So Toxic(Bad Boy Next Door Book 4)(25)

He swipes berry smoothie from my chin before he pops his finger into his mouth and sucks the concoction from it.

The urge to flee wars with my desire to stay near him as I take a trembling breath.

Then he crashes into me as he takes complete possession. His tongue teases and coaxes mine into following its lead. Large hands roam down my spine, smoothing over the curve of my hip to grip my ass cheeks. He picks me up and sets me on the counter.

Ty stands between my legs, and cold seeps into my pants. But I don’t care as his kiss steals what little breath I have left.

My fingers find the hair at his nape as I drag him closer.

He suddenly pulls back, grinning. “That tastes pretty good.”

I lean toward him, hoping for another kiss.

He twists out of my grasp, his eyes shining. “I’m so sorry. I’m forgetting the rules. All those nasty rules.”

He pops his knuckles as he turns and walks away.

Fine. Be that way.

I call after him, “So, since it tastes good, can I cook?”

He shakes his head but doesn’t look over his shoulder. “You can help me cook.”

“Ass!”





I peel the foil from a bottle of wine while JoJo gathers snacks onto a couple of paper plates.

Earlier, I jokingly told her that’s all she could do after making such a huge mess this afternoon.

She stops behind me on her way to the back patio. “Not too much for me. I get all giggly and stupid if I drink very much.”

I quirk a brow at her as I tip the bottle a little more, filling her glass almost to the top. “That I’d like to see.”

She shoves a plate at me and takes her cup from the counter. “Just because you poured it, doesn’t mean I have to drink it.”

“It’d be a shame to waste this perfectly good wine.” I follow her toward the door.

Outside, we pull our chairs to the edge of the zero-entry pool and sit with our feet in the water. Dark clouds gather on the horizon, promising a storm.

She wiggles her toes, sending ripples fanning out in the water. “This is a really nice house, Ty. I’m going to enjoy this pool, as soon as I finish all the unpacking. That’s my reward to myself.”

“This pool might enjoy you. You might be its reward.” I clink the rim of my glass against hers.

We nibble on our cheese and crackers, sipping the wine. The quiet is broken only by the splash of the high-dive waterfall built to seem like a natural part of the landscape and the thunder rumbling in the distance.

I bump her foot with mine. “What’re you thinking about?”

“Marrying you.”

I sit up straighter and lean toward her. “You aren’t going to back out on me, are you?”

“No. I—I was just thinking of that crush I had on you. I’d have done anything to have you want to marry me—when I was fourteen.”

I shift in my seat to face her. “That so?”

She looks into the coming storm, and it’s almost as if I can feel the heat rolling off her cheeks. “I had a huge, ridiculously bad crush on you.”

“I remember. You were so cute the way you’d watch me and try so hard not to get caught doing it. You were terrible at hiding your feelings.”

“Thanks! Now I feel so much better.” She adjusts her seat so she’s facing another forty-five degrees away.

I pick up the bottle from where it waits under my chair. “Have some more wine, and I’ll make a confession.”

She doesn’t turn, but she does hold her empty glass over for me to fill.

JoJo swallows a large gulp of wine. “Step into the confessional, my child.”

“You finish that and maybe one more. I’ll need a couple more to be able to say it out loud.”

She lifts her eyebrows and takes a long, slow sip, emptying her glass and holding it out for another refill.

Darkness falls as the light show across the horizon picks up intensity. The breeze stirs her hair, and all I can think of is moving it aside so I can taste her neck.

“You asked me the other day what life has been like since high school. You want to share with me how yours has been?” She holds her glass out again.

I pour the last of the bottle for her. “It’s been a lot of work. A lot of play. And a son whom I’d give my life for.”

Finally, she moves her chair around so I can see the reflection of the approaching lightning in her eyes. “I always imagined you’d be your son’s little league coach. Like Mr. Grant. Remember them? They lived a few houses down and had all those boys.”

I nod and have another sip of my wine. “Yeah, I remember. Who could forget? They had the biggest family in school, all squeezed into that tiny house.”

Jo giggles. “But didn’t they seem happy?”