“Making sure there aren’t any snakes.”
Oh, hell no. I backed up a few steps. Give me a shoot-out with a bad guy any day, but snakes? Nope. Not happening. “Tell me again why we’re here.”
“You’ll see.”
She spread the blanket over a rock that might or might not have snakes hiding in it just waiting for a couple of dumbasses they could bite. She patted the space next to her. I took a moment to debate the merits of being a wuss versus manning up and climbing onto a possibly snake-infested boulder. It was probably a lot easier to shoot a bear than a snake, and I made a mental note to find a shooting range that had small, slithering targets I could practice on. But I was a lawman, and it was my duty to protect citizens and pretty girls, so I pushed myself onto the rock.
“Shouldn’t we leave that on?” I said when Jenny turned off the flashlight.
“No, we can’t see the stars when it’s on.”
But we could see the damn snakes. “Is that what we’re doing, stargazing?” I didn’t think I’d ever done that before, not that I could remember. The lights were never off in Chicago, so we never bothered looking up at night.
She lowered onto her back. “Come look.”
On my back beside her, I lifted my eyes to the night sky. “Wow,” I whispered.
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” We fell silent, both of us entranced by the glittering diamonds on black velvet. It helped that the moon was a mere sliver in the sky, allowing the stars center stage. I slipped my hand over Jenny’s, and she laced her fingers around mine.
“Someday I’ll stand under the stars in Greece or Ireland or China.”
I lifted onto my elbow and peered down at her. “You’re serious about this world travel thing?”
“Definitely.”
It was too dark to see her well, but I could see the gleam of her teeth as she smiled, and the outline of her hair spread out over the blanket, and I could smell her scent. Something earthy, like a combination of cinnamon and vanilla beans and rain. Made my mouth water. She lifted her hand and pressed her palm against my cheek. I took that as permission and lowered my mouth to hers.
Her lips were soft and warm, and when she parted them, I slid my tongue over hers. My body hummed with longing for this woman. I put my hand on her hip, pulling her closer. Her breath hitched, and she grabbed the front of my shirt, fisting her fingers in the material.
Oh yeah.I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth, then let go, chuckling when she made a little growling noise. She paid me back by clamping her teeth lightly down on my lip, giving a little tug.
I gathered a lock of her hair, wrapping it around my hand and tugging her head back. “Still think my kiss is just nice?”
She grinned. “Jury’s still out.”
We’d see about that. “You better take a deep breath, Red, because you’re not coming up for air until I get my fill of you.”
“Is that so?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” And I proved it to her. We made out like teenagers for a good thirty minutes, and by the time I pulled away, breathless, I was so hard I could hammer a nail with my dick. The last thing I wanted to do was stop, but if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to.
Although she’d been just as into our kissing as me, her hands had never strayed below my chest, which told me she wasn’t ready. She’d asked me not to push her, and never mind that I’d never be able to walk straight again, I would honor her request.
Even though I wasn’t going to get what I wanted tonight, I still considered it a victory. There had been times when I’d doubted that I’d ever want another woman. That was how bad my wife had fucked up my head. It was a relief to know my manly parts were still alive and operative.
“Does the jury have a verdict yet?”
Jenny sat up, then leaned down and brushed her lips over mine. “The defendant wins the case. He’s a damn great kisser.”
I kept my hands at my sides when she circled my mouth with the tip of her tongue, otherwise I’d start stripping off her clothes. My control was hanging on by a thread—a very fragile one. She slid off the rock and walked to the edge, and I followed her. And yes, it was impossible to walk normally.
“That’s our little town down there,” she said.
Below us was a scattering of lights on the valley floor. “If that was Chicago, the entire valley would be lit up like it was daylight.”
“Do you miss Chicago?”
