by Cat Johnson
“You’re not ashamed to be seen with your mother?” she asked.
“Of course not.”
She smiled. “Okay, we can see a movie, but not tonight. It’s the two-hour season finale of my show.”
“Two hours. Great.” He knew by now what shows were on which nights and he knew exactly which one she was talking about.
God, how he hated that show, and as hard as he tried to hide it, his mother was aware of his feelings. She even joked with him about it, but good son that he was, he watched it with her every damn week.
She must have heard his lack of enthusiasm. She laughed. “Tonight might be a good night to call that girl.”
“You’re right. It might be.” He didn’t argue the point.
He was about to head back out to the garage to finish his workout and mull over this strange and enlightening conversation when he noticed her biting her lip, as if she had more to say. He leaned against the counter, cracked open his water, and took a sip.
Finally, she said, “The church secretary offered me a job today.”
He almost choked on the water. “Really? Doing what?”
“Answering phones. Helping like I did today to set up for meetings and services. Putting together the weekly newsletter. Just part-time.”
A job, even part-time, seemed like a huge step. Would having responsibilities and someplace to go every day help her? Or would the pressure be too much and send her back into the darkness to hide? He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure she did either.
He tried not to react as he asked, “So what did you tell her?”
“That I had to talk to you first.”
He raised a brow. The decision was hers to make. Not his. “Well, I think you should do whatever makes you happy. Do you want to take it?”
“I think I do. I’ve been going over to help out for a few hours a week since Thanksgiving. I enjoy being there and seeing the people. This would be basically the same thing except I’d get paid for it.”
“Then I think you should say yes. It sounds like they appreciate all your help.” He reached out and hugged his mother as his hope grew. He didn’t want to get excited, but the hint of a light at the end of the very long dark tunnel they’d been in was hard to ignore.
“I think I will.” She hugged him back and then pulled away. “Now go finish your workout.”
“Okay.”
Outside, he put down his water and sat on the bench one more time. The workout couldn’t be further from his mind. He had a lot to think about.
Chapter Forty-Two
The text came through after dinner. Phoenix was lying on the sofa, so stuffed from the meal she couldn’t imagine moving, even to go up to bed, when she felt the phone in her pocket vibrate.
Figuring it was Kim, she wrestled the cell out of her jeans. Her eyes widened when she read the message.
It’s Justin. Is it ok if I come over to talk?
He didn’t have to identify himself. Crazy girl that she was, she’d kept his number saved in her contacts list all these months, just in case.
There had been more than a time or two she’d been tempted to use it over the past months, usually when a glass of wine with Kim prompted her to give him a piece of her mind.
Now that she knew why he’d acted as he had, it turned out it was a good thing she’d controlled that impulse.
She was still staring at the phone, deciding what to do, when Rohn stood, stretching as he did. “Well, it’s been a long day. I think I’m gonna hit the hay.”
“I’ll come up, too.” Bonnie stood as well, smiling at Phoenix. “I was so excited about you getting here, I barely slept all night.”
“All night? You hardly slept all week.” Rohn grinned, wrapping his arm around Bonnie. “Good night, darlin’.”
“Good night.”
“I know you’re on California time, so feel free to stay up as late as you want.” Bonnie broke away from Rohn’s grasp long enough to lean down and hug her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Phoenix smiled. “Me too. Good night.”
Tammy had already gone home to her house after dessert, so once Rohn and Bonnie went upstairs, she’d be alone downstairs. And if she texted Justin back and told him to come over, she’d be alone with Justin.
Heart racing, she punched in the text.
Come on over. Kitchen door unlocked. Don’t knock. Parents sleeping.
His reply came back fast, as she’d hoped it would.
Be right there.
Something had changed. Maybe it was their conversation. She didn’t know, but he wanted to see her and that was good enough. She stood. She had things to do before he arrived.
She’d barely had time to settle back onto the sofa in the living room to wait for him before she heard the truck in the drive.
Justin was good as his word. He’d driven over in the short time it had taken her to make sure the kitchen door was indeed unlocked as promised and then run to the bathroom to check how she looked in the mirror.
She smiled as she made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen. She reached the room in time to see him creeping through the back door. A six-foot-tall man in cowboy boots trying to tiptoe was a comical sight.
“Hi.” She kept her voice down as she greeted him.
He glanced up. “Hey.”
She was happy he’d kept his voice low, too. She didn’t want to disturb Rohn and Bonnie, or wake the old deaf hound dog Cooter, who’d long ago crawled into his bed in the pantry in the back of the kitchen to go to sleep.
Phoenix told herself she was being nice not wanting to wake anyone, but in reality she wanted time with Justin without an audience. There was no risk of his coworkers walking in on them, but she didn’t want her new mom and dad around right now either. It had to be just him and her. Maybe then he’d let down those walls.
Justin eased the door closed and wiped his feet on the rug in front of it. She waited, wondering what had inspired him to come out in the dark cold night to talk.
