More silence.
“He asked me last week and I said I’d go. I forgot, but he reminded me today.”
“A movie. With Trey. Sounds like a date.”
“We’re just friends. Co-workers.” She felt as if she’d done something wrong, and that annoyed her. “Look, I said I’d go with him. I can’t back out now. And it’s not as if you and I are dating exclusively.”
“So it’s a no then?”
“What?”
“I asked you to be mine. As in, we date each other andonlyeach other. You said you’d think about it.”
She bit her lip, unsure if she’d done the wrong thing or the right thing by keeping Trey’s date. “I’m still thinking.”
He didn’t sound upset. Just the opposite. Jack sounded too polite, too understanding. When they’d been kids, he’d yelled when angry. This calm, rational approach to conflict unnerved her. She preferred the yelling because it seemed more honest.
“So tonight is off. Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. I’d like us to go to dinner on Thursday though. Remember? With my family? Will that work?”
Relieved he wasn’t angry, she immediately agreed. “Sure, that’s fine.”Damn it.Why did his approval matter so much?Why? Because you like him more than you should, you stupid woman,her inner Maya replied.
“Great. I’ll tell my parents we’ll see them then. Bye.” He disconnected before she could sputter more questions.
Dinner with a guy who wanted to deepen a relationship…with hisparents? Nothing but trouble. What was her life coming to?
She sighed, then ran the errands she’d mentioned to Trey before meeting him at the movies.
To her relief, they had a great time. Trey didn’t pressure her for anything afterward, just some ice cream at the Ben & Jerry’s next door, and she’d learned more about a colleague with a great sense of humor. He didn’t even try to kiss her, thank God. Toward the end, they’d agreed the night had been fun, but a relationship at work might be too weird. She left with a smile on her face and returned home…only to find Jack waiting for her on her porch.
Nerves flared. She parked the car and composed herself. She stopped to greet him on the porch. “Hello.”
“Hey.” He kissed her, a nice appreciative peck that eased her nerves. He didn’t appear upset. “Good movie?”
“Dramatic, but fun. Trey’s a nice guy.” She let Jack inside with her since he seemed to be behaving himself and told him all about Trey. In the kitchen, she grabbed herself a bottle of water and turned to him. “Want some—”
“Yeah.” Before she could blink he had her up on the counter, his mouth on hers, his hands everywhere.
She couldn’t think as he drew her into his wicked web of lust, need and damn it, love. The urgency of the kiss and the pleasure he evoked by taking charge had her mindless, on the edge.
He cupped her between her legs and ground his palm against her clit. His roughness excited her, and she came, her cry of relief swallowed by his kiss. He calmed her with more kisses, stroking her legs, her waist, her shoulders.
His eyes were bright with passion and more than a hint of anger. But he only smiled and backed away. “See you tomorrow.”
The bastard left her sitting on her kitchen counter, dumbfounded and wondering what the hell had just happened. And why she wanted it to happen again.
Jack couldn’t see straight as he took a frustrated walk around the block before heading back to Dan’s. He swore with every step, unable to believe the obtuse woman didn’t seem to have a problem going out to the movies with some fuckhead teacher. From all she’d described, the guy seemed harmless. Hell, she’d come right home from the post-movie ice cream and even wore a drop of vanilla bean on her jacket. He had no reason to disbelieve her. But knowing she’d been out with someone else when he’d staked his claim bothered the shit out of him.
Hopefully his performance in the kitchen had reminded her where she belonged. He hadn’t missed how she’d succumbed to his kiss. Hell, she hadn’t made a single argument about finding him waiting for her.
That helped ease his fury, but not by much. Because getting her off excited him, and now he had to deal with being sexually frustrated in addition to the idea that his girlfriend had yet to commit.
Tomorrow night would be interesting, to say the least. He was rather proud of luring her to dinner with his family. If that didn’t spark a commitment, with his mother in fine form, he didn’t know what would. Laura Bloom might badger him, but she could be one smooth piece of work. She’d always liked Ann, Ann had loved her, and everyone liked Dan and Julie. Time to rally the team for a full court press on one stubborn school teacher.
That in mind, he headed home—to Dan’s home. Time to take care of his own living situation.
