Page 23 of About that Fling (The Can’t Have Hearts Club #2)

Jenna nodded. “I know.”

“So it seems we have two choices here. Option one, I put your wet clothes in a bag, shake your hand, and send you on your way home.” He swallowed, wondering how it was possible to feel this warm with only half his clothes on.

“Option two, we undo all this fine work we’ve just put into donning clothing and I take you in my arms and kiss you until neither of us can breathe.

” He paused. “The gentleman in me says the latter isn’t a good idea, since you’re a little upset. ”

“I’m not upset.” God, her eyes looked stunning. “Not anymore.”

“Okay,” Adam said. “Which do you choose?”

She was silent a moment, her eyes dark and needy. He waited, not wanting to rush her, knowing whatever they decided would change everything. Jenna licked her lips, and Adam nearly groaned with desire.

“I choose option three,” she whispered.

“Option three?”

“Option three. You kiss me once. Only once, and with both of us remaining upright and fully clothed.”

“Okay.”

“Then we agree that even if we can’t make love, we seem to be drawn to each other for some reason. So maybe we should just explore that friendship and connection in the most platonic, unromantic way we can think of.”

“Unromantic?” Adam raised an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’m not sure. Shoveling dog doo for my neighbor?”

He snorted. “That’s unromantic, though it might be a little late for that. You and I might get a ride in a squad car if your neighbor spotted two strangers roaming his backyard in the dark with shovels.”

“Okay then.” She frowned in concentration. “How about algebra?”

“I just closed out a spreadsheet, so that’s too much like work. We could watch a documentary on childbirth.”

“What about a robust discussion of Marxist philosophies of dialectical materialism?”

“Now you’re just getting me hot again.”

“I know!” Jenna jumped up so fast she nearly knocked Adam backward on the bed. “Let’s shoot guns!”

“Guns?”

“Yes. That’s unromantic.”

“Absolutely.” Had the woman lost her mind? “It’s also illegal, at least in the city limits. Or were you planning to rob a liquor store? I think that’s an entirely different level of illegal.”

“No, not like that,” she said, bouncing excitedly in the wool socks. “At a shooting range. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Adam glanced at the bedside clock. “It’s eight thirty on a Friday night. Where are you going to find a shooting range that’s open?”

“Oh, please—it’s Portland, Oregon. The weirdness capital of the world.

You can wander out at midnight and get a bacon-wrapped donut, take your dog into a bar, and see a parade of naked cyclists all on the same block.

I’m positive we can find an open shooting range.

Actually, I think it might be ladies’ night at Guns-a-Go-Go. ”

“In case it escaped your attention, I’m not a lady.”

“Trust me, it didn’t escape my attention.” She shot a pointed look at his crotch before smiling up at him. “You’re still allowed, you just have to pay a little extra for your ammo. Have you ever been to a shooting range?”

“No,” he said, a little surprised to realize they were even having this discussion. “Not really my idea of a great date.”

“Exactly! That’s why it’s perfect.” She clapped her hands together, looking so giddy with excitement that Adam had to laugh.

“Okay, fine. A shooting range. Aren’t you forgetting one thing?”

“What’s that?”

“The kiss. The one we’re exchanging just to get it out of the way in hopes it’ll be awful and we’ll have the closure we need to move forward with our platonic friendship.”

“Right.” She planted herself back on the edge of the bed and nodded. She made an exaggerated production of sidling up beside him, pretending to brace herself for something unappealing. “Okay, I’m ready. Pucker up.”

She closed her eyes and made an absurd kissy face he knew was supposed to crack him up. But honest to God, he’d never wanted her more than he did in that moment.

He slid his hand into her hair, tangling his fingers into the damp strands and pulling her close. Jenna opened her eyes, and a startled “oh” passed her lips an instant before his mouth found hers. Then he was kissing her hard and deep and wet.

She moaned and arched against him, changing course as quickly as she’d changed into his sweatpants.

He curved his palm around the nape of her neck, angling her against him so he could deepen the kiss.

He felt breathless and dizzy and so desperate to keep kissing her that he would have given his left testicle to never have to leave this room.

When he finally drew back, Jenna looked as mind-whacked as he felt. He took a shaky breath and sat back on the bed.

“Was that awful enough for you?” he murmured. “Bad enough to call it closure?”

She took a shaky breath and slowly shook her head. “Not even close.”

