Half-Hitched

Kevin Ames.

“God, look at you.” He held her at arm’s length, his face glowing. Eleven years later, he looked exactly the same. Maybe his face was thinner, maybe his skin was a bit weathered, and now that she looked, had he lightened his hair? But really, exactly the same. “You’ve turned into one seriously hot babe, Addie!”

His face might be glowing, hers was on fire. “Thanks, Kevin. You really—”

“Addie all grown up.” He shook his head, looking her closely up and down. Somewhat disturbingly, she noticed his eyes were the exact shade of brown as Derek’s. Medium caramel. Only for some reason they weren’t doing quite the same things to her. “Addie Sewell. I can’t believe it. You’re a real woman now.”

“Oh, well.” She was taken aback by his seductive tone then chided herself for being such a prude. Kevin wanting her was the whole point. “I just did the normal grow—”

“What were you, seventeen, eighteen last time I saw you?”

She nodded, unable to blush any harder than she was, or she’d try. “Eighteen.”

“I remember that time very well, Addie.” His voice lowered, his gaze turned tender. He touched her under the chin, making her shiver. “We never quite got synced up, you and me.”

“Uh, no. Not quite.” She peeked up at him under her lashes, trying not to be mortified by the memory of her outburst at their last meeting. He certainly didn’t seem to hold it against her. “I was a little naive.”

“You were?” One eyebrow rose suggestively. “So that means you’re not anymore?”

Man, her blush mechanism was going to wear out at this rate. But this was what she had come for. No matter how loudly Aunt Grace’s boxes were calling to her, no matter how uneasy and rattled she felt around Kevin, she wasn’t going to be the shy hide-away girl anymore. “No, Kevin. Not anymore.”

“I’m really glad to hear that, Addie.” He leaned in close, caught and intertwined her fingers with his, gave them a squeeze. “I’ve always had a soft spot for you. Actually…sometimes a hard spot.”

She caught herself just before she cringed, and smiled up at him without shame this time, waiting for the world to disappear around them the way it had around her and Derek.

Waiting…

And…

Hmm.

Well, she felt all warm and melty and sweet, that was something, right?

Plenty.

“Kevin!” A guy Addie barely knew—John, she thought—one of Paul and Kevin’s old track buddies charged out of the house and Kevin bolted away for the chest-bumping man-hug.

Addie grinned at the macho ritual then on impulse turned around, feeling eyes burning into her back.

He was still there, feet planted apart, hands on his hips, looking grimmer than she’d ever seen him, or pretty much anyone, look.

Not because of her and Kevin?

No. He didn’t look sulky or immature or sour-grapes. He looked…angry. And strong. And nobly determined.

And sexy as hell.

Turning head away, lalala, can’t seeeee you!

“Addie.” Sarah bounded toward her, drink in hand. “We have got to talk.”

“Now?” She peered around Sarah at Kevin, relieved to have an excuse not to look back at Derek again. “Can’t I have a few more minutes?”

“No.” Sarah grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the crowd, across the top of the hill where Addie and Derek had walked the night before.

“What is it, Sarah?”

“I have to tell you something.”

“I figured that much.” She was used to Sarah’s drama, but this time Sarah seemed uncharacteristically uneasy. Usually Addie had the feeling that underneath the wailing and gnashing of teeth, Sarah was enjoying herself immensely. Not this time. “What’s going on, are you okay?”

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