Read Online Checking It Twice by Jodi Redford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jodi Redford
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playing like a hypnotic reel through his memory. The sight of them kissing had hit him harder than a fist to his gut, even while his cock swelled to life. He didn’t know which of the two sensations disturbed him more.
“Do…do you two know each other?” Jana demanded. Her voice hitched with a shaky thread of bewilderment.
“Yeah, we do,” Nick replied, beating him to the punch. Shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat, Nick stepped forward, his expression still bearing that hint of trepidation while he focused on Kevin. “Good to see you.”
“Is it?” The question blurted free before he could stop it. A taunting barrage of those long-ago, not-so-forgotten angry words he and Nick hurtled at each other once again shouted inside his brain.
A flicker of some dark emotion skated across Nick’s features. The ghosts were there for him too. “Yeah, it is.” Somberness had replaced Nick’s typical grin, but his gruff sincerity left no doubt that he meant it.
A fraction of the tension eased from Kevin. At least until he glanced back at Jana. Then it returned with a vengeance.
What the hell was Nick doing here? And why had he been kissing Jana? Okay, that wasn’t too difficult to figure out. What red-blooded male wouldn’t kiss Jana if the opportunity presented itself?
Nick dragged a hand across his jaw, drawing Kevin’s attention to the five o’clock scruff growing there. That was new—Nick going for anything other than the suave, Greek-playboy look. The shadows under his eyes were new too. As were the haggard lines etched into his forehead. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured our reunion going, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers, eh?”
He blinked at Nick’s matter-of-fact tone. “Did you come here looking for me?”
“Amongst other things.” Nick’s attention drifted in Jana’s direction. A flare of heat simmered in his eyes before he carefully banked it. A blush crept across Jana’s cheeks as she tore her gaze from Nick’s.
The opposing tugs of envy and arousal competing for supremacy within Kevin made his teeth grind. He’d been the one to push her away. He had no right to these pangs of jealousy. Clearing his throat, he took a surreptitious step toward the exit. “Obviously I’m interrupting something here.” He forced himself to look Jana in the eye. “I’ll call you later.”
Ignoring the muffled curse that sprang from Nick, Kevin pivoted and strode through the doorway. He didn’t even make it to his SUV before Nick’s censorious voice hauled him short. “Still running, I see.”
His muscles tightening in preparation of the argument brewing on the horizon, he turned to face Nick. “Is that why you came looking for me? To beat a dead horse into the ground?”
“No, I came to apologize.” Nick’s fierce expression softened. “And because I miss my best friend.”
A familiar pain pinched his heart. Nick was the brother he’d wished for during those loneliest periods of his childhood. It still shamed him the way he’d walked out on their friendship. They say you always hurt the ones you love most. He was living proof of that, time after time.
Hunching his shoulders against the bracing wind howling through the lot, Nick stepped down from the curb and joined him next to the driver’s side door. “We shouldn’t have left things the way we did.”
Kevin’s focus involuntarily trekked to the window of Jana’s shop. He could see her pretending to rearrange lingerie on one of the racks while she covertly watched them. The taunting image of her and Nick locked in their passionate embrace refused to give his mind a rest. He returned his scrutiny to Nick. “I take it things didn’t work out with you and Heather.”
“I told you it wouldn’t. There was nothing there between us without you. At least not for me.”
Renewed shame cycloned in his gut. It was bad enough he’d hurt Heather on his own. If he’d never introduced her to Nick, she wouldn’t have
“Do…do you two know each other?” Jana demanded. Her voice hitched with a shaky thread of bewilderment.
“Yeah, we do,” Nick replied, beating him to the punch. Shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat, Nick stepped forward, his expression still bearing that hint of trepidation while he focused on Kevin. “Good to see you.”
“Is it?” The question blurted free before he could stop it. A taunting barrage of those long-ago, not-so-forgotten angry words he and Nick hurtled at each other once again shouted inside his brain.
A flicker of some dark emotion skated across Nick’s features. The ghosts were there for him too. “Yeah, it is.” Somberness had replaced Nick’s typical grin, but his gruff sincerity left no doubt that he meant it.
A fraction of the tension eased from Kevin. At least until he glanced back at Jana. Then it returned with a vengeance.
What the hell was Nick doing here? And why had he been kissing Jana? Okay, that wasn’t too difficult to figure out. What red-blooded male wouldn’t kiss Jana if the opportunity presented itself?
Nick dragged a hand across his jaw, drawing Kevin’s attention to the five o’clock scruff growing there. That was new—Nick going for anything other than the suave, Greek-playboy look. The shadows under his eyes were new too. As were the haggard lines etched into his forehead. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured our reunion going, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers, eh?”
He blinked at Nick’s matter-of-fact tone. “Did you come here looking for me?”
“Amongst other things.” Nick’s attention drifted in Jana’s direction. A flare of heat simmered in his eyes before he carefully banked it. A blush crept across Jana’s cheeks as she tore her gaze from Nick’s.
The opposing tugs of envy and arousal competing for supremacy within Kevin made his teeth grind. He’d been the one to push her away. He had no right to these pangs of jealousy. Clearing his throat, he took a surreptitious step toward the exit. “Obviously I’m interrupting something here.” He forced himself to look Jana in the eye. “I’ll call you later.”
Ignoring the muffled curse that sprang from Nick, Kevin pivoted and strode through the doorway. He didn’t even make it to his SUV before Nick’s censorious voice hauled him short. “Still running, I see.”
His muscles tightening in preparation of the argument brewing on the horizon, he turned to face Nick. “Is that why you came looking for me? To beat a dead horse into the ground?”
“No, I came to apologize.” Nick’s fierce expression softened. “And because I miss my best friend.”
A familiar pain pinched his heart. Nick was the brother he’d wished for during those loneliest periods of his childhood. It still shamed him the way he’d walked out on their friendship. They say you always hurt the ones you love most. He was living proof of that, time after time.
Hunching his shoulders against the bracing wind howling through the lot, Nick stepped down from the curb and joined him next to the driver’s side door. “We shouldn’t have left things the way we did.”
Kevin’s focus involuntarily trekked to the window of Jana’s shop. He could see her pretending to rearrange lingerie on one of the racks while she covertly watched them. The taunting image of her and Nick locked in their passionate embrace refused to give his mind a rest. He returned his scrutiny to Nick. “I take it things didn’t work out with you and Heather.”
“I told you it wouldn’t. There was nothing there between us without you. At least not for me.”
Renewed shame cycloned in his gut. It was bad enough he’d hurt Heather on his own. If he’d never introduced her to Nick, she wouldn’t have
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