Walking out of that hotel room without tearing her clothes off—or or Adam’s —felt like smacking her spleen with a hammer.

The fact that Adam was right behind her helped some, but all she really wanted to do was launch herself back onto that flawless white duvet and beg him to make love to her.

Instead, she turned her attention to their plans to blow some paper targets to smithereens.

“Why don’t we swing by my house first so I can change clothes?

” she suggested, bouncing up off the bed and away from the temptation of Adam.

“My aunt isn’t home tonight, so we’ll be able to slip out without anyone asking questions. ”

“What about the risk of seeing someone we know at the shooting range?”

She shrugged. “I don’t have any friends who shoot.

Mia hates guns, and I can’t imagine anyone else from hospital administration who’d want to spend Friday night with a .

45 slimline Glock. I think we’re safe. Worst-case scenario, we’d tell them it’s a precursor to some team-building workshop you’re doing with us next week. ”

He raised one eyebrow. “I’ll be introducing the principles of nonviolent communication.”

“I take it that doesn’t involve handguns?”

“Not usually.”

“Okay then,” Jenna said, feeling oddly chilled by the shift to a work-related conversation.

It was probably the splash of cold water her libido needed, but still.

It was a helpful reminder why she had no business taking her clothes off in front of Adam.

Or kissing him in a way that left every nerve in her body shrieking with desire.

“This is good,” she said. “We’re working together. Keeping things professional.”

Adam gave her an odd look, but nodded. “Let’s get your car.”

They reached the shooting range a little after nine thirty, with Adam looking curious, if a little uncertain. She tucked her keys in her purse and laid a hand on his arm.

“You’ve really never fired a gun before?” she asked.

“Not even a BB gun.”

“You’re not opposed to them, are you? I just do it for target practice, and I’ve taken a couple classes on self-defense. I don’t even own a gun of my own. We don’t have to do this if you’re anti-gun or something.”

“No, I’m fine. Besides, it’s all part of my post-divorce resolution.”

“Your post-divorce resolution involves handguns?”

“No.” One edge of his mouth quirked. “My post-divorce resolution involves a pledge to try new things. Things I never did in my ex-life.”

Jenna blinked, then she realized he’d said ex-life, not ex- wife .

Funny how similar the two things were. Even so, she felt a pang of betrayal for her best friend.

Would Mia be hurt to know Jenna was here firing pistols with Adam?

Between the pregnancy and work drama and the challenges with Mark and Katie, Jenna knew damn well Mia was having a rough time. It wasn’t kind to rock the boat.

But hell, it wasn’t like Mia had peed on Adam to mark him like a fire hydrant. Had she ever actually said, ‘Don’t date my ex?’”

She never explicitly asked me not to light her house on fire, either, but I can safely assume that’s a given.

“Come on,” Jenna said, pulling Adam through the door of the shooting range before her train of thought could get any weirder. “We check in first at the front counter to rent guns and reserve a lane. Handguns okay?”

“As opposed to what?”

“Rifles. Grenade launchers.” She grinned, enjoying the novelty of being with him in a non-work setting with all their clothes on. “I’m kidding about the grenade launchers, but there is an outdoor rifle range. Can’t you hear it?”

“That’s rifle fire? I figured someone was playing with firecrackers.”

“You really are a novice.”

“Guilty as charged.” He looked around and lowered his voice. “I shouldn’t say that out loud, huh? They probably won’t give me a gun if I’m a felon.”

Jenna laughed and towed him toward the counter, unsurprised to see a line of women waiting their turn while the group at the head of the line debated the merits of a standard Ruger versus a Smith & Wesson.

She watched Adam taking it all in, his green eyes studying the cases of ammo behind the counter, the posters for shooting classes and handgun safety.

It felt thrilling to be here with him. To introduce Adam to something new, something he’d never tried with anyone else.

You’re renting a handgun, not testing out a new sex position.

She shook off her annoying inner voice and studied him some more.

His eyes were bright and curious, his rugged jaw pebbled with stubble.

He’d donned an old T-shirt and jeans that looked so soft she wanted to rub her cheek on his thigh.

She looked back at his face, amused to see he was still surveying the lobby.

The instant his expression froze, Jenna felt her heart clench. All the color drained from his face, and Jenna felt her mouth go dry.

“What is it? Adam? What’s wrong?” Oh, God—someone from work? “Who do you see?”

He opened his mouth to reply just as a female voice echoed over the crowd. “Adam Thomas? Is that you?”