Chapter 27
The excitement overwhelming Jamie”s system was equivalent to that of a hormonal teenager worked up over the possibility of scoring with a voluptuous head cheerleader who, at this very moment, was on her way to join him for dinner.
He raced about his kitchen, checking and double-checking the carefully planned menu displayed on a hanging chalkboard as if his place was a five-star restaurant.
The aroma of individual beef wellingtons made with puff pastry he made from scratch, organic mushrooms, and wine from the Valleja-Marquez vineyard filled the air.
Out of habit and because he intended to share his efforts with Nora, many pictures, taken from many angles, went into his photo library. He was damn proud of his efforts.
”What do you think?” he asked Cat. ”How”d I do? Think the lady will be impressed?”
His furball roommate”s head cocked this way and that. Her tail gave a lazy swish. ”Meow.”
”I”m taking that as a yes.”
After eying the kitchen clock, the excitement churning inside him rocketed higher. Rebecca was on her way to him.
”Last chance.”
Jamie”s eyes surveyed every nook and cranny, making sure he”d overlooked nothing.
The bar cart was well-stocked, and he”d filled the ice bucket. Two bottles of a tasty and classic Cabernet Sauvignon were ready to be uncorked.
A couple of floral arrangements made by a talented florist with a new shop that just opened in Dare Gulch gave his place some class. One arrangement sat on the dining roomtable,while the other looked splendid atop an antique credenza.
Playing low in the background was something he found on YouTube— ten hours of soft jazz for restaurants.
With minutes to spare, he fixed his tie and slid on a suit jacket.
”Almost showtime,”he told Cat. ”Now remember—best behavior, okay?”
If he was not mistaken, his cat smirked.
Rebecca”s shitty van crept slowly down his driveway and parked. He counted to twenty-five before dashing out the door into the late afternoon heat.
She was already out of the car, standing by the driver”s door, when he walked up.
Her outfit stopped him in his tracks. Intense pleasure exploded in his center. There was no mistaking the tantalizing invitation made by her cherry red dress.
If this wasn”t a date and he was not on his best manners, he was sure there would be slam fucking right here in the driveway.
”Hi,”she murmured shyly.
In a growly voice that gave away his desire, he said, ”Rebecca—you steal my breath with your loveliness.”
Happiness at his reaction brightened her tentative smile and infused her cheeks with color.
”Do you like it?”She pirouetted and posed. ”It”s something I got for Sophia”s wedding but didn”t have a chance to wear.”
They looked down at the same time. When he saw her shoes, he experienced the quickest erection of his life.
”Are they a bit much?”she asked in a tentative voice.
”Fuck no,”he blurted out before the swear words could be edited.
She giggled at his eagerness. ”Down, boy, down.”
He laughed at the canine joke. ”Heels and straps—what more could a guy ask for?”
”Yes, well, they look awesome and all, but these babies were not intended for walking.”
Jamie grinned. ”So you wore them for me?”
A flame-red blush spread across her chest, up her throat, and onto her face. She bit her lip and shrugged indifferently, ”I suppose so.”
”You don”t know?”he teased.
The blush deepened.
”Own it, Rebecca. Don”t hide from how you feel or what you want.”
Her eyes stayed downcast. Something more was going on. He picked up an embarrassed vibe and pondered what it meant.
Deciding not to press, he changed the subject.
Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes briefly. ”Can you smell that? It”s white sage.”
”Oh!”Her shoulders rose as she inhaled. ”Isn”t that what smudge bundles are made from?”
Surprised by her response, he lifted his brows. ”I didn”t peg you as someone who knew about such things.”
Scoffing drolly, she replied, ”Kori and her BFF Phoebe are smudge fanatics.Pheebs”smom, Holly, and I took the girls into Dare Gulch for a shopping spree at the Zen Emporium shop. I thought it was all silly—teenage girl stuff—until the girls started talking to the shop”s owner. They knew so much about crystals, moon oils, and a bunch of other crazy-sounding stuff that my mind was blown.”
Snickering, he drawled, ”The metaphysical vibe around these parts is so thick at times that a chainsaw couldn”t cut it.”
Becca”s smile was glorious. He liked the playful side of her personality.
”I know, right?”Her squeal of amusement tickled his funny bone. ”Spring water with magical properties and a love vortex.”She lowered her voice. ”And let”s not forget the weird shit happening out in the desert at Phoenix Forge.”
”I have questions,”he drawled.
”As do I,”Becca added.
Her fingers swiped his lapel. ”You clean up nice.”
”I”m a charter member of the sharp-dressed man society.”He touched her arm. ”Come on. Let”s get inside before we melt.”
Turning away, she reached for her purse and shut the van”s door.
”Lead the way, doctor.”
Guiding her with a gentleman”s wave, he hurried them inside, out of the heat.
”Ooh, whatever you”ve got going on in the kitchen smells amazing.”She placed her purse beside the flowers on the console table. ”And these flowers are fantastic.”
