Chapter Thirty-Three

Evie

If Evie could sum up her day in one word, it would be glorious. Sun shining, birds singing glorious.

Julie had offered to cover her shift at the shop. Moira was on a date. Her dad had gone to his bridge game at the senior center. And Camila had gone to Ryan’s for dinner—after they’d had a chat and ground rules were set.

What had Evie done? Absolutely nothing. She’d spent her day lounging in the sun, while reading a romance book she’d been dying to get to. Okay, she did put in a few hours of studying for her upcoming placement exam, but even that had been fun. Exciting.

Now it was nearing dinnertime and she was still sitting on the lounger on her back porch sipping wine from the good glasses when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and groaned. It was Mateo.

Normally, Evie would drop whatever she was doing to answer his call, in case it had something to do with Camila. But tonight she was empowered to do things that had to do with her happiness.

“Tonight is all about me,” she said and sent him to voicemail.

“You must be reading my mind.”

At the sound of Jonah’s voice, Evie’s head spun around, and her heart leaped into her throat. Jonah stood at the base of her back deck.

Dressed in a pair of low-slung jeans, a light gray T-shirt, and a well-worn ballcap, along with a blast of easy confidence, he was a sight to behold. He was also, Lord bless him, holding a pizza box.

For a woman who’d propositioned him just a few nights ago, she was suddenly frozen in place. Tongue-tied and, whoops, staring at his lips. Then his other parts, parts that had a zing shooting right through her.

She ripped her gaze up. “I was wondering if you were going to come.” With a barely there smile, he lifted an amused brow. “Over. I was wondering if you were going to come over.”

“I was wondering, too. I don’t want to interrupt your me time, but my house is full and I heard that yours is empty.”

“Did Camila offer up that information willingly?”

“Ryan did. It was to get me out of the house so he could have some alone time with Camila.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Alone time?” He walked up the steps, set the pizza on the patio table, and perched himself on the edge of her seat. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since”—his gaze dropped to her mouth—“learning about my superpower.”

“I said magical, not superpower.”

He rested a palm on either side of her thighs, then leaned close, caging her in. “You sure about that?”

She pushed up onto her elbows until her chest was brushing his. She felt his gaze drop lower. Grateful that she’d pulled on a fitted tank that made her girls look good, she held her position and let him look.

When his gaze met hers, she lifted a brow in challenge, and she felt as if she’d summoned a beast. Jonah’s eye contact never wavered, holding steady—and she held back. She knew she was playing with trouble, but trouble had never felt so exhilarating.

What they’d done last week in her kitchen had been risky. Not because she was afraid of being caught, but because being caught didn’t even register. Then there was that kiss in the bar. It wasn’t for show, it was for her.

“I’m not sure about anything anymore,” she said.

Still leaning over her, he cupped her cheek. “I need you to be sure, Evie, because I’m pretty sure we’ll melt more than just your clothes.”

Her nipples went on standby as a wave of lust-driven fire surged through her veins. Her heart wasn’t sure what she wanted, but her body sure as hell knew—and it seemed to be running the show.

“What do you want?” she asked quietly.

“You.” He slid his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck. “Clothed. Naked. On top of me. Under me. Whatever way I can have you. I’m a pretty simple man, Evie.”

Her mouth went dry, her core went wet, and her body went deliciously warm.

“This isn’t a simple situation.”

His eyes went soft. “No. It’s not. But we don’t have to make it more complicated than what happens next.”

“What about Camila and Ryan?”

“I’m okay with leaving them alone if you are.”

“We have to trust them sometime, and Camila has really stepped up to the plate lately.”

“So has Ryan. He cleaned the entire downstairs without me asking.”

Evie smiled. “Actually, your new cleaning lady came today. I walked her through what needed to be done while you were at your meeting.”

“Thank you,” he whispered and she shivered.

“You’re welcome, but I wasn’t talking about that.” She was worried about how this all would affect their families. She’d come clean with Camila, but it was clear that their relationship was making it awkward for Camila and Ryan. And what did Ryan think about them? Did he know the truth?

“I know, but you said tonight was about you. Maybe it can be as simple as tonight being about you and me.”

“And after tonight?”

“What do you want to happen after tonight?”

“For no one to get hurt,” she said honestly.

“Then we make a pact. If it looks like someone is going to get hurt, we go back to being friends.”

“Friends who fight over property lines or friends who share the occasional coffee?”

“Both,” he said with a smile and she laughed, expelling all the heaviness that she’d put on the moment. And when that pressure disappeared it gave way to something simpler. Something warm and comforting. Something that was theirs.

“Then I think it’s time to test that theory. Superpower or magical ability?”

“How about if it’s a superpower, you get to have sex with me. And if it’s magical, I get to have sex with you.”

“And if it’s both?”

“Then you get to have sex with me first. And I get to have sex with you second.”

She smiled and he smiled back. He made her feel as giddy as a teen and as desirable as a woman. “That sounds like a deal.”

“Shall we seal it with a kiss?”