Chapter 23
Becca recalled a magazine article she”d read as a teen with a rate-a-date checklist. At the time, she could barely imagine any of the boys she knew opening her car door or addressing her father as sir. Life looked different on the other side of thirty.
She watched Jamie devour a humongous banana split and found it amusing when he attacked the empty dish with a spoon, trying to scoop up every bit of ice cream.
Wiping chocolate sauce from his lips, he crumpled the paper napkin and said, ”I”m not suggesting it”s a universal cure-all, but I think if every global meeting of world leaders kicked off with a bowl of ice cream, the world might be a happier, less fucked up place.”
”My friend Holly says really good chocolate ice cream is better than sex.”
Jamie made a face—a cute face. ”I wouldn”t go that far.”
Rolling her eyes playfully mockingly, she muttered, ”Men. It”s always about the sex. Gah!”
His grin had a lecherous tinge. ”Okay, Ms. Smarty Pants. Name me one thing better than sex.”
The words ”A million dollars”almost rolled off her tongue. Instead, she gave the question serious thought. Even though she”d never had a truly satisfying sexual encounter, that didn”t mean her heart and soul weren”t actively wishing that wasn”t the case.
”No answer?”he taunted gently.
Chuckling, she grumbled, ”Shut up,”but her face wore a smile.
Although he could have, her date for the evening did not press. From the second she opened her front door when he”d come to pick her up, Dr. James Hunter conducted himself as the ultimate gentleman.
It wasn”t all PG, though. There were moments of mutual flirtation, naughty innuendo, and one particular stand-out moment at the movie theater when he watched with sharp interest while she”d devoured a corn dog and then made a lewd comment about her oral potential.
When he reached for his phone, she tidied up their booth in the back of the ice cream parlor where they”d gone after the movie to indulge in some dessert.
”How many stars are we giving the movie?”he asked with his phone in his hands.
”I don”t know,”she replied. ”What do you think?”
”I asked you first.”His husky chuckle did all the things to her senses.
”Okay, well, let”s see. Hmm,”she murmured as her review came into focus. ”Was it entertaining? Yes. Am I adding it to my movie library? No.”
”Is that a four out of five then?”
”Sure. Wait. You know what? Subtract half a point for the gratuitous violence.”
”Three point five, it is,”he laughed. ”You”re a tough audience.”
”What”s your rating?”
He grinned. ”A solid five, thanks to the tits and ass. The sex scenes did not disappoint.”
”Guns and sex. How American,”she snickered.
”I know, right?”He stood, slid the phone into his pocket, and waved her from the booth, gallantly drawling, ”My lady.”
Oh. My. God.
Her ass squeaked across the leatherette upholstery—a reminder that she was wearing a dress and not her customary uniform of jeans and a cotton shirt—what Kori said the kids these days called basic bitch.
Grasping her clutch bag, she stood and searched for her center. The strappy wedge sandals she wore changed her internal gyroscope.
Jamie indicated she should walk in front of him, which she did, only hesitating long enough to run her hand across her butt to be sure the dress wasn”t caught in her panties or some other horrific wardrobe no-no.
Outside the parlor, the warm night air was thick with the scent of star jasmine from a vine-covered trellis edging the parking area. They were parked at the end of the row and were walking along when suddenly, a strap on her sandal came undone, and her heel wobbled. She threw her arms out for balance and, in doing so, flung her clutch to the ground.
Unsteadily attempting to rectify the situation, she bent to fix her shoe, only to be stopped by a firm hand.
”Allow me, Rebecca.”
The way he spoke gave her goosebumps.
Going down on one knee, he held her waist to keep her steady.
”Put your hand on my shoulder.”
Responding to the command, she held on for support—watching as he performed like a real-life Prince Charming. Before tying the straps around her ankle, he ensured her foot was solidly in the sandal.
The warmth from his body seeped into her system. Though she only touched his shoulder through his clothes, he felt solid. The white shirt he wore was soft to the touch. Her eyes fixated on the collar and his neck.
When her shoe was tied, he looked up. His cinnamon gaze made her breath catch. When he ran a hand up the back of her calf, she came close to hyperventilating.
And then he reached for her bag. Becca shook herself before she did or said something stupid.
The clutch”s contents had begun to spill from the bag. When he tugged it closer, a trail of objects hit the pavement. There was a lipstick tube—one of Kori”s—and a tin of breath mints. To her utter mortification, there was also a condom—the shiny foil packet clearly visible.
Her eyes squeezed shut. She was going to murder her daughter.
The shit-eating grin on Jamie”s face after he gathered everything and restocked her bag added to her embarrassment.
”Th-that wasn”t mine,”she stammered. ”What I mean is, it”s clearly mine, but I didn”t put it in the purse. I don”t, I mean, I wouldn”t, oh, shit. Tell me to shut up. Please.”
Rising, he gave her a half-smirk and handed off the clutch bag.
”Embarrassment can be good for the soul.”He winked and added, ”Let”s be clear, though, okay? Establish some basic protocols.”
