Chapter 12

12

ALY

G ina grabbed me and pulled me down the hall as soon as dinner was over. I laughed, astounded that she would be so obvious. What else were we going to talk about but Linc? She dragged me into her bedroom and shut the door.

"When were you going to tell me that you were seeing my brother?" Gina demanded.

"We're not seeing each other," I protested.

"Then what was that with the handholding in the doorway?" Gina put her hands on her hips. "And what about all the smiles and winks and looks?"

I laughed. It was clear that Linc and I had a thing for each other, and we were growing more comfortable letting other people see it. I had held back from what I really wanted to do—bury my face in his chest and lick him up and down.

"I had a crush on him in high school," I admitted, opening up. "Then he came back to town, and I was all weird around him."

She folded her arms across her chest, waiting to hear the rest of the story.

"A couple nights ago, we both ended up at the park. And we walked a bit and talked. He kissed me right before I got in my car to drive home." I ended triumphantly, tossing the ball into Gina's court.

"What do you think he wants?" she asked bluntly, pushing our romantic encounter out of the realm of sweet, insinuating that it had been seedy.

"I don't know what he wants," I snapped. I didn't. Other than the obvious, that we were both attracted to each other, I didn't know if Linc wanted love or a one-night stand.

"What do you want?" Gina asked.

"I don't know," I shot back, feeling attacked. Why was it her business? Just because we were friends and Linc was her brother, did that mean I couldn't just relax and see where the road would take me? I yanked the bedroom door open and cut the interrogation short.

"Wait, Aly," Gina said behind me, but I didn't listen.

I stormed out into the living room, where Porter and Linc were channel surfing. I grabbed my purse. "I'm going home."

"Is everything alright?" Porter stood up, concerned.

"Everything is fine." Gina appeared behind me. "I'm sorry, Aly, please."

"We are both adults and capable of making our own decisions." I pointed a finger at her, not caring who heard me.

"I didn't mean—" Gina began.

"Linc, do you need a ride home?" I went to the door.

He looked from me to Gina, obviously torn. Finally, without any sense of urgency, Lincoln stood up. He gave Gina a kiss on the cheek and shook Porter's hand. "Dinner was great, guys. Thanks for inviting me."

"What if I promise to stay out of your relationship?" Gina bargained.

I hesitated. As angry as I was, Gina was one of my best friends. It seemed uncouth to air our dirty laundry, even among friends and relatives. I just didn't want to be under a spotlight while I was exploring my feelings. My connection to Linc was exciting, but it was too new to withstand the scrutiny Gina was attempting to force on us.

"I'm sorry," I relented. "Just forget it ever happened."

Gina sighed, relieved. "Stay for ice cream?"

"Okay," I agreed.

I put down my purse and we all went back to the dining room. Gina found a tub of vanilla and some chocolate syrup and passed out bowls. I was surprised all my shouting and slamming doors hadn't woken up the baby. I was about to say something when a thin yowl split the air.

Gina stood up, licking her spoon clean. "There's the little boss."

"We'll go," I said, grabbing my bowl and placing it in the sink.

"I'm sorry again," Gina said, kissing my cheek.

"Don't worry," I reassured her. "It was my fault for overreacting."

"No, you're right." She hesitated, torn between attending to her crying child and repairing our friendship. "Neither of you are my responsibility. Unfortunately, that little boy is so I'll see you guys next time."

"Glad we cleared that up," Linc joked.

Gina shot him a puzzled look before realizing that he was teasing her. She gave him a hug and disappeared down the hallway. Porter led us to the door, holding it open. He watched as Lincoln walked toward the driveway, holding me back.

"It's less you and more him," he told me.

I sighed, nodding. "I could have handled that better."

"No judgment," Porter said.

I opened my purse to grab my keys, following Gina's brother to my car. I had been waiting all night to get him alone, but now it seemed like I had ruined the mood. We got in the car and I pulled out onto the street, saying nothing and stewing in my own anger.

"So," Linc said.

"So?" I asked.

"What happened?"

"Oh." I sighed, rolling up to a traffic light. "She insinuated that you might be looking for something other than a lasting relationship."

He choked on a laugh. "What exactly did she say?"

"She asked what you wanted."

"That's it?" Linc frowned. "What do I want?"

"It was the way she said it," I explained.

"Which was?" He still didn't understand why I was pissed.

The light turned green and I eased over onto the highway on-ramp. "I don't care what we're doing," I said, not looking at him. "I'm fine with whatever."

"Okay." He sounded amused.

"I mean, we're both adults," I continued, digging the hole deeper. "It's nobody's business what we do."

