I opened the passenger door for Jennie and went to the back of the car to put the saber and eye patch in the trunk, glad to have a moment alone before I got into the car with Jennie. My lips still tingled, and all I wanted was to kiss Jennie again.
Cut it out! You're just friends, remember? Get yourself together.
I wasn't about to destroy my fragile friendship with Jennie by giving in to my attraction.
After taking a deep breath, I climbed into the driver's seat, started the car, and pretended to need my full attention for driving.
The silence between us was awkward.
I peeked over at Jennie, who stared out of the side window. Passing streetlamps bathed her face in a succession of lights and shadows. Between glances at the road, I admired the gentle curve of her cheek and the shape of her li—
Stop thinking like that! Her lips are none of your business.
I wrenched my gaze away and turned on the radio to fill the silence between us.
A female singer sang about kissing a girl.
Jesus Christ! Can't I get a break here?
I turned off the radio.
Tick-tick-tick. The rhythmic sound of the turn signal filled the car as I made a right turn. I glanced over at the passenger seat again, just as Jennie peeked at me.
Our gazes met and then veered away like billiard balls bouncing off each other.
This is ridiculous.
Determined to clear the air between us, I turned back toward Jennie. "I think we should—"
"I'm sorry if I—"
We spoke simultaneously and then looked at each other as our words trailed off.
The headlights of another car made me redirect my attention toward the road. "Want to come over to my place so we can talk? I don't want things to be awkward between us just because ..."
Jennie fingered the golden rank insignia on her uniform collar. "All right," she said after a moment. "We need to decide what to say when Jin calls anyway."
Jin. I groaned. Of course. That's why she kissed you in the first place, idiot.
When I parked the car in front of the house, Jennie got out before I could walk around and open the car door for her.
I sighed and followed Jennie to the front door.
Lego bounded up to us from somewhere behind the barn. He circled me, then Jennie, sniffing and purring excitedly, as if she were a long-lost buddy. When Jennie returned his enthusiastic greeting by rubbing his head, Lego jumped up and planted his front paws on Jennie's legs.
"Lego, off!" I grabbed him and dragged him away from Jennie, but the damage was already done.
Muddy paw prints covered the black pants. "Shit, Jennie, I'm sorry."
Jennie rubbed at the mud stains with her fingers, managing to smear them even more. "It's not that bad. I'm sure it'll all come out in the wash."
"Come on in and let me soak it for you before the stains set," I said. "I'll give you a pair of sweats."
"Do you have something that will fit me?" Jennie asked. A small smile darted across her face. "No offense, but you're not exactly my height."
"Hey, are you calling me vertically challenged?" I narrowed my eyes at Jennie, glad to be able to lighten the mood and introduce some playfulness into the evening again.
Jennie shrugged. "If the size-six shoe fits."
"I'm not a size six, Bigfoot," I said. Secretly, I was pleased that Jennie felt relaxed enough with me to joke and tease. I led Jennie through the house. When I stopped in front of the guest room and turned toward Jennie, I had to grin.
"You somehow managed to get mud on your chin." I said.
"Here?" Jennie rubbed at the wrong side of her chin. Now a second mud stain covered her face.
"Um, no." My fingers were itching to reach out and rub the mud off her face, but I resisted. "If you want, you can get washed up. The guest room has its own bath. I'm going to clean up Lego's mess, soak your uniform, and change out of this costume too, so take your time. I'll leave a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt in front of the door."
Maybe a moment alone would help us both overcome the awkwardness.
* * *
When I returned to the living room, I found Jennie on the couch with Lego next to her, his head and now clean front paws resting on her lap. The cat purred contentedly as Jennie ran her fingers through his soft fur.
Lucky cat.
"Is he okay up here?" Jennie asked.
"Sure. As long as he's not bothering you."
"Oh, no. He's great."
With Lego occupying the couch next to Jennie, at least I didn't have to decide where to sit. I settled in the armchair on the other side of the coffee table and glanced over at Jennie. Despite the tension between us, I had to smile at how adorable Jennie looked in my sweats. The pant legs stopped halfway down Annie's calves, revealing smooth pale skin. Her hair fell into her face and partially hid her expression.
Silence settled between us, interrupted only by Lego's contented purrs.
"I'm sorry for ambushing you like that," Jennie said without preamble, her gaze still fixed on Lego.
I looked up from the hypnotic circles Jennie's fingers combed through Lego's fur.
"Ambushing?" I asked.
"Yeah. I mean ... just because you're a lesbian doesn't mean you want to be kissed by just any woman, right?" she explained.
"Right," I said halfheartedly. But I wanted to be kissed by you, and that was part of the problem.
What the hell is going on with me?
I had been around attractive straight women before, some of them more classically beautiful than Jennie, but I had always put them firmly in the "unavailable" category. I was not a fifteen-year-old teenager, ruled by hormones, so why did my heartbeat pick up every time I remembered kissing Jennie?
Jennie continued, "I know I should have talked to you about it first, but there was no time, and Nikki..."
"Hey, calm down," I said when Jennie's face took on an unhealthy color. "I know you had to improvise, and I'm fine with it. It's not like it was horrible for me or anything. Was it really that bad for you?" I tried to sound casual and not make a big deal out of it, but I held my breath while I waited for her answer.
