Page 24 of Romance Reset
He grazed her neck with his teeth and relished her moan in his ear, the shiver he felt run the length of her body. Lincoln shifted, raised his head, and kissed her again and again, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the craving growing inside of him.
“Might wanna take that somewhere private,” a male voice called. “Never alone out here.”
Lincoln felt Amelia freeze against him, the comment a dash of cold water they both needed. He turned and spied the man and his dog crossing the parking lot and entering the trail leading to the campgrounds nearby.
“Busted,” Amelia said, her voice throaty and revealing her own need.
The awareness that she’d been just as caught up in the moment left his hands clenching. “Mm. I guess we were.” He pressed a light, chaste kiss on her lips. “Go home, Amelia. Before I drag you into that backseat.”
Amelia stared up at him and he wondered at her thoughts. Her gaze lowered to his mouth, and she raised herself on tiptoe, pressing several quick kisses to his lips before she dropped down onto the seat behind her.
He closed her safely inside and watched as she started the car and drove away, unlike their last date when she’d driven up to the restaurant and picked up the blond who’d sat at the bar while they had dinner. The sight had confused him at first, but then he praised Amelia’s forethought, glad she wasn’t taking chances when it came to meeting strangers, vetted or not.
The ride home was uncomfortable thanks to his wet clothing. He’d brought another change of clothes, but since he lived five minutes away and a shower beckoned, it seemed senseless. Especially when it meant more laundry.
Lincoln entered his house and was taking care of the leftover food and trash when Brendan walked into the room.
“Hey. Why are you wet?”
“Hey, yourself. I, uh, took the boat out and… had a date.” Lincoln waited for Brendan to comment.
“Really?”
That was it? No drama? “Yeah.”
“Cool. Did you have fun?”
It seemed weird to be having this conversation with his son but Lincoln nodded. “I did. We’re going to lunch tomorrow for a third date.”
“Third? You must like her.”
A thought formed, and even though it didn’t fall under the category of taking things slow as Amelia had suggested, he said, “I do. I’d like you and Breanne to meet Amelia before you leave for college. Especially since you won’t be back until Thanksgiving.”
“Okay. Whatever.”
“You’re… okay with this?”
Brendan shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, she must be nice if you want us to meet her.”
“She is. We’re just friends but… I’m looking forward to spending more time with her. Amelia and I… We dated in high school. Before I met your mom.”
Brendan was quiet a long moment, and Lincoln kept working the cleanup while keeping an eye on his son’s changing expressions.
“Mom wouldn’t want you to be alone, Dad. Especially when Bree and I will be gone soon. I’m glad you’re doing this. Hey, is that that cheese I like?”
Brendan had a bottomless pit for a stomach, but Lincoln chuckled at the swift change in topic. “Have at it. All yours. Where’s your sister?”
“Been in her room all night. I tried to get her to go out with me and the gang but she didn’t want to. She might be sick. I heard her hurling in the bathroom this morning.”
Lincoln stilled at the news. “Did you check on her when you got back?”
“Yeah. She was asleep.”
“Clean up when you’re finished. I’m going to go check on her.” Lincoln left the kitchen and jogged up the stairs. He quietly opened Breanne’s door and found her snuggled under her covers, her blond hair shining brightly in the light beaming in from behind him. Maybe it was just a bug. Or nerves over leaving for school? She’d always had a nervous stomach. He’d talk to her about it in the morning.
Lincoln went to his bedroom and stripped out of the wet clothes to shower but texted Amelia’s number as he’d promised.
Home safe and sound, she texted back.Thanks again. I had fun tonight.
