CHAPTER THREE
My empty stomach wakes me at around one in the morning.
Because I definitely did not go back out there again after being sent to my room by Frankie.
Not that that’s what she did exactly. Some people just have big personalities.
Or maybe I am a little jealous and cranky because she got the man.
It’s only been a day since we met. I’m sure I’ll get over the disappointment soon.
Anyway. I creep out to the kitchen. Odds are Dean and his guest are in the throes of a heated reunion.
But the house is quiet. Maybe they’ve already done their sexing and settled down to sleep for the night.
A cold wind is blowing a gale outside, but we’re safe and warm within. By the fridge light, I inspect my snacking options. There’s no sushi left, naturally. But there are the other necessary basics in life. Some slices of cheese, turkey, and pickles. With a couple of Oreos for after, of course.
“Hey,” says a deep voice from out of the dark.
I jump and hug the jar of pickles to me like their poor innocent green lives depend on it. Which they do. “Holy shit.”
“Sorry.” He ruffles a hand through his mussed hair.
And once again, he’s half naked. This is outrageous, all of this male nipple showing.
The man should be ashamed of his beautiful body.
And I should not be repeating the crime of lusting after someone who is taken.
What a seriously bad idea. “Didn’t mean to scare you, Jude. ”
“Where did you come from?”
“I was just sleeping on the couch.”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Finally, I manage a whispered, “You were?”
“Yeah. Got hungry, huh?” he asks, leaning his hip against the kitchen counter. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. For Frankie just showing up like that. She, ah…she’s kind of hard to predict. She tends to make her own rules. But I’m sorry our dinner got interrupted.”
“That’s fine.” I put the jar of pickles on the counter. “It’s no big deal.”
“It wasn’t?”
I just shrug. Which is about when I realize I’m still wearing his hoodie. It was just so cozy and smelled like him, so I decided to allow myself that one little treat.
Dammit. I had totally forgotten.
Talk about busted.
There was definite sniffing of the item of clothing earlier.
I got high off the scent of his cologne, and I am only mildly ashamed.
It would be great, however, if I could stop embarrassing myself by doing these sorts of things.
My luck with men and ability to be cool are on the same low level these days.
“I, ah, was cold. Let me give you this back.”
“No rush.”
But rush is exactly what I do. I tear the item of clothing off over my head, where it of course gets caught on my ponytail.
Dignity and poise are for other people. It might explain why I spend so much of my time hanging out with toddlers.
They do tend to be simpler and more straightforward than most adults.
They also are not the least bit cool or have a clue about social cues and manners.
They make choosing chaos a valid lifestyle choice.
When I finally emerge, he’s standing there giving me a smile.
The same smile that befuddled me for the better part of yesterday.
It would be nice to say I am now immune, but alas.
Beneath his hoodie, I’m wearing a white tank and pajama pants, and not much else.
It would be so great if my nipples could not be hard. I would really appreciate that a lot.
I hand the sweatshirt over. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He gives me a long look. “Jude, you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Something Frankie said got me thinking. Were we on a date earlier?”
“Oh,” I say with much wisdom. “That.”
“It’s just that you were all dressed up and ordered in sushi and it felt like maybe it was meant to be something special. Something more than just two people sharing a dinner and getting to know each other.”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Nada. Not a word.
And he just waits.
I haven’t given it a great deal of thought.
But I think it probably would be easier to talk to the man if he was wearing more clothes.
There is, however, no polite way of telling him to cover his man chest. Not in a way that wouldn’t lead him to believe I have issues regarding the ogling of said man chest. Because keeping my gaze on his face is a chore.
Though the light from the fridge casts his cheekbones and jawline in the most interesting shadows. He is a work of art. Honestly.
I wince. “You’re just going to stand there silently until I answer, aren’t you?”
He nods.
“Great,” I mumble. Then I squeeze my eyelids shut tight, take a deep breath, and open them once again.
“Okay. Here’s the problem with me giving you an honest answer, Dean.
This is embarrassing. We only met not quite twenty-four hours ago.
We don’t know each other. And your supermodel girlfriend showed up and I assume wanted to talk to you about the chances of getting back together.
