Page 71 of Partner Pursuit
“Don’t date that android. Date me. Please.Yes?”
“Yes,” she said, almost at the same time as he asked. She gazed into his eyes, depths of blue that she could get lost in. The radiator sputtered in the background as the heat came on.
He took a step closer; her senses zinged in response. As he gazed into her eyes, she tilted her head up. He smelled of chocolateandbeer.
He hesitated. The moment stretched out. Was he nervous? She was. She could see him swallow. He smiled slightly, and she moved towards him.That should makeit easier.
He kissed her firmly on the lips as his hand moved back to cup her head and tangle in her hair, and he pulled her closer, his other hand curving around her waist. He tasted like chocolate and smelled like Jake. As his fingers teased patterns in her hair, she shivered with longing from his touch. She melted into the kiss and hugged him tightly. He gentled the kiss, but every part of her felt on fire. All sensibility was lost except for the consciousness of Jake and this kiss and his fingers. Her fingers caressed his cheek and pushed back his errant hair. The stubble on his cheek grounded her back inherroom.
They parted fora breath.
In a low voice that set her body humming, he said, “I messed up last night, but going out with that guy was a low blow in return.”
She pulled back to look at him. “I wasn’t going out with him to get back at you. How would I know you were interested? It seemed last night you made a pretty decisive choice that nothing was happeninghere.”
“I was going to ask you if something could happen, but then Veronika foiled that.” He feathered kisses across her cheek. “Does this feel likenothing?”
“No, there’s definitely something; we may need more research to determine what, exactly,” she murmuredteasingly.
Jake kissed her neck, and tingly feelings cascaded through her. As he trailed kisses up her neck, her eyes closed and she tilted her neck to give him more access.
“I’m up for more research,” he said. “But it’s definitely something good?” He put both hands in her hair, smoothing it away from her face and looking deep into her eyes. She soaked him in, his warm blue eyes, his face that was so familiar and dear to her. Her hand cupped his firm butt, delighting in the knowledge that she now had permission to touch him so intimately.
“Better than good,”shesaid.
He kissed her again, lightly at first, then more urgently. She ran her fingers through his hair. They couldn’t stop kissing each other. The air was sparking around them. Moving backward while still kissing, he hit the bed, and they tumbled onto it. She lay there for a moment inhisarms.
“Well, that’s convenient,”he joked.
“Yes,” she said, rolling him around and pinning him under her. “I’ve got you right where Iwantyou.”
He relaxed on the bed. “I’m all yours.” She pulled off his grayt-shirt, the worn shirt that he’d been wearing when they’d first bumped into each other, and she tenderly ran her hands acrosshis chest.
He took a quick indrawn breath and moved slightly. “I’mticklish.”
“Youare?”
“I’m embarrassed to admit that I am.” He was tightening his muscles as if preparing for her ticklish touch.
She lay down next to him and kissed him. “You shouldn’t be. That just makes you all the more endearing.”
“Are you?” He tickled her, and she giggled.
“Stop, yes, some places.” She laughed and movedaway.
He kissed her again, and his hand moved down to hold her tightly against him. They fit together perfectly. Their glances met, and the air shimmered aroundthem.
“We need to pull the curtains shut,”shesaid.
“On it,” he said, leaping up to close thecurtains.
They spent the rest of the night researching just how good it was betweenthem.
They fell asleep holding hands, and she only woke up when Jake tickled her in the morning. She opened her eyes to see his blue eyes smiling at her, his muscular chest leaning over her in the bed, the sheet only up tohis waist.
“Hi.” He kissed her quickly, hislipsfirm.
“Hi,” she said shyly.
