“Do you know those are, by far, the nicest words that have ever been said about me while standing in this particular kitchen? If my parents weren’t just a few yards away, I would strip your clothes off and do all kinds of nasty things to you right this second.”

Jamar closed his eyes and released a guttural sound from deep in his throat. “Please don’t say things like that while we’re here. I want your dad to like me. That will never happen if he notices me walking around his house with a hard-on.”

“Hmm, no, I don’t suspect the Colonel would take too kindly to that,” Taylor said. She slipped one hand from his jaw and trailed it down his chest and torso. “But you have to admit there’s something exciting about the thought of getting caught.”

He sucked in a breath. “Don’t.”

Just then, the front door opened and Darwin, along with his wife, Rebecca, entered the house. At the exact same time, Jesamyn and Chester came through the side door that led to the backyard. The volume of the chatter in the house quadrupled. It also put an end to any clandestine sexy times in her parents’ kitchen. That was probably a good thing.

They all flocked to the great room, and for the first time in ages, Taylor didn’t feel an overwhelming urge to escape. The finger sandwiches, chips and dip, and cocktail wieners her mom had prepared lasted all of ten minutes, so the Colonel ordered pizza, which they ate while relaxing on the sofa and in the comfortable armchairs Taylor instantly declared were the best pieces of furniture in the house.

Jamar fell right in with her family, charming her mother and sister-in-law, and as Taylor had predicted, going toe-to-toe with Jesamyn on every topic, from politics to climate change to the winner of the best picture at the Oscars this year. He cemented his place in the Powell family when he joined Freddie in learning a new dance on TikTok, then convinced her dad to join them.

Taylor laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. But as she observed the jovial scene from the comfort of her plush armchair, she became increasingly uncomfortable with the sense of envy that began to take root. Was she…jealous?

Don’t be ridiculous.

The idea that she was anything but happy to see Jamar getting along so well with her family was laughable.

And yet…

Taylor couldn’t understand how he could seem so at ease with people he just met, while she walked around in a constant state of self-doubt whenever she was near them. Then again, it wasn’t all that difficult to understand how he was able to fit in. He’d matched wits with her sister and talked sports with her dad and brother. He fit in better with her family than she did.