"I'd be happy to."

"You would? Really? I know it's a lot to ask-"

She tightened her grasp on his hand. "It's not a lot to ask. I'm honored that you want my opinion."

"I just want to do the right thing for my mom, but I have no idea what that is."

"For what it's worth, I think that getting a qualified professional to be part of her daily life at this point is the right thing to do. You and Paul can't continue like this forever, or your health is going to be affected, too. Hopefully this woman will be who you need."

"Her name is Hope," he said with a small smile.

"And how perfect is that? My fingers are crossed for you."

"Thanks, and thank you for coming to the interview."

"Well, you're coming to a wedding shower with me..."

He laughed, as she'd hoped he would. "That's blackmail."

"I prefer to think of it as quid pro quo. I scratch your back, you scratch mine."

"I can't wait for you to scratch my back, but not until after the movie. You'll just have to keep your hands off me until then."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'll see if I can control myself."

"Don't try too hard."

Alex was in love with her. He'd more or less acknowledged that fact earlier when he nearly took off his brother's head for daring to have an after-work beer with her. But sitting across from her as she offered care and concern and support along with incredible sweetness and hot sexiness, Alex knew she was the whole package. She was exactly the woman he'd nearly given up on ever finding, and to think he'd found her on Gansett Island. The irony wasn't lost on him. If he hadn't come home to Gansett to help care for his mother, he never would've met Jenny.

Now that he had met her and fallen for her, he hoped he could find a way to keep her when his life was in such turmoil at the moment. The addition of full-time nursing assistance to their situation would offer a measure of relief, but he and Paul would still be responsible for their mother-not that either of them would have it any other way.

Still, it was a lot to ask any woman to take on, especially a woman like Jenny, who'd already been through so much in her life. He wanted to make things easy and simple for her, but his life was hardly easy or simple.

After a fantastic dinner at Stephanie's, they walked to the movie theater at the other end of town. Alex loved walking through the busy downtown area with her hand tucked into the crook of his elbow. He loved the sense of connection he felt to her. He loved that she was easy to talk to, compassionate and understanding of the challenges he faced. He also loved how hot her ass looked in those jeans.

At the theater, they shared a laugh over the one-man show as Alex paid the man in the ticket booth for the tickets, and then the same man moved to the other side of the counter to serve them popcorn. Then he collected their tickets at the door to the theater.

"This place hasn't changed one bit since I was a kid," Alex said. "It even smells the same-mildew and popcorn."

"Folding chairs?" Jenny asked as she took in the ramshackle theater.

"I take it this is your first time at Island Cinemas?"

"Plural? I see one cinema, and calling it that is being very generous. And yes, it's my first time."

"Oh, you're in for a very special treat. Shall we make ourselves comfortable in the folding chairs?"

"That's an oxymoron."

"Are you calling me a moron?"

She elbowed his ribs, making him grunt with laughter as he strategically led her to the back row.

"What're we doing way back here?"

"You'll see."

More people filtered into the theater and took seats closer to the screen, leaving Alex and Jenny with the back mostly to themselves.

"I'm beginning to see the method to your madness."

"Just wait." He offered the popcorn to her and took a huge handful for himself.

"Didn't you just eat?"

"I'm a growing boy, and you can't go to the movies and not get popcorn. It's un-American."

"If you say so."

"I say so."

The lights in the theater went off, plunging them into darkness. Alex put his arm around her and dragged her metal chair closer to his. At the top of the far left wall, windows allowed in the sweeping headlights of cars coming down a hill into town. The lights illuminated almost everyone in the theater, except for those in the back row.

"You didn't tell me this was a drive-in theater."

"That's part of the charm of the place."

"It would appear to me that you might've done this before."

"Done what?"

"Commandeered the back row with a date."

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"Yes, I'm accusing you of being an opportunist."

"I'm really hurt by that."

Her laughter delighted him. He enjoyed every second he got to spend with her, no matter what they were doing. She was easy to talk to and quick to laugh, which brought lightness to his life that had been sorely lacking before he met her. Alex was beginning to think that the instant her tomato connected with his back would turn out to be the most fortuitous second of his life.

The movie was a comedy that had been released on the mainland months ago.

Jenny's eyes were fixed on the screen, while his were on her. He was like a lovesick fool hoping the girl would turn her attention to him rather than the movie. After a particularly funny exchange between the characters, she glanced at him, smiling at the joke, and found him staring at her like a crazy stalker. But he couldn't help it. If she was close by, he'd much rather look at her than watch a movie he had no interest in.

"Pay attention," she whispered.

"I am paying attention."

"To the movie."

"You're much more interesting than the movie." He gave her shoulder a gentle tug and brought her close enough to kiss. Her lips were salty and sweet from the popcorn, and one taste was nowhere near enough.

"Now I know why you wanted to sit back here."