That is why she asked to talk to you in private, right? ”
He hesitates but then nods again.
“Right,” I mutter.
The way the line of his muscular neck moves as he swallows shouldn’t be so sexy. “Frankie and I aren’t getting back together. We want different things. We’ve tried being together a couple of times now, and we work as friends, but that’s all.”
“Okay.”
He takes a small step forward and speaks softly. “You going to answer the question for me now?”
“I’d really honestly rather not,” I say and drop my gaze to the floor. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“I kind of need you to.”
“Need is a strong word.” I glance up.
“I feel it’s accurate in this case.” One side of his lips rise. “Please, Jude?”
Ugh. “Yes,” I finally admit. “You would not be wrong if you took my actions as being somewhat date-like.”
He takes a step closer. “You usually spring surprise dates on people?”
“No. I’m sorry. I haven’t actually been on one in forever. It’s why I’m so bad at all of this. But…”
“But?”
“Nothing.” I sigh. “I answered your question. My middle of the night snack is waiting. Are we done here?”
“No.” He takes another step closer, trapping me between his body and the kitchen counter. “Not yet. The thing is, I am fine with you springing surprise dates on me. Just so you know.”
“You are?” I breathe out the words.
“I am.” His voice is deep. Strong.
My heart beats double-time. “That’s really nice to hear.”
“That’s the other reason why Frankie and I aren’t going to be trying again. Because I like you. Getting involved with her again wouldn’t be right when she’s not the girl I’ve got on my mind.” He smiles. “I know we just met, but I want to know more about you.”
My eyes feel as wide as twin moons. “You do?”
“Though this situation is a little complicated. We’re both stuck here with work for the foreseeable future. If things don’t work out between us…”
“Right. That’s, um, a valid point.”
“Do you still want to see where this goes?”
I think it over. “It is a concern. I agree with you there. But I think we’re both adults who can behave ourselves. We can be professional and polite. If one of us changes our mind or we decide we’re just better off as friends, I think we can manage that.”
“Okay.”
I smile, relieved. And he stares at my mouth for a few seconds before focusing on my eyes again.
“Listen, I already agreed to go see a band in town tomorrow night with some of the guys. It won’t be a late night because we’ve all got work the next morning. But I was wondering if that was the sort of thing you might be interested in coming along with me to?”
Wow. He just asked me on a date. And if feels nice. Natural, actually. Plus, I realize I really do want to spend time with him when I’m not just staring at his hotness. “Sure. That sounds great.”
“Good.”
I smile. I have a lot to smile about. He likes me. We’re doing this. How exciting.
He leans forward. “Can I kiss you, Jude?” he whispers.
I feel those words in every part of me. “Yeah.” I lick my lips. “You can.”
As pretty as he was at a distance, he’s even more handsome close up.
All of the shadows and lines of his face.
It blows my mind how Lena left him for another.
What a fool. Though I am kind of deeply grateful that she did.
His lips are divine. No other word will do.
And the thought of him pressing them against mine is making my stomach do a weird flip-flop thing.
His lips are neither thin nor plump, but somewhere in between and perfect.
I stare at them as he comes closer until he’s pressing his mouth softly against mine.
A sweet kiss, as if he’s testing his welcome.
The man needn’t have bothered. I balance on the balls of my feet and join our lips once more, kissing him more insistently.
I mean, we might as well figure out here and now if we have no chemistry.
If he has no expertise. Because I kissed this male model once who was a tongue-wrangling disaster.
Just a whole lot of wet-faced yuck. Sad, but true.
It’s not like I have kissed anyone in ages.
Maybe I’ve forgotten how it all works. Perhaps I’ll be the disaster.
Dean’s hands grip my hips, and his tongue slips into my mouth and oh, yeah.
Very nice. A lack of chemistry is obviously not going to be a problem between us.
He kisses me deep and wet in a way that goes straight to my head.
My fingers slide over the smooth warm skin of his shoulders before holding on tight.
He is so solid and strong. One of his hands is now cupping the back of my head, holding me to him.
As if I had any intention of leaving. Heck no.
We kiss until my lips are numb and swollen and my mind is far away. Nothing else matters but this moment.