Page 109 of Love on the Run

Beau handed her a dish towel. “Are you ready to go?”

She dried her hands and hung the towel carefully on a hook by the sink. “Yep. I can’t believe Jacob is growing up so fast. I feel like he was a kid just yesterday.”

Beau reached for Anna’s hand as they made their way to his truck. “He’s still a kid. He’s just smarter and way more mature than your average pre-teen.”

“What did you get him?”

“Custom floor mats for his Porsche,” Beau said as he opened the passenger door for her.

“He’s going to love that! I got him a new bat he’s been wanting.”

Beau slid into the driver’s seat and headed forthe main road. He was getting used to having Anna beside him in his truck, and reaching for her hand was becoming his new favorite thing to do while driving.

He was still getting used to this alternate reality where Anna wanted to kiss him—where he could touch her and hold her. Every step of their new relationship had come and gone in the blink of an eye. His entire focus had changed in a few weeks’ time, but not one part of him wanted to pump the brakes.

Still, there was the annoying reminder that everyone in town had shown up to Anna’s wedding. Actually caring about what people thought was new to him, but every time he thought about someone judging Anna, a low roar crawled up his chest.

“So, what are we telling people today?” Beau asked.

“You mean when people see us looking cozy?”

He glanced over at her and was greeted with her playful smirk. At least she didn’t seem worried about it. “Yeah. That.”

She rested an assuring hand on his arm. “It might be a good idea to lay low for a little bit. I mean, people are going to talk no matter what, but I’d like a chance to breathe before the rumor mill comes knocking.”

“It’s not like I’m big on kissing in public anyway. We can just play it cool, and maybe no one will notice.”

Anna leaned toward him, and it took every bit of his self-control to focus on driving. “You mean you don’t want to kiss me in front of a bunch of pre-teens and their parents? I’m crushed.”

Beau glanced at her. She was close enough he could lean over a few inches and press his lips to hers, but a new and urgent instinct demanded he drive safely when she was in his truck. “I always want to kiss you. Make no mistake, that’s at the top of my list every day.”

Anna leaned closer until her warm breath brushed against his ear. “Can we do a little bit of that before we join the party?”

The air in the cab of the truck grew thick and hot as his entire body heated. He swallowed hard and tightened his jaw before his body allowed him to respond. “Anything you want.”

Anna bounced in her seat and pressed her lips to his cheek. “You’re fun, you know that?”

Beau huffed. “You are the first person to ever say that to me.”

He parked as far away from the house as possible and shut off the truck. He didn’t waste any time pulling Anna in for a deep kiss. Her soft lips molded to his, sending sparks down his spine.

He broke the kiss long enough to say, “Let’s just skip the party.”

Her forehead rested on his shoulder as she laughed. The joyful sound vibrated into his skin andfound a direct path to his heart. “We have to at least make an appearance.”

“Ten minutes? No one will miss us.”

“Olivia would send out a search party. She’d recruit all of the kids to find us.”

“Not if she valued her life,” Beau added.

“Actually, she might let us run off together. She’s definitely cheering us on.”

“For once, I can’t hate her for getting in my business.”

Anna pressed her lips to his one more time before reaching for the door handle. “Let’s go. Everyone is going to wonder why we’re parked but haven’t gone inside yet.”

“I don’t care what they think,” he reminded her, and tugged her back into his arms to nuzzle the back of her neck.

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