Chapter 33 Brooke
THIRTY-THREE
Brooke
Brooke had no idea where JJ was taking her. They’d left the restaurant and were back in the suburbs near Karkalla Beach.
“I thought we were going swimming!” Brooke said. JJ’s text asking her out on a date had been extremely sweet and cryptic. “Your message said to wear bathers.”
Brooke’s skin prickled at the possibilities.
“I mean, technically?” JJ’s voice went up an octave. “But not in water. Well, not—just, you’ll see.”
They pulled up to a cute red brick house with cream trims. The garden appeared immaculate under the streetlights.
“Is this your place?” Brooke asked as she unclipped her seatbelt.
“Yep.”
“Oooh, didn’t expect you to take me back here on our first date,” Brooke said as they walked up to JJ’s front door.
JJ paused, taking Brooke in, hand stilled on the key. “I think you and I both know this isn’t our first date.”
Brooke cleared her throat, her head still getting around the fact this was a real date. That JJ had asked her—Brooke Mayfield—out on a date, and that she—Brooke Mayfield—wanted said date.
Dinner had been so unexpected, especially because JJ had picked such an out-of-the-box experience for herself.
The vulnerability JJ had shown was so sweet and endearing, especially when she’d first shoved her hands into their dinner.
Brooke had caught the panic in her eyes, the forced smile, but she also spotted the moment that changed—when JJ let go and started having fun.
“Wait here a minute.” JJ placed a kiss on Brooke’s forehead and rushed inside, the spot tingling in her wake.
A giddiness swelled inside Brooke. She didn’t get doted on like this.
Relax. It was a simple gesture.
JJ returned, grabbed Brooke’s hand and guided her through the dimly lit house.
Personal spaces were fascinating, no matter which country she was in.
There were cookie-cutter homes that felt cold or copy and pasted, like they came straight out of a magazine.
Not JJ’s house. This was a home. Decked out in mid-century furniture, the warm woods of the dining table and kitchen bench were complemented by a mass of indoor plants.
There was enough greenery to make a nursery jealous.
Still, everything had its place. Considered.
Neat. Not a frame or chair out of place. She’d expect nothing less of JJ.
“Whoa.”
A few lit candles welcomed them in the lounge, the flickering light bouncing off the greenery.
Brooke explored the rear hallway, lined with fancy paintings from a person who clearly had taste.
She’d always wanted to be someone with that kind of discernment, though she’d never been in a place long enough to style it.
“So stylish. Though, I’m not surprised,” Brooke said, coming back into the lounge.
“Thank you. Also I meant to say earlier—Jess is over at Remi’s tonight.”
“Cool.” Brooke didn’t want to think too much into that insinuation.
“You want a drink? I have beer, or some of that wine we bought.” JJ’s hand was paused on the fridge door, fingers tapping the edge.
Brooke thumbed through JJ’s record collection. “Let’s go beer tonight—something we can both enjoy.” Brooke winked.
“Hey—wine’s becoming more… tolerable.” JJ pulled out a couple of bottles, popping the tops off with her forearm.
“That was very cool,” Brooke said, admiring the flexing muscle as she took the beer. “Cheers, to our first official date.”
“And hopefully—to many more.”
“I’d like that.” Her stomach swooped low, a smile breaking out as they clinked and sipped their ice-cold drinks.
“So, why bathers?” Brooke asked, flicking the halter strap of her bikini with a snap as she dropped onto the couch.
JJ cleared her throat. “Okay, here me out. I ran with the whole painting outside the lines theme for tonight…”
“I’m listening.” Brooke crossed her legs and slung her arm over the back of the soft brown leather lounge.
“And I found a couple’s body painting kit.” JJ’s eyes slid to a discreet box on the coffee table.
“A what?!” Out of all the date ideas… Brooke did not expect this from JJ.
JJ’s eyes were alight as she shuffled closer to Brooke, barely containing her grin.
“It’s art that we paint… with our bodies. And there’s a few ways this can go, so I’d love for you to lead with what you’re comfortable with—”
“What we’re comfortable with,” Brooke corrected.
JJ smiled. “Right. Well, okay—so there’s a canvas, and paints, and… us.”
“Uh-huh.” Brooke ran a finger along the condensation on her beer bottle.
“And we can create an art piece together. I’ve already got the spot picked out in the bedroom to hang it.”
“I’m sure it’ll be so good, we could sell it for millions.”
“Right?” JJ placed her beer on the coffee table, swapping it for the large dark box. “So, there’s rules.” She pulled out the instructions.
“It wouldn’t be you if there wasn’t.” Brooke took a swig of her beer, hiding her grin.
