If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(34)

"I don't know when that would be. And you saw him at the café. He scared Ashlyn. I can't have him in her life. He ruined my childhood; he won't ruin hers. I need him to stay the hell away from me."

"Is there anyone else in his life? A woman? A friend? Someone who could step in and let him know that he needs to tread carefully around Ashlyn?"

"He has friends. They've never stepped up to the plate before, not that I've ever seen. He could have a woman. Hell, I have no idea," he said, shaking his head. "We've spoken maybe three or four times the last ten years."

"It's sad that you're so disconnected."

"It's just the way it is. That's enough about my father. I should probably find Ashlyn," he said, getting to his feet.

"She's fine," Mia replied, as she stood up. "She can't mess anything up in the studio."

"She loves coming over here. She was standing at her bedroom window watching you earlier. Just so you know, even when she's not here, you do have an audience."

"She's trapped in her own head and she desperately wants to get out."

"I agree. I just wish I could release her from the prison she's put herself in."

"You will."

"Or maybe you will. You've gotten her to talk more than I have. She said the word pancake because her desire to include you in our breakfast overcame her desire to stay silent."

"That's going to happen more and more as she gets comfortable with you and with me." She paused for a moment, giving him a thoughtful look. "When is the last time you had a break from Ashlyn, and I'm not just talking about going to therapy?"

"I don't know. I haven't wanted to leave her while she's so fragile."

"You should go out with your friends tonight. I'd offer to babysit, but I have a coloring book party to go to at the quilt shop that Kara set up."

"I wouldn't ask you to babysit again. I can call Mrs. Danbury, I suppose. She said she's free a lot, and she misses her grandkids who just moved away, so she likes doing it."

"Then you should ask her. You need to take care of yourself, too."

He liked the concern in her eyes. "Thanks."

"Your friend Craig Barton is a character."

"Sorry he called your aunt crazy. He has no filter."

"I know it wasn't mean-spirited. So you and Kent and Craig all grew up together?"

"Yeah. We've known each other all of our lives. We joined the Army together right after high school graduation. We have a lot of history, most of it good."

"Were Kent and Craig in Delta with you?"

"They were. We weren't always together over the years, but we ended up in Delta four years ago. Kent got injured last year and left the Army. Barton and I were part of the same team up until about six months ago. He got a promotion and moved to a different unit, but we still occasionally worked the same problem." He paused. "Barton wants me to go back to Delta and Kent wants me to be a cop here in Angel's Bay."

"What do you want?"

"The real question is what can I have?"

"Maybe you have to know what you want in order to answer the second question."

"You might be right," he said slowly, thinking that what he wanted right this second was the barefoot, sexy blonde woman standing in front of him.

Her blue gaze darkened under his stare, and he knew she was feeling the same pull of attraction that had him in its grip.

"There are so many reasons why I shouldn't kiss you right now," he muttered.

Her tongue darted out, as she nervously swiped her bottom lip. "Are you talking to me or to yourself, Jeremy?"

"Maybe both of us."

"What about all those reasons?"

"One kiss."

"Could we stop at one?"

"Let's find out." He put his hands on her waist and covered her mouth with his.

She tasted like blueberries and maple syrup, like sweetness and sex, and he was instantly lost. She kissed him back with enthusiasm and impatient need. He liked the way she flung her arms around his neck and brought his head back to hers when he thought to end the kiss. That was fine with him, because he could have gone on kissing her forever.

Actually, that wasn't completely true, because he wanted more than a kiss.

He wanted to taste more than her lips, run his hands along her feminine curves, and wrap her hair around his fingers. He wanted nothing between them: no clothes, no restraint, no reasons why they shouldn't be together.

But there were reasons, dammit. And one of them was not too far away.

He finally pulled away from Mia, staring down at her soft pink lips, and her beautiful eyes now sparkling with desire, and it was all he could do to take a breath and step back.

"That was…" she began. "I have no words."

He couldn't help her. His blood was still racing through his veins.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and gave him a somewhat self-conscious smile. "I don't know what that was."

"All I know is that it was great."

"But…it probably shouldn't happen again. You know—for all those reasons you mentioned a few minutes ago."

"Hard to remember what they are now." He ran a hand through his hair. Kissing her should have taken the edge off, but it had actually only made him want her more.