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“I was stuck in the woods, listening to a boy I had a crush on lecture a drunk girl—­who looked like she wanted to abandon her clothes and jump him—­about the right time for kissing, when Abby Greenwald, the most popular girl in my class, found me.”
“Hey, I know Abby,” Josh said. “She works at the animal shelter near the university.”
“Of course she’d end up surrounded by puppies.” Kat shook her head. “Abby Greenwald teased me for the rest of the year, telling everyone I’d been spying on Brody and Lisa.”
“While Brody talked to the girl,” Chad said. “Man, it is a miracle you ever got out of your own way for long enough to get laid in high school.”
Brody growled, biting back the words, I did just fine in high school. Because what he’d done back then, who he dated, it didn’t matter now that he took one look at Kat, smiling and joking with his family. He wanted to make her his. Upstairs, alone, away from these idiots he loved with everything he had.
Josh pulled out his notebook and pen. “I’m writing that one down. So I can tease you later, Doc. Next time you try to make me do one of those stupid memory card games, I’m going to remind you of your ‘huge Brody Summers crush.’ ”
Kat laughed. “You’ll still have to do the memory exercises.”
“So I guess you’re trying to tell us you spent last night talking with my brother?” Chad said.
“Enough,” Brody said, pushing back from the table. He set his half-­empty bottle of local brew on the table and reached for Kat’s hand, drawing her up. “I trust you guys can make sure the bottles land in recycling?”
Chad nodded. “We got it, bro.”
“Where are you going?” Josh called, as Brody led Kat out of the kitchen.
“To talk to your doctor,” Brody called.
He led her up the stairs and into his room. After the solid wood door closed behind them, he turned to Kat. He captured her hips in his hands, holding her in front of him. “So about this crush—­”
“It was nothing,” she said, her smile fading.
“Did it start before or after I helped fix your lucky shoes?” he asked softly.
Her wide-­eyed gaze met his and she stepped back, trying to break away from him. But he went with her, until her back pressed against the wall.
“You remember?” she said.
He nodded. “As soon as you told me who you were, I put the pieces together.”
“I can’t believe you remember that day. Or me.” She let out a low laugh. “I thought you were cute before, but that day . . . the way you smiled, your skills with the Super Glue . . . you became my high school fantasy.”
He stared into her eyes, his body tightening with each word, driven by desire and something more. Moving closer, he placed one hand on either side of her head, his body inches from hers. “Just how wild were these fantasies?”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. Most of the time I’d see you in the hall and I just wanted you to smile at me.”
He frowned. “I didn’t ignore you, Kat.”
“No, but you weren’t a part of my life either,” she murmured, her gaze focused on his chest. “And I wanted your attention, all that kindness, focused on me. Just for a little while.”
Every muscle in his body froze. Back then he’d thought she needed new shoes. He’d been blind to the fact that friendship would have carried her a lot further.
“And a kiss,” she added, lifting her gaze to meet his. “I would have liked a kiss too.”
The vulnerability in her green eyes took him back to the Falls Hotel parking lot. He ran the back of his hand over her cheek and she closed her eyelids. She didn’t let anyone in. She didn’t let them see the helpless girl she’d been. But he’d caught a glimpse. And now he wanted to take care of her.
“Kat, look at me,” he said, capturing her face between his hands. She obeyed, opening her eyes and staring into his. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
His lips captured hers, soft at first before demanding more. A low growl escaped as she opened up to him, her tongue brushing his. Her fingers dug into his shirt as if she wanted to keep him right here, kissing her.
Don’t let go.
But she pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Do you know what I’m picturing now?” she murmured, her hands running down his chest, heading lower and lower. “Do you want to find out if it lines up with your mental picture for tonight?”