the sound of that twangy voice, he jerked around and there she was, smiling at him. The evening sun gilded her gorgeous hair, highlighting the red and showing the richness of it. Her eyes were so very blue, her pale skin flushed. Between her breasts, her dress was slightly damp.
Adam felt himself reacting and didn’t understand it. What was it about her? Besides her hotness. And teasing. And sweet little body...
She turned to Garrett. “He does this often, sort of goes off in his own head. Has your family ever had him tested?”
Amusement thick in his tone, Garrett said, “I don’t think so, but I can make the recommendation.”
“Might be a good idea.” She looked at Adam again, tilted her head, then held out a hand. “The ice?”
He got it together and fetched her a fresh chunk. Anxious to see what she’d do, he stepped to the edge of the booth and braced his hands on the top beside the butter and salt.
Right there, in front of everyone—which mostly was just him and Garrett—she tipped her head back and rolled that ice over her throat and upper chest.
Lord have mercy.
“It is so hot.” Lifting her ponytail, she tipped her head forward and teased the ice down her nape. A droplet trailed along her slender throat, over her shoulder and onto her chest. “Oh, that’s better. Nice.”
Adam swallowed.
After an elbow to the ribs and a sly grin, Garrett said, “I think I’ll take a break. Man the fort, okay?”
“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” He peeled off his apron and stepped out of the booth to close in on Issy. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Coolin’ down.”
While heating him up. “You look like you’re making a porno.”
Her eyes flared...with delight. “I do?” She flashed her glance around but now that Garrett had booked, no one was close. “I was...sexy? Seriously?”
How the hell could she not know that? “You’re getting me hard.”
She started to look down.
Adam put his fingers under her chin, keeping her gaze on his face. If she looked, there’d be no “getting” to it. He’d have a full-fledged boner. “What’s more, I think you know it.”
“I didn’t, but thank you for tellin’ me.” She licked her lips. “I’ve been tryin’ to watch other ladies, to see how they flirt. Your cousin gave me some pointers.”
He dropped his hand, blinked, drew a breath—and had to ask. “Amber?”
“Yes. She knows somethin’ about everythin’, doesn’t she?”
“Sure thinks she does.” Scowling, Adam looked around but didn’t see Amber anywhere. He zeroed back in on Issy. “It’s not a great idea to take advice from her.”
“Then from whom should I take it?” She stepped closer, tipping her head back to keep eye contact. “You?”
The breeze was long gone, but as the sun faded behind the hills the heat lost its edge, making the evening air feel more tolerable. Still hot, but not so smothering. Around them, the carnival lights flickered on.
Feeling like they were talking about things other than advice, Adam said, “I offered, remember?”
“I remember that you failed to specify exactly what you were offerin’.”
Anything you want. But maybe he should stop being so eager. Maybe he’d do better to tease back a little. Going with that plan, he said, “You could start by practicing your flirting skills on me.”
“Oh, I love that idea.” Smiling, she slowly touched his chest, stroked with her fingertips, lowered her lashes, and asked, “How’s that?”
Hell, he felt that light touch clear down to his shorts. After clearing his throat, he said, “Effective.” He sounded like a strangling frog.
“So if I seek out other guys tonight...” She walked her fingers back up his chest to his shoulder. “...you think I’d be successful?”
“At what?”
“I’m lonely,” she complained with a sexy pout, her fingers still on the move, now teasing the damp ends of hair over his nape. “I need company, no matter how temporary.”
Suspicious, unaccountably irate, Adam clarified, “Company, meaning sex?”
She smiled in a very provocative way. “That’d depend on the guy and how things progressed.”
Not happening. Adam claimed her hand with his, brought it down to his chest and flattened her palm over his heart. “How about you slow your roll on that?”
Ferris wheel lights glittered in her eyes.
Or maybe that was a pissed-off glitter. Hard to know.
“So tell me, Sugar, you plannin’ to slow your roll tonight?”
“If I’m with you, sure.” What the hell was he saying? “Instead of you running off to sleep with some nameless—” and lucky “—dude, how about we enjoy the carnival? You can keep flirting. I’ll tell you what works.” Which so far had been everything. “And in the meantime we could have some fun.” Not the type of fun he’d really like to have, but at the moment, he enjoyed her company enough that he could make a concession.
“Hmm.”
Watching her take her own sweet time thinking about his offer bugged Adam big time. It should’ve been an easy decision. By now, other women would have said-
“Okay.”
He released a tense breath.
“On one condition.”
His teeth locked and he cocked a brow in query.
Looking very stern and determined, she said, “End of the night, no matter how things go otherwise, I at least get a kiss.”
Whoa. After the craziness of this current interaction with her, Adam refused to make assumptions. “From who?”
“Why, from you, silly.”
He forgot they were in the open, that kids and their parents milled around them. Neighbors and teachers. The principal. Members of the school board.
His own meddling family.
All he could think about was getting his mouth on hers.
Catching her narrow waist in his hands, Adam slowly drew her in. “If it’s to be guaranteed, why save it for the end of the night? We could just start right off with—”
“There you are.” Amber swooped in with Noel Poet in tow. Far too enthusiastically, she pulled Issy away and locked her to her side. “I’ve been looking all over for you, Isabella. Noel has some men for you to meet.”
What the hell? Adam narrowed his eyes on Noel.
Noel immediately held up his hands. “Not my doing.”
“Don’t be modest,” Amber said, flipping her long dark braid. “Noel easily racked up three guys, all of them perfect.”
Damn it, he’d been about to kiss her. The last thing he wanted was for Amber to whisk her off to some other guy.
With biting irritation, Adam asked, “Perfect for what?”
At almost the same time, Issy said, “Really? For me?”
“Uh...” Noel looked like he wanted to make a run for it—until Amber took his hand. Then the putz melted.
It seemed to Adam that Amber and Noel made a most unlikely pair. But whether they admitted or not, that’s what they seemed to be—sort of.
As