Page 8 of All I Want is You this Christmas Final

Time slowed as he passed her, taking in every change to her face, her body.

Then she smiled, that sweet, shy lifting of her lips. It used to drive him crazy.

Still did, if his racing heart could testify.

“Hi, Jared,” she said.

Her breathless whisper rushed over him like a summer breeze. God, had her voice always been that husky?

His tongue swelled. He couldn’t speak. So many things came to mind, every scenario he’d ever imagined, but nothing made it past his lips except…

“Ma’am.”

Her eyes widened for a moment. Then, without another word, she turned away from him and set the book in her cart. She probably thought he deliberately pretended not to know her, but that wasn’t the case. His brain couldn’t keep up with his mouth.

He would have called out to her, but Casey chose that moment to break out into loud guffaws. The world went back to it’s normal speed and Jared cursed himself for being caught off guard.

“Smooth moves.”

“Shut up.” Jared pushed a laughing Casey out the door, wishing he could strangle the obnoxious punk. If he hadn’t been so keyed up by his foster brother’s behavior, he’d have been prepared for running into Anna Beth.

She’d looked good too. Damn it. Same shimmering hair and smooth skin. She’d put on some weight since he’d last seen her, but it only made her sexier. Curvier. More grown up.

“So, who's the hottie?”

“Knock it off, Casey.”

“Seriously, is she an old girlfriend or something?” Casey snickered. “You called her ma’am, but the way she looked at you makes me think you might actually have balls. Congratulations.”

Jared leaned him against the cruiser as he opened the door. “You are this close to spending the night in the tank.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Keep running your mouth and see.”

The kid snapped his mouth closed. Jared helped him into the back seat and closed the door behind him.

“This back seat is cramped.”

“It’s a three-minute drive. You’ll live.”

“Police brutality.”

Jared climbed into the front and buckled his seat belt. “Trust me, Case. This little trip to the station will be a cake walk compared to what will happen the next time you get into trouble.”

“Oh, scary.”

Jared caught his brother’s gaze in the mirror. “You keep going the way you are and it will be. You do not want to end up in a juvenile center or prison, do you?”

He looked away. “Why do you even care? You’re not really my brother.”

“Close enough. We don’t have to be blood to be family.”

“I am so sick of that crap. You barely know me and just because you’re one of Karen and Mike’s golden children, doesn’t mean you’re anything to me.”

Jared glanced at the sullen kid in his rear-view mirror and tried again. “You know-"

“I’m done talking.”