Their gazes collided as he pulled off his gloves and tossed them onto the counter. His eyes narrowed as he strode forward and grabbed her shoulders with both hands.
“Phoenix.” That was all he said before his mouth closed over hers.
She sank into his kiss, wrapping her arms around him, winter coat and all. His embrace felt familiar. Like coming home. His lips cleared away all the doubts she’d felt for months. His tongue claimed her, letting her know she was his, which was exactly what she wanted to be.
When he broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”
“That’s quite all right. I’m very glad you came over to talk. I like this kind of talking. In fact, let’s go into the living room where we can get comfortable and talk some more.”
He laughed. “I really did want to talk to you.”
“All right. We’ll get to that. Later.” She reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“You trying to distract me?” He tightened his hold around her.
“Maybe.” Kissing seemed safer than talking when there was a very real possibility she might not like what he had to say. “Besides, you started it.”
“I know. I’m a weak man. I’ve thought of nothing but kissing you since I saw you in the barn today.”
“You should have kissed me in the barn, then.”
“I shouldn’t even be kissing you now.”
Phoenix didn’t like the sound of that. She drew in a breath and decided it was time to face whatever was to come. “Want to take off your coat and sit down? Or aren’t you staying that long?”
“I think I can stay for a little.” He reached for the buttons on his coat.
She took a step back and let him divest himself of his winter jacket, watching as he hung it on the back of a kitchen chair.
When he was done, she led the way to the living room. It was warm and cozy, lit only by one table lamp and the flicker of the television with the volume tu
rned low. Perching on the edge of the sofa, she waited as he sat next to her.
“Phoenix . . .”
She held her breath, waiting for what, she didn’t know. It wasn’t as if he could dump her because they weren’t in any sense of the word a couple. She should have just kept kissing him in the kitchen.
Whatever he was trying to say obviously wasn’t coming easy. She reached out and took both of his hands in hers and just held them, not saying anything. Just being there for him.
He stared down at their joined hands. “I can’t make any promises.”
“Okay.” She didn’t remember asking for any promises, but she didn’t bring that up.
Justin finally raised his eyes to meet hers. “It might not work out.”
Still confused about what he was getting at, she sat quiet and waited.
He continued, “But I’d like to give it a try.”
Phoenix waited for more. Some clue that he was really saying what she hoped he was saying, that he wanted to give them a try.
Finally, she couldn’t wait anymore and said, “Give us a try?”
“Yeah.” He drew in a breath. “I’m sorry. I’m no good at this.”
He was good enough. He might not have all the right words, but the meaning behind them set her heart pounding. “I’d like to give us a try, too.”
Justin pulled her closer. He wrapped one beefy arm around her neck, pressing her face into the flannel covering his rock hard chest as he buried his face in her hair. She felt his already broad torso expand as he drew in a deep breath.
With her face crushed against the brick wall of his chest, she managed to mumble, “Have you been working out?”
His laugh vibrated beneath her cheek. “Yeah. I was bored . . . and frustrated.”
“I like it.” She pulled back to look up at him, though she didn’t take her hands off his muscles because she was enjoying the feel of him. “When I’m bored and frustrated I eat, as you can tell by the increased size of my ass.”
“I like it.” He smiled and moved his hands down to rest on the swell of her hips.
“That’s good, because I’m not going to lose any weight the way you people eat around here.” Her gaze dropped to his lips, so close, so tempting. Dragging her focus up to his eyes, she saw a need there equal to her own.
She swung one thigh over his. Facing him, she straddled his lap, intent on getting as close to this man as she could while still fully clothed.
His eyes widened. “Phoenix, we can’t do this here.”
His cupping her ass with both palms as he spoke told her the opposite of his words.
“Sure we can.” She leaned in, cradling his face in her hands as she moved closer.
“What if Rohn comes downstairs?”
“You can’t tell me you never fooled around with a girl while her parents were in the house.” She didn’t like thinking of Justin with any female other than her, but she wasn’t insane enough to think he’d lived like a monk until he met her.
“If I did, it was because I was a kid and we had nowhere else to go.”
She raised a brow. “Well, short of sneaking out to get a hotel room, neither do we.”
He sighed. “That’s sad but true.”
Having won the argument, she grinned. “We’ll just have to be quiet. It’ll be even more exciting.”
“Oh, it’ll be exciting all right. Especially when Rohn pulls a shotgun on me for taking advantage of his daughter under his roof.”
“His daughter wants to be taken advantage of. Trust me. Besides, you’ll be kissing me in front of Rohn shortly.”
“Oh, really? And why is that?” Justin asked.
“He and Bonnie are throwing a New Year’s Eve party and I fully expect a kiss at midnight, so prepare yourself.”
He grinned. “Okay. I will.”
“Good.” She leaned low and pressed her lips to his, cutting off any further discussion.
His hand in her hair as he angled his mouth over hers told her the debate was over for now.
Phoenix had been away from Justin for too many months to be satisfied with just kissing. She leaned back and reached down to the waistband of her pants.
