Heather was in Jase’s bed, again. She’d met up with Jase at his apartment after her girls’ night and then they’d continued their weekend fun late into Monday night. She ran her hand over his pillow. Around four a.m., he’d kissed her and told her he was heading down to the shop to get some work done. A few extra hours of sleep had done the trick, but it was time to get up and head to work.
She rolled from the bed, dressed, and headed downstairs.
Music blared from the speakers in the flower shop. Shirtless Jase was in his zone again—a private dance party to Warrant while he worked on a vase of gardenias. She paused at the foot of the stairs that led from his apartment to his shop, drinking him in.
He danced her way, and she knew the moment he saw her. His lips stopped moving to the beat of the song, and his eyes did that thing they did whenever he saw her—the instant soft thing. “Heather. Hey.”
She couldn’t hear the words, but she could read his lips well enough. Her blood heated, and she tingled all over, right up to the roots of her hair.
He turned off the stereo, Warrant singing about cherry pie zipping to a stop. She moved to him, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He tilted his head, deepened the kiss, and held her close against him, his hands in her hair. Early mornings weren’t so bad with Jase and a good make-out session.
“I guess this is the part where I tell you I have to go,” she said once he broke the kiss, her mouth only millimeters from his. “The shop opens in an hour.”
“Then this is the part where I tell you I’d rather you stay.” He grinned.
“And this is when I remind you that you have work and then are spending the evening with your family.”
He groaned. “Can’t I just pretend I’m sick and come over to your place?”
“I’m watching game shows tonight. I’m way behind on my bingeing, and I need a dose of Family Feud.”
“I guarantee if I come over, we won’t be watching Family Feud.” His hand slid down over her back, resting just below her waist.
Her fingertip seemed to trace circles on his pec on its own. “Don’t make our first fight over Steve Harvey.”
“Are we fighting? Do we get to make up later?” With the way he was looking at her, they’d need to go upstairs for another round before either of them would get anything done.
“Come by after you’re done,” she whispered against his lips.
The cowbell on the door clanked. They both glanced over.
His mom and sister stood there.
“Heather.” Anna’s eyes were bright. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Shit,” Jase muttered under his breath. He dropped his hands and held them up in mock defense. “Whatever you two are about to do, knock it off.”
“We came to invite Heather to tonight’s family dinner, Jason.” His mother adjusted her purse over her shoulder. “Since we don’t get together often.”
“Only every other night,” he mumbled under his breath.
“I figured she’d be here. I was totally right.” Anna strutted over to Jase and held her hand up for a high five.
He didn’t return it.
“Hi,” Heather said cautiously.
The light in his eyes shut down. “Babushka would be the trifecta if she weren’t pissed at everyone.”
“Jase, it’s okay.” Heather gave his biceps a squeeze.
He pursed his lips. “Heather has plans tonight.”
She did?
Were they back to this? Back to his walls around his family. A night with Steve Harvey hardly counted as plans.
“Heather?” Jase’s mother asked.
“I’ve got to go to work.” She chanced a glance to Jase, who had an unreadable expression etched on his face. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Jase, quit being a dingbat. We’ll be nice to Heather and we want to get to know her, too. Stop hogging her,” Anna huffed. “Unless, you really have plans?” She turned her attention back to Heather.
Heather shifted on her feet.
“She does,” Jase replied for her.
Plans that could easily change, but still, plans.
“Give us a second?” Heather asked. “Jase, will you walk me across the street?”
“Gladly.” He grabbed her hand and marched across the street with her, not speaking.
“You don’t talk much when you’re angry, do you know that?” she asked when they got to the door of her shop.
He grunted.
She had to reach on her toes again so they were face-to-face. Well, face-to-face-ish. He was way taller than her, so it was more like chin-to-nose. She pressed her palms against his cheeks and tilted his face to hers. “If you don’t want me there, I won’t come. But I can hold my own with your family—if that’s what this is all about.”
He sighed. “You don’t understand. They seem fine on the surface, but soon enough they’ll be slipping under your skin and you’ll be revealing your deepest secrets without realizing it ever happened.”
“What am I going to say? Tell them that thing you did last night with your tongue?” His eyes flared. She went on, “Jase, we’re just us. They’re them. But they’re a part of you, and I’d like to get to know that part.”
“I went through training you can’t even imagine. Training to prepare me for the worst of the worst this planet has to offer—people who thrive on breaking us down. People who take a Navy recruit and turn him into a pile of mush.” He was totally serious. “Heather, they have nothing on my family. Because my family uses sweet saccharine to lure you in. Then they’ll ruin everything.”
“They cannot be that bad. I love your babushka. Your mom and sister seem great.”
“Oh, they’re great. They’ll just involve themselves in our relationship.”
“They’re part of you.” She pecked a kiss against his lips. “Let me in. Let me know them.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” He stroked her cheekbone.
She unlocked the door, pushing it open. “We’ll be in it together. It can’t be that bad.”
He grunted again. She glanced over his shoulder. His mom and Anna were on the sidewalk outside of their shop. They both waved.
“They’re watching us,” she whispered.
“Of course they are.” He turned their direction and gave a little wave.
“Be serious for a minute.” Heather gently grabbed his arm. “Are you frustrated because I’m invited or because they’re sticking their noses in?”
“I’m frustrated because I want you all to myself.” The air between them got heavy.
She linked her arms around his neck. “I think that you’re trying to be sweet.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle this.” She glanced to his mom and sister. Yeah, she could handle this. They loved him and she…oh God….nope. Not going there. She really liked him a lot. So she already had something in common with his family.
Like…a whole lot of like.