Page 34 of Hesi-Dating
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to ticket me or arrest me or whatever Sheriff Briscoe is supposed to do to me for meborrowinga master keycard from a housekeeper."
"I think I owe you about a hundred favors for this one. I'm not on duty." I still couldn't remove my eyes from her in the outfit.
She plucked at her top. "What? You caught me at the gym. Where are the keys?"
"Pants. Left front pocket." I pointed toward the discarded uniform pants I couldn't see on the other side of the bed.
She sat on the bed to sort through pockets but paused her search. Her gaze trailed down my chest. "You're not entirely naked. Kind of disappointed about the false advertising, Sheriff. Still hot, though." Her face flushed red. "Forget I said that." As if reminding herself, she muttered, "Friends."
My briefs barely contained my erection. The temptation of her this close wearing next to nothing had my body humming.
With a throat clear, she handed me the keys.
I unlocked and massaged my wrist and numb hand.
"I've been on the receiving end of being left cuffed. I'm sorry. Your hand probably feels dead. Did she do anything else not nice to you?"
"My pride is bruised, but I'll recover."
Joley fixed that bruised pride with another appreciative drop of her gaze. Her eyes fell all the way to my briefs again before they shot back to my face. I didn't miss the slight increase in her breaths.
She leaned my way as if drawn by an invisible force. My heart pounded against my ribs.Finally, she's going to let me kiss her.
Longing hung between us. I barely knew this woman and she didn't know me, but our bodies seemed to know they wanted each other. It took everything in me not to lean forward and press my lips to hers. I wanted to taste them. My nails dug into my palms to keep from touching her.
But she stopped.
No. Damn it.
She shook her head and stood up. "Sorry…I mean, I hate that she did this to you. Sorry that your first sex after divorce ended like this." Her eyes fell to my erection again. "Oh, dear Lord." With a heavenward eye roll she put a hand on the headboard and whispered, "Be good. Be good. Be good. I can't."
"Thank you." I stood next to her and bent until we were on eye level. Until our noses aligned. Our breaths mingled. By sheer will I kept my hands from touching her everywhere. I cupped her jaw and lifted her chin. "You have to stop. I have a hard time holding back when you look at me like that."
Her lips parted and eyes locked onto my mouth. "Like what?"
I didn't think I'd ever be prepared for how much I craved this woman. On a hoarse whisper I said, "Like you could lick me everywhere just like I want to do to you until I hear you crying out so many times in pleasure that you can't move."
"Oh." Her eyelids drifted closed. "Friends. We need to keep it that way."
"Okay, Joley." I leaned forward to catch the fragrance of her hair. "From onefriendto another," I said, my voice rough, "you smell incredible."
Possibility shimmered between us.
"I want to kiss you," I rasped out. "But I won't because you're an incrediblefriend."
The words snapped the threads woven between us. She stepped back and swallowed. "Good. We're good."
"I'll make you a prediction, though," I tossed over my shoulder as I gathered my clothes and headed for the bathroom.
"A prediction of what?"
"We will kiss one day."
I wiped down the body parts that felt puke covered but weren't. Miraculously, the dog only soiled the covers and Sara's dress, not me. A mouth swish from the mouthwash mini bottle helped wipe away the memory of Sara's kiss.
Outside the bathroom I found Joley on the floor next to Henry. The dog hadn't moved from where he'd curled up, but he now rested his head in her lap. Lucky dog.
"I think he's traumatized," she said.
