as a whisper against her temple before he slowly drew back, a wry grin on his face.
Lily tried not to whimper or to beg for more. Tried to stand on her own two feet without any help from him and tried not to look too thrilled by what he’d done or too devastated that it was over.
“So…she got an eyeful?” Lily asked, reminding herself what this had all been about.
“Yes, she did.” He grinned easily, the way a man might look at a woman he considers a good friend. “I hope that was okay? I mean, I hope I didn’t offend you…”
“No. Of course not,” she said. “Anything to help out a neighbor.”
“Well, she’s gone so…” He waited, like he wanted to say more.
She waited, too, hoping, wanting, needing, thrilled and a little bit scared.
But then he shook his head and all he said was, “I should be getting back to work. Thanks again, Lily.”
“You’re welcome,” she said.
She waited until he was out the door and she heard his lawn mower start before she sank down to the floor in her kitchen, leaning back against the cabinets, closed her eyes and relived every glorious second of what had just happened.
Sadly, it was the sexiest thing that had happened to her in years.
Chapter Four
Jake hadn’t been trying to spy on them.
Honestly.
He’d been spying on Audrey Graham, the woman who wore all the skimpy tops and had practically attacked his uncle in their kitchen, because Mrs. Graham had an absolutely gorgeous sixteen-year-old daughter, clearly miles out of Jake’s league and who’d never so much as looked down her nose at him at school.
But still…a guy had to have hope, didn’t he?
If nothing else, Jake could look and hope.
At the moment, he’d been looking at Mrs. Graham, hoping her daughter might be with her, but she wasn’t. He’d seen Mrs. Graham staring into Lily’s house and looking none too happy at what she saw, and then Jake wondered what was going on, and that’s when he saw them.
His uncle and Lily?
It looked like Nick was licking Lily’s neck or something, and it sure looked like Lily liked it.
Women liked to have their necks licked?
Jake frowned.
He didn’t exactly know a ton about women, but he’d sure never heard that one.
Kissing necks, yes.
Licking?
Not that he had a problem trying it.
He was open to pretty much anything, especially with Andie Graham.
He would be her willing slave, fulfilling her every wish, if he ever got to the point where she knew he was alive and was willing to have him close enough to do things to that pretty neck of hers.
Jake took one more look at his uncle and Lily, not quite sure what he thought about that. One, he didn’t want his uncle to make Andie’s mother mad, just on the off chance that Andie might one day have anything to do with Jake. And he liked Lily. She was sweet, and she’d been kind and understanding and made the most incredible fudge Jake had ever eaten. He didn’t want anyone to hurt her, and if she knew his uncle was all over Mrs. Graham in the kitchen the other day, and now all over Lily, Lily wouldn’t like that. Would she?
Women didn’t like to share.
It was one thing Jake was pretty sure about.
And he didn’t like thinking his uncle was the kind of man who’d hurt someone like Lily. Was he that kind of man? Jake frowned and—
“Excuse me? I’m looking for the Malone house? Is this it?”
Jake thought for a second he must be dreaming, because he was pretty sure he knew that voice. He dreamed about that voice. About more than the voice.
He turned around really slowly and hoped he didn’t look too stupid as he stared for a minute and wondered if he was actually dreaming or if Andie Graham was actually standing in front of him. If she’d actually spoken to him.
“Uh…” was all he managed to get out before he had to take a breath and try to calm down.
She was wearing some really short shorts and a little white top with spaghetti straps and a scooped out neckline, and truly, it was hard to breathe this close to her. Especially with her looking the way she did. Looking as good as she did.
Had to be a fantasy come true.
She was looking for his house?
“No way,” he muttered, out loud he feared.
She gave him an odd look, one he no doubt deserved, like he might have the IQ of a piece of fruit.
“The Malone house?” he repeated, his voice doing that weird, cracking thing that it hadn’t done since he was fourteen. He hated that stupid cracking thing.
She nodded, like she feared words might be too much for him.
“That’s my house,” he said, still thinking this had to be a mistake.
No way she’d come looking for him.
She frowned, like maybe she didn’t believe him or was really confused. “Your dad is Nick Malone?”
“Uncle,” he said, his voice still sounding funny.
“Oh. And this is your house?” She pointed to Lily’s.
“No, this one,” he said, nodding in the other direction.
“Oh. Okay. I was actually…” She looked thoroughly exasperated, not so much like the blond princess of his fantasies. More like a real person who might actually have normal problems like everyone else. “I was looking for my mom.”
And she didn’t like admitting that. Or maybe it was…thinking her mom was here with his uncle? That something was going on between them?
“She’s right over…” It was Jake’s turn to frown. She wasn’t there anymore. “She was there just a minute ago.”
Andie sighed, like she dreaded the next part, then asked, “Do you think she went inside?”
“No. My uncle’s not there,” Jake told her, not adding that his uncle was at Lily’s, licking Lily’s neck or something like that, and that Andie’s mom had seen them and hadn’t been happy about it.
“Oh,” Andie said, sighing once again. “Your uncle? Is he married?”
“No,” Jake said. Why would she care if his uncle was married?
“Well…thanks, I guess. I’ll just…I’ll be…” She paused for one more moment, then looked him over one more time. “Do I know you?”
Jake shook his head, then woke up to the fact that this was his chance. She knew he was alive, even if it was just to help her find his house. “I’m Jake. Jake Elliott. We go to the same school. I mean…I’m pretty sure we do. Jefferson?”
“Yeah, I go to Jefferson. What are you? What year?”
“Sophomore,” he admitted, knowing she was a junior.
Just one more way in which she was way out of his league.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, I’ve got to go find my mom. See you.”
Jake mumbled goodbye, and then was treated to the sight of her walking away from him in those short shorts, with those long, tanned legs, her long, blond hair swinging as she walked, wishing he could start this whole conversation over again and not sound like an idiot, not