Yup, that’s what he was thinking right now, too. Deeper and deeper. What had he gotten himself into?
***
Peg moved automatically, still shaken by that kiss and what he’d done. Austin Rhoades? The Austin Rhoades had just kissed her until her toes curled?
“Naw,” she said. “Not me. Dreamin’, that’s it.”
But as she walked into her apartment and saw his duffel bag already in her living room, she nearly missed a step. And her family, tumbling in behind her with Austin coming in last, still bore the stunned expressions they’d had at the store. She turned to look at her new boyfriend. Yep, that’s the mega rock star, all right. Why hadn’t she seen it before?
“I’m losing it,” she muttered. Evelyn’s half-brother, too. No wonder the girl had kept his identity secret until now.
He grinned at her, raising his eyebrows. “I’ll go put my bag in your room.”
Her temperature went up a few more degrees. “Wait a minute, bub-babe,” she corrected.
Leaning over, he kissed her quickly on the lips. “No turning back now, babe.” He winked at her, snatched up his bag, and strolled down the hallway, whistling.
The sound of his footsteps could still be heard and her family surrounded her.
“Now, dear, how can this be?” her sweet mother asked, blinking several times. Her pretty blue eyes were perfectly made up and her beautiful face revealed how puzzled she was. “Does he, um, have trouble, you know with seeing.”
“Yes, Ma, he knows I’m a giraffe.”
“But…but,” her father stammered. His always perfectly groomed hair seemed ruffled around the edges, as if he’d been dragging a hand through it. “He’s so different.”
“I know. Holy hotness shocked me, too.” That much she could be truthful about. “He’s one of the pretty people, like all of you.” She gazed at her blonde-haired, blue-eyed family of perfect height and body proportion. Even her sister-in-law’s cute rounded belly looked adorable, matching the rest of her.
“And he’s a rock star.” Her sister-in-law’s words voiced what the rest of her family thought, she was certain.
“Yeah, isn’t that something.” She waved a hand. “You know. He’s probably on vaca from everything. Hot women included.”
Her father breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as you know, dear. We don’t want you to get hurt.”
“No way, Jose. I’m gonna enjoy every minute of him.” Why had she thought they would buy into this fantasy? If only he weren’t famous. And hot. Now that was the one type of person they’d never believe her hooking up with.
She should have ended it before it began. But she liked him last night at the bar. Before she knew who he was. Before she drank the apple martini. Even then she’d liked talking to him. And then there was that kiss. Up-against-the-wall, mind-blowing, earth-shaking kiss.
Hell’s bells, she liked kissing him. And wanted to again. And soon.
***
Austin left the bedroom door open. He overheard every word. Peg’s family questioned his attraction to her. He did, too, but not because of her appearance.
Tall. Lean. Curvy in the right places. Yeah, she was just his type. He could imagine her fitting perfectly against him. Now why hadn’t he tried that yet?
He shook his head, trying to erase the need. Yeah, it wasn’t a want anymore. It was a craving.
Her big, round brown eyes didn’t hide a damn thing. They were mesmerizing at times. Her smile and her lips, even the cute little chin that pointed just a tad, he couldn’t get out of his head.
Recalling her funny sayings and the way she blurted out the truth had him grinning from ear to ear. A breath of fresh air. For too long, women threw themselves at him, promising the world and more—while forgoing honesty.
He didn’t feed into it anymore.
In fact, he’d grown to hate it.
Everything around him had become forced and fake.
Except Peg.
That thought troubled him.
Why now?
Why when he heard what her family said and her response did he want to convince all of them otherwise? He could walk away; it wouldn’t be a surprise by the sound of their conversation.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored the text message coming in.
Their voices dropped, filled with concern. Peg assured the family she knew the score.
Something gnawed at Austin.
Maybe he didn’t want to be lumped in with those other guys. Maybe he wanted to give her family and especially Peg a chance to see that a man could appreciate her, just for being her.
And maybe he wanted to live a normal life, even for just a few days.
Could he pull this off?
Chapter 6