Page 83 of The Weight Of Falling
He contemplates his lemonade, his thumb rubbing condensation off the glass. “It’s more that I prefer my own company.”
“No wonder you and Kate work so well together.”
His slow, sexy smile sends flutters through my stomach. It’s a funny thing, but I notice the hairline crack in his stern facade whenever I challenge him or get a little cheeky.
I point a friendly finger at him. “You know, I only get snarky when you’re around.”
“Or maybe I bring out your wild side.”
“I don’t have a wild side.”
He flashes me a knowing grin. “A certain storage room begs to differ.”
I feel my face flush. “Joel, we will not speak of the storage room.”
We will not speak of my most dangerous memory. The one I can’t stop thinking about. No matter how hard I try.
His too-perceptive eyes move to the pulse beating in my neck. “So very prim and proper, Ms. Kenzie Ellis,” he says roughly. “And the opposite of what I believe you’re really like.”
My pulse spikes. That look in his eyes... For one long minute, I sit frozen.
“You are incredibly dangerous to me,” Joel murmurs at last.
“I am?”
“Yes.”
A smile takes over my face. “I feel flattered.”
“You shouldn’t feel flattered.”
“But I do.”
He shakes his head. “Woman, you are killing me.”
I wink at him. “That’s because I’m dangerous.”
I take a long, cool sip of my drink. The lemonade tastes sweeter, or maybe it’s just the company.
35
Standing on Sofia’s porch, Joel’s gaze takes in my high ponytail, sweatshirt, and running shoes. I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet, throwing a couple of light jabs, Rocky style. All I need now is sweeping cinematic music in the background.
Joel refrained from saying anything on the drive over, but now amusement tugs at one corner of his mouth. “You look like you mean business.”
“Oh, I totally mean business. I rock game night,” I add, unable to help myself. “I have an insane amount of trivia in my head. Completely useless to me most of the time, but on nights like this, it comes in handy.”
“Well, well, Kenzie Ellis has a competitive streak,” he says. “Who would have guessed?”
The door swings open before I can answer. Sofia stands there with Tess peeking over her shoulder.
“You have no idea,” Sofia warns him. “Our shy, sweet Kenzie disappears whenever there are competitive games.”
“She goes full assassin mode,” Tess adds. “It’s her secret superpower.”
My cheeks burn at their ribbing. “I’m not that bad.”
“Oh, yes, you are,” they chorus with matching grins.
