How in the world had he been blessed with a best friend like her? A lot of people considered them odd because of their unique friendship. And there were some, like his cousins Bailey and the twins—Aiden and Adrian—who thought they would eventually become more than friends. He had told them time and time again that he didn’t see JoJo that way. She was his best friend and nothing more. He refused to think anything had changed.
“Ready to go inside?” he asked her.
“Yes, I can use the coffee. I need to finish inventory. We’re running out of supplies too soon. Something isn’t adding up.”
“Then I’m sure you’ll find out what the problem is,” he said, getting out of the car. “You’re always on top of stuff.”
He came around the car to open the door for her. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said.
“No problem.”
Pushing the car door shut behind her, he took her hand and together they moved toward the entrance of McKays, a popular restaurant in town. It was only when they were inside and greeted by the hostess that he released JoJo’s hand.
And only then did it occur to him how good it had felt holding it.
* * *
“Thanks for the movie and coffee tonight, Stern.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said, following her inside her home. Whenever he took her out, he would come in with her and check things out.
After their little discussion in which he had explained why he was in such a bad mood, his attitude had vastly improved. Over coffee, he’d joked about Aiden and Adrian and their plans now that they had finished college. Aiden, who had gone into the medical field, was doing his residency at a hospital in Maine. Adrian, who’d gotten a master’s degree in engineering, would start working for Blue Ridge as a project engineer in a couple of months. Adrian had decided to travel abroad before returning to Denver to settle down and start work.
She and Stern also talked about all the excitement swirling around the Westmoreland households, with all the recent marriages and engagements. The one thing she noted was that Stern thought it was really funny that some of his cousins and brothers figured he would be next—even though he didn’t have a steady girlfriend.
“Everything checks out,” Stern said, coming out of her kitchen.
“Only because you scared away the bogeyman.” She chuckled and took off her cap, tossing it on a table before removing the band from her hair to let the waves flow around her shoulders. She wondered if the person who would do her hair for the weekend would suggest cutting it. She’d never gotten her hair cut, but if it meant getting Walter to notice her, then she would definitely consider it.
JoJo almost jumped at the feel of Stern’s hand in her hair. She hadn’t heard him cross the room.
“I love your hair,” he said softly, running his fingers through the strands.
His fingers felt good. “I know,” she said. He had always complimented her on her hair and she knew from their conversation at the lodge that he thought she shouldn’t hide it under a cap.
“Tell me you won’t cut it. Ever.”
“Umm, can’t do that. The hairstylist might suggest I cut it as part of the makeover.”
When she heard his teeth gnashing she glanced up at him. They were standing closer than she’d realized. “You’re supporting me with all this, right?” she asked, trying to sound in control of herself, of her emotions. Why did he have to smell so good?
He didn’t say anything as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. Why was heat beginning to flow through her? It’s not like he’d never played with her hair before. When they were younger he would pull her pigtails all the time, and then when she got older, her pigtails became ponytails and he would pull those, too. And more than a few times he’d helped her wash her hair when they’d vacationed at the lodge. But that was before she’d discovered she had feelings for him, before she’d begun lusting after him. Some of her dreams about him were totally X-rated.
She cleared her throat. “Well, if you still plan to go into the office early, you better go home and get a good night’s sleep. And I still have those inventory reports to go over before I can call it a night.”
“Yes, you’re right,” he said, pulling his fingers from her hair and checking his watch. “It’s getting late.”
“Yes, it is.” Was it her imagination or did his voice sound a little throatier than usual? He was still standing there, and he had reached back up to run his fingers through her hair again. Why was her body shifting closer to him? Why was her face tilting toward his?
More heat streaked up her spine and she was swathed in feelings she had never felt before.
And then Stern’s fingers tightened on several strands of her hair and he lowered his mouth to hers.
She leaned up to meet his lips, feeling weak in the knees as their lips touched. Sensing she was about to lose her balance, Stern wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. At least she had the presence of mind to grip his shoulders. Voices echoed through her brain: this is wrong. This is Stern. He’s my best friend and we shouldn’t be engaging in this sort of thing. But she ignored the voices as sensations overtook her.
And then he did something that made her gasp in shock. He deepened the kiss even more, literally sucking her tongue into his mouth and devouring it. Never had she been kissed this way. To be honest, she’d never really been kissed at all. That sloppy, wet kiss Mitch Smith had planted on her lips right before Stern had clobbered him, when they’d been in the tenth grade, was nothing compared to this. In fact, it was crap compared to this.
This was the kind of kiss that romance novel authors wrote about—the kind that rendered you senseless and boneless at the same time. She couldn’t help wondering if this was a test. Stern knew about her inexperience when it came to men, yet she had boldly set her sights on a man. Was he kissing her merely to show her what to expect? To see how good—or awful—she was?