“I hear I’m pretty amazing at breaking them now though… so…”
Brooke’s lips pressed together, the edge pulling up ever so slightly, eyes dancing. “Mmhmm.”
“Okay, so maybe not all the time. But anyway, the rules state that anything goes: swimwear, underwear, or—uh—nothing at all. Put the paint on how you like and, yeah, cool.” JJ pulled at her shirt, face going bright red. “Man it’s hot in here. Do you want the fan on? And—and some music?”
“JJ?” Brooke placed her bottle on the coffee table.
JJ cleared her throat. “Yeah?”
“Relax.” Brooke snatched the instruction booklet and threw it over the side of the couch. It landed on the floor with a papery splat. She held JJ’s hands, thumbs making circles in a steady rhythm. “How about we start simple?”
JJ’s darting eyes re-focused on their entwined hands, breath slowing. When she looked back up, Brooke leaned forward and claimed JJ’s lips.
Fuck, Brooke had missed those lips.
The fact that she’d thought she would never touch them or kiss them again?
Her chest ached just remembering.
This kiss was slow. A beginning. Learning from the start.
No rush this time, no rules. It was real.
Brooke’s hands slid up JJ’s arms and back again, the touch strangely giving herself tingles all the way to the back of her neck.
On the next stroke up, her hand kept going, curling around the back of JJ’s head, nails scraping her scalp.
JJ deepened the kiss in response, hand gripping onto Brooke’s thigh.
Then JJ pulled away, holding up a hand. “Hold this thought”—she gestured vaguely between them—“and let me put that music on.” She sprung from the couch, strode over to the wooden record table, and slipped one out of its sleeve, placing it on a turntable.
JJ set the needle. A woman began singing in a mix of French and English, the rhythm soulful, the deeper notes thrumming through Brooke’s body and making her want to sway to the beat.
“Charlotte Cardin,” JJ said, swaggering back to the couch, her movements slow, calculated. A grin formed as she walked with the music. Brooke scooted back against the arm of the sofa as JJ climbed on top of her.
“Hi,” she said, hands braced either side of Brooke’s head. “Sorry for making you wait.”
Brooke’s eyes dropped to JJ’s lips. “I’m sure you can think of a way to make it up to me.”
JJ bent down and kissed her, breaking away again almost immediately. “Hang on,” she said, sitting back on her heels.
“Wha—” Brooke frowned, her brain still stuck on soft lips and hot breath and—oh.
JJ reached for the edge of her shirt, slipping it off in one quick swoop, pausing to fold it, and place it over the back of the couch. Brooke tamped down a grin. JJ was too cute. The amount of JJ’s skin now on show though? That wasn’t cute—that was hot.
Lean arms and the same swimming top from the hot tub had memories flashing back.
Brooke wet her lips and reached up, running a hand from JJ’s chest to stomach.
Her breath quickened. Brooke sat up next, slinging her shirt off as she did.
She threw it onto the floor with the instruction booklet and pulled JJ down on top of her.
How could lips feel this good? This time their kiss was fast, hungry. Brooke wanted more. Her arm wrapped around JJ's back, hand clawing its way down the middle.
JJ lowered herself onto Brooke; it was the first time they'd been this close with bare skin touching while not in a hot tub. JJ’s heartbeat thudded against Brooke, the heat from her body like an oven, a reminder of the times Brooke had awoken to JJ spooning her.
This was so much better. The press of JJ’s weight against her was intoxicating.
And not enough. Patience wasn't Brooke's forte. She looped her thumbs into the back of JJ’s pants, squeezing her arse and pressing down. More friction. More heat. More JJ.
Lips crushing together over and over, Brooke lost herself in the moment. It took her a second when JJ pulled back, glancing over at the box on the table.
“Ready to paint?” she asked so close, her breath skated over Brooke’s lips.
Brooke could only nod.
With a final kiss, JJ jumped up and pushed the coffee table to the edge of the room.
Brooke gave herself a moment to calm down, watching as JJ took out the box’s contents and laid out a large waterproof liner. Brooke stood to help. They pulled the edges of the liner tight then unfolded the canvas together.
“I wasn’t sure what colours you liked, so I got a mix.” JJ started placing the paint tubes in a row, making Brooke smile.
They wouldn’t be so neat in a minute.
“We’re meant to put the paint on the canvas then use our bodies,” JJ continued.
JJ slipped off her pants next like it was no big deal, and Brooke broke for a second. Without taking her eyes off JJ, Brooke did the same, slowly sliding them down her legs and discarding them.
Now she had JJ’s attention.
Slack-jawed, JJ paused, eyes raking up Brooke’s body. They never wavered as she placed the last tube of paint on the floor.
“Bathers off too?” Brooke asked, thumbs hooking into the band.