,” Chase said, then added with a smirk, "You're the disappointment in the family.”

Jake hit Laurel with a megawatt smile that nearly buckled her knees.

“She reallyisyour sister?”

He pushed a stray strand of hair that’d escaped her helmet out of her eyes. The move was so intimate, she wasn’t sure how to react. Her body did, however. Heat pooled low in her belly, and her nipples hardened. She prayed with everything in her that the light jacket she was wearing would keep him from noticing.

“I told you she was. But it’s cute you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous,” she said, avoiding his eyes. That’s when she saw the beautiful blonde sidle up to Chase and kiss him on the cheek. He wrapped his arm around her and claimed a proper kiss.

“My mistake.” The amusement in Jake’s voice was palpable.

Kill me now.

“Like Chase said,” he continued, thankfully letting the jealousy comment slide. “She’s the beauty in the family. I’m the brains.”

“That’s not what he said,” she corrected, trying not to smile.

“He’s in love with her.” Jake dismissed her statement. “It’s hard for him to see the truth through the hearts in his eyes.”

Laurel glanced back at the couple walking toward them. His arm was still around her, and she was leaning against him, hand on his chest, head resting on his shoulder. From the look of it, she was in love with him too.

“So… number?” Jake asked again.

Should I give it to him?

He might not be a cheater, but there was a definite cocky air about him, and she still hadn’t talked to Amy to see whatthe exchange in her classroom was all about. Plus, with that swagger, he could be a player.

Or he might not be.

Okay, that was fair. Maybe he was just confident. Scratch that. He was definitely confident. It was a turn-on for a guy to be so sure of himself. And she had been wrong about the cheating, but…

“Laurel?”

Did she really want to give him her number? A guy like him had never asked her out. With the way his sweatshirt pulled across his broad shoulders, and his jeans molded to his powerful thighs like a second skin, he could be in one of those bare-chested, pose-with-puppies fireman calendars. It was intimidating.

“208-986-5353,” Skye piped up from a few feet behind them, obviously eavesdropping.

Laurel whirled around. “Skye!”

“What was that?” Jake asked, pulling out his phone.

“If you want to take her out badly enough,” Skye said, hooking Laurel by the elbow and dragging her toward the next zip line, “you’ll remember it.”

---