He turned his head and kissed her fingers, sending bolts of electricity streaking through her body.
"We . . . should stop," she said.
"Yes, we should." But he made no move to pull away from her.
From somewhere behind them, a voice broke through. "Really! Ethan, what if your students see you?"
They jerked apart and looked up to see the two indignant elderly ladies who had shown up on their doorstep the previous morning. Well, only one seemed to be indignant. The smaller of the two women – Lenora – was covering her mouth with one hand in apparent astonishment, but Tara thought the old woman's eyes were sparkling with concealed laughter.
Vernabelle was definitely not laughing.
"Nice to see you again, ladies," Ethan said smoothly. He stood up and helped Tara to her feet.
"It is shameful for a teacher to behave this way in public," Vernabelle told him.
"You're absolutely right. I apologize. I guess we just couldn't help ourselves, right, Tara?"
She nodded, feeling her face grow warm again.
"Bea always told us how perfect the two of you were together," Lenora said. "She would be so happy to see you so obviously in love. Verna, we should leave them alone and mind our own business."
"But, but—" her sister sputtered.
"Our church is putting on a Sloppy Joe dinner at that tent over there," Lenora told them, pointing. "We donated some pies, so you two should head that way when you get hungry. All proceeds go to the Food Pantry."
"Not your famous blueberry pies, Miss Vernabelle?" Ethan asked. "Your pies are the reason the Methodist tent always brings in more money than any of the other food stands. Tara, you have not tasted pie until you've tried one of Vernabelle Hyde's blueberry pies."
She began to look slightly less miffed. By the time he finished charming her, she was beaming at them both. They promised to return to the Methodist tent for dinner and finally moved on after several hugs and knowing smiles from the sisters.
"That was impressive," Tara said under her breath.
"Vernabelle Hyde is a direct line to Jacqueline," he told her. "Our 'relationship' will be the talk of the town within the hour."
Of course. Tara could have kicked herself. She'd been so caught up in those moments on the bench that she'd forgotten it was all just for show. It had been all about making a point in front of her ex-boyfriend and establishing themselves in public as a couple.
He had acted to save his house, not because he wanted her .
Fine. If he wanted to give them a show, she'd give them a show. She stopped in her tracks, turned to face him, and went up on tiptoe. Before she could lose her nerve, she leaned in close and kissed him.
Chapter Nine
Ethan was too surprised to pull away from the kiss. It started tentatively, but he had to have more. He pulled her close and claimed her mouth with his, suddenly hungry for the taste of her.
She stiffened in his arms and then melted against him even as a few catcalls and whistles broke out near them.
Damn it.
Reluctantly, he pulled away from her.
"What was that for?" he asked hoarsely.
"Just giving the people what they want," she told him. She seemed as rattled as he was; however, there was smugness to her smile that he wasn't sure he liked.
He didn't like anything about the way he was feeling right now. He had felt slightly off-balance all afternoon, and he hated to admit to himself that it was all because of Tara. Seeing that swaggering jerk of an ex-boyfriend had triggered some uncomfortable jealousy in him, and he had acted on the crazy impulse to hold her close just to make the other man feel that same jealousy.
Ethan hadn't expected to feel so attracted to her in that moment. And he certainly hadn't expected her to kiss him like that.
He wanted to take her away from the crowd, get her alone, and finish what she had started with that kiss.
"You don't play fair," he growled.
She laughed.
After that, the games on the midway were anti-climactic. He won a small
"We . . . should stop," she said.
"Yes, we should." But he made no move to pull away from her.
From somewhere behind them, a voice broke through. "Really! Ethan, what if your students see you?"
They jerked apart and looked up to see the two indignant elderly ladies who had shown up on their doorstep the previous morning. Well, only one seemed to be indignant. The smaller of the two women – Lenora – was covering her mouth with one hand in apparent astonishment, but Tara thought the old woman's eyes were sparkling with concealed laughter.
Vernabelle was definitely not laughing.
"Nice to see you again, ladies," Ethan said smoothly. He stood up and helped Tara to her feet.
"It is shameful for a teacher to behave this way in public," Vernabelle told him.
"You're absolutely right. I apologize. I guess we just couldn't help ourselves, right, Tara?"
She nodded, feeling her face grow warm again.
"Bea always told us how perfect the two of you were together," Lenora said. "She would be so happy to see you so obviously in love. Verna, we should leave them alone and mind our own business."
"But, but—" her sister sputtered.
"Our church is putting on a Sloppy Joe dinner at that tent over there," Lenora told them, pointing. "We donated some pies, so you two should head that way when you get hungry. All proceeds go to the Food Pantry."
"Not your famous blueberry pies, Miss Vernabelle?" Ethan asked. "Your pies are the reason the Methodist tent always brings in more money than any of the other food stands. Tara, you have not tasted pie until you've tried one of Vernabelle Hyde's blueberry pies."
She began to look slightly less miffed. By the time he finished charming her, she was beaming at them both. They promised to return to the Methodist tent for dinner and finally moved on after several hugs and knowing smiles from the sisters.
"That was impressive," Tara said under her breath.
"Vernabelle Hyde is a direct line to Jacqueline," he told her. "Our 'relationship' will be the talk of the town within the hour."
Of course. Tara could have kicked herself. She'd been so caught up in those moments on the bench that she'd forgotten it was all just for show. It had been all about making a point in front of her ex-boyfriend and establishing themselves in public as a couple.
He had acted to save his house, not because he wanted her .
Fine. If he wanted to give them a show, she'd give them a show. She stopped in her tracks, turned to face him, and went up on tiptoe. Before she could lose her nerve, she leaned in close and kissed him.
Chapter Nine
Ethan was too surprised to pull away from the kiss. It started tentatively, but he had to have more. He pulled her close and claimed her mouth with his, suddenly hungry for the taste of her.
She stiffened in his arms and then melted against him even as a few catcalls and whistles broke out near them.
Damn it.
Reluctantly, he pulled away from her.
"What was that for?" he asked hoarsely.
"Just giving the people what they want," she told him. She seemed as rattled as he was; however, there was smugness to her smile that he wasn't sure he liked.
He didn't like anything about the way he was feeling right now. He had felt slightly off-balance all afternoon, and he hated to admit to himself that it was all because of Tara. Seeing that swaggering jerk of an ex-boyfriend had triggered some uncomfortable jealousy in him, and he had acted on the crazy impulse to hold her close just to make the other man feel that same jealousy.
Ethan hadn't expected to feel so attracted to her in that moment. And he certainly hadn't expected her to kiss him like that.
He wanted to take her away from the crowd, get her alone, and finish what she had started with that kiss.
"You don't play fair," he growled.
She laughed.
After that, the games on the midway were anti-climactic. He won a small
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