Jacob released a deep breath. “I don’t like it when Tina jumps on me like that, but I really hate it when she does it in front of Julie. Your sister probably talks bad about me all the time.”
Amanda didn’t want to confirm his suspicions. Though they’d never been exactly close, Tina was her little sister. But still, Jacob was right. Tina did talk smack about him all the time. That was the main reason why Julie got confused about the role her father played in her life. Jacob could make an effort to see his daughter more often, but the amount of crap he had to take from Tina every time he showed up would have turned most men away.
“Julie loves you,” Amanda said, unlocking her car doors with the button on her key fob. “That’s all that matters.”
“I just hope she doesn’t change her mind.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Amanda opened the trunk, and he leaned toward her to put his bag inside. When she caught the spicy scent of his aftershave, her knees went weak. It took every shred of her willpower not to bury her face in his neck and inhale. She wished she wasn’t so attracted to him. His utter masculinity made it so hard for her to behave herself.
When Jacob didn’t move away immediately, Amanda dragged her gaze up his body. His six feet of hard muscles and his broad shoulders completely overwhelmed her senses. For a minute, she thought he was leaning closer with the intention of kissing her, but as she couldn’t see his eyes through his dark sunglasses, she couldn’t know for sure if he was even looking at her. She plucked his disconcerting eyewear from his nose.
“Not sure why you always wear these damned things,” she said, folding them and tucking them into the neck of his white T-shirt. She forced her hands not to explore the distractingly cut chest muscles defined beneath his shirt. The man was gorgeous. Perfect. And she liked him. Always had. Couldn’t help herself.
“Because.”
She tore her appreciative gaze from Jacob’s body and peered into his eyes. She did know why he always wore sunglasses. He had expressive eyes that quickly made a person realize that he wasn’t the heartless, narcissistic son of a bitch he pretended to be. And that’s why she wanted him. Not because he was the most eyegasmic man ever to walk to earth, but because he felt. Deeply. And those pretty blue eyes of his revealed everything he tried to hide.
“Have you eaten?” she asked. “I’ll take you out. My treat.”
“I was planning on just hanging out at home. Maybe order a pizza. Eat it in front of the TV. Have a beer. Get in a good workout followed by a swim. Then I’m going to sit in the hot tub and vegetate.”
It sounded as if he would be busy being sweaty, wet and potentially naked for most of the evening. Holy hotness. Amanda suddenly needed a panty change. “Oh.”
“I wouldn’t mind some company though.” Before he could turn away, she’d caught his forlorn expression. Ah God, he was lonely. She wasn’t sure how a man who was surrounded by a perpetual crowd could ever be lonely, but even though those kissable lips could lie, those expressive blue eyes didn’t.
Amanda closed the trunk. “Do I count as company?” she asked.
“Can’t take a hint?” he said with a grin. He climbed into the car and shut the door.
A hint? What did he mean? That he wanted to spend more time with her? If only. Amanda was the smart, quirky sister. Tina was the hot sister who all the guys wanted. Jacob included. Amanda had come to terms with Tina’s appeal—and her own lack thereof—after the fourth time Amanda got dumped so her boyfriend could pursue Tina. It didn’t matter to them that Tina wasn’t interested in anyone who didn’t have a fat wallet.
Amanda got behind the wheel of her sensible Toyota, shut the door and fastened her seat belt.
“Did you need to stop anywhere before I drop you off at home?” she asked.
“You really can’t take a hint.”
He chuckled; the rich, deep sound made Amanda’s belly quiver.
“Say, Amanda, do you want to hang out with me and have some pizza and a beer? Watch a movie?”
“What kind of movie?”
“I don’t care.” His eyes widened as if he was struck by a horrendous revelation. “Just no chick flicks.”
Her heart was thudding like a jackhammer, but she somehow managed to play it cool and start the car. “I don’t know, Jacob. I’m pretty picky about the movies I watch. I have a chick-flick only policy.”
“I guess we’ll have to watch golf instead. I don’t do chick flicks.”
Golf? Snore-fest. Though if she was with Jacob, she couldn’t imagine even televised golf would be boring. “Well in that case … I guess I can tolerate a bit of testosterone. I do, however, draw the line at movies with fist-fight sound effects.”
He grinned, and the ambient temperature inside the car increased at least ten degrees. “Slasher horror movie it is.”
She laughed uneasily. She was a certified coward when it came to scary movies. “Sure. As long as you don’t mind me clinging to you in terror and hiding my face in your chest.” She couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering to that big, muscular chest. Yep, it looked perfect for hiding one’s face. Also perfect for fondling. And licking. Kissing. Caressing. Sucking. Massaging. Nib—
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” he said.
Her eyes lifted to meet his. Wait just a second. “Are you hitting on me, Jacob?”
“I thought that was obvious.”
Oh hell, yes. “I’m not sure if I should be alone with you. You might try to get in my pants.”
He chuckled. “I might.”
She knew he was teasing her, but that didn’t stop parts in her pants from readying themselves for a welcome invasion.
“I guess I’ll have to risk it,” she said, as if her heart wasn’t about to thud itself out of her chest. “You’ve given me a powerful craving for pizza. And a cold beer.”
She started the car and shifted it into drive.
“And burying my face in your chest,” she added.
He laughed. “I can hook you up with all three.”
His knuckles brushed the side of her leg, and she nearly leapt out of her skin. She praised her wise decision to wear shorts that morning.
“Hey, thanks for letting me know about Julie’s party.”
“No problem!” she squeaked.
