Chapter 11
Jade paid for our dinner, and we made our way down the street to The Mix. While Riley had a downtown, it wasn’t necessarily large. Just a few blocks or so, and it wasn’t worth moving the car. She held my hand the whole way, which was incredibly sweet and made me feel all melty again.
Walking into the bar, I found it crowded, which was to be expected for a Friday night.
Cigarette smoke almost overpowered the stale beer and sweat scents.
I grabbed the least wobbly table I could find while Jade started a tab.
There were a few guys on stage hooking up equipment.
I looked for tattoos to see if I could spot Sam, but didn’t see any.
Beers in hand, Jade grabbed the chair next to me and sat down.
We had a good view of the stage, but we weren’t so close that the speakers were in our face or anything.
“Is one of those guys Sam?” I asked curiously. Even though the music hadn’t started yet, with all the talking I still had to lean in so she could hear me. That being said, taking a lungful of her scent wasn’t such a hardship.
“No, I don’t see him yet. You won’t be able to miss him though; he’s like six feet tall and has bright red hair.”
“The way you said that makes me think you have a problem with redheads,” I teased her, knowing very well she didn’t. Between her interest in me and her angel tattoo, it was obvious.
Jade smirked and leaned in much closer than necessary, so close that I could feel her lips press against the shell of my ear. “The difference is that his looks out of place. While yours makes you look like a goddess who consumes my every thought.”
Chills ran down my spine, and I let out a pant that I hoped wasn’t audible. Her every thought? It was too much when I already wanted her so badly. She kissed my ear before pulling away and taking a sip of her beer. I did the same, looking for anything that would help distract me.
The show had been going on for about an hour, and so far, I’d enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
The lead singer had a pretty voice, and they’d been singing some pop cover songs I knew.
Jade poked fun at me for singing along a little too loudly, but it didn’t stop me considering I’d already been feeling tipsy from the restaurant.
A new song starts up, and I lean into an equally intoxicated Jade.
“You are really beautiful, Jade.” It just felt like the perfect thing to say, and I’m sure not being sober had something to do with that.
I leaned back, and she turned to face me, giving me a smile with her lightly blushed cheeks.
Grabbing my hand, she brought it to her lips, kissing my fingers before settling it in her lap.
The part of me that was always yelling for caution was gone at the moment.
Examining her plump lips, I wished I could be alone with her right now.
Realizing I was staring, I turned my attention back to the band and tried to slow my racing heart. It wasn’t nerves that had it pumping hard, but desire for the beautiful woman sitting next to me. I squeezed the thigh on which my hand lay, wondering how much longer the show would last.
“Want another round?” she asked, and I did, but I didn’t want to overdo it, given that we had to drive back to Clark tonight.
“We should sober up before the drive, huh?”
“I was thinking we could just catch a ride to my place in town and then head home in the morning.” The thought thrilled me, being that it would mean we could be alone together sooner and we could let loose even more.
“Okay then, sure.” Laughing at my excitement, Jade headed off to grab us fresh drinks.
When the show ended, Jade introduced me to her friend Sam, who truly did stand out in a crowd.
He was very tall, very fit, and very ginger.
He was a real sweetie though and nothing like the tough guy he appeared to be from a distance.
Since Sam rode over with a friend, we waited for them to pack up, and then he drove us over to Jade’s place in her car.
His friend followed behind to pick him up.
After telling Sam thanks and waving him off, we walked up the driveway to Jade’s house.
It was a smaller, cottage-style home nestled in a cull-a-sac of a suburban neighborhood.
As Jade unlocked the front door, I realized how substantial this moment was.
Staying at her actual home with her was not a line I had expected to cross.
Walking inside, it smelled just like her woodsy amber scent and had a very maximalist feel to it.
Considering she loved art, it made so much sense that her walls would be covered in it and that there would be pops of color everywhere.
“This place is gorgeous; I love how happy and colorful it is. It reminds me of you,” I stated, still taking it all in.
“Thanks, I love it too. It’s my safe space, away from the world.”