Justin reached out to stop her. “I don’t think you should do that.”
If he really thought they were going to do nothing but make out on the sofa like two teenage virgins, he was so mistaken.
“I think you’re wrong.” She pushed his hands away.
He smiled and shook his head. “Points for being persistent, but no.”
Phoenix rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
There was more than one way to skin a cat. She leaned in again, pressing as close to him as she could get while she kissed him. The right pressure in the right region while she straddled him soon had Justin groaning.
Still joined at the lips, she reached for the button on his jeans rather than her own this time. He didn’t stop her. When she slipped her hand inside and connected with his hard length, he hissed in a breath.
It was easy to get distracted by the warm hard man beneath her, but Phoenix had a goal. Feeling her victory over his protests was close, she moved off him, until she was kneeling on the floor between his legs.
He was breathing hard, his eyes heavily lidded with desire, as he watched her push the waist of his underwear down and free his erection. He swallowed hard. “Phoenix, we shouldn’t—”
Justin never finished the sentence as she slid his cock between her lips. All she heard was his deep intake of breath, followed by his moan. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair, putting pressure against her scalp. The sound of the television and the creaking of the leather sofa slipped further into the background as his breathing sped up along with the motion of her mouth and hands.
Phoenix felt him tense before she tasted his release.
Still panting, he pulled her back up onto the sofa.
When he reached to unfasten the button on her jeans, she figured he was done fighting her. She was more than glad of that.
Chapter Forty-Three
Rohn opened the back door at Justin’s knock. His gaze traveled from Justin to his mother, standing next to him. “Hey. Happy New Year. Come on in. I’m glad you could make it. Both of you.”
Justin was glad, too, as he guided his mother inside. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Bonnie turned from the counter where she’d been transferring tiny hot dogs from a baking tray to a platter.
Smiling, she moved toward Justin’s mother. “Hi, I’m Bonnie. It’s so nice to meet you.”
His mother smiled and handed Bonnie a covered plate. “I know you told Justin not to bring anything, but I made my bread pudding with caramel sauce. I thought you can’t go wrong with a sweet.”
“Oh my gosh. No, you can’t. That sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it. Come on in. Take your things off. We’re putting the coats in Rohn’s office. Justin, you know where that is.” Bonnie put the bread pudding on the counter and turned to Justin.
“That’s where I go to get my paychecks, so I surely do know where that room is.” He eyed Phoenix, hovering in the doorway. He motioned her closer while guiding his mother forward. “Momma, this is Phoenix.”
His mother’s eyes widened. “It’s so nice to meet you finally. Justin has told me so much about you.”
Looking nervous, Phoenix reached out to shake his mother’s hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”
It was crazy she’d be nervous. Of course his mother would love her. What was there not to love? He couldn’t imagine a thing. Then again, he was pretty biased when it came to Phoenix.
His mother smiled at Phoenix’s extended hand. “We’re huggers around here.” She enveloped Phoenix in a hug that looked like it surprised her, but she accepted the gesture.
Finally, his mother released Phoenix, and Justin had the opportunity to lean down and give her a peck on the cheek when what he really wanted to do was get her alone. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year.” Her color high i
n her cheeks, Phoenix smiled at him.
Rohn appeared next to them. He paid particular attention to Justin’s mother when he asked, “What can I get you to drink?”
“Um, I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve gone out to any sort of cocktail party, I’m not sure what to have.”
Rohn laughed. “Well, I’m usually a beer man myself, but Bonnie is making me pretend I’m fancy for the holiday. Come with me to the bar and I’ll show you what we have. Bonnie went a little crazy and we have stuff even I’ve never heard of, and I can tell you I’ve been drinking for quite a few years. Have you ever heard of a Kir Royale?”
His mother raised a brow. “I can’t say I have. It sounds fancy, though.”
“Oh, believe me, it is.” Rohn grinned. “We had to break out the champagne glasses from the china cabinet and everything. Come on. I’ll make you one. She had me watch some video on the Internet so I could do it.”
With his mother safely basking in the warmth of Rohn’s charm, Justin smiled at Phoenix. “I gotta drop our coats in the office. Wanna help me?”
“You need my help to carry two coats?” she asked as she followed him to the room down the hall.
Tossing the coats on top of Rohn’s chair, he reeled her in with one arm. “No, but I needed this.”
He kissed her hard and deep, groaning before he could bring himself to break away. “Mmm. I missed those kisses today.”
“Sorry. I had to help Bonnie shop for the party. Then we were busy cooking and cleaning. I didn’t have time to sneak out to the barn to make out with you while nobody was looking.”
“Just make sure it doesn’t happen again. I only have you for a few more days before you fly away.”
“Shh. No talking about my leaving. Remember?”
“I remember. But can I say your summer break can’t get here soon enough in my opinion?”
“Actually, I’ve been talking to Kim. I think I have her almost convinced that midwinter break in Oklahoma will be even more fun than the trip we’d planned to Aruba.”