"May as well make the most of our dark corner," he said as he went back for more of her.

Her hand on his face was all the encouragement he needed to drop the nearly empty popcorn box to the floor and dive into the tongue-tangling kiss he'd been dying for all night. It only took about fifteen seconds for the kiss to spiral almost completely out of control.

Alex drew back from her, dragged in a deep breath and buried his face in her hair. "Can we please get out of here?"

"But you paid for the movie."

"I don't give a fuck about that."

Because he was holding her so tightly, he felt the shudder ripple through her. She was so sweet and her responses to him so genuine. She made him wish he were a better man, someone more worthy of her-someone more refined than he'd ever be. But she didn't seem to care that he could be rough around the edges. If anything, his coarse language seemed to turn her on.

"Let's go."

Alex launched out of his seat and led her by the hand from the theater, cursing his lack of foresight in leaving the bike parked at the Surf. On the sidewalk, he put his arm around her and steered her back the way they'd come through town. He was so into her that he didn't notice they were about to slam into someone coming the other way until it was nearly too late.

"Well, isn't this cozy," a male voice said.

Alex and Jenny looked up at the same second to see her pink-shirted date from the other night taking a hard look at the two of them together and apparently not liking what he was seeing.

"Linc," Jenny said. "I... How are you?"

"Not as good as you are, apparently. Is this why you aren't interested in seeing me again? Because you met him the night you were with me?"

"I knew him before I went out with you, not that it's any of your business."

"What kind of game are you playing, Jenny?"

"Wait a minute," Alex said as his blood began to boil. If he thought he'd been jealous earlier with Paul, that paled in comparison to the rage he felt at Linc's apparent sense of entitlement where she was concerned. "Am I confused? Does she owe you anything more than a thank-you and goodnight after a date?"

"I never said she did, but-"

"Here's a big idea," Alex said. "Don't finish that thought. We met the day before she went out with you. It was no big deal then. It is now. Let it go, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Jenny said softly, making Alex want to roar with outrage. What did she have to be sorry about?

"Yeah," Linc said as he stepped aside to let them pass. "Me, too."

Alex propelled them forward, more anxious than ever to get back to the bike and get the hell out of town. He desperately needed to be alone with her.

"Sorry about that," Jenny said.

"Don't you dare apologize to me." His unusually harsh words had her stiffening under his arm. He made an effort to soften his tone when he added, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Are you jealous?"

"What do you think?"

"Alex-"

"We'll talk about it when we're alone." Annoyed by the other people on the sidewalk, the cars and mopeds that slowed them down at intersections and everything that stood in the way of what he wanted and needed, he quickened his pace.

"Slow down. I can't keep up with you."

"Sorry," he muttered.

Back at the Surf, he had the helmet strapped on her so fast she didn't have a chance to protest before he was helping her onto the back of the bike. He was hovering on the edge of control, and he knew it, so he focused all his thoughts on the safe operation of the bike as they headed out of town. Thankfully, it wasn't far to the lighthouse, and they pulled onto the dirt lane about ten minutes later.

He was off the bike as soon as he parked it outside her door and practically lifted her off the back.

"You're in a big rush," she said when he'd removed her helmet.

He took hold of her hand. "You have no idea."

Inside, they went up the first flight of stairs single file, with Alex in the back, his eyes fixed on the sway of her denim-covered ass. He decided one more flight was too far and directed her to the sofa.

"Wait," she said. "Where are we going?"

"Right here." His patience was officially gone, and the need for her in that moment was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. "Right now." He began pulling at clothes-his and hers.

"Alex-"

"Now," he said against her lips. "Right now." He was acting like a lunatic. He knew that, but knowing it didn't stop him from taking what he needed more than the next breath. Her soft skin and sexy curves made his mouth water with lust as he came down on top of her on the sofa. "Jenny... I can't wait. I need you."

Her arms encircled his neck and her knees hugged his hips, providing all the encouragement he needed to sink into her wet heat. With their bodies connected, Alex felt like he could finally breathe again. Even with desire beating through him relentlessly, a sense of calm came over him at knowing she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her.

He looked down to find her watching him closely, probably trying to decide when he'd turned into a sex-crazed madman. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, she smoothed her hands from his shoulders, down his back to cup his ass and keep him lodged deep inside her. "More than okay."

"You make me crazy."

"I like you that way."

He huffed out a harsh laugh at her unexpected comment. "I like you every way, but this way is becoming a particular favorite of mine."

"It's been a favorite of mine for a while now."

After that, there were no words. There was no need for words. Their bodies did the talking for them. What started out urgent became slow and sensual, their hands linked, their eyes locked on each other, their movements perfectly choreographed, as if they'd been lovers for years rather than days.

"Jenny," he said on a gasp when the pleasure became almost too much to bear. "I can't..." He couldn't breathe, he couldn't talk, he couldn't think of anything other than the need for completion.