Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“I see you found your second wind.”
Jo closed her eyes against the accusation in Peter’s eyes. She assured herself that she had not misled him and opened her eyes with that certainty.
“Peter, I’m sorry it happened this way, but I told you from the beginning, and along the way, that I was only looking for friendship right now.”
“You didn’t have to lie to me about the concert tonight.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“Don’t parse words with me.”
“You asked if I wanted to go to the concert with you and I said I was tired. That was true. When I got home, Cam had planned dinner for us.”
“So it’s just dinner.” His eyes lit a little and he reached for her hand. “I thought—”
“You thought right.” Jo squeezed his hand, making her eyes frank and sure. “I’m in love with Cam. I have been for years.”
Hope sagged and disappeared from Peter’s expression. His mouth attempted a halfhearted, one-sided grin.
“Why do the good girls always fall for the bad boys?”
“Cam’s not a bad boy. He won’t hurt me.”
Jo tugged at the hand Peter still gripped, but he didn’t let go. He pulled her close until mere inches separated them. He grabbed her other hand and pulled them both to his chest. He squatted the few inches it took for them to be eye level.
“I’ve never met another woman like you, Jo.” Eyes earnest, he caressed her hand. “I care about you. If things don’t work out with Cam…”
His words trailed off and he slipped a hand to the back of her head, lowering his head and brushing his lips over hers. Jo jerked back, firmly pulling her hands away.
“Peter, no.”
“Jo, if you’d just consider—”
“She said no.”
Cam’s voice behind them jerked her around. The ice in his eyes sent a chill across Jo’s bare arms.
“Cam, you’re back.” Jo took a small step away from Peter.
He nodded, pulling her to his side and dropping a quick kiss in her hair, but remaining silent.
She looked at the hand holding hers, no ice cream in sight.
“Mocha chip?”
“We have ice cream at home.”
Peter glanced down at the ground, slid his hands into his pockets, and rocked back on his heels. He twisted his mouth into the closest he could probably come to an affable smile.
“Well, the guys are waiting for me. I’ll see you in the morning, Jo.” He looked at Cam, nodding toward Jo. “You’ve got an amazing woman here.”
Cam tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, pouring his tension into the tight line of his lips. Jo had seen him look at her boyfriends that way in the past, but this time there seemed to be an extra layer of lethal.
“Peter, I’ll see you in the morning.” Her eyes pleaded with him to go and let her deal with Cam’s obvious displeasure.
He hesitated, glancing at Cam’s hand linked with hers.
“Okay. Yeah.” He nodded, his face softening by degrees. “See you in the morning.”
Peter turned and walked away.
And now for the fun part.
“Cam, I—”
“Don’t.” Cam looked toward the square where people were setting up chairs and blankets on the grass for the concert. “Let’s just go.”
Jo couldn’t take the silence in the car and eventually turned on the radio, closing her eyes and allowing Adele’s epic voice to wash over her, but it did little to calm her nerves.
They entered the house, and Jo stood in the foyer, unsure of what would happen next. Would Cam march back out to his car and drive home, leaving her here alone? Would he drag her upstairs and make love to her until she could barely walk? If he was taking suggestions, that was hers.
“Come on.” Cam headed toward the kitchen, turning his head just enough for her to hear his words. “You wanted ice cream.”
“We really do have ice cream, huh?”
“I said we did, didn’t I?”
Jo followed, steps lagging behind, mind racing ahead. Cam, already in the kitchen, took out two spoons and a carton of unopened mocha chip ice cream. Jo sat on the stool and followed their time-honored tradition of digging right into the carton with her spoon. Cam sat on the stool beside hers but didn’t look up from the counter.
“Why are you mad at me?” Jo asked when the silence got to be too much.
“I’m not mad.” Cam rolled his eyes and then met hers. “Okay, I’m irritated.”
“I didn’t know Peter would be there.”
“Did you know he’d kiss you?”
“Cam, listen—”
“You like him.” Cam studied her face as if her expression might tell him something she might withhold, but she had nothing to hide.
“Yeah, I do.”
“A lot.”
“Yeah, a lot.”
“He’s kissed you before?”
“You know we’ve been on several dates the last few weeks.”
“Don’t hedge. Isn’t that what you always tell me?”
Jo turned the spoon to cup her tongue, knowing her answer would displease him but wanting to be honest.
“We’ve kissed.”