Brokenhearted Beauty(Divine Creek Ranch 19)(64)

“Thanks.”

She lifted the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic gesture and with a Southern accent said, “And you’re so big…and so strong…and you smell so good.”

Vincent chuckled and said, “I think she was hoping bondage was next.”

“Hank should name his class “Fifty Shades of Self Defense.”

He laughed and then surprised her when he turned, butted his shoulder up against her middle, lifted her into the air, and swatted her behind.

“Ah!” she squeaked and then shut her mouth as the rest of the class turned to stare. Vincent didn’t seem to care as he called out to James. “We’ll be outside when you’re done.”

Rather than make a scene, Leah remained silent but she whacked him hard on the butt. She heard several familiar voices laughing. She’d hear about this at the next girls’ night, if she went to it. Then she got distracted by the view.

Wow! That is a nice, tight butt! And it looked really good in those police department sweats, paired with a department T-shirt and Nikes.

“I know you’re admiring my ass,” he said, his voice laced with amusement.

“Since you’re sticking it right in my face it’s kind of hard to see much else.” Her hands suddenly itched to slide into the waistband and caress his bare, taut skin.

He carried her through the door as if she weighed nothing and set her down on the cement sidewalk outside. Swatting at moths in the lingering humid heat, they walked away from the fluorescent lights, and after they reached her car, Vincent pulled her against him. “See how desperate I am for your attention?”

He took her lips in a deep kiss, and when he let her come up for air, she had trouble uncrossing her eyes. “Yeah, I can see…and feel how desperate you are.” She looked up at him and had to laugh. The sound was happy, giddy, and lightened her mood. “You have no ‘off’ switch, do you? No filter.”

Vincent stroked her cheek. “Not when it comes to you, doll. Sorry, I shouldn’t push you when I know you don’t like it.”

The truth was she could get used to that side of him all too easily. “You’re not that bad. But I also have to take Presley Ann home. Then I need a shower and some quiet time.”

He gave her the bedroom eyes. “Got lots of decisions to make?”

“Some important ones, yeah.”

She’d fully expected him to push, or to question if she’d talked to her doctor yet or not but he changed the subject instead. “I hear James told you about the guy who received Patterson’s heart wanting to meet us.”

“Y–Yes. Did you decide?”

Vincent nodded easily. “We told our contact that he was welcome to visit anytime he wanted. He’s coming Saturday.”

“This Saturday?”

“Yeah. You’re welcome to be there.” He gazed at her, waiting for a reply but she couldn’t think of anything to say for several seconds. Then his words from a few minutes before about Presley Ann came to mind.

“Would it make it easier for the two of you if I was there? You know, as moral support for you?”

He gave her a small nod. “It’d be nice if you were there for us but I think Patterson would like it, too.” He took her hands and opened them to reveal her palms. His callused fingertips sent a shiver up her spine as he stroked her scars. “I remember how brokenhearted you were, when it was time for the organ harvesting to be done. The last thing either James or I wanted was to take you away from him as you lay there listening to his heartbeat. When you let me lift you into my arms, you seemed like you’d just fly apart at the slightest touch. We saw your hands and you seemed to be unaware, even though the cuts were deep enough they had to have hurt like hell. And then you fainted and scared the crap out of all of us.”

“Not my finest moment, to be sure.”

Vincent gave her a wry smile. “I didn’t see it that way. Sure, it was scary at the time, but it told me how much you cared about him. And it gave me a little hope.”

She gulped as she looked up at him, unable to take that hope away from him by reminding him she hadn’t made her choice yet. Maybe she had already. She knew she shouldn’t say more until she’d had time to get alone with her legal pad and map out all the reasons to stay in Divine and all the reasons to go to Abilene.

It was probably a good thing she had Presley Ann to get home because she knew if he gazed at her with those bedroom eyes again, surrounded only by moonlight, with his equally attractive brother at his side, she’d go home with them if they asked.

Presley Ann laughed softly at something James said to her as they exited the community center and headed toward her car. Leah bristled a little on the inside, mostly out of habit, because Presley Ann was paying attention to a man she loved…cared about. Once again, Leah had to remind herself that she didn’t have the right to lay claim to James any more than she did to Vincent.