“I always thought you’d do better after going away to school.” Elvira still held Noah’s plate as if still debating whether to serve him.
Josie looked up at the woman who won the award for the nosiest of the triplets. “You’re probably not the only one in this town.”
“May I have my breakfast?” he asked.
“True,” the old woman said, ignoring Noah. “But I never thought it was your fault that you lost your undergarments to Travis Taylor. That boy couldn’t manage to lead his team to the state championship. Not like Noah here.” She finally set the plate down in front of him.
“Noah doesn’t like to talk about it,” Josie said firmly. “Not football or his time with the marines.”
NOAH STARED ACROSS the table. Ever since Caroline had shown him the picture, he’d been trying to figure out how the hell he’d keep Josie from getting stuck in the crossfire when Dustin attacked. If there was one thing in his life he wanted under his control it was Josie’s safety. He refused to fail her.
But she’d turned the tables on him, jumping to his rescue over breakfast.
“Humph,” Elvira muttered, glancing at Noah and then back at Josie. “Enjoy your breakfast.” And then the nosy triplet walked away before asking if they needed anything to go with their bacon, eggs, and hash browns.
“Now about last night,” Josie said, careful to keep her voice low.
Ketchup. He wanted a bottle of Heinz and an escape from this conversation. And hell, while he was asking for things, he wanted Josie in his bed putting her new toy through its paces. Then he’d toss it aside and—
“There’s something about you,” she continued. “You kiss me and I feel myself falling for you.”
No, Josie. I’m not the guy you fall in love with, not then and not now.
“But I’m not ready. After everything . . . I need more time to put my life back together.”
“Yeah, the timing’s off,” he said. And I’m not sure I should be trusted with your love.
He’d just watched her rescue him from another pat on the back for his football days when he should have been the one jumping in. He should have told Elvira to shove it when she brought up church and Josie’s panties.
But I want you.
Looking at her across the table, remembering how she looked last night pressed up against the bull . . . part of him didn’t want to let the moment turn into another memory he carried with him for five freaking long years.
“But, Josie, the timing might always be off.”
“It might,” she admitted. “Bu
t—”
“Relax and eat your eggs. I’m not asking for a demonstration of your new toy. Not on a Sunday.”
She picked up her fork. “You are a jerk.”
“I know.” She could call him anything she liked as long as she stayed safe.
He dropped his gaze to his plate. Somehow, he had to make that happen. He couldn’t fail Josie. He couldn’t rush to her rescue after the fact. Not like he did with Caroline. No, this time he had to have the upper hand from the beginning. No one would hurt Josie Fairmore again. That was one promise he planned to keep.
But none of that changed the fact that he wanted to see Josie test her vibrator.
Yeah, he was one helluva jerk.
Chapter Fifteen
THERE WAS A mad marine on the loose, probably armed and sure as hell dangerous, and all Noah could think about was the sex toy in Josie’s locker. But she was running scared from him instead of straight into his bed.
He shoveled ice into a pint glass with a ferocity that left the barely legal coed on the other side of the bar wide-eyed.
“I can have a beer if a Bloody Mary is too much trouble,” the young woman said.