“Are you sure this isn’t a beer run?” Luke asked once we were settled in the second row. John and Mrs. T. were up front. “Because I’ve been on beer runs, and this is what one looks like.”
“Don’t pay him any attention,” Mrs. T. told John. “He used up all his brain cells taking his final exams last week.”
John chuckled. “Congratulations, by the way. Darcy told me you graduated. What are you going to next?”
“I’m hoping to get a managerial position at a nicer hotel. Mine’s not as much fun now that Darcy and Mrs. T. aren’t there any longer.”
“Is that horny idiot still there? Larry or Gary or whatever?” Mrs. T. wanted to know.
“Yep. I think he’s the only one from your time who’s still there.”
John pulled the shuttle into the parking lot of a convenience store. Luke and I hopped out, but Mrs. T. waved off our invitation to join us.
We bought chips, soda, and three bags of ice, which Luke quickly transported to the back of the shuttle. When we’d loaded the last bag, he glanced back at the store. “I forgot something. Wait here, okay?”
I leaned against the shuttle as I looked up at the blue sky. The late afternoon sun felt good on my skin. Usually, I was inside working at this time of the day.
A minute later, Luke jogged up, a white plastic bag in his hand. “All set?” I asked him.
“Just one more thing,” he said, and he put one hand on the shuttle above my head as he leaned in. My eyes closed and my head tilted back as he moved in, claiming my mouth with his own. Even after dating for seven months, his touch still made my heart pound. Made my blood race. Made every part of my body yearn for him.
He pressed me against the van as he thoroughly explored my mouth. I fisted my hand in his hair, holding him close to me. Like I never wanted to let him go.
When he finally pulled away, he buried his face in my hair, whispering in my ear in a sexy, rumbly voice he knew drove me wild. “Have I told you today how beautiful you are?”
“Just twice,” I said, my voice low and husky to my own ears. His kisses had that effect on me.
“Then I’m a crappy boyfriend. You’re beautiful, Darcy.” He smoothed my hair back from my face and smiled down at me, planting a quick kiss on the tip of my nose. Taking my hand in his, he led me around to the shuttle door. He slid it open in time for us to see John and Mrs. T. jumping away from each other. For a long moment, we stared at the spot where their heads had been a moment before. Looks like Luke and I weren’t the only ones sneaking in some kisses.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” Mrs. T. snapped as John started the engine. But as he pulled out of the parking lot, I could see a flush of redness and a faint smile on her face.
Luke pulled out his phone while I looked out the window. A moment later, my phone vibrated. The text was from him: Did you know we’re on a double date with a couple in their seventies?
Stifling a laugh, I texted him back: When the women of Hampton Acres find out John’s taken, there’s going to be a riot.
He replied: I’ll protect you.
I looked over as he set his phone down and flexed his muscles. Laughing, I slid across the bench and his arm went around me. I reached up and placed a quick kiss on the side of his face. “I know you will,” I whispered.
* * *
Hours later, all the residents were back at the center, either taken by John in the shuttle or their families. I’d stayed to supervise the cleanup, but that was mostly done, too. Luke loaded the last of the picnic supplies into my car and then found me out by the lake. Now that it was quiet, it was a beautiful spot. Weeping willow branches grazed the water.
He came up next to me and took my hand. “You know, this place is a lot prettier when you’re not handling bait and pissed off fish.”
“Most places are,” I said, turning to him with a smile. He was holding that white plastic bag he’d gotten from the convenience store. I still didn’t know what was in it. “So I take it that fishing is not one of your many superpowers?”
“Fortunately, no,” he said, with a wicked gleam in his eyes, probably because the majority of his so-called superpowers involved things we did in the bedroom. “Are you excited about moving into the new facility?” he asked. “Your first office with a window. Not everyone achieves that in their mid-twenties.”
“Yeah, I know. I think it’ll be good, but it’s a longer commute. That means less time spent with you.” That thought still saddened me. Things we really good between us, but I wanted more Luke time, not less.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” he said. “So I got you this.” He handed me the bag, and I opened it, pulling out a copy of today’s newspaper.
“What’s this?” I said, surprised.
“It’s a newspaper. It’s kind of like an online news feed only it updates slower and smudges more easily.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but laugh. He was so damn cute. “Thanks for that history lesson, but why am I holding it?”
“Because, right here in the middle, after the headlines but before the comics, is the classified section. Which has many categories including apartment listings.”
