Page 60 of The Dallas Dilemma

“Thank you for dinner,” she says as she reaches across the table to link her fingers with mine.

“You’re welcome,” I say, then shake my head. “But you don’t need to thank me. It really is my pleasure.”

When that last word passes my lips, her pupils dilate and her tongue peeks out to wet her pretty lips. My brain goes a little haywire as my cock swells even more, and before I know what I’m doing, I’m tugging her around the table and onto my lap.

All I can think about is how good she feels and how this is right where she belongs. Her thigh brushes over the bulge in my pants as we kiss, and I drive my tongue through her parted lips to taste her. One hand is tangled in her hair, the other is curled around her hip, holding her still for the onslaught of my attention.

I grunt when she breaks off our kiss, followed by an immediate moan as she latches onto my neck. She licks and sucks at my skin while little moans vibrate in her chest. I tilt my head back to give her easier access, and her teeth scrape across my skin. Goosebumps break out all over my body as the slight sting zips straight to my cock.

I want her.

I need her.

Now.

“Joey.”

Josette freezes, her entire body going stiff and cold. She jerks her head back, and when I look down at her, she’s wearing a stricken expression.

“What’s wrong?” I huff between heavy breaths.

“What?” she asks, her voice high-pitched and thready.

“I asked what’s wrong.”

“No,” she says, her chest heaving as she breathes like she’s in the middle of a marathon. “Before that. What did you say before that?”

“I––” I start, then frown as I pull a blank.

I don’t remember what I said. All I remember is the feel of her teeth on me and how I was aching for more.

“You called meJoey,” she says when it becomes clear I’ve got nothing.

“I did?”

She wiggles out of my grasp and leaps from my lap so fast, you’d think she touched a hot stove. The fog of lust is taking its sweet time clearing as I try to make sense of what’s happening.

“You’ve never called me that,” she says, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “Where did you hear it?”

I freeze as the fog evaporates, and my brain catches on to what’s happening. I can’t stop my eyes from widening as the consequences of my slip-up become crystal clear. Josette goes pale and takes a step back.

“Youknow,don’t you?”

I stand, holding up my palms in a placating manner in hopes that she won’t bolt. “I’ve been trying to wait until you’re ready to talk about it. I didn’t want to push you into a conversation you’re not ready to have.”

“How long?” she asks, and the crack in her voice is nearly my undoing.

“What?”

“How long have you known I’m JoeyB?”

“Since the day after you figured out I’m Bodacious Buckaroo,” I say, dropping my hands and slouching in defeat. “You were acting so strange when you ran out of here, and I couldn’t figure out why. I ended up at O’Malley’s the next night, where I ran into Linc and Royal. They could tell I was upset, and when I explained what happened, Royal put it all together.”

“You didn’t say anything,” she murmurs in a lifeless monotone, and panic lances through my chest.

“I swore them to secrecy because I didn’t want you to have to talk about this until you were ready. And I knew if Callie found out, she’d tell you, and you’d feel cornered. I’m so sorry, Josette. I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping quiet,” I say, internally praying she understands.

“I should go,” she says after a long pause, and my heart drops into my stomach.

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