off his shirt to reveal the rippled perfection of his taut abdomen. She swallowed hard and tried to look away but couldn’t, fascinated by the play of light and shadow on his bare flesh. “Don’t you ever hang out with friends or take vacations or anything?”
How could she explain that up until about an hour ago, her life had consisted of nothing but work? Or that she was too embarrassed to see her friends after The Breakup? Unwilling to comment, she looked down at her bare feet and wriggled her toes in the grass again.
“I like to hang out at Felony,” she confessed, peeking up at him through her lashes. “Becca and I used to go clubbing every weekend. That was fun.” Despite her best efforts, a note of sadness crept into her voice at the thought of Becca.
“I’m sorry that they did that to you.” His large hand covered her smaller one and squeezed with surprising tenderness. “But I’m not sorry you broke up with Brian. Dude’s a loser. I’ve been waiting for you to ditch his ass since the day we met.”
The confession caught her off guard. She looked up and found him staring at her, his dark eyes hooded and watchful.
“Look. I’ve never really been good at beating around the bush, so I’m going to be straight up with you.” He shifted to face her. “I want you. I’ve wanted you from the first time you walked into my bar. I’ve been watching you and thinking that you would never give me the time of day. Hell, just sitting here with you is a dream come true. And if that’s all I can have, then I’m fine with that. But I would give anything to spend the night in your bed.”
All the heat in her body rushed into her cheeks. She felt mildly dizzy and short of breath with her heart pounding like a jackhammer against her ribs. The blade of grass fell to the wayside and was replaced by one long forefinger that trailed up and down her leg, whisper soft and seductive.
“It’s always about sex with you, isn’t it?” She shook her head to clear away the cloud of lust that his fingers inspired. “Not everything in life centers around your…around that !” She nodded in the direction of his crotch and frowned.
One thick black eyebrow lifted in query and he grinned. “Ninety-five percent of everything centers around that . The other five percent is about food.” He grinned and patted his stomach. “And now you know the secret of all men.” He slid closer until his leg pressed against hers. “As for getting you into bed, I’ve never been more serious in my life. I just need to know that you’re done with Douche Bag Brian.”
“I’m done,” she said with a finality that surprised her. “I never dreamed it would happen, but I’m done with him.” With the words out of her mouth, she felt a little lighter.
“Good choice.” Jack raised the back of her hand to his lips and placed a warm kiss there. “You don’t seem too broken up about it.”
“I’m not. I’m kind of relieved.” She had had no idea how high maintenance Brian had been with his irritable bowel syndrome, numerous food allergies, and general dislike of anything unscheduled or unplanned, until she was actually rid of him. Maybe Becca had done her a huge favor by taking him off her hands.
“You know, in all the times I asked you about him, you never once said that you were in love with him.”
The astuteness of that statement startled her. Of course Jack, in his forthright manner, had pinpointed the issue with stunning alacrity. Brian had said he loved her only a handful of times during their relationship and four of those times were in the aftermath of being caught in bed with her best friend. She, on the other hand, had never said it back to him – not even once. Having been raised in a household where no one ever discussed feelings or emotions or of any kind, it had never seemed important.
“I don’t really believe in love or soul mates or any of the sappy crap that goes with it. Maybe I’m immune
How could she explain that up until about an hour ago, her life had consisted of nothing but work? Or that she was too embarrassed to see her friends after The Breakup? Unwilling to comment, she looked down at her bare feet and wriggled her toes in the grass again.
“I like to hang out at Felony,” she confessed, peeking up at him through her lashes. “Becca and I used to go clubbing every weekend. That was fun.” Despite her best efforts, a note of sadness crept into her voice at the thought of Becca.
“I’m sorry that they did that to you.” His large hand covered her smaller one and squeezed with surprising tenderness. “But I’m not sorry you broke up with Brian. Dude’s a loser. I’ve been waiting for you to ditch his ass since the day we met.”
The confession caught her off guard. She looked up and found him staring at her, his dark eyes hooded and watchful.
“Look. I’ve never really been good at beating around the bush, so I’m going to be straight up with you.” He shifted to face her. “I want you. I’ve wanted you from the first time you walked into my bar. I’ve been watching you and thinking that you would never give me the time of day. Hell, just sitting here with you is a dream come true. And if that’s all I can have, then I’m fine with that. But I would give anything to spend the night in your bed.”
All the heat in her body rushed into her cheeks. She felt mildly dizzy and short of breath with her heart pounding like a jackhammer against her ribs. The blade of grass fell to the wayside and was replaced by one long forefinger that trailed up and down her leg, whisper soft and seductive.
“It’s always about sex with you, isn’t it?” She shook her head to clear away the cloud of lust that his fingers inspired. “Not everything in life centers around your…around that !” She nodded in the direction of his crotch and frowned.
One thick black eyebrow lifted in query and he grinned. “Ninety-five percent of everything centers around that . The other five percent is about food.” He grinned and patted his stomach. “And now you know the secret of all men.” He slid closer until his leg pressed against hers. “As for getting you into bed, I’ve never been more serious in my life. I just need to know that you’re done with Douche Bag Brian.”
“I’m done,” she said with a finality that surprised her. “I never dreamed it would happen, but I’m done with him.” With the words out of her mouth, she felt a little lighter.
“Good choice.” Jack raised the back of her hand to his lips and placed a warm kiss there. “You don’t seem too broken up about it.”
“I’m not. I’m kind of relieved.” She had had no idea how high maintenance Brian had been with his irritable bowel syndrome, numerous food allergies, and general dislike of anything unscheduled or unplanned, until she was actually rid of him. Maybe Becca had done her a huge favor by taking him off her hands.
“You know, in all the times I asked you about him, you never once said that you were in love with him.”
The astuteness of that statement startled her. Of course Jack, in his forthright manner, had pinpointed the issue with stunning alacrity. Brian had said he loved her only a handful of times during their relationship and four of those times were in the aftermath of being caught in bed with her best friend. She, on the other hand, had never said it back to him – not even once. Having been raised in a household where no one ever discussed feelings or emotions or of any kind, it had never seemed important.
“I don’t really believe in love or soul mates or any of the sappy crap that goes with it. Maybe I’m immune
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