Page 16 of Hot & Bothered

“Dove hard out of the way, but I’ll be fine. I’m just pissed I didn’t get the license plate.”

“Doesn’t your garage have security cameras?”

“It does. And I’ve already texted my building manager. But given the time of year, I may not hear from him for a few days.”

She frowned. “I’m sorry that happened.”

“How’d you know something was up?”

She shrugged and smiled sweetly, ducking into the kitchen. “I have a sixth sense about this stuff.”

That pulled a smile to his face. “I bet you do. Is it a Gemini-thing?”

“No, it’s a woman-thing.” She pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. “I hope you brought your appetite.”

“Oh, babe, if you don’t want leftovers, I’ve got you covered.”

She snorted, and her gaze softened. “I am glad you’re okay.”

Setting his wineglass down on the counter, he stepped toward her, setting his hands on her hips. They were so close now; she was forced to tilt her gaze up to see him. “I like that you’re worried about me.”

“Yeah?” Her bottom lip got caught under her top teeth.

“Mhmm.” Dropping his head, his lips brushed hers. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss and pushed her back against the kitchen counter.

They made out until the timer on the oven beeped, forcing her to breathlessly pull away and retrieve the chicken. “To be continued,” she said, her cheeks flushed, and not just from the open oven.

“Absolutely.”

They chatted about everything and anything over dinner. More about his family. More about hers. About their childhoods and what activities they were interested in as kids.

Even though he didn’t grow up on the other side of the tracks or anything, his family was a lot more blue-collar than Peyton’s. Her dad was a developer and her mother was a lawyer. She grew up sailing and traveling the world with her parents. She played tennis, belonged to a country club, and got a car for her sixteenth birthday.

Jace’s parents were honest, hardworking people, but they didn’t have the kind of money that Peyton’s parents did. Originally from Ottawa, Jace and his family moved to Victoria when he was fifteen. His mother was a high school English teacher and his dad was in refrigeration. His sister Gemma was five years older than him and didn’t move to Victoria until grad school. She met her husband Theobold at UVic in the MBA program. They were both now high up in their respective fields as executives, with two kids: Elijah who was nine, and Marion who was twelve.

Compared to his sister, sometimes Jace felt like a slacker.

But Gemma was also very candid about her struggles with depression and anxiety that came with having to “do it all and be it all.” She was supposed to be a mother like she didn’t have a career, and in her career act like she didn’t have children. Theo had it easy in comparison to Gemma. So when he could, Jace tried to help out with his niece and nephew. At least a couple times a month, Gemma called him to either grab Elijah from soccer or take Marion to ballet.

Peyton told him all about how her mother ended up needing a hysterectomy only a few months after Peyton was born, which was why she was an only child. Her parents thought about adopting, but ultimately decided that Peyton was enough. She was honest with him and how lonely she got as a child, bringing up her imaginary friends again, and how even though she knew her mother couldn’t have more children, she always asked Santa for a baby brother or sister.

“This has really helped get my mind off that guy in the garage,” Jace said, reaching across the table for her hand. “Thank you.”

She smiled at him, then at their intertwined hands. “I’m glad.”

“I know we just met, but I really like you.”

Like two silver disco balls, her eyes glittered. “I really like you, too.”

They sat like that, just smiling in the quiet for half a minute before he leaned up and over the table for a kiss. She tasted like parmesan and wine. A combination he wasn’t at all complaining about.

Again, the timer on the oven broke their kiss.

Smiling, and pecking him one more time, she stood up from her seat. “I may have also made a berry crumble from frozen berries in my freezer.”

His mouth watered.

“À la mode?”

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