“Morning,” I tried to grumble but it came out a breathless mess because apparently being this close to my best friend and kissing him, turned me into some kind of simpering girly girl. “What are you doing here?”
His gaze slid over my shoulder where Eddy watched with rapt attention. “Thought I’d come by for a little morning sugar and I wanted to get here before the bagels ran out.”
That made sense and I relaxed, taking a step out of his embrace because I wanted to stay there. Desperately. “So the kiss was just a ploy to get me to give you more bagels than I should?”
“I’m happy to convince you,” he said playfully, making Eddy laugh on the other side of the counter. “Or pay a premium. Start negotiations wherever you want.”
A flash of light had us both turning in the direction of the gray haired meddler who smiled at us like we were two kittens massaging each other. “What? That was a great moment, all that heat and affection and love. Look how well it comes out on camera.” Eddy turned the screen so I could see it and I tore the phone from her hands, hunching over the screen like a teenager with something to hide.
“Not every moment needs to be captured for social media, Eddy.” My annoyance with this whole hometown heroes nonsense, including the fake boyfriend bit, was growing ten fold by the day.
“Pshaw,” she said, waving off my concern. “This is all for a good cause, Bo. Remember that.” Wearing a knowing expression, Eddy nodded and turned on her sneakers, walking out of my shop with enough swing in her hips to hurt someone.
“That wasn’t strange or disturbing at all,” Jase said playfully and pulled me in for another hug. “How’s it going?”
I shrugged and put some space between us. It was still weird having Jase touch me so freely, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad weird which only left me feeling more confused than ever. “It’s going. I heard the fire was a bad one.” The news had spread within fifteen minutes of Jase leaving my house and I sat up all night, waiting for word that the fire had been contained, the same way I did whenever Jase was out fighting fires.
“The mill would be completely gone if not for its brick structure.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, but the building was massive and they’d been out there for hours. “Thankfully no one was inside.”
I rested my hands on his shoulders until he turned those green eyes onto me and smiled. “No one was inside and no one was hurt, Jase. That’s a good thing.”
He nodded and flashed a one sided grin that didn’t quite make it up to his eyes. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Words I never get tired of hearing.” A long silence settled between us and for the first time in more than a week, it was a comfortable sort of silence. The kind we had before the air changed around us and things got all weird.
Jase smiled again and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind my ear. It was an affectionate gesture, an intimate one that sent a thread of longing through me that I couldn’t ignore. “Have dinner with me.”
I frowned. “We have dinner together all the time,” I said in lieu of an answer.
Jase rolled his eyes but that affectionate grin never fell or dimmed. “You know what I’m asking, Bo. Say yes to dinner.”
I wasn’t a fan of his bossy tone but I was a huge fan of food, especially free food that was cooked by hands other than my own. “Yes. To dinner.” I ignored the relief and tried like hell to suppress the effects his wide, satisfied smile was having on me so I could point an admonishing finger at him. “Only to dinner.”
Jase grinned and swooped in, pressing a quick kiss against my mouth. It wasn’t slow or sexy or anything like the others. It was short and almost perfunctory but damn if it didn’t have the same effect. “Everything but dinner is up for debate. Agreed.” With a wink, he backed away until it wasn’t just the counter between us, but also the front door and eventually, a good chunk of the town.
What the hell did I just agree to?
Jase
“How long do you two plan to keep up this nonsense?” Nate sat my sofa with his big ass feet propped up on my coffee table, a beer in his hand and a scowl on his face.
“What nonsense? If you had any friends you’d understand the concept of two friends helping each other out.” Though I could admit that lately my feelings towards Bo had become less friendly and more romantic, but I wouldn’t admit that to Nate. Not until I knew how Bo felt, anyway.
He huffed out a laugh and took a long pull from his beer, gaze never leaving mine. “I have plenty of friends, thank you very much. But when I’m interested in a woman, I have enough balls to admit it. This whole thing is gonna blow up in your face, you know that right?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nate didn’t date, not in any way that the rest of us would consider dating. He didn’t trust women and he didn’t get serious about them. Ever. “Bo isn’t just some chick, you know.”
He nodded, taking his time and considering his words for once. “I do know that and that’s why I’m sure this won’t end well. You’re into Bo and this whole fake dating thing is just a way in, right.” I didn’t confirm or deny it, but my brother’s smirk said he knew the truth. “Exactly. So even if she feels the same way you do, how is she supposed to know that this is supposed to be something more?”
I opened my mouth to explain but nothing came out. Twice. Shit, I hated it when Nate made a point. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Obviously,” he snorted and finished off his beer.
“She agreed to go on a date with me.” It was dinner but it was a dinner date. That was clear, right?
Surprise flashed in his eyes. “Really? Does Bo know it’s a date, because she can be kind of obtuse about these things.” Nate Barked out a laugh and shook his head. “To be so hot, she’s clueless as hell, brother. You’ll have to take out a billboard or something just to make sure she knows you’re making a play for her. You are making a play, aren’t you?”
“I plan to make her mine.” I just had to take my time. Bo was skittish as hell and she was almost as anti-relationship as Nate, which meant I had my work cut out for me.
