For a second or two, Corbin’s jaw worked before he made a visible effort to shutter his frustration. “What did you do?”
“Oh, that was well done. You went from looking pissed to merely curious.” When his eyes narrowed, she laughed and joined him at the stove, taking the fork from him and poking at the chops. “I made it clear that we were over. You don’t ever have to worry about that. Even if things ended between us tomorrow, I wouldn’t go back to Geoff.”
“Things aren’t ending between us.”
“God, I hope not! I was just saying, Geoff is no longer an option, regardless. But...”
He reclaimed the fork, then put it on the stove. “But what?”
It really was funny to see a guy like Corbin acting territorial. Funny and oh-so-flattering. Ivey turned down the burner, then wrapped her arms around him. “How long before Justin joins us?”
Reluctantly, he returned her embrace. “Justin?” he called out.
From the other room, they heard, “Yeah, Dad?”
“Get your hands washed, okay? Dinner is almost ready.”
“Kay.”
Corbin squeezed her closer. “Minutes, so tell me quick what’s going on.”
“Nothing between Geoff and me, I promise.” She looked up at him, and decided why not? “I’m falling hard for you, so you see, you have nothing to worry about. I’m the one who should be worried—”
His kiss stole the rest of her statement, but this time it was firm and fast. “No, Ivey. You have nothing to worry about, not where I’m concerned.”
Okay...awesome. Glad that she’d brought it up, Ivey grinned at him. “Go, me!”
A reluctant smile led to a short laugh. “Sometimes you’re nuts, you know that, right?” He turned her away with a swat on her butt. “But you’re also really good for my ego.”
“Ditto.” Leaning against the counter, Ivey asked, “What can I do to help with dinner?”
“You can quit stalling and tell me what happened with your ex.”
True, he already had the table set and he clearly had the meal in hand. “I suppose I should.”
“Ivey.”
“Geoff is actually misunderstood.” There, having said it out loud, she could finally address it. “I feel badly now for thinking he was such a jerk.” The incredulous look Corbin shot her made her sigh in frustration. “Well, I do. You should have seen him today.”
“No, thank you.”
“Corbin.” She watched as he dumped the cheese noodles from the pan into a bowl and set it on the table. “Feeling sorry for someone is not the same as being attracted to them.”
“But I’m betting that was his plan. He knows how you are—”
“How am I?”
“Big-hearted,” he said with a frown. “Kind and considerate.”
Such sweet compliments. “Most people are.”
“No, many people are not. He’s trying to soften you up, Ivey, and I don’t like the idea of him waiting around to catch you alone. It’s stalkerish.”
“I wasn’t alone. I was with Hope.”
“What if the next time you aren’t?”
That...did give her something to think about. “Geoff isn’t a threat,” she assured him. But it would be horribly uncomfortable to be alone with him.
“Let me guess.” Corbin folded his arms. “He wants to be friends.”
Wow, nailed it. “He, um, did mention that.”
Rolling his eyes, Corbin called out again, “Justin?”
“Be right there.”
“I’ll go check on him,” Ivey said. She needed a minute to think without a guy confusing her.
On her way past him, Corbin caught her arm, drawing her to a halt. He looked frustrated and determined as he stared into her eyes. His gaze dipped to her mouth, and then he was kissing her again. This, she decided, was much easier than debating what to do about Geoff.
“Blech,” Justin said as he headed for the table.
They immediately broke apart. Corbin looked nonplussed, as if he’d forgotten himself.
Flustered, Ivey patted his chest and turned to Justin. “You think kissing me is gross?” She hauled him close and loudly smooched his cheek, enjoying the way he snickered and wiggled.
When she let him go, Justin surprised her by hugging her hard again. That was the second freely given hug she’d gotten from him, and it meant just as much as the first.
Over Justin’s head, she shared a very contented smile with Corbin. “I’m starved and this smells delicious. Let’s eat.”
Chapter Nine
Lang went perfectly still when Hope, trying to be casual and failing, removed her cover-up and dropped it on the boat seat behind her. It had been enough of a surprise that she’d joined him in the cover-up with her slim legs showing. Beautiful legs.
Trying not to stare, unwilling to embarrass her or to upset her with too much interest, he’d given thanks for the reflective sunglasses he wore.
She’d hastily slipped on her own wide sunglasses and asked with a smile, “Ready?”
Wasn’t easy, but he’d found his tongue. “Yup. Here, let me carry that.” He took her oversize tote bag from her and, going for a nonthreatening move, put his hand lightly to her back.
She hadn’t moved away, and his thoughts had been spiraling ever since.
Now, alone on the boat out in the middle of the lake, seeing her in a swimsuit—an insanely modest suit that covered as much as it could—he felt like a high school boy headed behind the bleachers with his first serious girlfriend.
She appeared to be holding her breath, so he slowed the boat until they merely idled over the main body of the lake, then gave her his attention. He even pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head, which made her cheeks bloom with color.
“You look amazing, Hope.”
Her tongue slipped out over her lips. “You like it? It’s new.”
Tenderness nearly overtook sexual interest. Hope looked soft, but she had strength. The innocent expectation in her eyes nearly leveled him. He knew in that moment that he would do everything in his power to see that she was never hurt again.
He’d start with helping her discover her own empowerment. She had it; it was there in her intelligence and her generous nature, and with her desire to move on with her life, to step out of the past and explore the future without fear.