Chapter Nine #2
His earnest smile made her heart beat a little faster when he added, “I’ll just have to hope that you like what you learn about me, too.”
“I already love everything I know about you so far, Jake. I think you know that.”
She could tell he wasn’t fishing for compliments when he shook his head slowly. “I didn’t know. I mean, I hoped, but I didn’t know for sure. Thanks for saying it.”
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s true.”
She frowned. “And now I don’t know if I shouldn’t have said it—if I’m supposed to be playing this more carefully, or if there’s a way these things are supposed to go and I’m saying too much too soon.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how any of that works. All I can do is be me.”
He reached up and ran his fingers down her cheek. “That’s all I want you to do. And I promise I’ll do the same.”
She relaxed. It felt as though there probably was some playbook that should be followed in these situations, but she got the impression that Jake had no more idea what it was than she did.
~ ~ ~
They ate at the table in the kitchen, and Jake was shocked when he realized the pizza was gone and a couple of hours had ticked by while they were sitting there talking and laughing.
“Do you want another beer?”
“Thanks, but I shouldn’t. I have to drive back.”
“Damn, I should have thought about that. Sorry.”
“It’s hardly your fault.”
“It is. I should have come to pick you up – I was going to, but when you talked about driving the Camaro over, I didn’t offer.”
“It’s okay, honestly.”
“Next time I’m coming to pick you up.”
He was relieved when she said, “That works.” But it was short-lived when she added, “That way I can walk home afterward, and we can both have a drink.”
“No way. I don’t want you to have to walk home – I mean, I’ll come and get you and take you back again.”
“But I…”
He gave her a stern look. “I know I’m laid back most of the time, Savannah, but not about that. No way are you walking home.”
“But I enjoy it.”
“Oh.” That caught him off guard. Then he smiled. “In that case, I’ll come pick you up, we can both have a drink, and then I’ll walk you home afterward.”
She chuckled. “If you insist.”
“I do. I’ve already told you it’s in my nature to protect and serve. There’s no way I’d let any girl I know walk home by herself – even in Summer Lake.” He smiled and decided to risk it. “And we’re not talking about just some girl I know – we’re talking about my girlfriend.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Well, okay then. I guess that’s me told.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, it is. Want to move into the living room?”
She got to her feet and reached for the plates, but he caught her hand. “Let’s leave those. I can get them later. You want that beer?”
“I can’t. I…”
“I could walk you home,” he said with a smile, “and drop your Camaro off to you first thing in the morning.”
“Oh!”
He grinned as he opened the fridge and waited.
“Why not? I don’t have to be at work till eleven tomorrow.”
He led her into the living room, and when she hesitated, he gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa before setting their drinks down on the coffee table.
He sat down beside her, and all his breath caught in his chest. He felt so comfortable with her.
She felt so familiar, so… right, that while they’d eaten, he’d been too busy enjoying her company to think about anything else.
Now, having her here on the sofa, with his arm having snuck off to wrap around her shoulders before he even knew what it was doing, he suddenly became hyperaware of something else – of what a guy and a girl might get up to on a sofa.
His throat was dry, his palms were damp, and he shifted in his seat, hoping she wouldn’t notice the effect she was having on him. Of course, he wanted to go there, but not yet. Not tonight. They’d talked about getting to know each other better – and he hadn’t meant in the physical sense.
His jeans were suddenly way too tight in front, but that wasn’t what tonight was for. Not in his mind. He held his breath when she rested her hand on his thigh and reached up to press a sweet little kiss to his lips.
Damn. If she wanted to go there, he wouldn’t be able to argue – wouldn’t want to – but…
His heart felt like it might pound right out of his chest when she said, “I thought we were going to get to know each other better.”
His voice came out as a hoarse croak – which was probably a good thing since he had no idea what to say. He tried again and managed, “Are you sure…?”
She laughed. “I am, but I think you should go first. I know you were in the Marines, but I don’t really even know what that means. What did you do all day?”
He cleared his throat, feeling like an idiot – and thankful that he hadn’t said anything to give away what he’d thought she meant.
“I was an avionics technician.”
She mulled that over before asking, “Wait, does that mean you were a pilot?”
He didn’t usually hesitate before he answered that question – people asked often enough.
He was proud of his work, but he knew pilots were viewed as the heroes.
He was usually happy to clarify that he wasn’t one of them, but just for a moment, he hoped Savannah wouldn’t be disappointed. If she were, then… he’d know.
“No, I stayed on the ground. Just kept those guys in the air.”
“Oh, wow!” Her wide-eyed admiration made him shift in his seat again.
“Seriously? I never thought about that, but it makes so much sense. You obviously know your way around engines, but you’re not familiar with some of the cars, are you?
Sorry, no offense. But it’s because you’re used to working on airplanes. That’s amazing.”
He felt like he grew a foot taller. He was used to dismissing what he did as just the mechanic, but Savannah understood what that really meant.
“The pilots…”
She put a hand on her hip and said indignantly, “Don’t you dare give me any the pilots are the heroes crap. We both know better than that – I mean, they are, of course, but they’d be nothing without guys like you. Did you know Art did that, too?”
He nodded. Their shared history was, he believed, the detail that had convinced Art he should sell him the garage.
“Right, I should have guessed that. I always thought it was weird that he was so adamant you were the right guy to take over the business, even though you’re an out-of-towner.
But where I was going was to say that it was how Art always used to put it.
When he was in the military, he kept the planes flying.
People might think he was just a mechanic back here at the lake, but it was still the same thing.
“What use is a heart surgeon if he can’t get to the operating room because his car broke down? How could teachers educate kids if they couldn’t get to school?”
Jake could only smile as he listened to her. After a few more examples of people who might seem important in society but wouldn’t be much use if they couldn’t get to work because their car broke down, she finally ran out of steam. She pushed her bangs away from her forehead and rolled her eyes.
“Sorry. But don’t ever give me that I just kept the other guys in the air crap again, okay?”
He chuckled. “Received. Loud and clear.”
She rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned in closer. “And while I seem to be on a roll – it must be you, you bring it out in me. I can’t even blame the beer.” She glanced at the still-full bottles on the table. “I’m going to say what else I want you to do.”
“What’s that?” He ground the two words out while trying to clench his jaw. With one hand on his shoulder and the other on his thigh, she was making it hard for him to focus on her words.
All the tension left his shoulders when she breathed, “Kiss me.”
His arms closed around her, and he hauled her onto his lap.
Before he knew how they got there, they were lying on the sofa, hands wandering over each other, tongues tangling as they got to know each other way better.
After what felt like hours but could have been minutes, she lifted her head and smiled down at him. “We should set an alarm.”
“Huh?”
She chuckled. “You said Josh will be home at eleven, right?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “You’re right.” He tapped on his watch and said, “done,” before cupping the back of her neck and drawing her to him again.
“Time is going to be the last thing on my mind.”
She proved him right when she snuggled closer, her full breasts pressed against his chest as she let out a needy little moan. As he reclaimed her mouth, he lost all sense of time, place, and everything that wasn’t the feel of her body against his.