Page 73 of Slash & Burn

“Missed my food is more like it,” she muttered, shoving me out of her way. “I should never have let you take all of it.”

She strode over to the table, ripping the plastic lid off her pad thai before she’d even taken a seat. It was a good sign that she was digging in so enthusiastically; it meant her anxiety had subsided.

I sighed, pulling out the other chair and taking a seat. Jill’d tucked her legs up under her and was stabbing at her food with the flimsy plastic fork. She looked so comfortable it helped me relax. I popped open my curry and shook some rice onto a plate, spooning the fragrant yellow sauce over top.

“God, I love food,” Jill murmured around a mouthful of noodles. “Good pick on the takeout place.” She smiled at me and I laughed, because I wasn’t sure she’d ever looked so cute.

“Not that there were many options, but I’ll take that win.” I took a bite and hummed in agreement, nodding to her. “Yeah, this’ll do.” The buttery sauce was delicious and for a few minutes we just sat stuffing our faces while the sound of the rain pounded on the roof.

Snagging a bottle from the six pack of beers we’d picked up, I reached for my bag, yanking my car keys out—and my bottle-opener keychain with them. “So, where’s your sweatshirt from?” I asked as I popped the cap and took a long, cold drink.

Jill glanced down, recognition hitting her as she swallowed. “Trope Trove. It’s a romance bookstore in New York.”

“Romance bookstore, like that’s all they sell?”

“Yep.” She stabbed at another piece of chicken, but was watching me for a reaction.

“That’s cool.” I fixed myself another plate of rice and curry. “Is that what you’ll do with your store when you open it?” I flicked my eyes up in time to catch the sly grin that unfurled on her face, like she’d seen me coming a mile away.

“If I won the lotto and had the money for it, yeah, I’d probably keep it to mostly romance. But there might be a little kid’s section in the corner. You know, so mom could look for herself while the kiddos are entertained.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” I said, laughing. “You don’t think it’s risky having dirty books right next to kid’s books?”

Jill rolled her eyes, but she was still lit up, as if talking about her ideas actually made her glow. “I think I could manage enough of a separation between the smut and the picture books.”

“Does that mean there are no smut-picture-books? Cause I could see a market for that.”

“Grow up, Holloway,” she said as she threw one of the free peppermints at me, the little thing pegging me right on the chin.

I went to catch it before it hit the floor, but I swung too wide and my arm clipped the table, sending my curry crashing into my lap, sauce and vegetables going everywhere.

Jill’s eyes went wide. “Oh god!” She grabbed for the wad of napkins on the table, dropping to her knees to wipe at the liquid dripping off me.

The second her hand came down on my thigh my dick jumped. The thing was already half hard at just the sight of her, but the minute she was actually touching me it was game over. And it took only a matter of seconds for her cleaning efforts to reveal exactly what was going on inside my pants.

“I’m good,” I tried, my voice noticeably tight, as I reached for the last of the napkins and scrubbed at the mess. “You don’t have to . . .”

Jill was still focused on blotting at the yellow stain when her fingers stroked over me and I flinched. Between the touch and the sight of her on her knees in front of me you could hardly blame me for being turned on.

She froze, her cheeks going red as she glanced up at me.

“I think I got this.” My chest rose a little higher as I worked to calm back down.

Something sweet and mischievous passed through her gaze, her teeth digging into her lower lip as she looked up at me. “We should really get these off of you,” she said, her words only barely above a whisper.

It was like time stood still. The world outside that tiny roadside motel ceased to exist as she put her hands on my thighs and slowly shifted between them. She took her time licking her lips as she dropped the napkins to the floor.

Since seeing Jill that first day a million different fantasies had passed through my head about how this moment could go down, but I was damn sure none of them had ever looked like this. With Jill’s eyes sparkling up at me, her pretty pink lips parted as she took short eager breaths. The tiniest peek of cleavage afforded by the angle I was now looking down her half-zipped sweatshirt. The slight flex of her fingertips against my legs as she waited for me to reply.

I hadn’t planned a single second of this and yet it felt so fucking perfect.

Because it just happened. Like it was impossible for it not to.

It was messy and real.Just like us.

With her eyes locked on mine, she crept her fingers up my legs, tucking them into the waist of my sweats when they got there, and then pausing for my approval.

“Are you sure?” I asked, stunned by the sight of the beautiful woman between my knees.

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