Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy #3)(48)

She regarded Kaidan with curiosity, as if trying to figure him out. When she saw him looking at me, her brow went up. She cleared her throat and dropped her eyes, mumbling, “All righty then,” and busied herself basting the turkey.

Okay, this was seriously getting embarrassing. I eyed Kaidan as if to say, Behave yourself! He cocked his head as if to say, I can’t bloody help it!

When Patti left the kitchen to make the guest bed, I suddenly smelled his citrusy pheromones from across the room, and they made me light-headed. I hoped no one else would notice.

“Blech. The newlyweds are hot for each other,” Ginger said.

So much for that hope. Heat traveled from my neck up to my face.

“Perhaps the whole lot of you can take a walk,” Kaidan said, dead serious.

My eyes got huge. “Kaidan, no!”

Blake, Jay, and Marna started laughing. Ginger rolled her eyes, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at Kope and Z.

But Kopano, choosing to ignore the sexual tension despite his own inclination toward lust, stepped forward and held out his hand.

“Congratulations, brother. I am happy for your blessing.”

Kaidan took his offering and shook. “Thank you, mate. I’m glad to see you happy, as well.” He nodded to Zania, who returned his nod and gifted him with one of her regal smiles. When Kope came to me and with an outstretched hand I ignored it, going up on my toes to hug him instead. He chuckled and hugged me back before returning to Z’s side. Kaidan watched the whole time, but thankfully didn’t get upset.

I wish I could say the tension dissipated after that. Kaidan leaned against the counter watching me, his thumb running back and forth over his bottom lip. My whole body prickled with a flush of heat, and I tried not to look at him. His need for me became the elephant in the room that everyone pretended to ignore. I thought about sending him upstairs for a cold shower.

Patti bounded back into the room, and I plastered the fakest smile ever on my face.

“How much longer until the feast?” I asked.

“About one hour,” she said. She was busy peeling potatoes into the sink. “Did you get any whipped cream for the pies? I didn’t see any.”

“No.” Rats. I knew I was forgetting something.

“We’ll go to the market!” Kaidan suggested quickly. “Anna and I. For the whipped cream.” He sidled up to me, putting his arm around my shoulder. He felt like a heater.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, the fake smile still in place.

“That’d be great,” Patti said. I saw some of the snickers being held back, people on the verge of laughing. Marna waggled her eyebrows at me. Even Kope and Zania shared a quick bashful glance before looking down. Patti’s attention remained on the potatoes. If she had any idea what was going on, she kept her knowledge hidden, and for that I was glad.

“Just don’t be too long,” Patti said, never looking up.

Yeah, she totally knew.

This wasn’t awkward at all. I glared up at Kaidan, but he only smiled adoringly. Blake and Jay were still trying not to laugh as I grabbed my keys and headed out of the house with Kai hot on my tail.

No sooner had we climbed into the car than Kaidan was on me.

“Not in the driveway!” I whispered, slapping away his hand as it sneaked up my shirt. His mouth found my neck and that place under my ear that made me crazy. I threw the car into reverse and sped away from the house.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” he said against my skin. “It’s worse than ever. Now I have these images of you that play through my mind nonstop, driving me mad.”

It was really hard to concentrate on driving while a hot mass of passionate boy was all over me, saying things that made my brain fuzzy.

“What if people at the house are listening?” I asked.

“Don’t care,” he said, still nuzzling my neck.

At the end of Patti’s neighborhood were three lots of new houses under construction. It was early on a weekend evening, so nobody was there. I parked out of sight in the cul-de-sac.

“How’s this?” I asked.

His response was to lift me as if I were weightless onto his lap to straddle him. We kissed hard, yanking down clothes and leaning back his seat with a jolt.

“God, you’re so beautiful, Anna. I can’t even think.”

“Then don’t,” I said, bringing my mouth down on his again.

Afterward I lay on his chest, our touches more gentle. Kaidan’s eyes seemed to clear, and he sat up on his elbows, frowning down on me.

“I’m a right prick.”

“Kai . . .”

“A complete bastard.” He sat us both up all the way and took my face earnestly in his hands, pressing his creased forehead to mine. “I’m sorry, luv.”

“It’s okay.”

“We’re in the bleedin’ car, out in the open in your mum’s neighborhood! You can’t possibly have been comfortable with that.”

“Nobody saw. It was kind of . . . nice.” Hot. I dropped my eyes, feeling shy for saying it. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to.”

His forehead smoothed. His cheeks were a little flushed, and he looked so cute that I wanted to kiss him again.

Better not.

“Seriously, though,” I said, leaning down to grab my bottoms from the floor of the car, “you have to get a grip in front of the others.” I kissed his cheek and pulled my clothes back on, which was hard to do in his lap, but I managed.