Linc cleared his throat. "My place or yours?"

I swerved into the next lane, shocked by his blunt question. Another car honked at me, and I righted myself, waving an apology. All this time, I had been barreling toward the conclusion that Linc and I would hook up. Wasn't that what all the stolen glances were about? Wasn't that what my body was aching for, after the passionate kiss we had shared in the park? Wasn't that what I was advocating for in Gina's bedroom, that I didn't need permission to seduce her brother?

After all that drama, I wasn't sure I was ready. If I answered his question, if I drove us either to my place or to his, our bodies would take over and we might regret it in the morning.

We worked together. Would that make it awkward? And Linc was so wrapped up in my life already. He was the son of my boss and the brother of my best friend. Sex wasn't something that we could take lightly. It would change things.

Why wasn't any decision easy? Why couldn't I just take Linc back to my cabin and make love to him on my favorite lounge chair? I couldn't think fast enough to keep up with the thousands of threads that wove our lives together. The town would talk. I didn't care.

With nowhere else to go and no good solution presenting itself, I drove back to work. Linc watched as the familiar landmarks melted out of the distance. The sun was going down, and the houses and trees were painted dark blue all around. I could tell the moment he recognized where we were, and yet he said nothing.

The yard was closed, the employee parking blocked by a metal gate. I pulled into the customer lot, which was empty, and parked as far from the streetlight as possible. At the edge of the parking lot beneath the branches of a living pine tree, my little car rumbled to a halt. I didn't have to explain. Linc understood as soon as the engine clicked off.

He reached for his seatbelt, undoing the clasp at the same time that I freed mine. His arm came around my back, helping me into his lap. I threw my legs over his, settling against his lap. Sitting on top of him, I collected my hair in one hand and bent to crush my mouth to his.

I felt his hands slide up my back, the fabric of my shirt a thin barrier between us. He kissed back, hungry for what I had to offer. His touch was electric, making my insides melt. One of my knees was pressed against the door, the other against the parking brake. He ran his palms down my spine, cupping my ass and pulling me in closer.

I rearranged myself, rising up on my knees and pressing my chest against him. Now my breasts lay tantalizingly within reach, giving him an eyeful. He left my backside, his hands circling around to my front. I felt the cool touch of fingers at my abdomen, raising my shirt. I let him go, arching backward as a delicious warmth spread between us.

He drew the shirt up to my shoulders, exposing my bra and the aching globes within it. I yearned for his touch. My skin screamed for his caress. I wanted to find his lips again, to break through the barriers between us and sink down around his core.

He peeled the bra away from my chest, too hot to lose time dealing with the clasp. The satin bunched around my ribs as it dropped the weight of my breasts, leaving me exposed. I felt the air prickle against my skin before Linc leaned forward and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth.

Grabbing his shoulders, I rocked against his length, which was already hard enough beneath me to tease my aching core. The light from the streetlamp infiltrated the car, painting Linc's fuzzy head a harsh yellow. I looked down as he worked one hand inside my pants. I began a slow rhythm, pressing myself against his hard-on, offering my body to his touch.

His fingers dipped low enough to penetrate my underwear, but the curve of my backside and the urgency of my movements frustrated his exploration. He abandoned the effort, dragging both hands back up to my midsection. He held me in place while his tongue continued its seduction. I felt heat wash down my body, starting at my neck and sweeping all the way to my toes.

I was desperate to shed my clothing, to crawl all over him and make him mine. Yet there wasn't any further we could go in the parking lot. I had deliberately parked there to stop myself from going too far. I knew I couldn't trust myself or him if we were alone in a bed.

It had to end. I took hold of my senses and detached my breast from his mouth. Tucking the girls back into the bra, I leaned back, licking my lips. He seemed to sense that it was over, releasing my shirt and lightening his touch. I slid off him, back into the driver's seat.

"I'm going to take you home," I whispered.

"I can't convince you to come in?" he responded.

My breath caught, imagining all the fun we could have rolling around in his bed. Somewhere, practical Aly took charge and shut that door. There would be plenty of time for sex just as soon as we ironed out all the details. Gina's conversation had shaken me more than I realized. What if Linc wanted nothing more than a quick fuck? What if that was all I wanted? We were too close to risk all the drama that mixed signals would create. No, I would take him home and drop him off.

Linc saw it in my eyes as I pulled backward out of the parking lot. He relaxed into the seat, letting air out in a tired stream. I felt like a vixen, working him up and then letting him down. It couldn't be helped. I wasn't going to scratch that itch until I was sure that no one was going to get hurt.