sweeper. It was better this way. The second she’d opened her door and he’d seen her wide, made-up eyes, glowing tan skin, silky, brown hair, and that little green gem nestled in the perfect dimple of her belly button, he’d forgotten he was there to check out her lawn. He’d gotten a boner right there on her porch. Thank God she hadn’t looked down.
He should be counting his blessings he’d blown his chance with her. Girl like Jade could be his Kryptonite. His virginity vow wouldn’t stand a chance with her.
Would it be such a bad thing to be deflowered by Jade Alderwood? whispered a little voice in his head.
It was temptation talking. He’d had lots of experience tamping down that voice. And when it got too loud to tamp down on his own, he could count on his buddy, Nick, to keep him accountable. Nick was the one guy who had taken a virginity vow alongside him and, like him, had stuck to it. Emmett had almost broken it at least a dozen times, but two things had kept him honest: prayer and thinking of how disappointed Nick would be if he gave in.
He threw the sweeper in gear and backed up so he could pull around Jade’s car. Maybe he’d be better off sending Theo to do her lawn Thursday.
Movement out of the corner of his eye made him look toward the house. Jade was jogging up the brick walk in her bare feet. She waved at him and he forced his gaze not to trail down to the tantalizing sway of her breasts under her shirt. He stared determinedly at her face and lifted his chin in what he hoped passed for cool acknowledgment as she approached his window. He cranked it down as she lifted her hand and jangled her keys.
“Let me get my car out of your way.”
She said car like cah and out of your way as one quick word: atta-yaway . Most folks around Dover had a gentler version of the New England r-dropping accent, but Jade’s brash city accent made him smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just go around.”
“It’s no problem.” She beamed up at him, and he forgot how to breathe.
But something was wrong. It was either a trick of the shady maple overhead or she had a bruise around her left eye. He hadn’t noticed it before, talking to her in her dark hall, but in the daylight, he saw a hint of purple peeking past her make-up. Looking back and forth between her eyes, he noticed her left eyelid was swollen compared to her right. The thought of anything coming into contact with her delicate face hard enough to bruise it had his knuckles white on the gearshift.
“I’ve never parked in the driveway before,” she was saying, her eyes on the tan sedan tucked neatly into the bib of driveway between the lawn and the hedges. “It feels weird. The driveway is for the people who live somewhere. Visitors use the street.” Her gaze came back to his. “But I guess I live here now. I should get used to parking behind Grandma Nina’s car.” She shrugged a slender shoulder. “It’s not like she needs to get out or anything.”
There was a vulnerability beneath her brazen beauty that tugged on something way down deep in him.
“Not for a while, anyway,” he said lamely.
“Jeez, listen to me. A regular chatter box this morning.” She backed away from the sweeper, looking uncomfortable.
He had the craziest impulse to hug her long and hard and tell her she could chatter all she wanted.
“Well, see you Thursday,” she said, and she got in her car. Her brake lights came on as she started the engine. A warm shiver whispered up his spine at the thought of her bare feet on the pedals.
He shook himself and started the brooms while she swung her car into the driveway. When she got out of her car and waved goodbye, he responded with a salute. Easing the sweeper forward, he continued tidying Little Turnpike Road, resisting the urge to watch her walk back to her house in his rear-view mirror.
But her image rode along with him, ensuring he swept with a semi in his Levi’s most of the day. When he made it home, he
He should be counting his blessings he’d blown his chance with her. Girl like Jade could be his Kryptonite. His virginity vow wouldn’t stand a chance with her.
Would it be such a bad thing to be deflowered by Jade Alderwood? whispered a little voice in his head.
It was temptation talking. He’d had lots of experience tamping down that voice. And when it got too loud to tamp down on his own, he could count on his buddy, Nick, to keep him accountable. Nick was the one guy who had taken a virginity vow alongside him and, like him, had stuck to it. Emmett had almost broken it at least a dozen times, but two things had kept him honest: prayer and thinking of how disappointed Nick would be if he gave in.
He threw the sweeper in gear and backed up so he could pull around Jade’s car. Maybe he’d be better off sending Theo to do her lawn Thursday.
Movement out of the corner of his eye made him look toward the house. Jade was jogging up the brick walk in her bare feet. She waved at him and he forced his gaze not to trail down to the tantalizing sway of her breasts under her shirt. He stared determinedly at her face and lifted his chin in what he hoped passed for cool acknowledgment as she approached his window. He cranked it down as she lifted her hand and jangled her keys.
“Let me get my car out of your way.”
She said car like cah and out of your way as one quick word: atta-yaway . Most folks around Dover had a gentler version of the New England r-dropping accent, but Jade’s brash city accent made him smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just go around.”
“It’s no problem.” She beamed up at him, and he forgot how to breathe.
But something was wrong. It was either a trick of the shady maple overhead or she had a bruise around her left eye. He hadn’t noticed it before, talking to her in her dark hall, but in the daylight, he saw a hint of purple peeking past her make-up. Looking back and forth between her eyes, he noticed her left eyelid was swollen compared to her right. The thought of anything coming into contact with her delicate face hard enough to bruise it had his knuckles white on the gearshift.
“I’ve never parked in the driveway before,” she was saying, her eyes on the tan sedan tucked neatly into the bib of driveway between the lawn and the hedges. “It feels weird. The driveway is for the people who live somewhere. Visitors use the street.” Her gaze came back to his. “But I guess I live here now. I should get used to parking behind Grandma Nina’s car.” She shrugged a slender shoulder. “It’s not like she needs to get out or anything.”
There was a vulnerability beneath her brazen beauty that tugged on something way down deep in him.
“Not for a while, anyway,” he said lamely.
“Jeez, listen to me. A regular chatter box this morning.” She backed away from the sweeper, looking uncomfortable.
He had the craziest impulse to hug her long and hard and tell her she could chatter all she wanted.
“Well, see you Thursday,” she said, and she got in her car. Her brake lights came on as she started the engine. A warm shiver whispered up his spine at the thought of her bare feet on the pedals.
He shook himself and started the brooms while she swung her car into the driveway. When she got out of her car and waved goodbye, he responded with a salute. Easing the sweeper forward, he continued tidying Little Turnpike Road, resisting the urge to watch her walk back to her house in his rear-view mirror.
But her image rode along with him, ensuring he swept with a semi in his Levi’s most of the day. When he made it home, he
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