That wasn’t a bad idea, she thought. Then he could give her pointers so she wouldn’t mess things up with Walter. Yes, that had to be it. That had to be the reason he was kissing her like this. He was kissing her to give her suggestions afterward. In that case...
She tightened her hands on his shoulders and leaned into him as he sucked on her tongue. She hadn’t known a kiss could be so intense until now, and she liked it. It made her pulse throb and heat circle continuously in her belly.
To say she’d lived a sheltered life would be an understatement, but it had been her own choosing. Instead of going away to school, she had remained in Denver to attend college and had even stayed at home, preferring that to living on campus. Her father had tried talking her into going away to school, saying she needed to see the world. But she had convinced him that she was perfectly fine living with him.
She’d never experimented with men. Having her first experiment be with Stern made more streaks of heat rush up her spine as his tongue continued to tangle with hers.
Why were her hips instinctively moving against his? Why was such a reaction causing shivers to overtake her?
The need to take a deep breath caused her to pull her mouth away.
“Wow,” she heard him say and watched him lick his lips.
Drawing in much-needed air, she met his gaze. “Well, how did I do?”
He raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
“How did I do? You were testing me, right?”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Testing you?”
“Yes. You of all people know how green I am when it comes to kissing. I figured you didn’t want me to embarrass myself when I let Walter kiss me. So how did I do?”
“Walter?”
Too late, JoJo realized she’d let the man’s name slip. But all Stern had was a first name and there were plenty of Walters out there. “Just tell me how I did.”
He stared at her for a long moment and then said, “A little more practice wouldn’t hurt.”
“Oh,” she said, feeling disappointed.
“But you surprised me. You’re better than I thought.”
Her face then split into a wide smile. “I am?”
“Yes.”
She nodded, moving from feeling disappointed to feeling elated. “Thanks. I was worried there for a minute.”
“Don’t be. With a little more practice you’d be off the charts. Now about this Walter...”
If he thought she would tell him anything else he had another think coming. “Don’t ask me anything about him, Stern,” she said. “Let’s get back to talking about the kiss.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “What about it? I said you’re good.”
“You also said with practice I’d be better. And I want to be better. That means I’ll need you to teach me how to be a better kisser.”
“For this Walter?”
There was no need to lie about it so she said, “Yes, for Walter.”
“In other words,” he said as if he needed to make sure they were on the same page, “you want to learn to kiss to impress this Walter guy.”
She nodded. Isn’t that what she’d said? “Yes.”
He just stood there and stared at her for a full minute and she had to force herself not to tremble under his laser-sharp gaze. When he didn’t say anything and only continued to look at her, she began nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Well? Will you help me improve?”
“I’ll think about it. Now come on and let me out. I’m leaving.”
JoJo followed him to the door. “When will you let me know, Stern? I don’t have much time.”
When he reached the door he turned to her. “Soon.” He leaned in to place the customary peck on her cheek. “Don’t stay up too late.”
Then he opened the door and she watched him leave.
Four
“Any reason you’re banging on my door at this hour? It’s after midnight, Stern,” Zane said, moving aside to let his cousin enter.
Stern went straight into the living room and began pacing. Zane stared at him before plopping down on the sofa. He rubbed his hand down his face. “You want a cup of coffee?”
Stern stopped pacing and stared at him. “No, what I want is advice. I had a date with JoJo tonight.”
Zane leaned back against the sofa cushion. “You have dates with JoJo all the time. What made tonight different?”
“I kissed her.”
Zane stared at him for a moment, shook his head and then said, “I think we better drink coffee after all. If you don’t need a cup, I do.” He stood and walked toward the kitchen with Stern following in his wake. Once he set the coffeemaker on and it began brewing, he turned to Stern and leaned against the counter. “So, now do you want to tell me why you kissed JoJo?”
Stern shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know why I kissed her. I was playing with her hair one minute and then the next thing I knew, I was practically shoving my tongue down her throat.”
“No graphics, please,” Zane said, pouring a cup of coffee and then moving toward the table to sit down.
“Well, that’s what happened.”
“I’m surprised JoJo didn’t karate chop you.”
Stern decided he needed a cup of coffee after all and went over to the counter to pour a cup. “She didn’t because she thought I was testing her.”
“Testing her?”
“Yes. She’s doing a makeover for that guy I was telling you about. His name is Walter, by the way. She let it slip out. But I don’t know his last name.”
Zane shook his head. “You’re digressing. Please go back to why JoJo thinks she was being tested?”
Stern joined Zane at the table. “Because I know she’s never really been kissed, she figured I was testing her to make sure she knew what to do when this Walter guy kisses her. Then, I made the mistake of telling her that she needs to improve on her kisses.”
“Does she?”
“Hell, no, I lied. She was good. Too damn good. To be honest with you, the kiss was off the charts. And now the lie has caught up with me because she wants me to help her become a better kisser.”