Protocols sounded serious. She wet her lips anxiously.
”If condoms are necessary—please note I used the plural because with you, Rebecca, once is not enough—I will take care of things. Nothing is more important than ensuring your safety. I have a clean bill of health in case you”re wondering and even if you”re not, you have nothing to fear in that regard.”
She didn”t know why, but how he phrased that made her tremble. His ominous words also made her wet.
Thrown off base by her physical response, she hurriedly blurted out, ”Birth control is covered. I”m on the pill. And I haven”t done it in a million years.”
”Good to know,”he chuckled.
He held her elbow as they walked to his truck. She leaned against the side as he opened the passenger door.
”Does Kori really imagine we”d be having sex tonight?”
This might be a good time for the earth to crack open and swallow her.
”I hope not,”she mumbled.
He gave her a quizzical look.
Rushing to explain, she bit her lip and, in a quiet but intense voice, said, ”I mean, what would it say about me? That I”m easy? That a month ago, I fantasized about crushing you, but today, I took off my panties? Eek.”
Her breath caught when he leaned in close, inhaled, and murmured in her ear, ”Your panties are safe for now.”
”Are they?”She wasn”t sure why she asked, but she did.
”Yes.”Jamie sighed but didn”t back off. ”Rebecca, let”s be clear, okay? I”m not interested in a casual fuck.”
She gasped.
”There”s so much more happening here than scratching an itch.”
Admitting out loud what she”d only recently realized, she said, ”I”m in over my head, Jamie. I know that. Do I know what I”m doing? No. Do I know what you expect? Doubtful.”
”What about your research?”he teased.
Acting far braver than she felt, Becca replied softly, ”About that, I, um, well, I think maybe you should provide input. Some of what I saw was scary and confusing.”
Backed against his truck, she felt physically engulfed by him. He was so close that his big hands had no trouble stroking her hips.
”It”s okay to be confused. I”d think you weren”t serious otherwise.”
”And the scared part?”she asked in a shaky stammer.
”Ah, yes,”he replied silkily. ”I admit your fear is intoxicating.”
She stared wide-eyed as he gripped her neck, making her tremble less from fear and more from arousal.
”While I promise you”re safe in my hands, it doesn”t mean feeling scared won”t happen.”
His words caused her to go still. The glimmer in his eyes made her wetter.
Held in thrall by his commanding presence, Becca felt her defenses melt away. Shocked was the only way to describe her reaction to how turned-on she was.
”What are we doing? I need to know,”she stammered.
The sound of a car engine starting drew her attention. Seconds later, a silver sedan backed from a parking space. Jamie never moved—he stayed pressed against her, his hand gripping her throat while his thumb stroked her neck.
His voice, low and masculine, made her shiver when he answered.
”It feels like we”re dancing awfully close to the flames, right?”
”I agree on how close we are to the flames.”Their eyes were locked. He stared into her soul when she murmured, ”I enjoy a good fire. Exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.”
”Are you describing how you feel?”
Geez, Louise, the man was good.
”Exhilarated and terrified? Yes,”she admitted in what sounded like a weak voice to her ears.
”Would you like to know what I feel?”
Oh my god—she had not expected him to lead with his feelings.
He noticed her split-second hesitation. ”Does the idea that I have feelings scare you?”
”Jamie,”she groaned. ”I didn”t come to this expecting to catch feelings.”The bite she delivered to her lip hurt like hell. ”I don”t think you did either. Feelings make things real. Are you sure that”s where you want to go because once the lid comes off?” She let the rest hang in the air.
He finished for her.
”Once the lid comes off and feelings are expressed, hurt or the potential for hurt enters the chat.”
She didn”t mean for her sigh to sound so shaky. ”Hurt is the least of it. We both know what it feels like to be destroyed.”
There was a flare in his eyes lasting less than a second—then his gaze softened as it turned fiery.
How the hell did he do that? Blend being gentle with ferocity?
His thumb drew circles on her throat, and if she wasn”t mistaken—and she didn”t think she was—he boldly pressed his hips against her.
”That”s how I know this is right,”he murmured in a throaty voice. ”We both know the power of emotional destruction.”
She nodded solemnly.
”I”m just as surprised as you,”he admitted. ”The surprise confirms what I said about us being right.”
”So, there”s an us?”
”I believe there is. The question is, do you believe?”
Did she want to be an ”us”with Jamie Hunter?
Was she grown up enough to handle a real man and not a cartoon facsimile like her ex?
He didn”t wait for her answer.
Releasing her neck, he took a step back. She missed his warmth and the sense of power emanating from his body.
In a masterful display of manners and dominant behavior, he helped her get situated in his truck without allowing her to do anything. He tugged her skirt down when she sat, pulled the seat belt across his torso, and buckled her in. She found his attention to detail riveting.
When he had belted into the driver”s seat and they were ready to leave, the look he gave her made Becca”s panties go up in flames.