Page 31 of Things Good Girls Don't Do

He leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head away and all he caught was her cheek. Next he grazed the little spot below her ear, leaving invisible heat marks long after his mouth was gone. “I was only kidding, Firecracker. I’d kiss you if you ate dog shit and barfed fish guts.”

Her mouth twitched as she tried not to laugh, coughing instead. “You would not, and that is disgusting.”

Laughing, he said, “But it’s true. I love kissing you. In fact, I think it may just be my new favorite hobby.” He moved his head as if he was coming at her from the right and when she turned away, he caught her mouth from the left. She laughed against his lips; she couldn’t help it.

“Ahem!” They broke apart to look at a very disapproving Mrs. Andrews, who snapped, “Katie, I need your assistance, please.”

Katie started to pull away and follow Mrs. Andrews obediently, but at the last minute she went back for one more quick kiss. Forget her rules. Forget other people’s opinions. She liked kissing, flirting, and just being with Chase. She didn’t have to explain their relationship or their lack of serious intentions. She could loosen the reins and let go.

Quickly, before the older woman had a coronary, she broke off the kiss and caught up with her. She looked back at Chase over her shoulder for a moment, and he blew her a kiss. Warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the sun or the embarrassment of being caught kissing a man she wasn’t really dating, and had everything to do with happiness. She was happy for the first time in—if she was being honest—years.

And anyone who had a problem with that ... well, New Katie would just tell them to go to hell.

THEK.C.’SSALONbooth was hopping and Katie was so relieved when two o’clock came around, she nearly ran to get away from it. She grabbed an elephant ear pastry and snacked on it as she explored the different booths, slowly making her way over to see Becca’s. The fact that it was next door to Chase’s was a happy coincidence that in no way influenced her. She saw Steph snooping around Becca’s goods, walked up behind her grinning, and yelled, “Boo!”

Steph jumped and said, “You’re a dumb ass.”

“So what are you buying?” Katie asked, eyeing the pile of clothes in her arms.

“Everything in my size.” Steph grabbed a cute tank top with little pink butterflies on it as if it might disappear at any moment.

Becca laughed from inside the booth and asked, “Do you just want me to make you a bag back here so you don’t have to hold on to all that?”

Steph nodded vigorously, handing her load off to Becca. “Thank you.”

“No, thankyou,” Becca said, smiling.

“Jared is going to murder you,” Katie said.

“I make money too, and I haven’t spent very much this month,” Steph said, reaching to rip off a part of Katie’s elephant ear.

“Thief!” Katie laughed, holding her food away from Steph.

“Come on, you’ll never finish that thing by yourself,” Steph said.

Katie ripped the ear in half and handed her some more. “Mooch.”

“Thanks, sugar mama,” Steph said, giving her a sugary kiss.

Laughing, Katie walked around the large table display of modest lingerie and trinkets, her gaze landed on several pairs of fuzzy handcuffs.

Katie shoved the last bite of the buttery pastry in her mouth, wiped her hands on a napkin, and pointed to the pink pair. “Becca, I want these. Can you set them aside for me?”

Steph made a howling noise, and Becca grabbed the handcuffs, teasing, “Ooooh, Chase is going to be surprised.”

Katie blushed and would have given a very smart comeback if she hadn’t noticed a cute straw cowboy hat with little purple and white charm beads on it. She reached out and picked it up by the brim at the same time that a high, whiny voice said, “Excuse me, but I saw it first.”

Katie turned to face a short blond woman with a sour-lemon expression on her face. She looked familiar, but Katie couldn’t place her immediately. Until she saw Jimmy standing next to her.

Selena.Jimmy’s fiancée.

Katie froze as Jimmy’s wide eyes traveled up and down her body. “Katie?”

“Is there a problem here?” Becca asked.

Selena looked between Katie and Jimmy, completely ignoring Becca. “Katie, your ex?”

It wasn’t like they’d never seen each other before, so why Selena was acting like she didn’t know her was beyond Katie. In fact, she was pretty sure she had gone with Steph a couple of times in high school when she’d babysat for Selena and her brother Kyle. Selena had gone off to Boise State after her graduation five years ago and hadn’t come back until last year, right before Jimmy left. They had hardly seen each other since Selena was a snotty teenager walking around with her nose in the air like her daddy had never shoveled cow manure. And she obviously hadn’t matured with age.

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