13. Chapter 12
J ulia handed the server her menu, watching as Jinx gave his order.
He’d worn a blue button-down shirt tonight that made his eyes pop.
No tie, and the top few buttons were undone, showing off his neck, which she wanted to lick.
He reached for his glass when the server moved away.
She enjoyed the way his Adam’s apple bounced, wondering how he’d react if she got the opportunity to mouth it later.
She should have sat next to him, not across, and wished she could get closer. “You didn’t have to take me on a date, you know. I’m a sure thing. I would have been fine if you came over to my place again.”
His smile wavered. “Oh, sorry. I’m glad you came, though. I haven’t done this before. You know, the whole dating thing.”
This was actually her first date, too. She usually just had a quick drink in a bar—club soda for her—and then worked out the mechanics of going somewhere to fuck.
“Well, you’re doing fine.” She glanced around the restaurant.
There were tablecloths and candles on the tables, with lower mood lighting and intimate booths that felt romantic.
The first stop on their date beforehand at the art museum had been great, too.
“If it helps, tonight’s been a ten out of ten so far. No notes.”
The curve of his lips softened. “I thought of you when I saw the ad for the new exhibit.”
The images of historic Japanese tattoos had been amazing.
She hadn’t heard about the exhibit and would have hated to miss it.
She studied his warm eyes, reminded all over again that not only did she know Jinx, he knew her.
“I’d never thought about tigers being considered mythological creatures in the past. Maybe I’ll get that tattoo next.
They were gorgeous, though the dragons were also epic. ”
“I’ve always liked your rose tattoo.” His eyes flickered to where the ink was displayed along her collarbone.
Her fingers lifted to rub over the bleeding rose.
When his eyes followed the movement, and his pupils dilated, her thighs pressed together under the table.
She’d worn a shirt with straps wrapped around her neck and had enjoyed imagining him untying them later.
She really hoped he’d be going home with her and that he chose to go all the way this time.
Her craving for him hadn’t lessened at all, even after the couple of tastes she’d had.
“The spiderweb is new,” he said, his eyes dropping to the table that hid her hip from view. “Why did you choose that?” His head tilted. “It’s beautiful, but I don’t remember you being into spiders. The opposite, actually.”
She felt a tingling along her hip. “I got it in college on a whim.” It’d been around the time she’d ruined a marriage the first time.
The way people had talked about her, it was like she’d killed someone, not just slept with them.
Similar to a black widow, though she’d considered a praying mantis, who behead their sex partners, when her anger was highest. She wasn’t big on bugs, though.
The pain of the tattoo had helped her nerves to settle while she was stuck on probation during the investigation.
“Have you ever considered getting one?” she asked to distract him. Her hand moved to her glass, sliding up the outside and enjoying the chill of the condensation. “I’m sure I’m not the only person who thinks they’re sexy.”
He blushed so easily, even at the hint of being called sexy. “It’d have to be an image that I’d want to wear forever, and I haven’t thought of any I’d like that much yet. I’d never be able to do it on a whim. I’m not the spontaneous type.”
She chuckled. “Well, you learned to be cautious with all the near misses as a kid, even if it didn’t help.
Tell me, how many times did the universe try to get you while you were away at college?
” Her smile faltered a little when she remembered how anxious she’d been after he’d moved away.
If something had happened, she wouldn’t have been there to push him out of the way.
That worry had been constant during that first year apart and had still snuck up on her over the rest of the years.
It was better having him in front of her.
He winced. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Bullshit.” Her fingers tightened a little when his eyes lifted to hers. “No way you were only jinxed here. Tell me.”
His eyes softened. “Did you worry about me?”
Her neck heated. “All the time.”
“I thought about you, too.” His shy smile was back.
She waved her hand as if she could push away being called out for caring too much. “Stop stalling. How bad was it?”
Julia listened, her stomach tightening as he spoke.
His eyes grew distant while he tried to remember all the times.
It was at least a dozen, and with each one he told her about, she wanted to move beside him and hug him.
The clueless idiot had chosen a school with two stories, which added incidents with stairs and objects falling from above.
There were way too many dangers in the world without adding heights to the list.
She suddenly regretted her third-floor apartment.
“I got pretty scraped up with that one,” he finished, recounting the bicycler who’d mowed him down. At least it hadn’t been another close call with a car. Her hand gripped the table, hidden under the napkin she’d placed there after they’d finished their meal.
Her eyes traced his features, so familiar but also slightly different from her memory.
His cheekbones were more pronounced, and there was the hint of blond stubble along his jaw that hadn’t been there before.
His eyes, which were a gorgeous sapphire blue with barely any variation, didn’t sparkle in the same way they used to.
Instead, shadows darkened them, even with his lips turned up in a smile.
He didn’t smile with his whole face anymore. She still hadn’t seen that boyish grin that was all teeth and joy.
Why did she hate it so much that he had changed while she wasn’t looking?
She wished he’d gone to the same college as her and Phoebe like he’d originally planned, though she understood why he hadn’t now.
Still, she hadn’t been around when he needed her.
Even at that party, she should have done more. Kept a closer eye on him.
Her hand fell to her lap as the server brought the check. “Oh, I can—”
“Let me,” Jinx said, putting his credit card in with the bill. “Today was something I’ve wanted for a long time.”
