Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
LUKE
B eer?” I ask, relief flooding me when she smiles and nods.
At the bar, I order a couple of beers and a roll of quarters. Even after getting past the bumpy start at the cooking class, I still feel like I’m on the wrong foot. I need something to help steady my nerves. Thankfully, Flashback Games is exactly my kind of place, so at least I feel more comfortable than I did in a kitchen.
I’m a goddamned fool for going through with this “date,” but I can’t back out now, even if I wanted to, which I don’t. Seeing Jessica again is…a balm to my soul. Ending things with her was stupid, and her brother, Jake, nearly killed me. It doesn’t even bother me that it’s Valentine’s Day, which just escalates expectations.
“Not so bad spending an evening with me, is it?” Jessica asks as we walk toward the wall of vintage pinball machines.
I hang back a step, watching the curve of her ass and trying to suppress the hard-on that’s been building since I saw her outside Ciao, Bella! Nothing about spending time with her is bad. Nothing. She’s fucking beautiful in the red dress she’s wearing. It has buttons down the front and I’m already fantasizing about slowly unbuttoning her dress and making her twist with anticipation as I take my time – or try to – getting her hot and ready.
“I’ve had worse,” I mumble, immediately cursing myself for not saying something better.
She looks at me with her clear blue eyes, but I can’t read them. Everything went well – mostly – during the cooking class, but the vibe has changed. I’m like a knock-kneed kid trying to get up the nerve to look at a pretty girl. It’s like all good sense and knowledge of how to handle myself flew out the goddamn window.
“Thanks?” she replies, laughing as she stops in front of Alien Space. “How about this one?”
I look at the machine and nod. “Good choice. I played a lot of this when I was a kid. Do you know how to play?” I set my beer into one of the holders on a table next to the machine and reach into my pocket to grab the roll of quarters.
“Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?” Jessica teases.
Fuuuck. She has no idea how sexy she is, especially when she looks down at my jeans. I want to show her how much I miss her, but she also needs to know I miss more than simply having her in my bed.
I have to cough and look away. While my jeans aren’t tight, if the boner that’s been teasing me all night goes whole hog, it’ll be obvious to Jessica and everyone how fucking turned on I am just from spending time with her again. She’s sexier than ever and I want to lose myself in her womanly curves.
“A little, I guess. I’ve played for fun a couple of times, but I certainly don’t play well.”
“After you,” I say, stepping aside.
Jessica walks past me, her thick hips swaying in a rhythm that fills me with a desire I’ve tried to tell myself I didn’t need in my life. The memory of Jake warning me off his sister fills my head, but I push it away. I’m here, and I’m going to enjoy this night with Jessica.
She chuckles, tossing her silky black hair over one shoulder. “You are so going down, Luke.”
“Promises, promises,” I retort as I slide a couple of quarters into the machine and move to give her space to play the game. I’d love nothing more than to get my head under that pretty dress and lose myself in the sweetness between her thick thighs.
“Watch and learn,” she teases, leaning over the machine and enthusiastically trying to keep the silver ball in play. But as enthusiastic as she is, she doesn’t get very far.
“You take my turn and I’ll show you how it’s done. Stay there,” I instruct, stepping behind her. My hands find her hips, thumbs rubbing the fabric of her dress as I lean down slightly. “Okay, so you wanna use these flippers here to keep the ball in play.” I cover her hands with mine and guide her to tap lightly on the buttons at the sides of the machine, aware of how close my lips are to the shell of her ear.
“Like this?” Jessica asks, breathlessly.
Having her body against mine sends bolts of lust straight to my groin. My dick’s going to be pointing the way home, that’s for damn sure.
“Yeah, like that.” My voice is heavier than I intended, but I can’t help how she turned on she makes me. I swallow hard, trying to focus on the game, on anything but the joy of her sweet curves molded against my body.
I admire her enthusiasm as she plays and instinctively bounces her hips against the machine. “You’ve got great instincts, but if you keep up that hip action, you’ll tilt the game.”
“Noted. Tone down the hip action,” she teases, tipping her head to look up at me with a smile that sends my heart racing.
Fuck me sideways. “Be careful,” I warn. I want to see her win, not lose, because of her enthusiasm. God, I’ve missed her sunshine-y nature. She doesn’t know, but her sunny disposition saved me from the edge when I was going through the darkest days of readjusting to civilian life.
“Is that fear I hear in your voice, Luke Foster?” Her playful tone is laced with something that suggests she’s as turned on as I am.
“The only fear I have is not being able to let go once I get started,” I confess, the statement more truth than jest. I put my hands back on her hips, my fingers caressing the soft fabric of her dress. “Keep your eyes on the silver ball, Jessica,” I say, my voice a low rumble in her ear as she leans into me. I’m acutely aware we’re playing a different game now, and if she keeps on like this, I won’t be able to stop until she’s moaning my name all night long.
“Like this?” Her voice is playful, but it has a breathiness I remember all too well.
