Page 12 of Merry Mix-Up

Jade 2:18 PM: Sure, sounds good. I'll see you then.

I almost squealed in giddiness the way Naomi had when she saw the dress design. I didn't know why it thrilled me so much that he was interested in me because I wasn't so shallow as to only think about his good looks and money. Maybe part of itwas the fact that Amber said he was a no-no and I just got very irritated by how I knew she thought of me.

When I was dressed, I slipped out without even saying goodbye. I didn't want to have to kiss Naomi on each cheek and give her a hug when I was annoyed by the way she and my sister talked about me. I went straight to the door and then straight home to work on the dress. I had a date tonight and I wanted to keep this mood going.

I had just tied my hair up when I heard the bell ring. The clock said Newt was a few minutes early, and I wasn't quite ready. My apartment was in better shape than it was the last time he asked to come in, but it still looked like a unicorn vomited in here. I took my large tan blanket and draped it over the pile of brightly colored clothes on the end of the couch and decided I'd blame the rest on Amber if he asked. I couldn't ask him to wait in the car so long.

I scurried to the door and opened it, and he stood with a bouquet of roses and a smile on his face. The cold breeze blew his scent in toward me, and I inhaled the cologne and practically swooned. This incredibly hot man with dreamy blue eyes and wavy, dark brown hair literally had the whole package.

"Hey," I said and stepped back, feeling butterflies in my chest. "I'm not quite ready," I told him, and then I noticed what was in his other hand. It was a white plastic sack with takeout containers in it. He had brought food with him and probably planned to eat in, not at a restaurant. My cheeks warmed at the thought of being alone with him here, and not just because his eyes were raking over my messy living room of rainbow vomit.

"These are for you," Newt said, handing me the flowers. They were a boring shade of red, but they were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.

"They're so pretty, thank you." I took them and brought them to my nose to sniff the soft petals as he shut the door behind himself.

"Your apartment looks like your sister's hair." He chuckled and hoisted the bag into the air. "I brought Mexican."

The scent of the food hadn't even hit me yet. I was too busy enjoying how incredible he smelled. I stood staring at him in a daze. Newt Phillips—billionaire with the smile of a God—was standing in my living room prepared to entertain me for the evening. I suddenly felt inadequate and shy.

"You okay?" he asked, snickering. He set the sack down on the stand by the door and shed his layers, first the trench coat, then the suit coat and scarf, and when he loosened his tie and draped his coat over the end of the sofa, I finally unfroze.

"Uh, yeah. I'm okay. I'm sorry about the mess." I winced at the fact that I was drawing attention to the colorful array in the room. I never had to apologize for my style before, but I felt like right now, I had to. Newt thought I was Amber, tame and predictably boring. It didn't bode well for any real connection we might be building, either. If he didn't care for "Jade's" wild hair, maybe he didn't really care for me at all.

"Jade lives with you?" he asked, and I shrugged and sighed as I headed toward the kitchen for a vase.

"I stay with her when I'm home, actually." It wasn't a total lie. Amber did stay here sometimes when she came to town. The only parts that were lies were the "I" and "me" parts.

"Wow, this is your place?" he picked up the sack and followed me, and I stood at the sink trimming the flowers and arranging them in the vase while he opened the food containers and set them on the tiny table in the kitchen area.

"Uh, yeah?" I said hesitantly. If he hated the décor, I'd say Amber was a slob, but I really hoped he didn't hate it. I wanted to know that he liked me the way I was. If not, then I was just dreaming hopelessly and I might as well stop while I was ahead before my heart got broken.

"So, you love color as much as she does? Hmm…" His "hmm" sounded positive, but I felt insecure.

"Well, we both love it, but she just puts it on her head and I put it on my walls." I turned with the vase in hand to see the spread on the table. He brought chimichangas with rice and queso and my mouth was watering. "How did you know I love Mexican?" It was one thing Amber and I unapologetically had in common. We both loved ethnic food.

"A little birdie told me." Newt winked and gestured as he took the flowers from me. He set them in the center of the table and we both sat down.

The meal was delicious. We talked a bit between bites, but he seemed as serious about his dinner as I was about Mexican food in general. He was pleasant company, and I couldn't believe he complimented my style. This was my space and he felt completely comfortable with me, even though he probably thought at least some of the influence in my décor was due to Amber. And while the flowers didn’t exactly match the drapes, I proudly displayed them.

When we were done eating, I stood to begin clearing the takeout containers away and he helped me. I got a bit of queso on my finger and went to lick it off, but he captured my hand and put my finger into his mouth to suck it clean.

I snickered and felt very embarrassed as his eyes met mine. "What'd you do that for?" I asked playfully, and he moved closer, pulling me against his body with a hand in the small of my back.

"You know, I was really disappointed when Dad walked in on us the other night." Newt let my hand go, and I rested it on his shoulder.

"You were?" My voice was barely a squeak. I felt where this was going and my heart started to hammer against my ribs.

"I was. And I'd like to try that again and see where it might lead."

Why would a man like him want anything to do with someone like me? He was eleven years older than me with his career set. He owned fancy cars and probably a flashy house. He had a driver to chauffeur him around, for Christ's sake.

"Newt, I…" I couldn't really pull away from him. He held me so snugly. But it wasn’t like I wanted to, either.

"Amber, I think you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met and for some reason, I can't get you out of my head. The sound of your voice is calming to me in a world where not many things are calming. Please, let me kiss you, and see what you feel when I do. And if you don't like it, I'll stop and we can just watch a movie or something." Newt's thumb strummed the waistband of my jeans like a guitar string and I nodded, but I bit my lip.

The minute his lips brushed over mine, my body was on fire. He was tender yet hungry, and his lips were so soft, like he'd moisturized them just for this moment. He started to pull away, but I hooked my hands behind his neck and pulled him back, too greedy to let him go.

His hands slid up my sides, sending shivers down my spine, and he picked me up, carrying me back to the couch where he set me down gently. His hands moved to the buttons on my shirt, unfastening them slowly, as if he had all the time in the world to explore every inch of my skin. His lips left mine and trailed a heated path down my neck, his tongue dipping into the hollows of my collarbone, making me moan.

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