Page 63 of #Awestruck

Evan got a determined look on his face, and there was a popping sound as he forced the lid off. Problem was he’d used so much force that it surprised him, and he splashed himself with cherry juice.

He put the jar down and surveyed the damage. “This is one of my favorite shirts. I guess you can’t take me anywhere.”

“Yep, you’re a real menace to society. Come on, let’s go up to the laundry room, and I’ll get it in the washing machine before the stain sets.”

He followed me upstairs, and I suddenly realized the issues with this plan when we got to the very small laundry room. He dominated the space all around us, his presence overwhelming.

And as he took off his shirt, he wasn’t quick about it. No, instead, he watched me the whole time as he slowly undid each button. By the time he’d finished, I was breathing so fast I worried I might pass out.

There was no undershirt, just Evan’s chest in all its ab-tastic, muscly fantasticness. I hadn’t appreciated it nearly enough the first time I’d seen it.

He still had a rainbow collection of bruises on his exposed skin, and without thinking I stepped forward to run my fingers against some of the more prominent ones. I loved the way his body felt, his rock-hard muscles wrapped in soft skin.

Evan flinched, and I went to pull my hands away. He stopped me, keeping them in place.

“Does this hurt?” I asked, worried.

“Nothing hurts right now,” he said in that gruff, deep voice that made me forget my own name. He moved a step closer. “Now that you’ve gotten me out of my clothes, what are you planning to do next?”

He was teasing, but there was a serious undercurrent to his words.

“I ... I’m not ... I wasn’t ...”

“Why are you so afraid to get close to me?” he asked as he reached up with his free hand to run his fingers along the side of my face. “Why do you jump every time I touch you?”

Because that kiss yesterday had set my calves on fire? And I hadn’t known that was even possible?

“Maybe I don’t want to tempt you.” I was aiming for light and jokey, but I wasn’t pulling it off. Instead, even I could hear the shakiness in my voice and how fast I was breathing.

“Too late.”

I don’t know what made me suddenly want to be truthful with him, but I did. I averted my gaze. “It’s because of how you make me feel when you touch me.”

He reached under my chin, forcing my eyes up to meet his. “I feel it, too. So what are we going to do about it?”

Rory walked by us in the hallway, coming to a stop when she saw what we were doing. Her eyes wide, she mouthed, “OMG!” to me. She was holding Charlotte’s hand, and the sight of my impressionable niece helped bring me back to my senses. I pulled my hands away and reached for his shirt.

“I’m going to, um, wash this now. In that thing we have for cleaning clothes.”

“The washing machine?” he asked, the amusement evident in his voice.

“Yep. That’s it. The washing machine.” I got the stain remover and soaked the red juice on his shirt with the spray. My mom’s machine had one of those little drawers for small loads, and I put Evan’s shirt in, along with some laundry detergent.

“Stay here,” I told him when the machine started. “I’ll see if I can find one of my dad’s shirts.”

I ran into my parents’ room and stopped short when I saw Rory lying on their bed, watchingAlice in Wonderlandwith Charlotte. They were both eating pieces of pumpkin pie. Well, Rory was eating. Our niece was totally focused on the movie, and Rory jumped up to talk to me. “Hey, so what’s up with you and Ab Lincoln?”

“Nothing. He spilled something, and I’m cleaning it.” I went into my parents’ master closet and tried to find a shirt that would fit Evan. I settled on one of my dad’s Jacks T-shirts. It would probably be too loose on Evan in some places and too tight in others, but I couldn’t let him keep walking around the house without a shirt on. I wouldn’t want him to be the reason my mother and sister left their husbands.

He was already the reason I couldn’t catch my breath or get my heart to stop frantically trying to beat its way out of my chest.

“You know, you’ve always talked about what an awful jerk Evan is. But today he seems so ... shirtless. That was Mike with some extra magic.”

“Rory, I can’t do this with you right now. I am freaking out and barely holding it together.” There was a slightly hysterical edge to my voice.

Her eyes narrowed in concern. “Okay. Calm down. You’ll be fine. Even if Mom and Dad are oblivious, I can see what’s going on with you and Evan. And I don’t know why you’re pretending to be engaged.”

I tried to protest, but she held up her hand.

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