“Exactly like that.” Her back nestles perfectly against my chest, and the subtle shift of her hips sends a jolt straight through me. My cock hardens as her luscious ass presses against my body. This is dangerous. There’s no way she doesn’t know how hard I am right now.
The pinball machine lights flash, and I can tell she’s focused on the game, but I’m focused on the soft sighs escaping her lips each time I trace my fingers across her hips, a little more pressure each time.
“Who knew pinball could get so... intense?” Her tone teases as she racks up points. And God, if the friction of her against me isn’t the sweetest torture.
“Guess it’s all about who you play with.” My hands find their way to the front of her hips and I could swear I feel the heat rolling off from between her luscious thighs. Fuck. I want to get on my knees for her and worship her.
“Your turn,” she says, stepping aside, but not before brushing against me in a way that threatens to push me over the edge.
“Watch and learn.” I step up to the machine, feeling her gaze on me just as keenly as I felt her body moments ago. The flippers snap under my control, metal on metal ringing out like a challenge. But the real challenge is standing beside me. When I take my eyes off the game for a second because I need to look at Jessica again, the silver ball slams into the gutter. “Dammit.”
“Looks like you’re losing your edge, Foster.” Jessica’s laugh rings through the din of the arcade, and it’s the only sound I care about.
“Game’s not over yet.” I grin.
“True. But when it is, I think you’ll owe me a victory drink.” Her hip bumps mine as she takes her position to play again, ready to take over.
“Only if you win.” The challenge is back, laced with the promise of what could come after.
“Isn’t that the point?” she quips, her blue eyes flickering with invitation.
I swallow hard, glancing up at our scores. My focus is shot to hell. I’m supposed to be teaching her how to play, but all I can think about is the curve of her hips under my hands and the softness of her ass pressing against my throbbing cock.
“Ah, but look there—” Jessica points at the flashing lights signaling a bonus round, and it’s all the opening she needs to spin around, facing me. She arches her body so that she’s pressed against me completely, and I can’t help the groan that escapes from my mouth. This woman…
“Got any tips for the next round?” Her question is loaded, her body language screaming volumes.
“Keep your eyes on the prize,” I respond, my voice steady despite the passion raging inside me.
“Show me how to win, Luke,” she whispers, and the double entendre isn’t lost on either of us. Her eyes are full of heat, a lusty promise that sends a surge of longing straight to my cock.
“Winning isn’t everything,” I say, but my hands betray me, gravitating toward the softness of her hips. I steady her gently, my touch light, but I’m not planning to let her go.
“Maybe not,” she concedes, her lips curving into a knowing smile. “But I’d rather win than lose.”
I fight the urge to taste her lips and find out if her kiss is as sweet and sultry as I remember. Every part of me screams to claim her, not to lose her like I did before. I still can’t wrap my head around tonight – it’s like our past didn’t happen, but we both know it did.
“Careful, Jessica,” I warn, my throat tight, “You might just get what you’re asking for.”
“Maybe that’s what I want.” Her words hang between us, a lusty invitation if I’ve ever heard one.
But as much as I want her, as much as this moment is everything I’ve fantasized about, a whisper of doubt keeps me anchored. Is this the thrill of the game, or is there something real behind those irresistible blue eyes?
“Jess,” I murmur, and there’s no more room for hesitation.
My fingers brush through the silk of her dark hair, and I lean in, drawn by some magnetic force I can’t control. Our lips crash together in a passionate kiss that feels like the first real breath after being underwater for too long.
“Finally,” she breathes against my mouth, the word barely a whisper. Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer, sealing every inch of space between us. “I thought you’d never kiss me.”
The world narrows to the sensation of her curvy body pressed against mine and her warmth seeping into my bones. The intensity of our connection sets off fireworks behind my closed eyelids, each burst brighter than the last.
“God, Luke,” she moans softly.
I taste the desire in her name for me, sweet and intoxicating. “Jess,” I groan, my voice rough with need. With every beat of my heart, I want her more—need her more.
“Is this okay?” I manage to ask between kisses because even now, I need to know she’s with me, that this isn’t just a spark but a flame that could burn for a lifetime.
“More than okay. It’s perfect,” she assures me, her smile bright enough to chase all my shadows away.
I lower my mouth back to hers, and our kiss turns ravenous. Her tongue duels with mine, stoking a fire I’ve ignored for far too long. I’m all action and instinct, my hands re-charting the delicious curves of her body.
“Jessica,” I growl against her lips, my voice rumbling with pure primal need. I dig my fingers into her hips, pulling her tighter against me. I press against her, wanting her to feel how hard she makes me.
“I need you, Luke,” she pants, her breath hot on my face.
My hips grind against hers, almost punishing in their desperation. I’m lost in the sensation of her lush body yielding to my touch, the taste of her mouth driving me wild. The sounds of the arcade fade into irrelevance; it’s just us, the flame of desire and this electric moment.
Desire roars through me, drowning out caution, and I know one thing for certain—I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
Then, as if the universe conspires against us, my phone vibrates in my pocket—one sharp, insistent buzz after another.
We freeze, the spell momentarily broken, and I swear under my breath.
There’s only one person it could be.