Page 30 of Give In To Love
“I like you, Jimmy.”
“You like everyone.”
I smiled. I couldn’t tell if he was deliberately misunderstanding me or if he truly wasn’t picking up what I was laying down. Either way, it was time to make my meaning perfectly clear.
“True,” I said as I scooted to the edge of my bed and leaned forward. “But I’m not talking about that kind of ‘like.’” I wanted to move over to his bed. Maybe take his hand in mine as I put it all out there. But once again, I didn’t want to scare him away. “I’m talking about the kind of ‘like’ that means I can’t stop thinking about you. That finds you endlessly fascinating. That wonders what it would be like to bury my fingers in your hair and kiss you until you beg to come up for air. Ilikeyou.”
Jimmy’s eyes had widened as I spoke but other than that, I couldn’t tell what he thought about my declaration. So I waited. And waited.
I was about to give up, to say something to break the silence that stretched between us, when he finally said, “I like you too.”
His voice was small but clear, his words unmistakable. They gave me the courage to move over to his bed and take his hand in mine. His palm was smooth and warm, his fingers threading through mine, the perfect fit.
With my free hand, I did what I’d been wanting to from the moment I walked into our room and discovered we were roommates. I brushed my fingers through his curls, watching the way they cascaded from my fingertips. “Did you get a trim?”
“Drea and Mandy talked me into it. I wanted to go shorter, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“Your friends are officially my favorite people.” I leaned in close until our faces were just inches apart. “I meant what I said about kissing you.” I moved my hand down to pinch his chin. “Can I kiss you, sunshine?”
He swallowed, then nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. I closed the distance between us, pressing my lips to his and holding there, savoring the feel of him. He sighed, melting into me, and my heart fluttered. It was like a butterfly’s first beating of wings after emerging from its cocoon—at first soft and tentative, then strong and true before taking flight.
I sank into it, sliding my hand back to his nape and holding him in place as I slipped my tongue between his parted lips. He gave the sweetest little whimper, tentatively darting his tongue out to meet mine. I gave chase, dipping my tongue in a little farther, and groaned as his taste flooded my senses.
I slid the fingers of my other hand along his jaw until I was cradling his face with both hands, gently tilting his head to gain better access. He didn’t resist, opening for me beautifully, meeting my tongue stroke for stroke in earnest.
I was a live wire, every nerve ending in my body sparking to life, lust thrumming insistently through my veins, making my brain hazy while my cock ached. I wanted to lay him down and cover his body with mine. I wanted to kiss and bite and nip at his skin. I wanted to rut against him, rutintohim, my balls slapping against his ass with each stroke. I wanted to know what sounds he made when he came. I wanted him to call my name.
Iwanted.
I ripped my mouth away and pressed my forehead to Jimmy’s, panting heavily as I tried to clear the haze from my brain and catch my breath. I’d been dangerously close to mauling him and coming in my shorts. He deserved more than that. He deserved care. He deserved tenderness. And maybe it was old-fashioned, but he deserved to be wooed.
“Why did you stop? Was that…was I not…good?”
I pulled back to look at him, startled to see tears in his eyes.
“Oh, sunshine.” I kissed his forehead, an errant curl tickling my nose. “That was very, very good. I stopped because I didn’t want to lose control.”
“Oh,” he said, blinking furiously to stop the tears. His cheeks were flushed, and his lips rosy, tempting me to lean in for another taste. Instead, I climbed off the bed and held out my hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
He put his hand in mine, allowing me to pull him up to stand. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you on a date.”
15
JIMMY
My head spunas I followed TJ out of the dorm to his car.What the fuck just happened?He pulled my hand into his and drew it up to his lips, smiling as he kissed me, just a brush of his lips against my skin.
And then he was backing out of his parking spot and turning us toward downtown like it was no big deal. Like he hadn’t just turned my entire world on its axis.
At a stoplight, he let go of my hand long enough to pull up a playlist on his phone before threading his fingers through mine again. I stared at our clasped hands resting on my thigh, admiring the way they fit together. He wasn’t a big guy, but he was still bigger than me, and I liked how his slightly larger palm fit against mine. Marveled at the way his golden skin contrasted with my lighter complexion. TJ had held my hand before, but I’d never let myself think it meant anythingmore. It was almost as intimate as the kiss we’d shared ten minutes ago.
Was that all the time that had passed?I glanced at the clock on the dash. Just ten minutes since he’d declared that he liked me—likedme, likedme—and then kissed me. He destroyed me with that kiss and then remade me into an entirely new person. I’d been fundamentally changed.
And now we were going on a date. I’d never been on a date in my life. I looked down at my clothes. I was wearing an old pair of jeans, a hoodie, and worn black Vans. Shit. I couldn’t go on a date looking like this. I should probably be dressed nicer. Not that I had anything nicer, really. What use did I have for that shit?
I’d nearly worked myself into a panic when TJ pulled into a metered parking spot on the street. I looked around, but since I hadn’t spent a ton of time in Omaha, I wasn’t sure where we were. I mean, I knew we were downtown based on the height of the buildings, and though I’d just been in the Old Market earlier today, this didn’t look like the same area.
