The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [258]
A nurse, repeatedly looking Georgia over in her sexy costume, waited for her behind the desk. After Georgia had seated herself and began digging through her purse, no doubt hunting up an insurance card for her mother, Jordan looked down at the kids. Adam raised his arms and, without thinking about it, Jordan lifted the boy. He was stocky, more compact than his sister who looked almost fey she was so slight. Small arms wrapped around his neck.
“Hot chocolate,” Adam said, trying for an adolescent dose of subtlety, “sure sounds good.” Jordan bit back a smile. It didn’t make any sense and he knew he must be losing his mind, but despite all the chaos, despite the horrid situation and his worry for Georgia and his disapproval of where she worked, he felt good, from the inside out.
Probably better than he had in months.
Oh, hell.
4
CASEY PULLED IN the hospital parking lot and turned off the engine. He’d driven his father’s car, a spacious sedan, rather than the truck he usually favored. As he understood it, Jordan was with a woman and her two children—too many people to fit into the truck. He was anxious to hear what story his uncle Jordan told to explain all this.
But for the moment he was more concerned with how to handle Emma Clark.
The truck, being a stick shift, would have guaranteed some space between them. But the car had bench seats, and Emma scooted much too close. She smelled nice, damp from the outdoors and sweet like a female. He was far from immune. She reached for his knee before he could open his door.
“Just a second, Case.” Her voice was low, throaty. “Why’re you in such a hurry?”
Very calmly, Casey took her wrist and lifted her hand away. She was the most brazen girl he knew, and the most insecure. It was something in her big brown eyes, something she tried real hard to hide.
Twining his fingers with hers, he couldn’t help but notice how small boned she was, how her hand felt tiny in his own. “It’s almost one in the morning, Emma.” The parking lot was well lit, sending slashes of light across her features, making her eyes look even bigger than usual. “What were you doing out on the road alone?”
She rolled one shoulder beneath the shirt he’d insisted she put on. He’d been left in nothing more than an undershirt, but that was better than seeing her traipse around half-naked. He still couldn’t believe she’d been moseying down the damn highway so late, wearing her short white shorts, sandals, and a hot-pink halter top that left more bare than it covered. He’d recognized her world-class behind the moment his headlights had hit her. Of course he’d offered her a ride.
Of course she’d accepted. Emma had been after him for months.
“A shrug is not an answer, Em.”
She shrugged again, smiling at him and flipping her bleached-blond hair behind her. Casey assumed her natural hair color was a dark brown, judging by her brows and thick lashes. Although that could be makeup, too. She wore a lot of it. She looked…brassy. Almost cheap. And though he had no intention of telling her so, she made him sweat.
“I got mad at my date,” she said in her low drawl, “so I took off.” Her mouth, shiny with lip gloss that a few of the guys had told him tasted like cherries, tilted up at the corners. “Why d’you care?”
Casey snorted at that lame explanation and defensive response, deciding not to question her further. At seventeen, Emma’s idea of a date was to be picked up long enough to add to her already questionable reputation, then get dropped off again. He’d never understand her, but he couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.
Just as he couldn’t help wanting her.
“C’mon. I need to get inside.” When he got out of the car, she scrambled out, too, and rushed around to him.
“You’re not mad at me, are you?”
He pulled the bag of clothes from the back seat, sparing her a quick glance. “It’s really none of my business, Emma.”
She looked hurt for a moment,