Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(124)

CHAPTER FOUR

TONYA WANTED EVERYTHING to be perfect, and so far, so good.

Kevin looked relaxed enough wearing jeans and a pullover shirt, with lime green sneakers he’d chosen himself. She’d surprised him with a new backpack, and he still looked boggled by it.

“Do you want to pack your lunch or buy?”

His brows came together and he busied himself putting pencils, notebooks and such in the backpack.

“Kevin?”

“I think the school gives me lunch, right?”

Well, of course he’d gotten that supplemented. Why hadn’t she realized? Smiling, she came to sit beside him on the couch. “Not this year. We can either pack you something, or I can give you the money—”

“Packing is fine.”

Keeping her smile in place, Tonya silently vowed to look into a meal plan at the school, perhaps a prepay of some sort so he’d always have the option. “Okay. What’s it to be? I can do a sandwich with that lunch meat you like, or there’s PB&J, or—”

He pushed to his feet. “I can do it.”

She started to follow along when a knock sounded on the door, and a second later, Jesse stuck his head in. “Hey.”

Good Lord, he was early! Heat rushed into her face, making him grin widely.

“I wanted to catch Kevin before he took off.”

“Oh.” So he hadn’t been impatient?

Kevin stuck his head out of the kitchen. “Hey, Jesse.”

“Hey.” As he went past Tonya, he chastised her, whispering, “Mind in the gutter again? Naughty, Tonya.” He stole a quick kiss. “I like it.” Then he went into the kitchen.

She stood there in the middle of the room, listening to their low conversation until she felt steady enough to walk.

“I would have packed that for you,” she told Kevin.

“Why?” Jesse leaned back on the counter. “He’s a big boy. He can do it.”

Kevin grinned.

Ridiculously proud, Tonya got out a paper bag for him, along with an apple and a drink and a bag of chips.

Jesse eyed it all and, now as familiar with her kitchen as she was, went to a different cabinet to get out some cookies to add to the pile.

Kevin laughed. “Okay, that ought to do it.” He began stuffing it all in the bag. “I’ve never gotten this much for lunch before.” He caught himself and clarified, “School lunch, I mean.”

“We should go shopping,” Tonya said, making both guys groan in unison.

“For food,” she stressed, amused by their identical forlorn expressions. “So you always have your preferences here for packing.”

Kevin stuffed the lunch bag into his backpack, hefted it over his shoulder, surveyed her a moment while shifting restlessly—and in one big step he reached her, hugging her right off her feet.

“Thanks, Aunt Tonya.”

Her heart almost exploded from her chest. Clasped hands at her mouth, tears welling up, she nodded and gulped, “You’re welcome.”

He shared a man-to-man look with Jesse. “I better go so I don’t miss my bus.”

She nodded hard again.

Jesse laughed. “I’ll walk you out.”

They were no sooner out the door than Tonya rushed behind them to peek out the window. Together, they stood on the porch chatting, occasionally laughing. A few times Jesse put his hand on Kevin’s shoulder, and at one point Kevin gave him a laughing push. When the bus started down the street, Jesse faded back, then came in.

He found her there at the window, but he didn’t say anything. He just nudged her over a little so he could join her, and together they watched Kevin get on the bus.

“He’ll be okay,” Jesse told her, his arm now around her waist.

Words still stuck in her throat, so she only smiled and nodded, staying there until the bus was out of sight.

Jesse smoothed his hand down her long braid, let his gaze trail over her body from her loose T-shirt and casual shorts, all the way down to her bare feet.

She waited for him to kiss her, but instead he stepped back.

Pulsing with expectation, she stood there as he went to the door and turned the lock. That near silent “click” ramped up her heat and made her knees tremble.

Until he headed down the hall.

What in the world? She rushed to catch up. “Jesse?”

Into her bedroom he went and she stalled, stopping just outside the door. She wanted this. She wanted him. So much.

But she didn’t know how she felt about being rushed.

He sat on the side of the mattress and smiled at her. “Come here, Tonya.”

Hesitation warred with excitement.

Excitement won. Steps tentative, she approached, and when she got close enough, he reached out and caught her hand, drawing her in...and onto his lap.

“You okay?”

Oh no, no, no. If he got sympathetic over her emotional overload, she’d turn weepy in a heartbeat, and seriously, that’d add nothing to the awesomely sexual moment. “Of course.”

His big, warm hand moved up and down her back. “You’re really good for him. You know that, right?”

“I’m trying.” Was she good for Jesse too? That thought led to more uncertainty. To change the subject, she leaned into him and kissed his jaw. “You didn’t shave?”