Page 21 of Poppy Kisses
A car rolled down the drive. I froze, watching the silver sedan park at the end of the line of cars in my driveway. Uncle Darren got out first. He squinted at us and dipped his head. Aunt Linda stood up. She gave us a nervous wave. My tension returned.
“There she is!” Dad bellowed. He turned to us. “Excuse me.”
He strode to meet my aunt and uncle. I let out a long breath.
“You’re doing good,” Jensen muttered. “Except for turning into a statue when I touched you.”
“I was not a statue.”
He flattened his hand on my side and brushed up until his thumb scraped the underside of my boob. I jerked.
His deep chuckle vibrated right into me. “Point proven.”
I glared at him, but he only slid his hand back down to my waist, his strong fingers curling along my waistband. Butterflies unfurled in my belly, lazily stretching their wings and deciding they liked his hand on me. A lot.
“I’m not used to PDAs and…” I swallowed. “I haven’t dated in a while.”
“Same.”
“You haven’t dated since the divorce?” Incredulity distracted me from my approaching aunt and uncle. Had Jensen and Hassie been separated longer than the five years they’d been divorced? Dismay curdled the acid in my stomach. Was he waiting for Hassie?
Of course he was. It was Jensen.
“Hard to do as a single dad.” His tone said there was more.
Like that it was hard to date when he was still obsessed with his ex-wife?
Dad clapped Darren on the shoulder and the group started for us. Alder jogged toward them, and the crew stopped. I struggled not to wring my fingers together. I’d love this gathering—for any other reason. I adored family get-togethers, but a giant lie sucked the fun out of it.
“What are my red-light touches?” Jensen asked close to my ear.
His breath tickled loose strands of my hair and a shiver traced down my spine. So far, every touch had been a blazing green light. Which meant warning bells should be ringing.
“Uh…” Words weren’t coming. All that came to mind was what he could do with those big, hot hands.
“What about a peck on the cheek?” His lips were close to my face. He dipped his head more. “On the mouth?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered. My instinctive answer wasyes!
Violet had joined my parents and my aunt and uncle.
His hand shifted down lower on my hip. “If I touch your ass, is that too far?”
“No,” I breathed.Do it, please. Just grab a big handful.
Slowly, his thumb stroked up and down the crest of my hip, right at the zone where it could be considered my ass.
Eliot and Lily exited the shop in front of us. They waved at the new arrivals, and the group started moving.
“You’re still stiff.” His low voice rumbled in my ear. “Deep breath in.”
I inhaled.
“Deep breath out.”
I pursed my lips and exhaled.
He put two fingers under my chin and tilted my face up to his. I’d never been this close to him before. We’d spent recesses together for years. Had classes together. I even had to work on a group project with him in seventh grade about climate change. He tried to get me to include a volcano just so he could make a model of one.
