He kissed her.
“And the sweetest.”
Another kiss.
“Kindest.”
Kiss.
“Smartest.”
She melted against him. “Okay. You win. We’re in a bubble. Just us.” Then she kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth for a deeper taste. His cock hardened against her belly. This night might kill him. Dancing against her, touching her, kissing her. Basically, an entire night dedicated to foreplay. Hopefully, he’d survive.
“Just us.” He kissed her one last time, then winked and took her hand again. Had he been home, he’d press the heel of his hand over his cock to calm the thing, but that could get him arrested in public. Instead, he shifted as he walked. Beside him, Hannah snickered as though she sensed his growing problem.
“Not funny,” he muttered. “You try walking with a lead pipe in your pants.”
“Mmm. I’m too busy thinking about having that lead pipe in me later.”
“Christ, woman,” he groaned. “Two drinks, and you’re talking like a phone sex operator.”
Her loud laugh had more heads turning their way. He’d be lying if he claimed to not notice the feminine stares in her direction had grown a little colder while the guys looked with hungry eyes.
Fuckers.
Thankfully he seemed to have distracted her well enough to keep her from noticing. Elation radiated from her, and JP couldn’t get enough of her energy.
By the time they’d caught up with Mickie and Keith, they were showing identification to the bouncer. The poor guy’s eyes bugged the second he recognized Mickie.
Of course, the former actress was smooth as silk, holding up a hundred-dollar bill and whispering, “For you if you forget who I am and that I’m here.”
He winked as he plucked the bill from her hand. “Sure thing, Miss run-of-the-mill person.”
“Thank you.” They followed Mickie into the club.
“Should we tell him he could probably sell a pic of you at a club for a few hundred times that c-note you gave him?” JP asked.
Keith scowled and took a mock swing at him.
“Now that I live a normal life, the media has mostly lost interest in boring old me, but once in a while, someone comes sniffing around looking for a scoop. Mostly wannabe entertainment reporters. No point in taking the risk.” Mickie shrugged, then looped her arm through Hannah’s. “Let’s dance.”
JP released Hannah’s hand and watched as Mickie guided her into the crowded club.
“Damn, brother, you got it bad. Can’t take your eyes off the woman,” Keith said, slinging an arm across JP’s shoulders.
He opened his mouth to argue but let the words die on his tongue. What the hell was the point? Keith wasn’t blind. He picked up on the way JP slobbered after Hannah. “I do,” he said to which Keith stopped in his tracks.
“No shit? Thought you were gonna give me hell for saying that.”
With a shrug, JP said, “I don’t know, man. She is on my mind every second we’re apart. We have fun, I talk to her about shit I don’t share with anyone, she’s fucking amazing with Kayla as you’ve seen, and she fits in great with the whole fam.”
“The sex?”
He narrowed his eyes. For the first time, he had no desire to share the dirty details of his sex life. What happened between him and Hannah was, well, between him and Hannah. “Best of my life.”
A giant grin broke out across Keith’s face. “Damn, JP. Sounds like you’re in love.” Keith slapped him on the shoulder. “Happy for you, little brother. I’ll grab us some drinks while you keep an eye on the ladies. Let’s have a few, then join them on the dance floor.”
Love?
Love?
No way. Keith was out of his mind. JP didn’t do love.
You also don’t do children, a career, or stick with one woman for more than a night and yet…
But love? No. Love held no interest for him if it even existed. Besides, of all the women in the world, he couldn’t be in love with Hannah. She was Mary Anne’s sister, for fuck’s sake. Kayla’s aunt. Her parents thought his family was stealing their grandchild. Hannah lived across the freaking country and had no plans to stay in Vermont. And he had no plans to leave.
Yet as he watched her laugh and dance with Mickie, he couldn’t help but admit he felt more for her than he ever had for a woman. And he got an ache on the left side of his chest when he imagined her returning home.
She brightened every day and heated every night. He couldn’t deny waking up with her curled up beside him these past few mornings had been magical.
God, he sounded like a cheesy ballad.
Keith returned with two scotch and sodas. JP downed his in three gulps, much to his brother’s amusement. The man sucked at hiding his laughter.
“Screw you,” he said.
“What? I didn’t say shit.” Keith pressed his lips together, but the corners wouldn’t stay straight.