She nodded, her eyes lowering as her hand pressed against her stomach. What was this bubbly feeling inside? It was almost as if she was feeling shy. Julia didn’t do shy. Her eyes lifted again, caught by his intent gaze and that sweet smile of his. She wanted to kiss it off him.
Her mouth went dry. Too bad her water glass sat empty. At least the server returned quickly.
She watched him sign the receipt. She’d never let anyone buy her dinner before. Even letting them buy her drinks was rare. The exchange of money could complicate things. Some guys saw it as an expectation for more, almost like a payment.
There was no way Jinx thought of it like that. He might not even kiss her tonight.
When they both rose, he held out his hand. His palm felt warm and solid against hers. Holding hands in public was something new to her as well. She never thought she’d like something like that.
She did, though. At least, she did with Jinx.
He opened the passenger door to his Jeep for her.
While he drove, she watched the passing streetlights flicker over his profile.
His lips looked soft, and his eyes flickered toward her nervously a couple of times.
She loved watching him swallow, even if it was with nerves.
She wanted to lick and kiss around his throat until he moaned.
Heat curled inside of her while imagining it. She wanted him. Normally, she’d jump him and show him just how much. She tended to be forthright about her desire and loved taking control. It had sounded like the college girl had been in control, though, and she didn’t want to trigger him.
Julia could do slow. Couldn’t she? Just this once. For Jinx.
He parked at her complex, turning off the ignition and sitting for a moment. The bob of his Adam’s apple indicated another nervous swallow.
She unbuckled, letting the seat belt slide away. “Walk me up to my apartment?”
He nodded, glancing at her before slipping out of the Jeep and jogging around to her side before she could get the passenger door all the way open. She let him take her hand and help her out, keeping a hold of him afterward.
Really, holding hands wasn’t so bad.
Their steps echoed together as they ascended the flights of stairs up to the third floor. His eyes darted away before sliding back, locking with hers when she paused in front of her door.
Anticipation mixed with worry and bubbled in her gut. Should she invite him inside?
“Thanks again for coming out with me tonight,” Jinx said, squeezing her hand before releasing it.
Disappointment swirled up and into her throat. She swallowed it down as she reached for his shirt, her fingers fiddling with the top button. “Was it a good first date?” The words came out huskier than she intended as she stared into his eyes.
“Yes. Any time spent with you is good. Better than good.” He pushed a hand through his hair, making the curls stand up even more.
She wanted to get her own hands into his hair. Her fingers toyed with his shirt, careful not to dip inside. “Then how about ending the date with a kiss?”
His pupils dilated, and her gaze dropped to where his tongue teased at his own lips. A sexy, pleading hum slipped from his throat before he stumbled toward her, his mouth finding hers.
He didn’t start with a hesitating brush this time.
It was as if they picked up where they’d stopped the last time they’d kissed.
Heat spread everywhere as his tongue pushed inside to stroke hers.
Jinx came at kissing with a combination of innocence and desperation that she found tantalizing. He seemed to get lost in kissing her.
Her grip on his shirt tightened and tugged, pulling him tighter against her until he pressed her back against the door just the way she craved.
She released his shirt to toy with his hair instead, messing up those curls that did whatever they wanted.
Her fingers dug in, and she stroked her nails delicately along his scalp, loving the way he shuddered against her.
She cupped his head, angling it before kissing him with all the wild need thrumming inside of her.
She wanted to make him fall apart and lose himself to where he couldn’t think about anything but her.
The soft whimper he made let her know he was well on his way. He pressed against her more heavily, their bodies lining up perfectly. She parted her thighs, loving the feel of his growing erection against her, and the slight kick of his hips as he pushed into her.
His eyes blinked open and his mouth parted from hers. “Sorry,” he mumbled, still so close that their lips brushed.
“It’s okay. I want to feel you.” She nipped at his lower lip, thrilled when his eyes lost focus. “Kiss me again.” It sounded like a demand, but he didn’t seem to mind. His lips found hers, even more urgent than before.
Jinx was losing his head, and she fucking loved it.
One of her hands slid from his hair to cup his neck, enjoying the way his hair curled there.
She let her hand drift down his back. Her fingers traced his spine all the way down to his ass.
Then she cupped his cheek, enjoying the give to it.
His ass was grippable and enticing. She pulled him in tighter even as she arched into him, rubbing along his dick.
He moaned into her mouth. Satisfaction flooded inside along with a kick to her desire. She wanted to hump him right there in the hallway until he was covered in precum and desperate.
She broke their kiss instead, mouthing along his jaw and enjoying the slight scrape. “Come inside with me,” she whispered into his ear, feeling his body shudder against hers. “Please?” she added when she realized it sounded like an order again.
He nodded, his cheek rubbing against hers. “Okay. If you want to.”
She pulled back, searching his eyes in the shadowed landing lighting. “Do you? Want to?” she asked, needing to know for sure.
He swallowed again, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Yes. I want to be with you, Julia.”
The words lit something inside of her. She grew wetter just thinking about having him. She grinned, fumbling in her hurry to fit her key in the lock. Leaving it there, she grabbed his face and kissed him with her lips curved.
“I want you, too,” she said, watching his eyes widen and nipping at his lips because they had.
How could he still think this was one-sided?
The love bite brought his eyelids to half-mast. Satisfied, she focused on the door, ready to drag him inside and have her filthy way with him, if that was what he wanted.