Page 40 of The Match

Instead, she smiles one of her trademark soft smiles, puts her palms on my knees, and leans in to kiss my cheek. Just as gently as I kissed her the first time. “Thank you for telling me. We’ll go slow. Do you want to kiss a little?” she asks, and the sweetness of what she just said, how kindly she treats me, it tears me into a million pieces.

I cradle her face in my hands and kiss her. Firmly and fully. No holding back and no buildup this time. Just my mouth slanting over hers and taking the kiss I’ve wanted since I saw her walk into the coffee shop. She wraps her arms around my neck, settling in closer. My nerves rise to the surface of my skin to accept every small touch she gives me. Maybe I’m rusty—maybe my kissing is outdated. But Evie kisses well enough for the both of us. Her mouth moves against mine in seductive caresses that have me gripped with need.

I drop my hands from her face to wrap around her lower back, tugging her in close to me. Her mouth opens and I take the invitation, sliding my tongue between her lips as she sinks her hands into the back of my hair. I groan from her silkiness and how sweet she tastes. Dammit, I need more.

The tension between our bodies smolders. If our clothes don’t come off soon, they’ll set fire and burn us both to ash. Her teeth bite my lip into her mouth, and I can’t get enough of her. Her hands are on my shoulders, my neck, the back of my hair. They roam up under the back of my shirt, hot against my skin as my tongue sweeps over hers. With my hands around her back, I tug her to my chest and lift her off the ground, sweeping us both onto the couch.

She squeaks and breaks the kiss, jumping off me and pacing three steps away while pointing an accusing finger in my direction. “You said you only wanted to kiss!” Her eyes are bright with desire. I’m hypnotized.

“I changed my mind.” I stand up from the couch, and she steps backward, her back hitting the wall beside the TV. “I want more if you do.”

“Yes, I want more. I mean, no! You can’t.” She shakes her head. “I won’t let you. You’re in a sexy haze and not thinking straight.”

“I love a sexy haze.” I press her hips to the wall with my hands and drop my mouth to her neck. “I need to hear a consensual yes before I continue.”

She whimpers. “Jaaake. I’m trying to be strong for you.”

“I don’t need you to be. Yes or no, Evie?” Sure, maybe all my fears have magically disappeared now that sexual desire has taken over, but either way, I’m not worried about being with someone new anymore. The jitters are gone. The wanting is unbearable, however.

“It’s a yes from me, but . . . but I won’t be able to keep talking you out of . . . oh gosh—” Her head lulls back against the wall. “I can’t process good decisions when you are sucking my neck like that.”

I trail a line up her throat with my mouth until I make it to her lips. This kiss is hungry and frantic. Searching quickly for new angles and new parts of our bodies to touch and press together, and just as I find her hands and push them against the wall above her head, she slips out of my loose grip and out of my arms altogether.

She’s bouncing on the balls of her feet like a fighter in a ring. “A few minutes ago you sat there and told me you weren’t ready for anything more physical.” I look to the ghost of the man in question and mentally flip him the bird. “We’re not doing anything but kissing tonight, Jake. I care about you too much to wake up tomorrow and see regret in your eyes.”

I puff out a heavy breath and run my hand through my hair.

“Thank you for caring about me,” I say reluctantly, even if I’m annoyed at myself for suggesting it in the first place.

She opens her mouth to say something else when we’re interrupted by a knock at the door.

Evie frowns.

CHAPTER 18

Jake

I try not to smile as Evie adjusts her T-shirt and runs her hands through her wild hair that I had smoothed out and then immediately messed up. While she goes to answer the door, I sit back down on the couch, rest my elbows on my knees, and scrape my hands through my hair in an attempt to settle myself. What the hell just happened? Was that a bad idea? I haven’t fully decided yet. As the height of the moment is wearing off, though, I do think I’m grateful she put a stop to it. I’m not just Jake. I have a daughter to consider before I get too tangled up with anyone new.

And believe it or not, what happened a minute ago is not why I came over here. I only intended to give her the invitation and run. Just your friendly neighborhood postman.

But no. I saw her, and my body suddenly had other plans. Plans to kiss her. Plans to do a lot more than just kiss her, apparently.

What now? I wanted to move slow. This little action just changed things. Now I have a conversation on the horizon that I’m not at all prepared for.

Well, maybe I’m a little prepared for it. The more time I spend with Evie, the more I can’t imagine not dating her. But I don’t know if I can trust myself. I’ve made a poor decision concerning a woman before, and look how that turned out. Although, I know I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone . . . so I’ll have to face my fears at some point. Looks like that point is now.

I hear Evie open the door, then gasp. I turn toward the door just in time to hear her say, “Mom. Dad. What are you doing here?”

Oh, super.

I shoot up from the couch, and in a split second—because Evie’s apartment is made for ants—I’m standing beside her at the door. Her mom’s eyes are wide as they look from me to Evie and then slowly down Evie’s body in the same way one might look at a nudist they’ve just encountered on the sidewalk.

I don’t know why I suddenly have the urge to defend our current state. She’s wearing shorts! I’m a grown man, and Evie’s a grown woman. Even if she weren’t wearing shorts, that’s our business.

But Evie’s mom has the look of a woman about to chew out her daughter. Instinctively, I move to shield Evie. “Hi,” I say, sticking my hand out toward her dad first. “I’m Jacob Broaden.”

He shakes my hand with all the gusto of a dead fish and cocks one eyebrow. “Harold Jones.”

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