“You’re thinking of getting your own place?” I asked. He’d shared an apartment with his brother to save on costs while he was putting himself through school. But now that he’d graduated and was looking for a better job, maybe he could get an apartment of his own.
“Actually, I was thinking maybe we could look for our own place. Somewhere by your new work.”
“When—” My next question faltered as I replayed his words in my head. Was he suggesting that we move in together? “You mean—you mean we’d live together? As a couple?”
He chuckled at my look of astonishment. “That’s exactly what I mean,” he said. “Live together. Eat together. Sleep together. Shower together.” That last one was accompanied by a sexy wink.
“Oh my god, really?” Happiness bubbled up inside me and threatened to burst out the top of my head. I dropped the newspaper and threw myself into his arms. “Really?”
“Really,” he said. “I’ve been interviewing at some hotels down that way, and I have a callback next week.”
“That’s great!” I said, reaching up to kiss him on the lips.
“So I take it that’s a yes?” he said, grinning down at me.
“Definitely a yes,” I said.
“Good. Because I want you in my life Darcy. I don’t want to spend anymore time apart from you. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said, and I held him close, squeezing him so tightly it would have hurt someone with lesser strength. But I couldn’t help it—I was so damn happy. Everything was working out. My career was on a good track. His would be soon. He loved me, and I loved him, and we were going to be together, every single day.
I wouldn’t trade that for all the superpowers in the world.
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Also by Sophie Brooks
Hot Shot: A Bad Boy Romance
If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of Chef Bryant’s kitchen
He’s the hot-as-hell star of the hit cooking show, Kitchen Tyrant. He owns top-rated restaurants in London, New York, and Los Angeles. He’s stalked by the paparazzi and he dates supermodels.
His world is about as different as you can get from my small, Midwestern existence--but I’ve been in love with him for years.
Being chosen to compete on his show seemed like a dream come true. In person, Chef Bryant is even mo
re delectable than I ever imagined and a damn good teacher. But an unexpected elimination leaves my dreams shattered. I felt like I let him down ... and like I let myself down
Things begin to look up when he finds me in the studio after my final show. I knew Chef Bryant was strict and sexy, but I didn’t know how hot things could get in his kitchen.
But my happiness turns to fear when our amazing encounter is over. Are we only destined to share one night together? Or is there any way a small-town girl and a hot Hollywood chef can have a future together?
Hot Shot is a steamy romantic novella with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a happy ending. This standalone story was previously published as Cheyenne’s Chef.
Dirty Work: A Bad Boy Romance
Needed: A hot guy with a huge toolbox
She’s about to blow a fuse.
When Fiona ends a fight with her boyfriend Jake by telling him to get out, he takes her flash of temper seriously. Now he's her ex-boyfriend, and she's all alone in a house that's falling apart…
He needs a cold shower when he’s around her.
Jake is a skilled handyman, and he’s still Fiona’s friend. He doesn't mind coming over to work on the house... but when he turns up the heat on their friendship, Fiona must make a difficult decision.
This house could be their home.
Friends with benefits is fun and exciting, but it isn't enough for Fiona. Not when it comes to Jake. She wants so much more from him…
Dirty Work is a steamy romantic novella with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a happy ending. This standalone story was previously published as Fiona’s Fixer-Upper.
Wicked Bet: A Bad Boy Romance
Let the games begin...
Ian is the perfect man for me. He’s incredibly handsome, smart, and ambitious. Every time I look at him, I’m amazed he’s mine. Or at least he’s supposed to be mine.
Despite being newly married, we hardly ever see each other. Ian’s a rising star at his advertising firm, and he works over seventy hours a week. My career as a busy lawyer doesn’t help, either.
When our close friends break up, it’s a wake-up call for me. I don’t want my marriage to end after just eighteen months. Luckily, I know the one thing that drives Ian more than anything else.
Competition.
When there’s a bet on the line, my husband turns into a relentless alpha male. Which is why I challenge him to see who can come up with the naughtiest way to turn up the heat.
My plan works--Ian’s in it to win it. The hints he drops about the hot-as-hell adventure he’s plotting drive me wild. But does he realize it’s not just a game that’s at stake, it’s our marriage?
I'm thrilled at the idea of reconnecting with him in such a wicked way, but I'm also just a little terrified. Ian can be intense. Demanding. And capable of pushing every one of my carefully constructed limits. Every. Single. One.
What have I gotten myself into?
Wicked Bet is a steamy romantic novella with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a happy ending. This standalone story was previously published as Alyssa’s Agreement.
Naughty Nights: A Bad Boy Romance Page 8
