Love a Little Sideways (Kowalski Family, #7)

“Okay, that was lame. I’ll give you that. And we’re getting rained on.”


“We’re also outside. In full view.” Not to be a mood killer, but he had made it clear he didn’t want to ruin anybody’s vacation with family drama.

“Everybody’s inside, except us, because it’s raining. Or they’re under the tarp, which is halfway across the campground.” He pushed himself up and then took her hand to haul her to her feet.

She expected him to pick up his stuff and head back to his tent. Maybe give her a quick kiss first. Instead he kept her hand and pulled her into the bathroom he’d just vacated.

The room was warm and humid from his shower, and she shook her head. “The bathroom?”

“It’s here. It’s private.” He spun her to face him, backing her against the wall and kissing her so hard it took her breath away.

She yanked his T-shirt up and he broke off the kiss only long enough for her to haul it over his head. Then his mouth was back on hers, hard and demanding. She moaned as his hands slid under her shirt, his skin hot and a little rough against hers.

As his tongue danced over hers, he shoved her shirt higher so his hands could cup her breasts. His thumb stroked her nipples through the damp fabric of her bra, and she grasped the loose waistband of his flannel pants, yanking them down. He kicked them off, along with the sandals he wore to the shower, and pressed his body—now bare except for navy boxer briefs—against hers. Trapped between him and the wall, she buried her hands in his hair.

“Someday we’re going to take our time doing this,” he murmured against her mouth.

“Next time,” she gasped. She was through with waiting.

He slid his knee between hers and nudged her foot, opening her legs as he started kissing his way down her neck. Groaning, she reached between them to undo the button on her shorts.

“What the hell?”

Oh, no. Drew jerked away from Liz so fast she almost fell over and she saw Mitch staring at them from the open doorway.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Mitch,” Liz started, taking a step toward him, but Drew put his arm out, keeping her behind him.

“Get your hand off her,” Mitch said in a low voice. He was moving toward Drew, who pushed Liz back toward the sink and started circling around.

“Calm down and let me talk,” Drew said.

“Calm down? Really? When I find you in here pawing my sister?”

“Liz and I—”

She gasped when Mitch swung, even though Drew easily dodged it. He’d circled his way around so he was at the door and he was backing toward it.

“There’s no Liz and you. You’re my friend. She’s my sister.”

“And she’s an adult.”

Liz saw Mitch’s muscles bunch and knew he was about to throw himself at Drew. But Drew must have seen it coming, too, because he cleared the door and took off. Her brother took off after him and Liz ran to the door.

“Mitch, don’t.” They were moving fast and already rounding the corner as she struggled to pull her wet T-shirt down. “Mitchell Kowalski!”

He didn’t even slow down. Cursing men in general—and Drew and Mitch specifically—under her breath, she took a minute to make sure she was decent and then took off after them.

When she turned the corner, she was surprised to see the other women sitting in their camp chairs along the side of the road. They were sharing big umbrellas instead of sitting under the tarp that wasn’t ten feet back from the road.

“Did you guys see which way Drew and Mitch went?” They all pointed toward the bend in the road that led up a hill. “Thanks. What are you guys doing, anyway?”

“Honey, Drew Miller just ran by here in his boxer briefs,” Keri said.

Emma nodded. “And since he’s the only hot guy here not related to or married to one of us and that road doesn’t loop all the way around, we’re going to sit right here and hope he runs by again.”

Unbelievable. Her brother was going to kill his best friend with his bare hands and they were lined up to catch a second glimpse of Drew in his underwear. Not that she blamed them, of course, but there was a time and a place and this was neither.

“This is the best damn family camping trip ever,” Terry said.

And they wondered why she’d lived in New Mexico for so long? Her family was insane.

She only had to detour about twenty feet off the road to knock on the door of Aunt Mary’s camper. When she heard a welcome called out, she wiped her feet on the mat and went inside. Not surprisingly, Mary was in the RV’s kitchen.

“You look flushed, honey. And you’re soaked.”

“I need to borrow a wooden spoon.” There were several right there in the dish drainer, so she plucked one out.

“Since I highly doubt you’re baking anything, can I assume you’re having man troubles?”

That was an understatement. “I need to knock some sense into my brother.”

“Which brother?”