Page 33 of The House on Blueberry Lane

“I need to talk to you about something.”

She tilted her head and looked at him. “What?”

“I’d rather we do it inside. My place or yours. It doesn’t matter.” Too late, he remembered those had been his exact words the first night they’d made love. He had a feeling she would remember as well.

“Why can’t we talk out here?” she asked in a soft voice.

“I’d rather we didn’t.”

She studied her sneakers for a moment, then looked up at him. She nibbled her bottom lip before she said, “Fine. We can talk inside my place because I need to talk to you about something as well.”

Jaye could tell she was nervous about whatever she wanted to discuss with him, which made him somewhat uneasy. Was she going to tell him that she’d decided to move out because their close proximity had gotten uncomfortable for her? Or, even worse, she was moving away from Catalina Cove altogether? He couldn’t forget the only reason she had moved here was to get away from him. A knot formed in his stomach and he asked, “What do you want to talk to me about?”

“Like you said, it’s best we talk inside.”

Velvet walked past him and he followed, trying to keep his gaze off the way her tights emphasized the shapeliness of her hips and thighs. Then there was the sensuous sway of her curvy backside. He recalled how when they slept, that very same backside fit perfectly snug against his groin.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “You said something?”

Had he? What she probably heard was a deep, guttural moan. “No, I didn’t say anything.”

When she opened the door and stepped aside for him to enter, it hit him that the only other time he’d been inside her place was the night he’d visited her after the town hall meeting. When she closed the door behind them, he couldn’t help but hope that whatever she had to talk to him about would be the start of their new beginning and not the finality of their end.

The latter was unacceptable to him.

VELVET SET HER duffel bag and purse on the table and turned to face him. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something,” she said, deciding to get things over with.

“And you wanted to talk to me, too. Ladies first.” He stood in her living room, wearing dress slacks and a white shirt—missing the tie and jacket. He wore basically the same thing the night he’d taken her to Captain Scampi. She could remember the exact moment he’d taken off his jacket and removed his tie to help her pack up the boxes. And just like then, tonight he took her breath away.

She inhaled, determined to get a grip. Although he offered for her to go first, she wondered what he wanted to discuss with her. Was he going to tell her that their last two encounters had gotten too heated for him? That he was in an uncomfortable situation since he knew she’d once loved him? If that was the case, maybe it was a good idea for her to go first, after all. She figured she had nothing to lose. Jaye was a man who enjoyed sex, especially when there were no strings attached, and she definitely wouldn’t be giving him any strings.

“Okay. Let’s sit and talk, then. Would you like something to drink? I have beer and wine.”

“Thanks, and yes, I’ll take a beer.”

“One beer coming up.” She headed for the kitchen. Was she misreading him, or did he seem nervous or uncomfortable? She wanted him to be relaxed and have a willingness to keep an open mind about her proposal. One she hoped he would accept.

When she returned a short while later, he was staring out the window with his hands shoved in his pants pockets. She was convinced that no other man had such a gorgeous physique and backside as Jack Colfax, Jr. “Here you are, Jaye.”

At the sound of her voice, he turned around and their gazes met. It suddenly occurred to her that she and Jaye were alone and the sexual chemistry between them was more electrifying than ever.

He crossed the room and took the beer from her, and their hands touched in the process. The energy between them intensified. He cleared his throat. “You got our favorite brand,” he said.

She slid her gaze from his eyes to the bottle. She never was a fan of beer until she’d met Jaye. She’d always been a wine girl. But one night, he had been drinking beer and offered her a sip of his.

“I like a beer every once in a while, to unwind.”

“So do I,” he said, opening the bottle and taking a huge gulp.

Watching him raise the bottle to his lips, tilt it up and swallow was still one of the most erotic things she’d ever witnessed.

“Where’s yours?” he asked her, holding her gaze.

Her chest tightened from the look she saw in the depths of his eyes—desire and lust. She swallowed and said, “I don’t want anything to drink now. I’ll have a glass of wine before bedtime.” She needed to operate with an undiluted mind, so the last thing she needed was alcohol in her system.

He nodded. “Okay, you’re ready to talk?”

“Yes, I’m ready.” She sat on the sofa and he took the wingback chair across from her. He looked at her expectantly.

---