Page 73 of Just One Kiss

“Nothing’s going to happen here, you know that, right?”

His eyes searched hers, and while she thought she saw disappointment, he quickly recovered, nonchalantly shrugging. “‘Course I know that.”

“Okay, because you’ve said some things since you’ve been here—and then being at the cabin yesterday—”

“Just nostalgia,” he said. The sparkle in his eyes flickered. “I know where you stand.”

Regret twisted in her belly and she wanted to kick herself. He’d been great since he’d been back—and here he was being more thoughtful than she deserved, and how did she respond? By putting him squarely in his place.

But she needed to make things clear now, before her jumbled-up feelings turned even more confusing. Before it was too late to protect herself.

While she’d tossed and turned last night over Jaden’s surgery, she’d also been replaying her interactions with Josh—and the play-by-play had led her to the conclusion that she needed to be very careful.

She needed her anger to keep her safe, and some days, she discovered she didn’t feel angry with him anymore. Some days, she remembered why she’d liked him in the first place. He was funny and surprising and when he looked at her, he made her feelseen.

But she couldn’t let herself forget, not even for a moment, the pain he’d caused her when he broke her heart.

She wondered sometimes if Quinn was right. Maybe she’d never completely recovered.

She’d decided after his late-night text had sent her heart reverberating on an endless loop that her only course of action was to be straight with him. To set those rules up and make it clear—even if it made her feel like a jerk.

Which it had, in fact, done. Especially since he’d shown up with coffee and muffins.

“So, we understand each other?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah,” he said. “You want me to stop telling you you’re beautiful.” His gaze settled on her, and she suddenly felt naked. She wished her hands were free so she could pull her robe even tighter.

“That’s a good start.”

“Even if you are beautiful?”

She laughed. “I just woke up.”

His face shifted, but his body was still. “Yep.”

“This is what I’m talking about,” she said.

“This is called chemistry.” His mouth twitched upward in a slight grin. “Doesn’t come around every day.”

She took a small step back. Where was her anger now? Where was her suit of armor? Her heart was exposed, like a wounded soldier left behind with no cover in a gunfight.

“Dad?”

Josh looked past her, following the sound of Jaden’s voice, then smiled. “There’s the man of the hour.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting us at the hospital?”

“Just brought over some coffee and breakfast for your mom.” He brushed past Carly on his way inside, the nearness of him sending her senses on high alert. “And I wanted to see you.”

Carly closed the door, begging her heart to stop racing.

“How are you feeling?” Josh asked.

Jaden shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

Josh stared at him, and for a moment, it seemed the two of them were communicating telepathically, as if they had their own language that required no words at all.

“You’re going to be fine,” Josh said, clapping a hand on Jaden’s arm.

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