“Well, damn. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I had a feeling that I would need more than good luck. “Maybe I ought to get Elka to make me some kind of spell or talisman.”
“Careful Jase or you might end up in a Freaky Friday situation.” Again, he burst out laughing and I wanted to punch him, but it was too damn funny.
I picked up my bottle cap and placed it between my thumb and forefinger, snapping it his way and smiling when it smacked him in the middle of his forehead. “Just wait until it happens to you. I know I can’t wait.”
Nate snarled at me, practically growled to go along with the dark look he shot my way. “You’ll be waiting until the end of time for that shit.”
Because he was my brother and my friend, I couldn’t help but give him a hard time. “We’ll see. I wonder who the matchmakers are planning for you,” I said and scratched my chin thoughtfully. “Maybe I ought to get in on that action.”
“Maybe you should shut your damn mouth before I shut it for you.”
No matter what anyone told you, the best thing about having an older brother is pissing him off.
Bo
Since I agreed to go to dinner with Jase, and I refused to call it a date because that would just be weird, I figured it was the perfect time to find something new to wear. Not that I was trying to impress him, because I wasn’t, but it didn’t hurt for a woman to look nice once in a while. A plain little black dress would be just enough effort without looking like I was trying too hard.
“Hey there, Bo. Looking for anything in particular?” Mikki’s deep southern drawl sounded behind me, yanking me from my thoughts like a fish on a hook.
I turned slowly, preparing myself for the full on wattage that was Mikki. She was a sweet woman, beautiful and bubbly, but she specialized in things I couldn’t care less about. Like fashion. “I’m looking for something girly for a
night out, but not too girly. No lace or silk and definitely no damn tulle.” I pointed a finger for emphasis but Mikki, of course, wasn’t bothered in the least.
A small, sweet smiled spread across her face, that toothy white smile only highlighted her smooth pale skin. “You know what you don’t want, but do you have any idea what you do what for this night out?” Her question was bland, benign even, but I felt defensive.
“A night out with a man,” I clarified for some odd damn reason. I blamed this damn store and all the girly confections dangling from every hanger, every rafter and every shelf in the whole damn place. It had my nerves on edge.
“Jase?” I nodded as if it wasn’t obvious and she nodded for me to follow her around the store, which I did, until things started to get out of hand. “Come on sugar, I’ve got plenty of things that will look just great on you.” She grabbed my hand with her free one since the other warm was already loaded with about five different dresses.
“You know I only have one body, don’t you?” Who needed this many dresses? Certainly not a woman who spent more time fishing and hiking than she did trolling bars or going on out dates.
“I have been so hopin’ that you’d come in and let me dress you for something.” Her smile beamed bright as her gaze roamed over my body, slowly, studying every inch of me like I was some kind of science experiment. “That figure of yours is just incredible.”
Not that it wasn’t nice to hear, it was, and my cheeks flushed as evidence. But a few alarms bells went off. “Are you hitting on me, Mikki?”
She looked up from a rack of dresses in about a hundred different shades of purple, those swirling hazel eyes lit with amusement. “Oh honey, no. While you are as gorgeous as a deep delta sunset, you’re not exactly my type. I like my dates with a bit more hair on their chest. And face.” Now she faced me head on, circling me like a hawk. “But an athletic woman with lean, feminine curves, well she’s a dream to dress and you’re her.” Mikki clapped her hands like an excited teenager. “Let’s start with these.”
Mikki’s start included leaving me alone in the dressing room with five dresses, as if I needed all these dresses, none of which were plain or black. “Seriously Mikki, this is too many. I hate shopping. Can’t you just get me something black and simple.” I avoided using the ‘p’ word in front of her because she acted like it was a dirty word.
“Simple means plain and I don’t do blame, Bo. You need something more than an LBD tonight. Definitely something more.” She shook her head, thick brown hair falling like a curtain around her shoulders. “Try these two next.” One was a deep sapphire blue that was just a few shades lighter than my eyes and the other was the color of wine. They were different but equally gorgeous.
But the wine colored dress was skimpy and silky. “This is a date, not a sleepover.” At least I didn’t think it was meant to be a sleepover. This was Jase, I mean sure we’d slept at each other’s houses before and even in the same bed a few times, but not naked. Not while I was wearing anything sexy.
“Are they mutually exclusive?” Thick brown lashes fanned as she blinked, doing a bang up job pretending to be confused even as her lips curled into an amused grin. Her eyes went wide and round. “Oh. My. God. Is this the sex date for you two?” Even though the shop was mostly empty since it had just opened, making it the perfect time to get a little shopping done without any distractions, she still whispered.
“Keep your voice down,” I said moments later, my earlier complain forgotten. “And no, it’s not a sex date. Just stop squealing, please.”
Mikki’s grin was contagious and she practically vibrated with excitement. “I have just the thing.” She darted off, which was impressive considering the four inch heels she wore, and returned with more clothes. A light blue dress with no straps and barely any dress came in first, and then a green dress that matched Jase’s eyes, but it also happened to be more headband than dress. “Wear this lingerie with this dress and this with the other. Trust me.”
