Page 86 of Just Like That

My back stiffened, and I slowly turned around, stifling a smile.

Her hands were clasped in front of her. “I’m beat, too, and these shoes are pinching my toes. Care to give me a ride back?”

I eyed her. She didn’t look tired. In fact, she looked bright-eyed and ready to take on the world. “Tired, huh?” I asked.

Hazel faked a yawn and grinned up at me. “Exhausted. Probably even too tired to drive myself. I’ll just catch a ride with you.”

My jaw flexed. Over her shoulder I could feel the gaping stares of my family. I dipped low so only she could hear me. “You really are trouble. Let’s go.”

Hazel’s little squeal was all it took to spur me forward. I gently gripped her upper arm and protected her from getting bumped as we wove through the crowd and out into the night.

Electricity crackled in the air as we walked down the sidewalk, past the marina, and into the dim parking lot of Abel’s Brewery. The fresh air did nothing to calm the nerves that ratcheted higher with each step closer to the parking lot.

When we reached my car, Hazel was grinning. “Ooooh, he’s a gentleman.”

I wrenched open the door with an eye roll. “Get in.”

Hazel laughed. Even she knew I was acting ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. It would be pure torture to spend the next several hours alone in my house with her—knowing the right thing to do was to leave her alone.

Knowing the last thing I wanted was to do the right thing.

In the passenger seat, Hazel’s shimmery gold dress rode high on her thighs. Her soft skin taunted me, begging me to reach over and slide my hand across her bare legs. Every cell in my body hummed for her.

As the world whizzed by, Hazel let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, my date was a bust. How was yours?”

I glanced over. “I thought it wasn’t a date.”

She nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I wassupposedto have a date tonight, and instead some weird guy showed up.”

I scoffed. “Weird how?”

She smirked and shifted in her seat, causing that damn skirt to shift higher. “Well, I keep getting mixed signals. He’s disgustingly handsome, but it turns out he really isn’t interested. He wants to befriends. He practically ignored me the entire time except for when he’d stare at me like a creep from across the room.”

I played along. “He sounds like an idiot.”

She laughed. “Oh, I agree. Total dumbass. He can sing the hell out of Queen, though.”

I laughed. She had no idea the litany of lurid thoughts I’d had about her while I wasstaring at her like a creep. She wasn’t wrong. Maybe I was a creep.

I harrumphed and tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

“What about you?” she asked. “How was your night?”

I licked my lower lip, trying not to smile. “It was all right, I guess. There was a girl there—real pretty—but I don’t think it’ll work out. I tried staring at her to get her to read my mind, but she couldn’t.” I shrugged. “Kind of a deal-breaker, because I tend to like them a little witchy.”

A barking laugh rolled out of her and filled my car. “Witchy? Is that so?”

I tried to play it off. “It’s a new thing I’m into, apparently.”

Hazel’s legs shifted when she pulled her hair to one side, and my cock began to thicken. If she kept squirming like that, these track pants were going to do fuck all to hide the erection trying to make an appearance.

Heat and tension filled the car. I grumbled and shifted in my seat.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Hazel’s fingertips drag across her collarbone. Her voice was husky and quiet. “Something bothering you, JP?”

I swallowed past the ache in my throat. “No.”

Hazel stripped off her old-lady sweater and tossed it into the back seat. Her tits stretched the fabric of her too-small dress, and I could clearly make out the outline of her nipple piercings.

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