Zane stared at him for a long moment. “Let me get this straight. You and JoJo have a platonic relationship to the degree that she thinks the two of you can practice kissing without anything happening?”
“Nothing will happen,” Stern argued.
Zane snorted. “If you believed that you wouldn’t be here, sitting at my table after midnight on a weeknight needing advice.”
Stern knew that to be true. “To answer your question, yes she thinks our relationship is platonic to that degree because she sees me as nothing more than a friend. Her best friend.”
“Well, can you handle teaching her to improve her kissing?”
Stern stared down into his cup of coffee and then he said, “That’s the weird thing, Zane. Tonight, when I was kissing JoJo, one part of my brain kept saying...Hey, this is JoJo you’re locking lips with. But then another part was tasting a very sensuous woman. A woman who has her sights on another man. While I was kissing her I forgot she was my best friend.”
“Sounds like you’ve gotten yourself in a mess.”
“Don’t I know it? If I refuse to do it, she’s going to think I’m being selfish and don’t want her with Walter because I’m being overprotective. But if I do what she’s asking, I might lose control and want to take it to another level. A level that can’t exist between best friends. So what do you suggest?”
Zane rubbed his chin in deep thought. Then he said, “Do what she wants.”
Stern frowned. “You want me to teach her how to kiss for some other man? That Walter guy?”
Zane took a sip of his coffee. “No. If you were smart, you would teach her how to kiss for yourself.”
“This isn’t funny, Zane.”
“And you don’t see me laughing, Stern.”
Stern stared long and hard at him. “Are you suggesting that after all these years I consider moving from best friends to lovers with JoJo?”
Zane smiled. “Yes, I guess I am.”
Anger raced through Stern. “You’re off your rocker to suggest such a thing. There’s no way I can do that. That’s pure crazy.”
Zane chuckled. “You kissed her tonight, and I gather you rather enjoyed it. I’m sure this time yesterday the thought of doing such a thing would have been pure crazy.”
Stern frowned as he stood up. “I’m leaving. I came here for advice—not for you to get ridiculous on me.”
“And you think I’m being ridiculous?” Zane asked.
“Yes. How long have JoJo and I been best friends, Zane?”
“A long time. Since middle school, if I recall.”
“You’re recalling right. And in all those years, at any time, did you suspect there was ever more between us?” Stern asked, certain what Zane’s response would be.
“Sure. All of us have.”
Stern frowned. That wasn’t the response he’d expected. “And who exactly is all of us?”
Zane shrugged massive shoulders. “Mostly everybody.”
Stern stared at Zane for several long seconds while Zane sipped his coffee as if it didn’t bother him that he was being stared at. “Well, I hope mostly everybody knows they are wrong. JoJo and I have never been anything but the best of friends. I will protect her with my life and vice versa. I have never, ever thought of her as anything other than my best friend.”
“So what was the kiss about tonight? You said she thought she was being tested, but I’m curious to know what you thought you were doing. Locking lips with a woman who is nothing more than your best friend? Sho
ving your tongue down her throat...and those were your words, not mine.”
Tension began to build at Stern’s temples. He pushed his cup of coffee aside and stood up. “I’m leaving.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Zane pointed out. “What was the kiss about tonight? Why did you kiss her in the first place?”
“I told you what happened. I was playing with her hair one minute and then the next thing I knew, I was kissing her.”
“Playing with her hair? Interesting. Do you do that often?”
“Yes. No. Stop it, Zane! You’re confusing me.”
“And you’re confusing me, Stern. It’s after midnight and I’m too tired to debate you, but I’m not too tired to tell you what makes sense and what doesn’t. I suggest you go home and think about what happened tonight and decide.”
Stern lifted a brow. “Decide what?”
“Whether or not you want it to happen again. You have to make a decision as to whether you’re going to teach JoJo how to become an expert kisser or leave it to someone else.”
Stern felt a deep lump in his throat. “Someone else?”
“Yes. You know how women are. They only ask you to do something once, and if you’re slow to act they’ll get someone else to do it. I haven’t been to the Golden Wrench in a while, but I bet JoJo has a number of men working there who would love to teach her how to kiss. And it might not stop there.”
The picture Zane had painted in Stern’s mind suddenly had his blood boiling. “I’m leaving.”
Zane remained seated. “Good night.”
“And I won’t ever ask you for advice again.”
Zane chuckled when he heard his front door slam behind his cousin moments later. He took a sip of his coffee and said, “Yes, you will, Stern. Yes, you will.”
* * *
“Why are you all smiles today, JoJo?”
JoJo’s smile faded as Wanda approached. “You’re imagining things. I wasn’t smiling.” She twisted the wrench to remove the battery from the car she was working on.
Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Collection: ZaneCanyonStern Page 39