Page 78 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
I stifled a yawn. “The twenty or so minutes I saw of it weren’t that bad.”
Jake kissed my forehead, leaving his lips there as he spoke. “Next time, I’m going to rent the war drama.”
The clock on the cable box read 1:34. In a little over five hours, my alarm would go off. “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
Jake sighed. “Not this again.”
It took me a second to put it together. “I mean staying up this late night after night Dragging myself out of bed in the morning is going to be killer, and I’m already having enough stress at work without adding lack of sleep.”
“I guess I should go then.”
“I guess so,” I said, but I didn’t move. “It’s just that you’re really comfortable. And you’re warm and you smell nice…”
He ran his fingers down my back, and I had to fight hard to keep my eyes open. I pushed myself up. “Okay, I’ve got to get to bed before I fall asleep again and then you have to deal with me being grouchy in the morning.”
Just before we reached the door, Jake turned and wrapped his arms around my waist. “You know, you forced me to watch a horrible movie—which you slept through—and I still had a good time. You know what that means, right?”
I tipped onto my toes and kissed his perfect lips, one kiss to hold onto tonight. Another to get me through the hours until I could see him again. “That pouting works better than I thought?”
Jake smiled, then his expression turned serious. The way his eyes were boring into mine somehow sent both heat and nerves through my stomach. “I want to tell you something, but I’m afraid it’ll freak you out.”
I swallowed, the gesture taking a lot more effort than usual. I suspected it might include the L-word, and he was right about it freaking me out. Things were finally easy between us again, and I didn’t want to step into the dangerous, serious zone. “Then you better not say it.”
He pulled me closer, our hips bumping together, and covered my mouth with his. As tired as I was a few seconds ago, every part of me was suddenly very alert. He slid a hand under my shirt, his fingertips stroking my bare back. I bit lightly at his bottom lip. He groaned and crushed me to him. Then he thrust his tongue in to meet mine, kissing me so deeply the room spun.
I clung onto him, losing myself in the moment, wanting to drag him to my bedroom but knowing I couldn’t yet. For some reason…I was having trouble remembering it right now. I broke the kiss and worked on getting air back into my lungs.
Jake blew out his breath. He raked a hand through his hair, making it messy. He looked so hot I had to work at holding back my surging hormones. “Good night,” he said, his voice husky. Then he shot me a roguish smile that sent desire burning through my veins. “Sweet dreams.”
Oh, I was pretty sure my dreams would be featuring him tonight. And they’d probably be more dirty than sweet.
Chapter Twenty-six
Stephanie paused outside of the gallery, her hand on the door. Instead of pulling it open like I thought she was going to, she spun around to face me. “I just realized something. Charlie wasn’t Prince Charming. Jake is.”
As we’d walked down the sidewalk, I’d been gushing about Jake, telling her all about how great he was and how much fun I’d been having with him lately. I should’ve known better.
“Don’t do that,” I said. “I don’t want to think about my stupid case studies right now.” I simply wanted to enjoy being with a guy who made me happy and not worry about the future or how he tied in to all my past exes.
“But think about it. You lost your shoe at the restaurant and you went dancing together. He cares about your job. He’s not deterred when you try to push him away. He’s totally Prince Charming.”
“The whole point of putting those case studies together was to prove that there is no Prince Charming. Fairy tales and real life are nothing alike.”
“Yeah, real life’s harder, blah, blah, blah.” Steph crossed her arms and raised a challenging eyebrow. “You’re just too scared to see if you’re wrong. Because it means putting yourself out there again.”
I thought about last night, how Jake had said he wanted to tell me something. I went back and forth on whether I should’ve let him tell me. If I could handle it. It was getting harder and harder to live life halfway with him, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hold back anymore. I was too stubborn to admit she was the tiniest bit right, though, so I changed the subject. “Time crunch, remember? Patricia’s been commenting on how long my lunches are.”
“You normally love your work,” Stephanie said. “Maybe Jake’s right about you branching off on your own.”
“Maybe. But right now, I’ve got to focus on this job. After we get your vases. Because nothing’s as important as your wedding.”
Smiling, Steph nodded. “That’s right.”
Mission accomplished. When desperate for a distraction, the wedding’s always a winner.She pulled the door open and we headed back to Tina’s display room. Tina was talking to a woman in the corner, explaining the inspiration behind one of her larger pieces.
A red-and-blue heart sculpture that looked partway melted caught my eye. “I think I need this to remind myself that heartbreak—or heart melt—is inevitable.”
“Phfft.Like you need a reminder to be Debbie Downer,” Steph said.
