Charming as Puck(45)

Nick comes around the cow and steals Tiger from me. “I’ll get her,” he offers. He lowers his voice and adds, “And you could join us both in the shower if you wanted.”

My nipples offer a plea of yes, please, but my brain is dialing back into the conversation.

Do I want to have sex with Nick?

Yes.

But I want more than an offer of dinner before I strip for him again.

I want to know he’s serious. That he’s willing to give us an actual chance, and that we’re not going to just slip back into the old patterns of hanging out just so we can have sex.

I want to know if he’s in this for real, or if he’s in this because I’m easy.

“We’ll see how Tuesday goes first,” I murmur back.

His eyes narrow, but not in suspicion.

No, I just accidentally challenged him.

“I mean—” I start with a stutter, but he’s full-on grinning now.

“No take-backs,” he replies, heading to the door with my dog. “And you won’t regret it.”

“She won’t regret what, honey?” Mrs. Murphy asks.

He grins at his mom. “Being my girlfriend.”





Twenty-Five





Nick



Probably wasn’t nice of me to leave Kami to my mother after dropping that bombshell, but if we’re going to do this—if we’re going to date—then it’s probably not the worst thing I’ll ever do to her.

Not that I’ll be a dick on purpose.

It just happens.

When I get back upstairs after showering all the cow snot off both me and Tiger, who was a very agreeable shower companion and now smells like my shower gel, Kami’s sipping something out of a mug while Felicity grills her at the table.

“You swore you were over him,” my sister is whispering. She’s worried—you can tell because she’s leaning really close and gripping Kami’s arm so hard, she’s probably leaving a mark—and I have a moment of panic.

Because I don’t want to hurt Kami.

And I haven’t ever done this committed-relationship thing.

Kami doesn’t blink, just shrugs a little. “Something feels different,” she tells Felicity, and my heart starts beating again.

She’s right.

Something is different.

“Tell me he didn’t send you thirty of his bobbleheads for one of his daily presents,” Felicity whispers. “Because if that’s what’s different—”

“Good idea, sis.” I drop into the seat beside her still holding Tiger, so Kami’s across the table from us. “Who wouldn’t want thirty Nick Murphy bobbleheads?”

Kami smiles as she sips whatever’s in her mug. Tea? I don’t think she drinks coffee. Or maybe it’s hot chocolate.

I need to find out.

“I’d take thirty Nick Murphy bobbleheads,” Felicity says sweetly.

“Only because you’d make them say terrible things,” Kami points out.

Ares stifles a laugh behind me. Dude’s always sneaking up. Walks quiet for a big guy.

“Holy shit, where’s your beard?” Felicity suddenly yelps.

I rub my chin, because yeah, it feels weird, and probably will for a few days. “It didn’t survive the cowpocalypse.”

“But—but—but it’s your lucky beard.”

“Not doing me a lot of good this season, is it?” I pass Tiger over to Kami, who I’m hoping will be a much better good luck charm. “Think I got her clean.”

“She looks beautiful and snot-free. Thank you.”

I don’t like the surprise she’s trying to mask in her eyes.

Like I’m not supposed to do little things for people.

“You washed a dog? In your shower? Voluntarily?” Felicity asks. Her hand goes to my forehead. “Are you sick? Do you have a fever?”

“Knock it off, smart ass.”

“Have you ever bathed a dog in your life?” she presses.

“I used to give you baths.”

Ares and Kami both eye me like they’d be willing to team up to make sure someone put powdered mango in my underwear every day for the rest of my life if I’m about to make a joke about Felicity doing anything bad in the bath when she was a kid, and I almost start itching just thinking about the last rash I got before I realized I was allergic.

“And it was such a pleasure to take care of you that I thought I’d try it again with Kami’s dogs,” I add quickly.

Tiger barks. Or something. It’s like a cross between the sound of a fart and a semi horn, except smaller.

I realize Mom’s missing, and I glance around.

“She’s out back with the camera crew,” Felicity tells me. “Which is exactly where we need to be if we’re going to get your interview done before you guys have to leave for practice.” She nudges Kami. “Want to watch?”

Kami slides me another look, my skin goes hot all over just from having her attention on me. “Do you have a voice for Sugarbear?” she asks Felicity.

“Of course.”

“Does Sugarbear secretly think Nick’s a total goober?”

“Hey!” I object.

Both women ignore me. “Only way to find out is to stick around,” Felicity tells her.