Chapter 16
sixteen
. . .
Brynnlee
Marco:Not that I am complaining but there is a handsome detective here to see you.
I smile as I cross the street looking down at my phone. Pausing outside of his quaint little shop I look through the front window and see the back of Jensen who is facing a delighted looking Marco.
Me: Well my friend, you look very pleased with the company.
I watch as he looks down at his phone and then lifts his gaze to meet mine through the windows. Suddenly a smile stretches over his face and Jenson must notice because he turns and now they are both looking at me.
Tucking my phone into my bag, I reach out and pull open the door.
“Good morning,” I say to both of them. “Sorry I’m running a few minutes late, I got stuck talking to Taylor.”
Jenson walks toward me carrying a coffee in each hand and when I reach out to take one he pulls it back toward his body. “I’m sorry about running out last night.”
“You had more important things to handle.”
He holds my stare. There we are standing in the middle of the dining area of Marco’s, neither saying anything more. Lowering the coffees to the table, he sets them down and then without warning Jensen leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. I swear I hear Marco squeal but I can’t clear my thoughts enough to be sure. How one person can consume another with just one kiss is baffling. But Jensen does, every single time I feel like the life is sucked out of me and I’m completely lost to him and his movements.
“And I’m not done,” he confesses, with his forehead resting against mine. “In fact, I need to get back to the office, but I didn’t want to miss out on seeing you first.”
Leaning back I look up at him.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but what I do know is that I want to pick up where we left off last night.”
“I’m not sure when?—”
He cuts me off with another kiss. “Why do I always feel like you are trying to run from me?”
“I’m not running.”
“Then I’ll see you tonight,” he insists and excitement races through me. “I’ll come to you, I just need you to tell me that when I do, you’ll let me in.”
The way he is cupping the side of my face, holding my stare, is intense.
“I can’t stop thinking about you, Brynn.” His words surprise me. “These lips.” He drags his thumb over my lower lip. “So sweet,” he adds, shaking his head lightly as if he can’t quite find the words. “And your eyes.” I’m taken back by the sudden shift in his actions. “We need to get on the same page because this is going to happen, Brynn. You and me, this, baby, it”s going to happen.”
“Damn,” Marco says from only a few feet away and it makes my smile widen.
“I’ll see you tonight.” It isn’t a question and it’s time I’m honest with myself, I want to see him too. So instead of trying to find all the reasons why this shouldn’t happen, I simply nod in agreement instead.
Jensen seems pleased, sliding his hand around to cup the back of my neck. Pulling me closer, he kisses me once more, this time dragging his tongue along the seam of my lips. Parting mine he takes advantage and deepens our kiss.
When he pulls back, he closes his eyes for a few seconds and bows his head. I’m just about to say something when he steps back almost like he’s forcing himself to.
“Where in the hell have you been hiding?” He’s not truly asking me this question, it’s nothing more than a whisper before he offers me a smile and turns to walk toward the exit. I’m left staring after him, my entire body humming with desire. My lips tingle from his kiss and other parts of my body wait for what’s to come.
“Girl,” Marco says and I look back over my shoulder to find him fanning his face. “That man is dangerous.”
“Tell me about it,” I confess, flopping down in the chair at an empty table. “Part of me wants to run and hide.”
“Don’t you dare.” Suddenly he is rounding the corner and sitting at the table opposite me. “He has got it bad, it’s almost like it took everything inside of him to leave you. There is nothing about that man that doesn’t scream ‘I will make you feel so damn good you’ll forget your own name.’”
I laugh, he’s not lying.
“Okay so you’ve had some assholes in the past. We’ve all had experiences we wish we could forget. The thing is we can’t let the wrongs scare us so much we miss out on the rights.”
“And how would you possibly know he’s a right?”
“He was practically bouncing off the walls waiting for you. Here he is so deep into a new case, hours off an all-nighter, no sleep, so much happening all around him and in the middle of that, he came here. He needed to see you, felt like he had to, like he couldn’t focus unless he got some kind of fix. It’s all so new with the two of you, yet he rushes over here, when he should be at the station with his partner. For what, a kiss, and reassurance that you aren’t running.”
I take in Marco’s words.
“To me, that speaks volumes.”
The bell above the door chimes as a new customer enters and Marco quickly gets up to join them at the counter.
I gather my phone, waking it as I search out Jensen’s number.
Typing out my message I hover over the send button, second-guessing myself, I look up and find Marco completely invested in the entertainment of his customer. Again I replay his words. For what, a kiss, and reassurance that you aren’t running.
With a deep breath I hit send before I can stop myself and instantly feel a rush of nervousness course through me.