Page 13 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)
HAVE SOME FUN
“ Y ou’re going out again tonight?” her mother asked her on Friday. It was only three and she’d hoped that her mother would have stayed at the bookstore longer and she’d be gone by then.
Talia was meeting Jace at his house at four. They hadn’t made plans exactly. She didn’t talk to him on Wednesday while he was at the firehouse. Thursday she knew he was sleeping in the morning and maybe part of the afternoon, then he was going to work on the house.
They hadn’t texted again until Thursday night and nothing since.
“I am. Is that a problem?”
“No,” her mother said. “Are you dating someone?”
“Maybe,” she said, moving to her closet to look for something to wear before she got in the shower. She was done working for the day now.
“Who is it?”
“I’m not telling you. I never do this early.”
Aileen moved to Talia’s bed and sat down. “You used to.”
“A long time ago,” she argued. “I haven’t once told you who I was dating at only a few weeks in since I’ve graduated from college.”
“Fair point,” her mother said. “But I always want to know.”
“And I’m not always going to tell you. You don’t need to know this early. It could fizzle. I want to work things out on my own without my mother asking me a million questions or giving me comments about things to put ideas in my head before I’m ready.”
Her mother smirked. “Fine. How many dates is it so far?” she asked. “You said you went for a drink with a friend last Friday. Then you were shopping on Saturday. You’re going out again. Is it three or two?”
Talia thought she could get away with the shopping comment last Saturday. Her car was at the mall and she came home with a pair of jeans.
Not as much as she normally bought, but it wasn’t unheard of either for her to walk around and not be able to decide on anything.
“Does it matter?” She didn’t want to give her mother the number. Once it hit a certain range, Aileen Carlisle would be even nosier than she was now.
“I suppose not. Where are you going tonight?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m meeting him and then we’ll figure it out.”
She was moving clothes around in her closet. “That doesn’t make it any easier for you to decide on what to wear.”
“Tell me about it.”
After shoving the hangers out of the way, she settled on a long cotton skirt in a pale print of tiny flowers. It had a high slit on one side and was easy to move in. Lightweight and cool on this hot day.
“That’s pretty,” Aileen said. Talia hadn’t realized her mother was in the doorway watching her now.
“Thanks.” She opened a drawer and pulled out a pastel pink T-shirt that would be fitted to her body and stopped at her belly button. The skirt rested on her hip bones. There would be about an inch of belly exposed.
Maybe she was teasing him after he’d made the comment about a crop top. Why not have some fun?
“What shoes are you wearing with it?”
She put her finger to her chin. “I don’t know. I might put my white canvas sneakers on. I don’t know where we are going.”
Her mother wrinkled her nose. “I don’t understand the sneaker and skirt or dress trend.”
“It’s about comfort, Mom.”
“In my day we huffed it around in heels until our feet bled and never let anyone know.”
“Please,” she said, waving her hand. “I’ve never seen you in heels outside of a wedding, funeral or bridal shower. I’m positive Laken would say the same.”
Her mother laughed. “I landed your father wearing heels. That’s what I meant.”
She groaned but made sure she was smiling at the same time. “Don’t talk like that to me.”
“Talia, get over yourself. Your mother has had sex.”
“Eight times for eight kids,” she said. “That’s what I believe.”
“Now you sound just like your brothers. Is that what you want?”
“Way to insult me.”
“Enough for you to tell me who you’re dating and where you’re going?”
“Nope to who and I told you already I don’t know where. I’ll be home tonight. Don’t worry.”
“I expect that you will be this soon if you’re not telling me who it is.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve got to get ready.”
“I’m going,” her mother said and returned upstairs.
Once Talia was set, she gave herself one more spin in the mirror. She’d like to think she was a combination of a sexy girl next door.
She was betting Jace didn’t date too many girls like that.
After debating between white sandals and her canvas sneakers, she went with the sneakers. It went with the young girl vibe.
She could play up their age difference some as a joke. It’d throw her mother off the scent too. Let her think she was going out with people her own age.
