“Maybe try closing your eyes. You might hit more.”
“Ha-ha.” She narrowed her eyes at his teasing and shoved at his rock-hard shoulder. It didn’t budge him, just served up memories of what his upper body felt like under her hands. As much as he had her emotions on the edge, she was having fun. She liked this playful side of Jake she hadn’t seen much of before today. “Are you always competing?”
“I’m the youngest of seven children. I came out of the womb competing. Come on. Close your eyes, feel the Force.”
No way would she close her eyes and channel Luke Skywalker. She might kill someone.
Then it was Jake’s turn again. “Aren’t you going to close your eyes?” she challenged.
He flashed her a quick grin. “I have skill. I don’t need the Force.”
She rolled her eyes, but his voice was so deep and sexy and she shivered. No doubt he had a lot of skills.
“Come on, Jake,” Casey encouraged from her perch on his left arm. “You can do it.”
Jake aimed at the first target and hit it dead center, then did the same with three more.
The gamer whistled. “One more and you win the grand prize.”
“Did you hear that?” Casey took his face in her hands, making certain he got the importance. “It’s the grand prize!”
They didn’t know what that was exactly, but it didn’t matter. The man had said it was grand and Jake was the one winning it.
Casey smacked a kiss on his cheek. “That’s for luck. Mommy, come on! You have to kiss him too so he can win!”
Jake’s hot gaze held hers. There were hundreds of people milling around them, not to mention Casey’s expectant eyes just inches away, but everything faded into the background. Their easy camaraderie turned into sizzling tension in just a few beats. It shouldn’t be anything to kiss his cheek. Except it was, because she couldn’t be this close to his mouth and not want to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders and press her lips to his.
She raised up on her toes, unsure where to place her hands, knowing how badly she wanted to run her palms all over his solid chest. Someone bumped her and she grabbed onto his upper arms, and pressed her lips to his cheek. It was warm from the sun and a tiny bit scratchy, and good Lord, he smelled good. Then it was over. Barely a whisper that couldn’t have lasted more than a second, but she felt it all the way to her toes.
“Last one,” the gamer said, interrupting her moment. “Wind it up!”
“Okay, this is for the big win,” Jake said. “You have your eye on a prize, Short Stuff?”
“Yes! That purple bear at the top. I need that one!”
“Well, if you need it, then I better not miss.”
He smiled affectionately at Casey and that, more than anything, went straight to her heart. She hadn’t given much thought to Casey having a father, but her daughter blossomed under his attention. She had to admit, there was a calm, a warm reassurance being with him. Something she wouldn’t have known how to explain until she felt it. It had been like that all day, mingling in a crowded flock of people, but under Jake’s protective wing.
He drew back his arm with the last ball, hurled it at the farthest target. He hit it dead-on and was rewarded with Casey’s squeal of delight. Her daughter’s smile when she hugged the bear to her chest was her own reward.
Still feeling a little off-kilter by a simple kiss on the cheek, she suggested a food break. After all, it had been at least an hour since they last ate.
They found a shady spot and Casey sat between them, licking the edges of her soft-serve cone. She and Jake shared a jumbo pretzel with loads of salt and a zigzag of bright yellow mustard.
She watched Casey mashing her mouth into the ice cream, making lip prints, but she felt Jake staring at the side of her face and she turned her head. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“What? Do I have stuff on my face?”
Jake shared a look with Casey, and she giggled.
He pointed at her cheek, but his eyes were on her lips.
Her hands were full of pretzel and drink so she reached for it with her tongue. The hot look in Jake’s eyes made her stop.
“You could lick it off,” Casey suggested to Jake. “Like a cat.”
Jake’s heated gaze flared, then his eyes widened like he’d been caught doing something naughty. He looked from her to Casey and back again, and she laughed. Really, really laughed and kissed Casey’s cheek. “I love you, but you are the worst chaperone ever.”
The sun finished its slide beneath the horizon, and the fairgrounds were transformed into twinkling light. Jake suggested one last ride before leaving the fair to the younger crowd. By the time they reached the line for the Ferris wheel, their chaperone had fallen off the job completely. Casey’s head rested on Jake’s shoulder with one arm hanging limply down her side and her other small hand tucked under her cheek.
And she hadn’t thought he could be any more attractive. Wrong. So wrong.