For some reason, her words made me sad. Although I’d heard the terminology before, something about the way she said it implied that it was the only safe space she had, maybe ever. And here I was with her, somewhere so private, somewhere her own sister had never been.
“Mind if I shower?” I asked, ready to change out of these clothes and take off my makeup.
“Of course, here, let me show you where everything is.”
Following Jade, we walked down a hallway and into her bedroom.
She had a black-and-white striped comforter with white sheets.
The walls were painted a pretty lilac color, and there were tons more paintings and photos around the room.
Stepping into the master bath, Jade grabbed me a towel and turned on the water for me.
“I’ll grab some clothes for you,” she said before heading out of the room.
I stepped out of my shoes and peeled off my jeans and top.
After taking off my panties and ceremoniously unclasping my bra, I got into the warm, walk-in shower.
Something about a steamy shower after a night out was always pure bliss, and not being able to help myself, I took my time just enjoying it.
Once I was done, I used some of her mouthwash since I didn’t have a toothbrush and then borrowed some of her lotion.
She’d brought me one of her oversized tees and a pair of athletic shorts.
The shorts were definitely tight, so I took them off, deeming them too uncomfortable.
The T-shirt, thankfully, covered my backside.
I stepped out and found Jade sitting on the velvet couch in her living room.
“Will you find the spot we were in last night?” She asked, referring to Pride it feels too nice cuddling with you,” I said, kissing her hair before we both sat up.
Jade turned off the TV and grabbed my hand, walking me into her room and over to her bed.
She turned off the light, and we both slid under her comforter.
Her cotton sheets felt downy against the bare skin of my legs, and her comforter wasn't heavy the way Jana's was.
It was just bulky enough to keep in heat without being suffocating.
She slid an arm under my pillow and then pulled me closer with the other.
I wrapped my arm around her waist, lightly rubbing there.
Slipping my hand under her T-shirt, I kept rubbing her soft skin in slow circles.
“That feels nice,” she said, tangling her fingers in my hair the way she loved to do.
“I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Jade,” I said, and meant it.
“Me too. I’m so glad you let me take you out,” she said, pulling gently at a lock of my hair.
Pulling my hand from under her shirt, I moved it up to her neck.
Leaning forward, I placed my lips on hers and kissed them gently.
Her hand moved to the back of my neck and pulled me closer somehow.
She pushed her tongue into my mouth, licking and meeting my own as our kiss intensified.
Her free hand slid down until it was rubbing against my breast. She teased my nipple, circling it with her finger before pinching it gently.
I moaned into her mouth and bit at her bottom lip.
“As much as I like you in my clothes, I think you may look better without them,” Jade said between kisses. All I could think about was how good she’d look in that predicament. I wanted to turn the lights back on so I could admire her beautiful form.
“Yes,” I responded against her lips, feeling myself hum with desire for her.
"But…fuck." She kissed me hard, arms pulling me tight against her. “But not tonight.” Her words were like ice water against my skin, extinguishing what had been a rising heat. I pulled back and untangled myself from around her.
“Oh,” I said, trying my best to hide the hurt in my voice.
Hadn’t she been the one to initiate so much of our flirty and intimate interactions? Did something change for her?
“I still want to cuddle with you, Libby; you don’t need to pull away.” I lay still, so confused by her words. “I just want us to be completely sober if we take things further.”
Moving closer to me, she ran her hand along the side of my face, sweeping my hair back.
“You said you felt like we shouldn’t take things too far because of Jana.
I don’t want you to regret anything we do; that would hurt.
” Her words made sense, and some of the warmth slid back in, but I still felt confused.
“Please don’t think I don’t want to be with you, Libby, because I absolutely do. Badly.”
Laying my head against her forearm, I snuggled into her. She wrapped her free arm around me and kissed my hair before laying her head against the pillow next to mine.
“You’re so soft and warm, princess.” Her words sent shivers through me.
“I thought you wanted us to sleep,” I said, stifling my yawn.
She laughed, and I smiled against her arm, breathing in her scent.