Jacob’s thumb rubbed a small spot of skin just above her knee. Amanda’s panties were going to need scuba gear if they got any wetter.
Amanda didn’t want to confirm his suspicions. Though they’d never been exactly close, Tina was her little sister. But still, Jacob was right. Tina did talk smack about him all the time. That was the main reason why Julie got confused about the role her father played in her life. Jacob could make an effort to see his daughter more often, but the amount of crap he had to take from Tina every time he showed up would have turned most men away.
“Julie loves you,” Amanda said, unlocking her car doors with the button on her key fob. “That’s all that matters.”
“I just hope she doesn’t change her mind.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Amanda opened the trunk, and he leaned toward her to put his bag inside. When she caught the spicy scent of his aftershave, her knees went weak. It took every shred of her willpower not to bury her face in his neck and inhale. She wished she wasn’t so attracted to him. His utter masculinity made it so hard for her to behave herself.
When Jacob didn’t move away immediately, Amanda dragged her gaze up his body. His six feet of hard muscles and his broad shoulders completely overwhelmed her senses. For a minute, she thought he was leaning closer with the intention of kissing her, but as she couldn’t see his eyes through his dark sunglasses, she couldn’t know for sure if he was even looking at her. She plucked his disconcerting eyewear from his nose.
“Not sure why you always wear these damned things,” she said, folding them and tucking them into the neck of his white T-shirt. She forced her hands not to explore the distractingly cut chest muscles defined beneath his shirt. The man was gorgeous. Perfect. And she liked him. Always had. Couldn’t help herself.
“Because.”
She tore her appreciative gaze from Jacob’s body and peered into his eyes. She did know why he always wore sunglasses. He had expressive eyes that quickly made a person realize that he wasn’t the heartless, narcissistic son of a bitch he pretended to be. And that’s why she wanted him. Not because he was the most eyegasmic man ever to walk to earth, but because he felt. Deeply. And those pretty blue eyes of his revealed everything he tried to hide.
“Have you eaten?” she asked. “I’ll take you out. My treat.”
“I was planning on just hanging out at home. Maybe order a pizza. Eat it in front of the TV. Have a beer. Get in a good workout followed by a swim. Then I’m going to sit in the hot tub and vegetate.”
It sounded as if he would be busy being sweaty, wet and potentially naked for most of the evening. Holy hotness. Amanda suddenly needed a panty change. “Oh.”
“I wouldn’t mind some company though.” Before he could turn away, she’d caught his forlorn expression. Ah God, he was lonely. She wasn’t sure how a man who was surrounded by a perpetual crowd could ever be lonely, but even though those kissable lips could lie, those expressive blue eyes didn’t.
Amanda closed the trunk. “Do I count as company?” she asked.
“Can’t take a hint?” he said with a grin. He climbed into the car and shut the door.
A hint? What did he mean? That he wanted to spend more time with her? If only. Amanda was the smart, quirky sister. Tina was the hot sister who all the guys wanted. Jacob included. Amanda had come to terms with Tina’s appeal—and her own lack thereof—after the fourth time Amanda got dumped so her boyfriend could pursue Tina. It didn’t matter to them that Tina wasn’t interested in anyone who didn’t have a fat wallet.
Amanda got behind the wheel of her sensible Toyota, shut the door and fastened her seat belt.
“Did you need to stop anywhere before I drop you off at home?” she asked.
“You really can’t take a hint.”
He chuckled; the rich, deep sound made Amanda’s belly quiver.
“Say, Amanda, do you want to hang out with me and have some pizza and a beer? Watch a movie?”
“What kind of movie?”
“I don’t care.” His eyes widened as if he was struck by a horrendous revelation. “Just no chick flicks.”
Her heart was thudding like a jackhammer, but she somehow managed to play it cool and start the car. “I don’t know, Jacob. I’m pretty picky about the movies I watch. I have a chick-flick only policy.”
“I guess we’ll have to watch golf instead. I don’t do chick flicks.”
Golf? Snore-fest. Though if she was with Jacob, she couldn’t imagine even televised golf would be boring. “Well in that case … I guess I can tolerate a bit of testosterone. I do, however, draw the line at movies with fist-fight sound effects.”
He grinned, and the ambient temperature inside the car increased at least ten degrees. “Slasher horror movie it is.”
She laughed uneasily. She was a certified coward when it came to scary movies. “Sure. As long as you don’t mind me clinging to you in terror and hiding my face in your chest.” She couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering to that big, muscular chest. Yep, it looked perfect for hiding one’s face. Also perfect for fondling. And licking. Kissing. Caressing. Sucking. Massaging. Nib—
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” he said.
Her eyes lifted to meet his. Wait just a second. “Are you hitting on me, Jacob?”
“I thought that was obvious.”
Oh hell, yes. “I’m not sure if I should be alone with you. You might try to get in my pants.”
He chuckled. “I might.”
She knew he was teasing her, but that didn’t stop parts in her pants from readying themselves for a welcome invasion.
“I guess I’ll have to risk it,” she said, as if her heart wasn’t about to thud itself out of her chest. “You’ve given me a powerful craving for pizza. And a cold beer.”
She started the car and shifted it into drive.
“And burying my face in your chest,” she added.
He laughed. “I can hook you up with all three.”
His knuckles brushed the side of her leg, and she nearly leapt out of her skin. She praised her wise decision to wear shorts that morning.
“Hey, thanks for letting me know about Julie’s party.”
“No problem!” she squeaked.
Jacob’s thumb rubbed a small spot of skin just above her knee. Amanda’s panties were going to need scuba gear if they got any wetter.