That was a tall order but I just shrugged and accepted the pile of fabric, figuring it would be easier to try it all on rather than argue with Mikki. Still, I came here for help so I sucked in a deep breath and closed the curtain, determined to get through these last two dresses as quickly as possible. But the moment I stepped into the indigo dress with the simple spaghetti straps and low cut back, I couldn’t deny her fashion genius. It was one of those perfect dresses that made you look ten times better than the real you actually looked. “Is this dress magic or something because my boobs and ass don’t look this good. Ever.”
Her laugh sounded right on the other side of the curtain and I knew what was coming. “Can I see?” Before I could form an answer or come up with an excuse, the heavy curtain slid back and Mikki was there, too close, studying me like I was spring finals senior year. “Oh that is the dress. Jase is gonna swallow his own tongue when he sees you,” she said on a soft giggle before she leaned in with a conspiratorial smile. “And then if you’re really lucky, he’ll swallow yours.” She winked and my laugh came out on a choked groan.
“Jesus, Mikki.”
“Too much? My mama always says I use fifteen inappropriate words when five regular words would be just fine.”
“Sounds like a buzzkill,” I say before I could think better of it. “Sorry.”
“You don’t sound sorry,” she said honestly. “But that’s all right. You aren’t wrong. Mama isn’t bad, she’s just set in her ways and those ways are from the fifties.” She grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me until I faced the mirror, a scowl marring her delicate features. “Unfortunately this cotton bra is all wrong for this dress. Put the dress back on with this underneath.” This was one of those black lace mini-corsets but this one had silky blue ribbon woven through it for a hypnotic pop of color. The matching panties were, let’s just say it was a stretch to call them actual panties.
“Where’s the fabric that covers my ass?”
Mikki rolled her eyes and grunted. “With that booty you should always wear a thong, honey.”
“Not gonna happen. I like my cheeks covered just fine, thank you very much.”
“Suit yourself,” she said and handed me a pair of boy cut panties in the same style and color.
“Thanks.” Forty five minutes later, or maybe it was a millennia, everything was folded up with colorful tissue paper and placed inside equally colorful bags.
“I’m happy to help, sugar. And if you want to do a post-date dissection over lunch, I am totally available.” Her voice went up at the end like it was a question and I recognized that look and that tone. It was half hopeful but still anticipating rejection. That look and the feeling that accompanied it, sucked. Big time.
“How about just lunch with no date dissection?” Whatever happened tonight, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be ready to talk about it tomorrow. Or ever, maybe.
“Oh, fine. Reese’s place? That girl cooks a mean barbecue,” she shook her head, sounding every bit the southern bell she was.
“Sounds good. I’ll stop by and we can walk there together, all right?”
Her smile bloomed this time and I grabbed my purchases and darted out of the shop before Mikki herded me back into the fitting room to try on more dresses. “Enjoy your evenin’ enough for the both of us.” She gave a knowing wink and waved, leaving my skin flushed and my stomach nervous as hell about my date tonight.
With my best friend.
Heaven help us.
* * *
“Uh, hey.” I opened the door at exactly 7:27 to find Jase standing on my doorstep wearing an unstoppable grin, and holding flowers. And candy. “Oh Turtles are my favorite!” I snatched the box of candies from his hand and stepped back to examine my loot. The sweet sticky caramel covering the pecans was enough to make my mouth water, but the fact that Jase had also gotten dark and milk chocolate was enough to turn those platonic butterflies into something a bit more erotic. “The flowers are great too. Thanks.” I took another step back and motioned
for Jase to enter but he just stood there. Staring.
Eventually I grew self-conscious and began to second guess this whole date idea. “What is it? Do I have a stain on my dress or something in my teeth?” It was impossible because I’d checked the damn mirror at least two dozen times while I got ready and three more times as I scrambled to open the door for him.
“No, there is nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing at all.” Something in his tone made me look up at his face and the look he wore stole my breath. “You look fucking incredible, Bo. That dress really,” he smirked and shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this but that dress makes your eyes look crazy hot.”
Crazy hot. That was a compliment, right? “Um, thanks?”
A deep laugh erupted out of him. “Yeah, it’s a compliment.” Jase laughed again at the flush of pink that stole over me and twirled his index finger in a circle. “Come on, indulge me.”
I can’t remember a time in my life when I had ever twirled in a dress for someone, but Jase’s playful smile made me want to, so I did. I mean, I felt silly as hell but I couldn’t deny it was a compliment that I felt all the way down to my bones. And other parts, because the dark look he wore as I turned in several circles, had my nipples going hard and fiery tingles skittering up and down my spine. It was heavy, like a caress. “Happy?” My tone was grumpier than it should have been, but he just grinned.
“Extremely. I get to look at you all night.” Who was this charming man and what had he done with my best friend who never issued a compliment without masking it behind a joke?
“With those sweet words you’d think you were gonna get lucky tonight.” I resisted the urge to smack both hands over my big mouth and motioned, once more, for Jase to enter.
Kissing My Best Friend: A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 7
