Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
QUINN
“You have a lot of bags for someone who can’t spend the night tonight.”
Jasper is loaded down as he comes in my front door, one oversized bag in his right hand and a tiny bag, stamped with a store logo, in the other.
“Hi to you too.” He leans down, dropping a kiss on my lips.
“Hi.” I take the large, canvas tote from him, hearing items knocking together as I set it on the counter. “What is all of this?”
“Well, this”—he hands me the small bag—“is for you. The other is what I plan on doing tonight.”
Pulling out a piece of pink tissue paper, I open the jewelry bag and a gold ring drops into my palm. “Chloe made this?”
“She did.” Jasper takes it from my hand and slides it down my middle finger. A perfect fit. “I got it under the guise of wanting to support her. Noah is about ready to burst and tell the guys, but he’s keeping it in check.”
“Are you sure?” I wiggle my fingers, letting the light catch the black gemstone.
“We’ll see.” Jasper scoops me up and kisses me.
Properly.
Teasing ever so slightly, I open for him. The sweet taste of mint lingers as our tongues fight for control.
“Mmm,” I moan.
Every kiss with Jasper is better than the last. It might be my favorite thing about being with him. The sex is crazy good, but kissing him? There’s something about a great kiss—a man who knows what he’s doing—that is just as good.
And Jasper?
He knows what he’s doing. The way his hands explore my body. Alternating pressure. Nibbling on my bottom lip.
I want more.
“Jasper,” I purr.
“Not yet,” he whispers against my swollen lips. “Later.”
I groan. “What is better than kissing and sex?”
He steps back, adjusting his pants. “Considering I can’t really take you out, we have to have ‘real’ dates.”
“Okay?” I question.
Jasper grabs the bag from the counter and two beers from the fridge. He swings the bag over his shoulder and gives Dolly a scratch behind the ears as he heads out to the patio.
“C’mon.”
The bag spills open as he drops it onto the grass in my fenced-in yard.
“Bowling pins and a football? What in the world?”
I take the proffered beer as he moves away from me.
“It’s called fowling. Marcus was saying his girls love it, and I thought it might be something fun for us to do. You know, since we can’t actually go bowling on a first date.”
This man remembers everything. If I once told him my favorite ice cream flavor was pistachio, he’d remember. If I said I loved the Black Diamonds more than the Knights, he’d accept it. This is just the kind of man Jasper is.
How did I get so lucky to match with someone like him?
“How exactly do we play?” I ask, stepping onto the grass as he sets up ten pins.
“Well, normally we’d each have our own set of pins, but the point is you get two throws to knock all the pins down.”
“So bowling with a football,” I clarify.
“Exactly.”
“I feel like you’re going to win,” I say, eyeing him up and down.
He looks sexy as hell in a black sweater, light jeans, and loafers. His hair is slicked back—he dressed up for the event tonight at Chloe’s store. I love that he puts in an effort for his teammates and their partners.
It shows what kind of person Jasper is. That I made the right choice.
“Why’s that?” he asks, walking toward me and pulling me in close.
“You’re an athlete and good at these kinds of things.”
“I play hockey, Quinn. Not football.”
“Still doesn’t mean you don’t have good arm strength.”
He kisses me again, swirling all my brain cells together so I can’t think. “You’ve never complained about it before.”
“Mmm, no, I haven’t.” I open my eyes to find a knowing grin on his face. “What were we talking about?”
“You’ll get ten points to start.” He steals one last kiss before slapping my ass. “You’re up, Bella.”
“That was definitely unfair.” Jasper tosses the football to me. “Kissing me to distract me? That’s low, Hayes.”
“You got ten points.” He sips his beer. “Now, quit stalling and let’s see what you can do.”
Sports was never my thing growing up. My parents always said I could sing before I could talk, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Sports never came naturally to me. I’d rather be in the stands watching.
Pulling my hand back, I toss the ball at the pins set up twenty feet from me. Two pins fall over while a third spins around before falling over.
“Hey, look. You got three.” There’s a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Yeah, yeah.”
I stalk toward the pins and grab the ball, ready to take my second turn. I don’t do any better, only knocking down two.
“Five is respectable.”
I can hear the laughter in his voice as he sets the pins up. I smack his ass on the way back to the table to grab my beer and watch him take his turn.
“Let’s see if you can get a respectable number.”
Jasper blows me a kiss before taking his spot. He readies his stance and pitches the ball toward the pins, knocking down seven.
“Fuck, yeah!” he shouts.
“See? It’s rigged.”
“How is it rigged?” He jogs to get the ball and comes to stand in front of me. He tries to come in for another kiss, but I cover his mouth.
“Oh no, you don’t. There will be no more distracting from you.”
“Kissing you is a distraction?” he asks.
I nod. “Yes. Because it makes my brain all swirly and I can’t think straight.”
“Not sure how that’s rigging the game, but okay.”
“Because you’re making it hard for me to concentrate on throwing the ball,” I fire back as he takes his turn.
Of course he knocks down the rest of them.
“That’s a spare.”
He pumps his arm and runs behind me to grab his beer.
I huff back over to set the pins up and take my turn. A measly four pins this time.
“I think we need to play lowest score wins,” I say.
“This isn’t golf, Bella.”
“Is it even a real game?” I jab. “Because I say we make our own rules.”
“Too late for that, baby.”
Jasper takes his turn again and knocks down seven. It’s back and forth as Jasper cheers me on with each pin I knock down. I don’t think either of us is keeping score.
I could lose one hundred times over and be fine with it because this is easy. Being with Jasper like this gives me a look into our future. Quiet nights spent together doing silly things. Nights going to his hockey games. Him watching me perform.
Hopefully.
I push that thought away. I don’t want any of the upcoming trial to ruin our night together.
“Okay.” Jasper rubs his hands together. “Think you can get a strike?”
I rest the football against my hip. “If you help me.”
“Alright.” He sets his drink down and hurries over to me. “Let me see if I can make this easier for you.”
Jasper stands behind me, adjusting my hips. His one hand stays on my hip while the other trails up and down my bare arm.
“You’re going to want to pull this arm back,” he continues.
“Uh-huh.” It’s hard to concentrate with the soft touch of his hands on me.
“And once you’re ready, turn your hips and put some power into your throw before releasing.”
“In my hips?” I wiggle them against him and feel his cock harden. “I think you’re saying these things on purpose.”
“Oh, yeah?” He brushes the hair off my neck and drops a warm kiss where my shoulder meets my neck. “And what do you think I’m trying to do?”
“I think you’re trying to help but really don’t want me scoring any points.”
“But according to you, we’re playing lowest score wins.”
I feel his smile against me.
“And if we’re playing by your rules, you’re crushing me.”
“I haven’t been keeping track.”
“Of course not.”
“I’ll give you some motivation if you want to try and get all of these pins knocked down.” He slides his hand up to my stomach and pulls me back flush against his front.
“I’m listening,” I whisper, sinking into his warm hold. A cool breeze sweeps through the backyard.
“If you knock down every single pin, I will take you to your room and do whatever you want me to do to you.”
“Whatever I want? Hmm.” I tap my finger against my chin.
“Whatever you want, Bella. Anything.”
“Okay. Then get out of my way.”
He steps back, taking his warmth with him. Jasper-free air lets me breathe so I can cool my racing thoughts.
A strike to go inside with Jasper?
I concentrate with all my might. Pulling my arm back, I toss the ball as hard as I can. Eight pins knock over, with the ninth spinning before tipping over into another before it falls. The last pin bobbles but stays upright.
Before I can say anything, Jasper runs over and knocks it down.
“Looks like you got a strike to me.”