A Little Harmless Addiction(26)
He let her walk by and did his best not to sniff. He lost that fight. She brought the night air and that same sweet scent he’d become addicted to since he’d met her.
He shoved his hand through his hair and released a controlled breath. Damn woman was driving him insane, and from the innocent look on her face, she had no idea.
“Jocelyn,” his father said as he walked down the hall. “I’m so glad you could find time to be with us.”
His father gave him an odd look as he slipped his arm over Jocelyn’s shoulders.
“I never turn down dinner with good-looking men.”
His father laughed as he walked down the hall with her. Kai followed them, trying to calm his libido, but it did no good. Watching her as she walked, as well as the warm, affectionate way she talked to his father had more than just his body responding. And that was not good at all.
Drawing in another deep breath, he decided tonight would be a long night. The only thing he had to be sure of was not jumping over the table and kissing her.
As her laugh drifted back to him, he realized that would be harder than he expected.
Chapter Six
Jocelyn smiled as Kai walked her to the car. “That was one of the most pleasant nights I’ve had in a long time.”
He cut her a look that told her that he thought she was lying.
“Really. You have a pretty great family.”
He shook his head. “They’re crazy.”
“Yeah, reminds me of my own. You might think you cornered the market on crazy with your family, but you haven’t met the Duprees all at once. You will next month, so get ready.”
He stopped when they reached her car. “That should be interesting. Am I going to have to deal with all your brothers warning me off?”
Embarrassment shifted through her, and not for the first time she wanted to shave Chris bald—including his eyebrows. She could do it too because her brother slept like a ton of bricks.
“No. Mama will be here so they’ll behave.”
He nodded but he looked unconvinced.
They reached her car and he shoved his hands in his pockets as if he were afraid he would touch her. That was interesting.
“I guess you have an early morning tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Well, probably not for a baker.”
She laughed. “I’m starting work next week.”
“You’re going to work for Cynthia?”
She nodded. “Chris is trying to decide if he should disagree with me or thank me. It is kind of fun to mess with him.”
“Yeah, and with the sympathy sickness, I’m sure he would like a break.”
She laughed. “Have you told May?”
He shook his head. “I’m a man. I’m not going to side with the females.”
“Hmm, I thought you liked females.”
“I do. I just know how lethal they can be. May taught me that at an early age.”
He said nothing more, just kept looking at her. She did her best not to fidget but it was hard not to. Even with only a dim streetlight she could see his gaze, the way it followed her lips. The man was going to turn her into a lunatic if he kept looking at her as if he were going to gobble her up.
That thought had heat rolling through her. Her nipples were tight against her lace bra, painfully erect. She shifted her feet and the lace moved against the sensitive flesh. God.
“Well, I guess I should get going.”
“Yeah.”
He placed a hand against the car behind her and leaned in. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t draw back. It was the most natural thing in the world to move into the kiss. Just like the night before, the moment he touched his mouth to hers, she lost every thought. They bled out of her brain and were replaced by the sheer pleasure of having his lips against hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth, and the feel of his body against hers. He slanted his head to deepen the kiss, slipped his arms to her waist and pulled her against him. The heat of him, the feel of his long, hard muscles against her, had her responding. She wanted, wanted him like nothing she had ever wanted before. Her body shimmered with need. She slipped her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, and just like the night fell into the kiss.
He was exotic to the taste, but so normal, so what she needed. She was trying to figure out a way to get him back to her house when a passing car honked their horn.
“Get a room, Kai.”
He pulled back then, gently and with a regretful smile. “I guess we gave the neighbors a show.”
Left unfulfilled again. “Not as good a one if that idiot hadn’t beeped his horn.” She couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice. It had been over a year since she’d had sex and months since she had wanted a man to touch her. And every time she got close, something happened. From the look on his face, he was going to go all hero on her. Dammit. God save her from men trying to protect her.