Page 43 of Recklessly Yours

“What?” She assessed me, brows pulled together. “You said it was better not to do that. Don’t let my brother change your mind.”

As I came to a stop at a red light, I turned to look at her. “Doesn’t have anything to do with your brother. I don’t like that this guy is upsetting you.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but I continued before she could.

“I know you can handle it. But I don’t want you to have to if it’s not necessary, and so far, he’s been careful. I don’t think we’re going to get anything from the actual texts at this point.”

“Okay.” A deep sigh escaped her as she focused on her phone again. “What do you want to watch tonight? It’s your turn to pick,” she said once she put her phone back down in her lap.

The smile she sent me had my entire body relaxing.

“The Kardashiansis fine.”

She chuckled. “I knew it. You are totally into it, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “After tonight, something light would be good.”

As we walked into the house, she made a beeline for the kitchen. I didn’t even have to ask what she wanted. I grabbed a Cherry Coke out of the fridge for her while she pulled a packet of microwave popcorn from the box in the cabinet.

When I handed the bottle to her, our fingers brushed, and her breath hitched.

I hated that I noticed her reactions to my touch. That I liked it. That I wanted to know what kind of sound she’d make if I pressed my lips to her neck and then lower…

“Dylan?” she said breathlessly.

I blinked back to the present. Jesus, I needed to get my head straight. Letting go of the bottle, I stepped back. “I’ll get the episode set up while you make the popcorn.” I didn’t wait for her response before turning and heading into the living room.

The space would do me good. I needed air that didn’t smell like her. At least for a moment. But when she settled on the sofa beside me, bringing the scent of fresh rain with her, it was as if I couldn’t survive without it.

We’d been sitting on opposite couches for the past several days, but that changed last night, when I’d given in to the offer of popcorn. I assumed we’d pass the bowl back and forth across the coffee table, but instead, she scampered over and set it between us on the two-person sofa.

Now I was trapped. There was no polite way to saycould you please go sit over there? You smell too damn good.

“You okay?”

Despite the way my gut twisted, I nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“You’re wearing that thinking too hard look you get sometimes.”

“Just need to look up a few things.” I opened my computer and forced myself to focus on it. A moment later, she picked up the remote and pressed play, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ten minutes into the episode, thunder rumbled in the distance. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn Hattie flinched.

My phone blared where it rested on the coffee table, pulling my attention away from her. I quickly snagged it and dismissed the severe weather alert.

Luckily, I’d invested in a standby generator last year after we’d lost electricity for two days. A thunderstorm in January likely wouldn’t be too bad, but if it was followed by any type of icy precipitation or came with strong winds, there was a decent chance there would be damage to power lines.

Thunder rumbled again, this time louder, and Hattie jumped a foot in the air. Breathing audibly, she brought her legs up and tucked them under herself.

After another crack of thunder, followed by a bolt of lightning that lit up the house, she almost jumped off the couch.

“Shit.” Rather than the show, her attention was glued to the large windows lining the opposite wall.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, taking in her wide eyes.

She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

I wasn’t buying it, and when thunder shook the house and lightning lit up the darkness outside the front windows, she practically leaped into my lap.

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