“It’s late. Some of us actually have to be on time for work tomorrow.” Sharp. I could practically see her walls coming back up, brick by brick.
“Ouch…” I pressed a hand to my chest like she’d stabbed me. “You’re making me feel used,” I continued, grinning enough to make it clear I wasn’t serious. Well… not entirely.
I got a perfectly executed eye roll in return before she opened the door and climbed out like she was immune to me. Who was she trying to fool? She clearly wasn’t. I stayedin the car a little longer, watching her walk away. The way her skirt hugged her ass. She had no idea what she was doing to me. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to get hard all over again.
I could feel myself grinning like an idiot as I finally stepped out of the car. She turned to look at me, smoothing her skirt. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips a little swollen, and it hit me all over again how she managed to be so many women at once.
We’d known each other less than forty-eight hours, and I’d already seen so many sides of her. The fierce, protective mom. The quirky, funny date. The uninhibited, phenomenal lover. The sweet, lovable granddaughter. And now this—something soft and hesitant, like she was trying to avoid meeting my eyes.
When her gaze finally lifted to mine, those hazel eyes of hers were different. Gentle. A little vulnerable. Like she was shy about something, but fighting it. Fighting falling. I secretly hoped that’s what it was because I was already there. 30,000 feet down and no way back up. Her lips parted slightly like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite get the words out. So, I did.
“So, are we all set for tomorrow?”
“Sure,” she nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes.
Fair. I wasn’t exactly the type of guy you introduced to Grandma or any family member. Hell, I was barely the guy you introduced to your coworkers. Unless you wanted to hear theHe’s not boyfriend materialspeech.
“Text me the address. I’ll be there,” I said, flashing her a smile.
Her poorly buttoned shirt shifted, and I caught a glimpse of her bra.
Jesus.
A quickie in the back of the car was nowhere nearenough. My body was already thinking about how to fix that, and my mouth had no filter.
“Or…” I leaned in, hands sliding to her waist to bring her closer, and my lips brushing her ear. “I could sleep here tonight, and we’ll go together tomorrow.” I felt her shiver under my hands. “You know… there’s a lot more we can do in a room than we can in the back of a car,” I whispered. She didn’t say anything. There was a little hitch in her breathing.
Okay. My self-control was barely hanging on, but I’d promised to keep my asshole tendencies low. So maybe I shouldn’t push that particular boundary.
“We could go tomyplace. Maybe you would feel more comfortable there. I know how loud you like to be.” I added. My hands slid a little further along her sides, soft and slow, without completely giving in to my want to press her against me. Because, let’s be real, if I gave in completely, we weren’t making it anywhere near a bed. And my forty-something back was not doing the backseat again.
I spotted those three little freckles near her collarbone. Three tiny brown dots that almost formed a triangle. God, those freckles. I’d kissed them a hundred times in my dreams. Hell, probably more.
It hit me.Hard.How weird this all was. I couldn’t remember a single detail about the other women I’d been with. Not the smell of their perfume, not the shape of their smile. Nothing. But with Jules, every part of her was burned into my brain. It wasn’t just her face or the sound of her laugh. It was those tiny freckles. Her butterfly-shaped scar. The faint smell of chamomile in her hair. The sound she made when I kissed her freckles right there.
So, I kissed them. One at a time. Slowly. I saved the one closest to her neck for last.
She let out a shaky breath, and her hand pressed against my chest, gently pushing me back.
“I need to go,” she said, but her voice was anything but convincing. I locked eyes with her, giving my full attention.Control yourself, Chris. “I’ll see you… Tomorrow?” she asked because she still didn’t believe I’d show up.
“Tomorrow,” I said, my tone steady, making damn sure she knew I meant it. Her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile.
The thought of seeing her again tomorrow, and maybe every day after that, lit something up inside me. I knew I shouldn’t be thinking that far ahead—it had been two days, for fuck’s sake. But how could I not? She wasn’t someone I’d just met. She was someone I’d known in a hundred lifetimes, someone who’d been in my head for twelve damn years.
Twelve years.
Twelve years of dreaming about her.
Twelve years of her being the one steady thing in my chaotic life in LA. Agents screaming, deals falling apart, Vanessa scheming. Those dreams had been my constant. My comfort. Going to bed was my favorite part of the day, not because I was exhausted, but because that’s where she was. And now she was here. Real. Right in front of me.
I leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, letting it linger a little longer. She smiled and finally turned to walk toward her front door. I stayed there, my eyes glued to her. The glow of the porch light caught in her red hair.Blaze. The nickname made perfect sense. Looking at her was like looking at a wild flame—impossible to look away from.
“Sleep well…. and dream of me!” I called out. She paused at her door, glancing back with a smile that nearly made my heart stop. Then she stepped inside and disappeared from view.
I didn’t move right away. I stayed there, staring at her closed door like some lovesick idiot. Whatever this was—psychic connection, multiverse weirdness, magic—I didn’tcare. All I knew was that it had brought her out of my head and into my life. And now I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt about the fact that all I wanted was to stay with her.
I slid into the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove away, grinning the whole damn way home.