He heard her sniff when she bent to smell the pretty arrangement and said, ”Introduction to Dating in the 21st Century—prologue. Sensory overload and why the ladies love it.”
”Ah ha ha.”Her laugh was light and happy.
Cat made a cameo appearance. She greeted their guest with polite meows, offered her head for scratches, and then meandered away.
”Selfie time.”Jamie held up his phone. ”Choose your pose, pretty lady, and then get in here.”
”Wait, wait, wait!”Rebecca opened her purse, pulled out a lipstick, and expertly swiped it on her lips. ”Red dress calls for red lips.”
A wallop of lust body slammed into him. To the erotic scenes already clogging up his imagination, he added Rebecca on her knees, leaving lipstick kisses everywhere as she sucked his dick.
Keeping his desire under control wasn”t going to be easy if he went through the whole evening fighting a throbbing erection.
Pulling her close, he put one arm around her waist and stretched his other to full length for the selfie.
For her part, she cuddled close and put a hand on his chest as she smiled for the camera.
It was a couple”s pose—their first.
He took her into the kitchen to show off his efforts. She teased him about everything, even his pot holders. The exhilaration bouncing around inside him was like nothing he”d experienced before.
Back in the living room, he continued showing off—this time with his bartending skills— by declaring that he could make any drink she named.
The gathering of cackling motherfuckers in his head fell over with belly laughs when she requested a Sexy Veterinarian—with extra cherries.
In no time, he created a spritz drink from vodka, lime juice, seltzer water, and cherries that she said tasted like a theme park over ice.
After fetching a small charcuterie board from the kitchen, he settled her on the sofa.
”Are you going to wear your suit jacket all evening?”She peered at him over the rim of her glass while sipping the improvised cocktail.
Pouring bourbon into a tumbler, he chuckled.
”You ladies aren”t the only ones with wardrobe issues. Suit jacket choreography is a whole thing—how long to leave it on, whether to use the off-and-on technique.”He gave her a half-smirk. ”I”m trying to impress you with my sartorial splendor. You weren”t the only one dressing to please.”
Her head cocked to the side. She regarded him with a serious expression.
What?”he asked.
”Nothing.”A soft pink appeared on her cheeks, making him wonder what she”d been thinking.
* * *
Becca reviewed her stats.
Married at twenty. A mother at twenty-one. A soldier sent to war at twenty-four. Parental justice crusader at thirty. Homeless veteran and desperate single mom by the time thirty-two rolled around.
She”d been through a lot in her thirty-three and two-thirds years. When her thirty-fourth birthday hit this November, it would be appropriate to add a notation in her file that says, ”Been to hell, survived, and started over.”
I”m a baller, she thought with satisfaction.
Time is weird. Sometimes, it feels like it”s all moving too fast. Other times, it”s as if it stands still or passes too slowly. She supposed having a full plate of adult responsibilities by the time she was legally able to drink accounted for why, despite the years and the mileage, she sometimes felt like a twenty-year-old masquerading as a grown-up.
Getting ready for this evening was surreal. She felt like an imposter—a foolish twit with a head full of girlish romantic fantasies playing dress-up. As she applied her make-up, it occurred to her that maybe she would not be so unsure of her adult self if, at any point, even one of the men in her past had made a grown-up effort.
Jamie was in a category by himself. His manners were spot-on, and his attention to detail was fantastic. Fascinated by his old-fashioned vibe, her hidden surprise was how seductive and downright provocative she found his approach.
The negative programming in her head, though, didn”t help. It was far too easy to feel gauche and out of her league in the presence of such a man. Recognizing the self-defeating hold those thoughts had on her, she pushed them away and barricaded the door lest they return and spoil her evening.
Blushing when her date admitted he was out to impress her, she tried to blow off her reaction with a denial and ducked her head for a few seconds to get her bearings.
Knowing he might ask for an explanation for her behavior, she was relieved when he let it go.
Sampling the eye-catching charcuterie made her taste buds very happy. He encouraged her to try a little bit of everything.
Sardonically, Jamie acknowledged Meghan”s influence on his charcuterie efforts.
”She”s a pro with this stuff,”he explained. ”I asked her how she got so good at the presentation. To my surprise, she readily admitted to not knowing how to cook. I was surprised! Then she went off with a story about their honeymoon in Spain and how she picked up tips and hacks for nibble boards and elaborate ready-to-eat horsd”oeuvres.”
With a lopsided grin, Becca added her two cents.
”Discovering that the big guy”s wife has zero kitchen skills gave me quite a rush. Red”s not perfect,”she laughed, using one of Meghan”s nicknames.
His expression lightened. ”They”re an interesting couple. I enjoy being around them. They give off good energy.”
”It”s a Justice thing.”She nibbled some cheese.
”What is?”
”Interesting energy.”
His reaction was a smile that sent her pulse racing.