I almost choked on my own breath. “Womb broom? Red wagon? Seriously, where do you guys come up with these?”
Inside the salon, a fireman assured Simone it was a false alarm. Kids had smashed open the alarm and run off. It was an expensive prank for everyone because Simone had already sent out a group text canceling the afternoon appointments.
“You both might as well go,” she said. “Make the most of this beautiful afternoon.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“You don’t need to ask me twice,” Jane said, already picking up her purse and throwing it over her shoulder. She planted quick kisses on our cheeks as she breezed past us. “I’ve got a husband at home who owes me a back rub and I plan on cashing in on it.”
We watched her leave, her platinum blonde hair glowing in the sunlight as she climbed into her old Volkswagen Beetle.
Two minutes later, Simone shooed me out the door and I found McHottie waiting for me outside.
Leaning up against the wall, he straightened when I walked out and then sauntered over to me.
And holy hell, up close McHottie was even McHotter.
Blue eyes heavily fringed with long, dark lashes sparkled down at me. Although his hair was swept off his handsome face, it fell over his forehead like he had just ran his hands through it.
“Hey there,” he said. When he smiled, a dimple pressed into his cheek. “I saw you were leaving, thought I’d try and catch you before you got away.”
He had a very thick Alabamian accent, which somehow made him even sexier.
I didn’t know what to say. Because basically I was useless when it came to this kind of thing.
Fortunately, he was clearly used to women losing their ability to speak around him, and he didn’t wait for a reply. His eyes sparkled down at me as he offered me his hand. “My name is Peter.”
I shook it. “Chastity. Nice to meet you.”
He smiled. He had almost perfect white teeth, except for one at the front that was slightly chipped. Which I liked it because it meant he wasn’t completely flawless.
“Chastity.” He rolled my name on his tongue. “Well now, that’s a real pretty name. Tell me, what do pretty girls with pretty names do for fun in this town?”
I laughed at his cheesiness, but felt my cheeks redden under his sparkly gaze. I wasn’t easily flustered around men. Hell, I grew up with a clubhouse full of some of the crassest ones. But the way this guy looked at me had my blood zipping through me.
“We go to bars with men who buy us drinks and show us a good time.”
My response seemed to surprise him. Intrigue him, even. “Is that so.” His eyes never left mine. “What time should I pick you up?”
“That depends.” And mine never left his. “What night are you taking me out?”
“How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow at seven would be perfect.”
Our locked gaze lingered for a bit longer. Then he licked his lips and blew out an appreciative breath. “Goddamn.”
He handed me his phone and I added my number to his contact list.
“Tomorrow at seven, it is,” he said, taking his phone back.
“I’ll be waiting.”
His eyes swept over me. And when he walked away he cast a smoldering look over his shoulder before disappearing into the workshop.
I grinned and pushed back a surge of uncharacteristic excitement.
I had a date with a boy.
A very cute boy.
Time to dust off that v-card, or at least I hoped so.
RUGER
I never planned on inviting Chastity to live with me.
But the kid needed a break.
The last two years had been hell on her and her family, and I kind of had a soft spot where she was concerned.
As it turned out, having her as a roomie was nice. She was good company and brought a nice energy to the house. For the first time ever, my refrigerator was filled with food and my bathroom was littered with a female artillery of makeup and skincare items.
She was also easy to be around. I had known her since she was a kid, but I’d never taken the time to get to know the young woman she had grown into. And I had to admit, I was enjoying it more than I would’ve thought.
She was smart.
Interesting.
Funny.
And gorgeous inside and out.
Not that I wanted to notice how gorgeous she was. She was Bull’s niece and totally off limits… I also had no intention of breaking that rule.
Plus, I was a million years older than her and had no desire to be one of those guys who hooked up with a pretty young thing he had nothing in common with. Although, I had to admit, Chastity and I had more in common than I thought, considering our sixteen-year age gap. Like our combined love of gumbo and jambalaya, and a mutual obsession with eighties horror movies.