She rubbed her lips with her knuckles while she thought about her answer, making me swallow. "Oh, no, it wasn't horrible. No. It was —"
Loud pounding on the front door interrupted her. Lego lifted his head and stared at the door.
Not now. I threw an annoyed glance at the door, but the hammering continued. I wanted to get rid of the unwelcome visitor and return to the conversation as quickly as possible.
But instead of a customer or a neighbor from one of the surrounding vineyards, Jin towered over me.
"I don't know what kind of fucking game you think you're playing with my sister, but it's going to stop. Right now!" he growled.
"Jin, I —"
"No!" He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "She's not just some chick you can have some fun with for a few nights. Goddammit, she's my sister! If you hurt her, I swear I'll —"
"Let go of her right now!" Jennie's icy voice made both of us freeze.
Hands still on my shoulders, now more holding on than shaking, Jin stared at his sister as she marched toward us.
"Jennie? What are you doing here?" His eyes widened even more when he took in the too-short sweats. "What's going on? Tell me Rob was just drunk. You weren't kissing Lisa. If anything, she kissed you, right?"
"No, she... I ..." Jennie inhaled deeply, pulled me away from Jin, and wrapped one arm around my waist.
I sucked in a breath as Jennie's hand came to rest against my hip.
"No," Jennie repeated, her voice louder and steadier this time. She lifted her chin and stared at her brother. "I was the one who kissed her."
Jin's gaze flicked back and forth between us. "No," he whispered. He shook his head as if that would help him get rid of the images in his head. "I don't believe—"
Jennie's arms trembled as she pulled me even closer. Her gaze was fixed on my lips, making them tingle, and then Jennie tilted her head.
Heat shot through me. My heart hammered against my ribs. She's gonna kiss me again. I held still, barely breathing as her face came closer.
And closer.
Hot breath brushed over my lips, making me shiver.
At the last moment, Jennie turned her head and kissed me on the cheek instead.
Then the warmth of her arm around my hip retreated.
No, don't go!
The dense haze of anticipation lifted. I blinked up at Jennie. My gaze darted back and forth between Jennie's lips and her eyes.
When I looked up, Jin was staring at us through narrowed eyes. Slowly, the frown disappeared from his face and the skin around his eyes crinkled with laugh lines. He clutched the door frame as he shook with laughter.
"Oh, that was good." He waved his index finger at us and nodded repeatedly. "You almost had me. Very funny. You almost convinced me," he gave me a slap to the shoulder, "but, Jennie, you can't act to save your life. Never could. How much did you pay Rob to help you out with your little hoax?"
"What? No, it's not a hoax," Jennie said. "Lisa and I ... we really ..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're a horny new couple who can hardly wait to tear each other's clothes off." Jin laughed at his sister's blush. "Nice try. I hate to tell you this at your age, sis, but that awkward peck you just gave her, that's how you kiss your grandmother, not your lover. You couldn't French-kiss a woman if your life depended on it."
Jennie's face turned red, but this time, I could tell that it wasn't a blush of embarrassment.
"Oh, yeah? How about this?" Jennie turned toward me and grabbed me by the shoulders.
As I was wrenched against Jennie's body, I caught a glimpse of Jin. He turned and waved as if to say, "Don't bother. I've already seen you kiss her and I don't believe it for a moment."
Then my vision grew hazy and I forgot about Jin as Jennie laid a breathtaking kiss on me.
I moaned when Jennie's tongue slid against my own. My whole body tingled. I tried to hold back and keep some control, but Jennie's passionate attack threatened to overwhelm my senses.
When she let go of me, I leaned against the nearest wall and stared at Jennie, who looked just as shell-shocked as I felt. My gaze zeroed in on Jennie's open, wet lips. I could still taste her and feel her breasts press against my chest.
Oh, Jesus. I gasped for breath. What a kiss. If that doesn't convince Jin, I don't know what will.
But when I glanced at the doorway, Jin was gone.
"Damn." I glanced at Jennie, who touched her lips with trembling fingers, her face a bright pink.
Great. That's it. Now I would never see her again.
Jennie stared back and forth between the closed door and me, her eyes wide and unfocused. "Did he see ...?"
I sighed. "I don't think so. I think he walked out right after the 'kiss your grandmother' comment." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I take it our Thanksgiving plans are off?"
"What?" Jennie lifted her head and looked at me as if she needed a few seconds to understand what I had said. "I don't know. Do you want out?"
"No, but ..." Hadn't she realized what had just happened? "Jin smelled a rat. He didn't believe our little act."
"Yet," Jennie said. "He doesn't believe us yet, but maybe he would have if he had seen the kiss. I don't want to give up. For once in my life, I'll be the one who gets the last laugh, not him." Her eyes sparked with determination. "We just need to try harder to convince him."
Try harder.
Heat rushed through my veins when my overactive imagination showed my glimpses of practice sessions in which I taught Jennie to be more convincing.
Well, in the kissing department, she's already pretty convincing.
I rubbed my overheated face and let a breath escape.
"You okay?" Jennie brushed her hand along my forearm.
My arm started to tingle. "I'm fine."
"Are you still in?" Jennie asked.
Despite my attraction to her—or maybe because of it, I wasn't so sure anymore. I wanted to help her make Jin sweat.
"I'm in."