Imaginary Lines (New York Leopards 3)

“Uh.” I nodded and slowly inched back from Abe. “Yup.”

Abe lifted up the tray as unnecessary evidence. “Right here.”

His mom looked at us strangely. “All right, bring it in then.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She vanished from the door, and at one look from Abe, we both burst into horrified, convulsive laughter. “Oh, God,” I finally managed. “Half a minute earlier and she would’ve walked in while your hand was down my pants.”

He had to support himself against the car as he laughed. “Never say that again.”

“It’s never going to happen again! Oh, God. Okay.” I patted my hair. “Do I look okay?”

His laughed slowed. “Tamar, you look perfect. You always look perfect.”

I backed away from him and took the tray in my hands. “Don’t be too cute. We still need to get through this meal.”

Chapter Nineteen

At dinner, I sat across from Grandma Krasner, who smiled beatifically, and next to Abe’s cousin Matt, who was fourteen years old. Abe sat on my other side. Every so often he would place his hand on my leg beneath the table and slowly run his fingers up my sensitive flesh. I burned hot and ready, and my pupils were almost certainly dilated more than was appropriate.

It wasn’t actually all that fun to be incredibly turned on at a family dinner.

Abraham clearly wasn’t having that problem, because he didn’t stop smiling the entire meal.

A little over halfway through, we’d slowed down our food intake considerably and finished off all the water on the table. Sharon leaned back behind some of the chairs and waved for her son’s attention. “Abe, can you go refill the pitchers?”

I leaped up immediately. “I’ll help!”

We barely made it into the pantry and deposited the pitchers by the water cooler be

fore we were in each other’s arms. Abe kissed me hard, tasting of cranberry and spices. “I don’t know that I’m going to be able to last this entire dinner.”

I laughed breathlessly. “Not just this meal. We’re not going back until Saturday, and you won’t be back from the Patriots game until Monday night. We’re not going to get a second alone until then.”

He started kissing a path along my jaw. “I could sneak into your bedroom.”

I grinned. “Or we could join the mile-high club.”

“Or we could disappear right now and maybe no one would even notice.”

“Oh, I like that idea.” But first I was going to get in one more kiss, and run my hands over his endless shoulders one more time...

A glass shattered.

We both froze. Maybe we’d knocked a glass off the counter. Maybe something outside the room had echoed oddly.

A ceramic plate lay in shattered pieces on the floor.

Above it, Abe’s neighbor cousin Emmett stood with his hands apart and his mouth open.

Which wouldn’t have been that bad, except that Emmett was eleven with a mouth as big as Texas.

And that the doorway behind him was filled with Abe’s aunt Claire, Grandma Krasner, various cousins—and Abe’s mom.

And my mom.

Well, shit. “Hi,” I said weakly.