“Hey, sugar,” he greeted her with a wink and, in return, she regarded him an impersonal tip of her head toward the door he blocked. Like they hadn’t spent an intimate—albeit sexless—night together a few short weeks ago. What the hell?

Not one to cause a scene, he stepped aside and let her slip by. A second later, her sweet, flowery scent one-two-punched him in the gut and he choked back a groan. She wanted to play like that night had never happened? Too bad. He couldn’t forget.

“You know, I think I left my phone, too. Be right back.” He didn’t wait for acknowledgment, just turned on the heel of his boots and followed after her. He found her standing in the garage next to Josh’s truck, muttering four-letter words and covering her face with her hands.

“Hey,” he said again and her shoulders flinched, but that was all the attention she gave him. So he went to her, his beer-free hand curling around her jean-clad hip from behind. “You gonna try and pretend you don’t know me, sugar?” he whispered in her ear. “Maybe I need to remind you that we didn’t do anything wrong.”

She spun on him, her dark eyes wild...wild with something he couldn’t quite define. Fear maybe? Shame? “Why the hell are you here?”

“Whoa.” He lifted his hands, beer bottle and all. “I’m not stalking you, if that’s what you think. I’m headed up to see my grandparents. Thought I’d stop in—”

“Well, give a girl some notice next time.”

Next time? He smiled. “I didn’t have your number. We forgot to swap.”

“That was intentional.” Pressing her fingertips into his chest, she gave him a light, but definitive push and he chuckled. There she was, that little spitfire he couldn’t stop thinking about it. “I wasn’t looking for a hook-up and we weren’t supposed to see each other again.”

“We share the same friends, Jenn. It would have happened eventually.”

She licked her lips and raked a hand through her hair. Hair he’d buried his face in while they’d slept. His dick twitched at the memory.

“You with him again?” he blurted out, catching her unaware if her quick intake of breath was any indication. “Dammit, you are, aren’t you?”

“No.” Hand still fisted in her dark locks, she shook her head. Too bad the color in her cheeks trumped her denial.

“He touches you like you’re together.” Maybe if he broke the bastard’s hands...

“Because that’s how it’s always been. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Not to Reed, but chicks were different. Jenny was different. It meant something to her, he could see it in her face. “He’s a fucking prick, Jenn. He’s stringing you along—”

“Brody, stop.” She put her hand to his chest again, and this time her fingers lingered as her eyes closed and she blew out a couple measured breaths. He like her hands on him. A lot. “We’re not together, okay?”

“But you’re not over him either.” Why the hell did saying those words feel like a knife to the gut? He barely knew this woman.

“You have to understand—he and I have gone back and forth like this since I was seventeen.” Her eyes fluttered open again and the pain she bared there made him want to storm inside and drag Reed Fletcher outside by his balls.

“You thought he’d eventually come to his senses and choose you.” It wasn’t a question and she didn’t refute the accusation. Instead, she held his stare, gulped, and slowly nodded that little chin. Shit. “Are you in love with him?”

She blinked at him for five unnerving seconds. “I don’t know. And why the hell are we even talking about this? God!” She bit at her lips in frustration and his focus slid to her mouth and then that long, sleek neck he liked so much. If she were his girl, he’d be semi-permanently attached to that creamy skin. Tasting her, sucking her, driving her wild... “I just...I know I don’t want him anymore. The problem is, I don’t know how to move on. My head gets that it’s over, but old habits are still hard to break, you know?”

Yep. All too well. Also...was he the only one who noticed how quickly they’d fallen into this conversation? Was she like this with everyone or did he bring out the talker in her? He rather liked the second option. “You need a new man in your life. Someone to cleanse your proverbial palate.”

She snorted. “The last thing I need is another man. Remember the whole loneliness problem? That’s still an issue. One I’m pretty sure I need to resolve before I bring someone else down with my neediness.”

“You’re not needy. You’re just...” He broke off, shaking his head. God, she was beautiful, every last bit of her.

“I’m what?” She blinked up at him, nibbling the corner of her lip. He took it all in. That thick, tuggable hair, those sexy, fuck-me eyes, that small, freckled nose...

Even the goose bumps on her collarbone were alluring. He’d love nothing more than to dip his head and warm her up with his mouth and lips and tongue, but he recognized a skittish colt when he saw one.

“You’re cold,” he said instead, rubbing his hand up and down her arm, her white sweater soft beneath his palm. “And I’m an ass for keeping you out here. Why don’t you head back inside with the shots and I’ll take one for the team and grab your phone?”

“I appreciate the offer, but my phone’s in the living room. In my purse.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “So you lied.”

She lifted a shoulder and flashed an innocent smile. “Sue me. You caught me off guard tonight. I needed a little air.”

Oh yeah, he liked where this was going. “Me? I thought your boy toy was to blame for this freak-out.”

She rolled her eyes and moved past him toward the door. Goddamn, her ass in those jeans...

“Don’t let it go to your head, Superman. I just like your t-shirt.”

Chapter Six

Love sucks, true love swallows.

Only Brody would wear a t-shirt like that to his grandparents’ house. Only Brody would be ballsy enough to plant his ass beside her on the couch, too, not giving a shit that he was the only rooster among the hens and that his buddies were talking smack about him in the kitchen because of it.

“He’s just worried he’ll get his ass beat at the table.”

“Fucker still owes me twenty bucks from the last time he played with us...two years ago.”

“Nah, he just feels more comfortable with the chicks. They’re probably painting their nails.”

“Are you just going to sit there and take that?” Maddie him asked from the floor in front of the coffee table once again. On her left, Carissa set out Cards Against Humanity.

“I’ve got a pretty good hand right here, don’t you think?” He waved a hand around at the all the ladies. “Four queens and an ace in the hole.” He squeezed Jenny’s knee on the last few words and she gave a bark of laughter.

“I know you’re not talking about me, Clark.”

Mischief danced in his eyes. “No? Should I tell them what you said in your sl—”

Slap! She fastened her hand over his mouth, both of them laughing. “I will cut you, I swear to God.”

“Wait a second,” Heather interjected while she flipped her hair up into a sloppy bun and settled into place on the other side of Maddie. “Who the hell is Clark? And why do I feel like you two know each other way better than any of us realized?”

“Oh, we do,” Brody said behind Jenny’s fingers, his eyebrows bouncing. She clamped down harder, giving him a warning glare, but then his hand dashed out, catching her in the ticklish spot just below her ribs. She collapsed against his chest, cursing under his vicious attack. “We know each other real well, don’t we, Jenn?”

She should kick his ass. And she probably would, as soon as he stopped touching her and she could breathe again. But, dammit, she hadn’t laughed like this in months. And—duh—he was touching her.

“Don’t let him fool you, ladies.” She shoved off of him, straightened her sweater, and poked his nose with a stern fingertip. “Clark here likes to talk big, but sadly that’s all...” Poke. “...he’s...” Poke. “...got.”