Don
“I toldyou they had the best dumplings on this side of town, didn’t I?” I said as I held the door for Jocelyn as she and I exited the Thai restaurant. We’d just finished eating dinner. While I’d joked that the food was good, the truth was, that I’d barely tasted anything. My focus had mainly been on Jocelyn. Every time she laughed at something I said, a rush of blood flooded my ears.
When she smiled my heart knocked against my chest. A few times during the meal our fingers had brushed against one another and she’d give me this demure look that filled my stomach with something unfamiliar. I was no stranger to dating but this started to feel like a hell of a lot more than the beginning of a fling.
For once in my adult life, I was considering something long-term. Something real. And this was after only one kiss and one dinner together.
She turned to me and frowned. “They were all right.”
“Bull fucking shit.”
She burst out laughing. “Okay, yes, they were great. I can’t believe I’ve never been to this place before.”
She looked over at the restaurant as if committing it to memory.
“A few of the guys and I came here one night after our shift a few months back. I haven’t been able to eat Thai anywhere else since.”
“I can see why.”
“The theater’s this way,” I said, placing my hand at the small of her back. “It’s not far from the lot where I parked.” The restaurant and theater were only about a block away from one another, allowing us to walk the short distance.
As we walked, I admired the way her hips and thighs filled out the leather pants she’d paired with a dark green top that flared out at the bottom. She’d exchanged her usual boots for a pair of stilettos. Throughout dinner, I’d had to contend with images of those damn shoes parked on my shoulders.
“What movie are we going to see?” she asked, yanking me from my scandalous thoughts.
“That new action flick.”
I knew I’d made the right decision when she widened her smile.
I’d bought tickets for the movie after I called her to ask her out the day before. Initially, I’d meant the night to be all about the arson, but who the hell was I kidding? I wanted Jocelyn for more than help with this case. I’d wanted her long before this case.
“Damn,” I growled, pulling her to me. Without overthinking it, I captured her lips in a kiss. She didn’t resist when I traced her bottom lip with my tongue before sucking it into my mouth.
I pulled back from the kiss when I heard voices coming up behind us. Peering up at the marquee, I realized we had arrived at the theater.
“We still haven’t talked about the arsons,” she said, her eyes lingering on my lips.
“We will,” I assured. “Right now, I’ve got two movie tickets waiting for us.”
We ordered snacks from the concession stand and went in to watch the movie.
“I can’t believe you eat that shit.” I glared down at the white and green box in her hands.
“Junior Mints?” she asked, grinning as she popped one of the offending candies into her mouth. “They’re better than pineapples on pizza,”
“Ack.”
She giggled, and I laid my arm around her shoulders. When she leaned into me, I inhaled, the smell of coconuts filled my senses.
“You sure you don’t want any?” She asked, holding a Junior Mint up to my face.
I was certain she was teasing, but I tilted my head and captured the candy in between my lips, before she could react. I ran my tongue across the tip of her finger, right as the lights dimmed in the theaters. Jocelyn’s audible hitch of breath was the reaction I’d wanted.
“You’re going to learn why it’s not a good idea to tease me, Jocelyn,” I warned low in her ear.
The previews for the film started but she kept her eyes locked on me for another heartbeat before turning away.
I smirked.