Aileen was in the kitchen when Talia went upstairs. She knew it was on purpose to catch her before she left.
“Bye,” she said. “I’ll be home later.”
“Have fun. I’m just going to be watching movies tonight.”
She knew her mother liked her to join in with the movie marathons. And she did at times.
“Why don’t you go out to dinner with some friends?”
“I might see if anyone is around. If not tonight, then tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll be out tomorrow too.”
“I don’t know.” If she was, it wouldn’t be with Jace. He had to work.
She left and drove to Jace’s. When she climbed in her car and her skirt flopped to the side exposing most of her leg, she realized they’d have to take her car or his truck out tonight. No way she could be on a motorcycle in this outfit.
She pulled into his driveway fifteen minutes later, got out and walked up the front porch.
The door was open before she got there, she was yanked inside, his mouth on hers, her back against the wall.
“You wore that outfit on purpose,” he growled against her lips.
She giggled. “You saw right through me.”
“Fuck. Let me look at you.”
“You could have done that if you didn’t pin me to the wall. You didn’t even kiss me.”
His lips landed on hers, the roughness of his beard touching her face.
Her hands went around his waist, then slid down to cup his ass, pushing him into her.
Yep, he was hard and maybe she shouldn’t have made that move.
“Better now?” he asked, lifting his head. “Because I sure the hell am not.”
He shifted back to give her space. “Oh, your living room looks great.”
She walked in and looked, but he reached for her arm and spun her, her skirt shifting and flying open high on her thigh.
“Christ. I feel like I’m going to get arrested being with you if we go out. You look like you’re in high school.”
Her head went back, her throat exposed, the laugh sexy coming from her lips. “Hardly that.”
“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that you commented on a crop top.”
“And you reminded me you weren’t sixteen.”
“I’m not. And women my age and much older wear clothing like this all the time.”
“But they don’t look like you wearing it,” he said.
“I guess that means we are staying in,” she said happily. “And your living room looks awesome. You did such a great job now that it’s all visible.”
“I’m not sure I want to stay in,” he said. “You’re way too tempting.”
She turned and angled her head. “Am I?”
“You know very well you are, Talia.”
“That’s the first you’ve called me by my name.”
“What?”
“You know my name, but you haven’t addressed me by it. Say it again.”
“Talia,” he said, moving closer to her.
“I like how it sounds.” Her hands landed on his hips while she stepped into his personal space.
“I like saying it.”
“You know what else I’d like?”
“What’s that?” he asked, his mouth just a whisper away from hers.
“For you to cook me dinner again.”
He dropped his forehead to hers. “It’s not what I hoped you’d say.”
“I know,” she said, patting his cheek. “We’ll get to that soon, but not tonight. Or is that a problem? Do you think I’m teasing you?”
“You are in that outfit.”
“I know. I planned on it, but more as a joke.”
“It’s not funny, but I can appreciate it. As much as I would have liked you to say something else, I also wasn’t expecting it. As you said, you’re not like most women.”
“Is it a problem that I might not be moving as fast as you want?”
“Absolutely not. Don’t think that. I don’t want you to. I’d call this fun flirty banter.”
“It is. I’m glad you can see it. And I’ll cook for you tonight if you want. Or we can go out.”
“Nope,” he said. “Not going out. I’m serious. I don’t need any dirty looks from people.”
“They might think I’m your daughter. You’re old enough to have a teenager.”
“Not even close to funny,” he said.
“You’re right. It’s kind of creepy.” She slid her sneakers off since she noticed he was in socks and jeans.
“You can keep them on.”
“Nope,” she said. “You’ve got nice new floors and want to keep them clean.”
“Thanks for that.”
“You put a lot of hard work into the house. It shows. I know what hard work is, even though for years I tried to get out of it.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Maybe I thought I was dealt a bad hand in life by losing my father so young and it was owed to me. That’s stupid. I grew up. My mother is the strongest person I know. She could sit back and enjoy life and yet she still works.”
“It gives her a purpose,” he said.
“That’s it exactly. I think I’m finally finding mine.”