Going Under (Wildfire Lake 2)

She makes a sound of disappointment. “You’re such a tease.”

That makes me laugh, and I rest my forehead against her shoulder. She cups my head and plays with my hair.

“I can’t clear my head,” I say. “You make me high. Tell me to go home.”

“Go home,” she whispers at my ear, shooting gooseflesh over my skin.

I laugh. “Now who’s a tease?”

I force myself to straighten and take her arm. “Let me look at these.” I pull the tape off, then unroll the gauze. I inspect the stitches, frowning at the inflammat

ion. “KT, you’ve got to lay off this arm. Use antibiotic cream until you get an appointment with a doctor to get them taken out.”

“What would it take to get a private appointment with Dr. Latham?”

“Just an act of God.” I rewrap her arm and replace the still-sticky KT tape. As soon as I’m done, she reaches for me again, but I evade, taking a few steps back so she can’t catch me, and I can’t reach for her. “Girl, you’re dangerous.”

She smiles, her feet swinging, making her seem even younger and more fun—something I didn’t imagine was possible. “Hardly.”

“Very.” I scrape my bottom lip through my teeth, aching to kiss her again. “Very, very.”

But my sister and my daughters are waiting on me. So I turn and leave the shop.

“Hey,” she says, voice soft. “Just so you know, nothing that happens between you and me will ever make me treat Violet differently. I don’t play those games and never will. She’s welcome here. I just need to know when she’s coming and going so I can keep an eye on her.”

God. It takes everything in me not to go back to her. I don’t understand how I could be so crazy about anyone so damned fast. It’s thrilling and terrifying at the same time. “Thank you.”

The walk home is painful with a full-on erection. On the flip side, the walk gives me time to shake it off before I face my family.

I’m still not sure how I feel about her limitations. I’ve certainly met all kinds of people in my life, many women who never had, nor ever wanted, marriage, children, or both. I’ve always seen it as a personal choice. Just as my affinity for marriage and children is my personal choice.

That said, I’m not sure if I want to move forward with KT, knowing it won’t last. Knowing it will end sooner rather than later.

At my house, Jackie is sitting at the breakfast bar with Poppy, helping her with some math problems. Jackie takes one look at me and tells Poppy to take a break.

Poppy eagerly climbs off her stool and runs upstairs, leaving me alone with my sister, who’s grinning. “What happened to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your shirt’s untucked, your hair’s a mess. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been manhandled by a woman.”

I push all ten fingers through my hair.

Jackie leans back against the bar and crosses her arms, grinning. “When I said introduce yourself, I didn’t mean quite like that, but I knew it wouldn’t take long. You’re a little too good-looking for your own good. Which one? KT or Chloe?”

I wander into the kitchen and pull open the fridge. “I haven’t met Chloe.”

Her brows lift. “So, KT. Interesting.”

I don’t take the bait. I grab the orange juice, pull off the top, and tip the bottle back. My blood sugar needs a spike if I’m going to get through this afternoon.

“How long has that been going on?” Jackie wants to know.

“Nothing’s going on.”

“Why haven’t I heard about you two in town?”

“Because we’re not dating. In fact, she claims to not be interested in dating at all. All she wants is a hookup.”