Page 54 of Only This Once
“You always were a sap,” she said, shrugging his arm away.
He chuckled, moving toward the kitchen. Julia watched as Celia leaned into him, her face softening just by being near him.
Her eyes shifted to Jinx, still talking with her father. As if he could feel her gaze on him, he glanced her way and smiled, his cheeks a little pink as his blue eyes crinkled in the corners.
Her throat tightened, but she forced her lips to tilt up in an answering smile.
Fifteen minutes later, after begging off leftovers, they escaped the house. Jinx still looked relaxed and happy. Staring at his face made her stomach all squirrelly.
It really was a beautiful Sunday. The sun filtered through the trees in her parents’ yard, and there was laughter from the neighborhood kids playing outdoors to take advantage of the superb weather.
Her gaze slid over Jinx instead of appreciating the world around them. She really did like the blue of his shirt, but as she took in the way his dress pants fit over his ass, she was reminded of how grabbable it was. For such a skinny guy, he really had a nice ass. It was too bad she hadn’t spent more time on it when she had the chance.
He turned toward her, his lips parting to say something. Over his shoulder, one of the neighborhood kids swung at a softball. Even as she heard the crack of the solid hit, she pushed at Jinx, crowding him against the side of her car.
The trajectory of the softball went right through where he’d been standing a moment before. She wasn’t surprised at all, but her heart still thudded in her chest.
“The universe was out to get you again.”
His hands came up to caress her shoulders and his blue eyes smiled right into hers. “But you were there. Thanks, Jules.”
Her rapid breathing brushed her chest against his. She leaned into him a bit more, liking the way their bodies lined up. His smile lit something inside her, and all she wanted to do was taste it. She bet she could make him whimper and moan again from just a kiss.
Temptation gnawed at her as she held herself there for another moment, a throb telling her that her body was more than interested.
Julia stepped back instead, striding toward where the softball had landed and reminding herself that she’d be a fool to go back for seconds.
Chapter 16
Jesse left his Jeep in the driveway, his head already starting to pound as he passed the car he’d parked beside, one with two car seats inside. His day had been close to perfect, but Phoebe was likely about to change that.
She sat at the table in the kitchen again. Her blonde hair, which matched his, only longer, was pulled back in a sloppy bun. She had dark circles under her eyes, and his heart started to soften until her lip curled in a sneer.
“Doing a walk of shame?” she asked.
Jesse pressed his lips together so he wouldn’t snap back.
Charles, holding his baby nephew, tilted his head. “It’s already late afternoon. Doesn’t it have to be morning to be a walk of shame?”
“That’s not the point!” Phoebe snapped.
Jesse rolled his eyes, crouching down to tickle his niece, who was banging a spatula on the kitchen tiles.
“How was lunch with the Caldwells?” Charles asked, continuing to sway as he patted his nephew’s back.
“Great!” Jesse’s smile returned. “It was nice to catch up with everyone.”
“Wait, Julia invited you to her family’s Sunday lunch?” Phoebe frowned.
“Just as a friend,” Jesse said, reminding himself as well. There had been a moment at the end where it had seemed like she would kiss him. That she hadn’t had been a letdown. His lips tingled just imagining the contact.
She’d only been protecting him again. That was no different from when they were kids.
“But she fucked you last night, didn’t she?” Phoebe’s lip curled again.
Charles sighed, moving toward the toddler and reaching down for her hand. “Come on, little one, let’s go play with the blocks I bought you.”
“B’ocks!” she cried, booking it toward the living room.
