when…”
She glanced into the bar and saw Roxie boldly staring at them. Roxie grinned and waved. “I know what a kiss is, Kirkland. And don’t worry about it. You’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty today.”
He slid his hand around the back of her neck. “I’d hate to disappoint Roxie. And if we’re pretending we’re on a date we might as well put on a good show.”
Before she could protest, he leaned his face forward and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was light, soft, but it stirred a heat inside her she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
He pulled back a few inches but he was still close enough that his warm breath brushed her face. “You think that is enough to convince Roxie?”
Her heart hammered against her ribs. It wasn’t enough for her. “Yes.”
A slight smile tipped the edge of his mouth. “Maybe one more, just for good measure.”
She moistened her lips. “Oh, that’s not necessary.”
“Better to be thorough.”
“Okay.”
The second kiss wasn’t so chaste, and he lingered longer. She tipped her head to the side as his tongue teased her lips open for him. His tongue caressed the inside of her mouth.
Tara wrapped her arm around his neck and forgot about Roxie, the article, even Kirkland’s pedigree. There was only this kiss. This very incredible kiss.
When he pulled away, his eyes burned with a desire that made her knees weak. He dropped his hand to her shoulder. He, too, seemed as surprised by the intense desire as she had been.
She was reluctant to step back, but she did. “Thanks. I really do owe you for everything.”
A faint smile tipped the edges of his mouth as he pushed a stray strand of hair back into place. “You don’t owe me a thing. The pleasure was mine.” He turned back to the bar and waved to Roxie, who gave him a thumbs-up, and then got in his car and drove off. Tara went back into the bar.
Roxie nodded approvingly at her. “Now, him I approve of.”
Tara held up her hand. “No more questions.”
Roxie lifted a brow. “What? Me? Hey, far be it from me to stick my nose into your personal life. But he seems very nice. A keeper.”
“He’s a good man.” That was as much as she was willing to admit. She didn’t dare voice the feeling she’d felt when he’d kissed her.
Roxie refreshed Tara’s coffee. “So, now that it’s just us girls, tell me what’s really going on.”
Tara eased up on the stool. “What do you mean?” Her aunt could spot a lie twenty miles off.
“Oh, he’s a good-looking fellow, and I’d like to see you two hook up, but you two weren’t on a date.”
Tara felt as if she were seven and had just gotten caught egging the neighbor’s house. “What?”
Roxie tucked a bleached curl behind her ear. “Doll, I wasn’t born yesterday. Spill. Where is your car, and what happened to your shoulder?”
Chapter 7
Tuesday, July 15, 1:20 a.m.
R oxie spent the next hour squeezing every detail out of Tara regarding the accident. The more Tara talked the more worried Roxie looked.
“I swear on your mother’s grave, Tara, you better be more careful or I’m going to lock you in your room.”
Tara grinned. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Roxie leaned forward, her gaze hard and direct. “Don’t be afraid? You were run off the road.”
The details of the accident had already started to get hazy. “It could have been just a dumb accident.”
“Honey, if you’ve been stirring up questions about Kit Landover, I don’t think it was any kind of mishap. I know from personal experience that Pierce Landover doesn’t always play by the rules.”
That surprised Tara. “How do you know Pierce Landover?”
Roxie shrugged and glanced down at her red, manicured fingernails. “I know a lot of people.”
Tara knew her aunt had lived a full life before she’d adopted her. But once Tara had come to live with her, Roxie had settled down quite a bit. She’d been dating the same guy, Tommy Sloan, a
She glanced into the bar and saw Roxie boldly staring at them. Roxie grinned and waved. “I know what a kiss is, Kirkland. And don’t worry about it. You’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty today.”
He slid his hand around the back of her neck. “I’d hate to disappoint Roxie. And if we’re pretending we’re on a date we might as well put on a good show.”
Before she could protest, he leaned his face forward and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was light, soft, but it stirred a heat inside her she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
He pulled back a few inches but he was still close enough that his warm breath brushed her face. “You think that is enough to convince Roxie?”
Her heart hammered against her ribs. It wasn’t enough for her. “Yes.”
A slight smile tipped the edge of his mouth. “Maybe one more, just for good measure.”
She moistened her lips. “Oh, that’s not necessary.”
“Better to be thorough.”
“Okay.”
The second kiss wasn’t so chaste, and he lingered longer. She tipped her head to the side as his tongue teased her lips open for him. His tongue caressed the inside of her mouth.
Tara wrapped her arm around his neck and forgot about Roxie, the article, even Kirkland’s pedigree. There was only this kiss. This very incredible kiss.
When he pulled away, his eyes burned with a desire that made her knees weak. He dropped his hand to her shoulder. He, too, seemed as surprised by the intense desire as she had been.
She was reluctant to step back, but she did. “Thanks. I really do owe you for everything.”
A faint smile tipped the edges of his mouth as he pushed a stray strand of hair back into place. “You don’t owe me a thing. The pleasure was mine.” He turned back to the bar and waved to Roxie, who gave him a thumbs-up, and then got in his car and drove off. Tara went back into the bar.
Roxie nodded approvingly at her. “Now, him I approve of.”
Tara held up her hand. “No more questions.”
Roxie lifted a brow. “What? Me? Hey, far be it from me to stick my nose into your personal life. But he seems very nice. A keeper.”
“He’s a good man.” That was as much as she was willing to admit. She didn’t dare voice the feeling she’d felt when he’d kissed her.
Roxie refreshed Tara’s coffee. “So, now that it’s just us girls, tell me what’s really going on.”
Tara eased up on the stool. “What do you mean?” Her aunt could spot a lie twenty miles off.
“Oh, he’s a good-looking fellow, and I’d like to see you two hook up, but you two weren’t on a date.”
Tara felt as if she were seven and had just gotten caught egging the neighbor’s house. “What?”
Roxie tucked a bleached curl behind her ear. “Doll, I wasn’t born yesterday. Spill. Where is your car, and what happened to your shoulder?”
Chapter 7
Tuesday, July 15, 1:20 a.m.
R oxie spent the next hour squeezing every detail out of Tara regarding the accident. The more Tara talked the more worried Roxie looked.
“I swear on your mother’s grave, Tara, you better be more careful or I’m going to lock you in your room.”
Tara grinned. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Roxie leaned forward, her gaze hard and direct. “Don’t be afraid? You were run off the road.”
The details of the accident had already started to get hazy. “It could have been just a dumb accident.”
“Honey, if you’ve been stirring up questions about Kit Landover, I don’t think it was any kind of mishap. I know from personal experience that Pierce Landover doesn’t always play by the rules.”
That surprised Tara. “How do you know Pierce Landover?”
Roxie shrugged and glanced down at her red, manicured fingernails. “I know a lot of people.”
Tara knew her aunt had lived a full life before she’d adopted her. But once Tara had come to live with her, Roxie had settled down quite a bit. She’d been dating the same guy, Tommy Sloan, a
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