Page 42 of Love Unbound
“Just a friend,” he murmured, leaning over the console to press a kiss to her lips. “I’ll introduce you sometime.”
Chapter 31
“I’m going to be late,” Jodi whined petulantly, but made no move to remove herself from Free’s embrace.
“I think if you plead your case to your boss, she may be willing to let you stay,” Free husked against her lips, his hands trailing over her back and down her bottom, hiking up the skirt she wore. Jodi sighed against his lips, but swatted at his hands, and he chuckled. He swatted her bottom playfully, then growled and pulled her close again for another deep kiss. When Jodi pulled away, Free pouted, which made Jodi laugh.
“I had the entire weekend off, Kit and Tess would kill me if I begged out on a Monday morning,” Jodi said with a smirk. “Besides, you have chores to do.”
“Killjoy,” Free muttered, but winked. Jodi walked to the kitchen table, where she picked up the bags of baked goods they’d picked up at the store the day before. “May I make you dinner tonight?”
Pulling her purse over her shoulder, she smiled at him. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
“What time can I expect you home?” Free asked, and he grinned, liking the way that sounded. Taking the bags from her, he carried them as he walked her out to her Jeep.
Jodi smiled shyly and murmured, “We close at six. I’ll be back shortly after that.”
She climbed into the driver’s seat, and he closed the door gently. She started the car and rolled the window down. He rested one forearm on the windowsill and leaned in to kiss heronce more. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“You better be,” Jodi whispered then blushed. “I’ll see you later.”
“Later, baby,” he murmured and tapped the windowsill, straightening and stepping back. She waved as she pulled out of the driveway. His phone rang as her car disappeared, and he fished it out of his jeans pocket, answering it. “Hey, Red.”
“Duuuuuude,” Roxy groaned dramatically from the other end of the phone, and he laughed. “I’ve beendying, waiting for an update. How did it go?”
Free laughed again, walking back up the porch steps and going back into the house, walking to the kitchen to pick up his coffee cup that he’d set down when Jodi had walked out of the bedroom dressed for work. He took a sip, then said, “The wedding was beautiful. Shane and Cassie are sitting on a warm beach somewhere drinking fruity cocktails out of a coconut, I’m sure.”
Roxy’s muttered curses made him grin widely. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about! How did it go with Jodi?”
“Oh, that’s what you were talking about?” Free teased, taking another drink of his coffee before sitting down at the dining table.
“You know damn well I want all the juicy details!” Roxy fumed.
“And you know that I don’t kiss and tell,” Free chuckled.
Roxy’s squeal of glee made Free pull the phone away from his ear and he didn’t return it until he was sure she was done. “Oh, I knew it, I knew it! Please just tell me y’all have been holed up in a bedroom somewhere for the last two days.”
“Not just the bedroom,” Free laughed.
Another resulting squee of joy from the other end of the phone made him roll his eyes. “Oh, this is just fantastic. I can’t wait to meet her, Free.”
“You’ll love her,” Free murmured, smiling.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” Roxy asked softly. “Now that it’s happened?”
Free took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I don’t know.”
“Do you really think you’ll be able to leave her now?” she asked.
“Red, I don’t know. I don’t know what this is yet,” he muttered, running the fingers of his opposite hand through his hair, pulling the long strands away from his brow. “Texas has been home for seven years; I have commitments there.”
He could almost sense her rolling her eyes. “You rent a house; I can take over the lease. You’re an honest, hard worker. You can get a job anywhere.”
“What about you?” Free snapped. “I’m just supposed to pack up and leave my best friend?”
“Nuh-uh, don’t put that on me,” Roxy countered. “You ran away from this girl, you left your brother, your best friend, your home. Now that you know it could work with you two—”
“I didn’t say I know it could work between Jodi and myself,” Free muttered. “Red, we’ve slept together a couple times. Whatever this is, it’s still in its infancy. She’s just coming out of a bad marriage; I don’t know that she’s even looking for anything permanent.”
