Page 34 of A Lonely Road
Only two little words, but heat flooded my body. I stared at the phone, my thumbs hovering over the keyboard.
Not busy at all. How’s work?
Boring. The hot chick I usually scope out from behind the bar never showed. Had to entertain myself by counting tiny drink umbrellas the rest of the night.
A startled laugh burst from my lips, followed by a wide grin.That’s tragic. Did you have cake for breakfast?
Though three little dots indicated he’d started typing, it was several minutes before his response came through.Sorry, customers keep bugging me. Don’t they know this is more important? I figured I’d save the leftovers for tonight, in case you were interested in joining me for dessert.
“You should say no,” I told myself, laying my head back against the cushioned loveseat. “You’re going to make a habit of this, of him. It’d be better to just say no.”
The words seemed to echo in the empty apartment, then I picked up the phone and typed,I’m in.
A nervous flutter rose from deep in my belly, even as anticipation edged into more sensitive parts of my anatomy. The phone chimed once more to say,I’ll pick you up on my way home, around ten.
I laughed at that, then tossed the phone aside and drew myself a hot bath. The apartment’s bathroom was tidy and perfectly adequate, but it wasn’t nearly as luxurious as the master bath I'd tiptoed into this morning at Jake’s house. I’d stoodthere for a solid minute, admiring the gigantic glass shower stall and impressive corner tub before finally remembering I had to pee.
“Fantasizing about a man’s bathtub is a new low,” I muttered as I sank down in the steaming water.
Instead, when I closed my eyes, I remembered the way his hands had stroked over my skin like he couldn’t possibly get enough, that hot, hungry mouth that had performed unspeakably erotic acts and whispered words both dark and sweet. I forced my eyes open, staring at the gray tiled wall as I wondered what it was about Jake Lincoln that had made it so easy for him to slip through my defenses.
Once the water cooled, I washed my hair, braided it, and threw on jeans and a tank top. The dress had been a fit of whimsy on my part, brought on by the desire for him to look at me as he had after my coffee date with Sam, like I was a vision of beauty.
Or lust.
As I studied my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my fingers lifted thoughtfully to my lips. Was it my imagination, or did I still look like a woman who’d been well and thoroughly kissed?
My hand dropped just as Jake texted to tell me he was outside. I pocketed the phone and met him on the stairs, feeling strangely shy as I locked the door behind me. He was standing about halfway up the stairs with that beautifully crooked smile on his face.
“I didn’t want to startle you by knocking,” he said, watching as my eyes widened.
“That’s very thoughtful of you,” I replied even as I kicked myself for the stupid response. I stayed frozen for a moment until the wave of awkwardness passed, then came down the steps toward him. When I was two steps above his position, I paused, bringing the two of us very close to eye level. “You’re an interesting man, you know.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, coming from such a fascinating woman. I’ve got a hunk of carrot cake with our names on it, though I have to confess it does look like it was attacked by hungry badgers.”
I laughed. “Badgers, huh? I’m sure they were extremely attractive and very naked badgers, at least. How was the rest of your shift?”
“Quiet and, like I said, boring.”
He offered his hand and looked inordinately pleased when I immediately slipped mine into it. When we reached the driveway, he turned to look at me, his contented smile fading into an expression of concern.
“You didn’t stay home because of me, right? Nothing between us changes my offer for you to come in to work, Nora.”
“No, it wasn’t that. I just needed some time to think.” I broke off and shot him a horrified glance. “Oh god, that sounds maudlin. I don’t regret a single minute of last night, Jake. I want that to be perfectly clear. I just didn’t want to catch myselfdaydreaming about your insanely attractive naked body while I was sitting in a public place, how’s that?”
“Daydreaming, huh?” He chewed on that, then his gaze sharpened on my face. “And what happened with that guy isn’t going to keep you from coming back either, is it?”
I actually rolled my eyes at that and tugged his hand toward his house. “No, some drunken asshole isn’t going to rob me of my favorite writing nook. I’ve never come to The Mermaid every single day, Jake. Today was just a home day. I told you I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, you did. Where did you learn that move, by the way?”
“Self-defense classes. My dad insisted,” I grumbled, tugging him harder when he paused again. “For god’s sake, Lincoln, are we going to stand out here chatting all night? I want either cake or sex, in whichever order you choose, and I’m getting impatient.”
Jake’s heated glance gave me some idea which order of events he preferred. “Did I say fascinating? Because you are the most goddamn bewitching woman I’ve ever met.”
With that, his intoxicating mouth settled on mine, drinking in the soft sigh that escaped my lips. We were nearly to the front door, but I wasn’t convinced Jake could keep his hands off me long enough to fumble for the doorknob. I laughed against his jaw when he swore under his breath, attempting to open the door without letting go of his hold on me.
“You’re killing me,” he said hoarsely when my hands clenched the front of his shirt. “I feel like a teenager again,clumsy and so turned on I’m pretty sure there isn’t enough blood reaching my brain.”
