Checking It Twice (13 page)

“I thought our complicated situation precluded noshing together.”

He frowned. “It does?”

“Well,
I
don’t think so. But I thought you did.”

“Why would you think that?”

She nibbled her lip. “You backed out on taking me to dinner the other night.”

Fuck. I did.
Sticking to that plan would probably go a long way in preserving his sanity. Then again, sanity was highly overrated. “I’d really like to take you to lunch. Assuming I have the willpower not to ravage you while we’re waiting for the soup to arrive, we should be okay.”

He wasn’t sure if the sudden color in her cheeks was due to the cold or his statement. Regardless, it was going to make it doubly hard for him to keep his promise about the non-ravagement.

“There’s a really good bistro within walking distance, if you’re up for it.”

“Hell, a little subzero windchill isn’t going to turn me into a wimp.” Hugging Jana tight to his side, he used his body to block most of the arctic gusts as she tugged him down the sidewalk.

Less than five minutes later, their teeth chattering, they piled through the doorway of the cozy cafe. The blessed warmth felt nearly as wonderfully welcome as Jana cuddled against him. Heeding the sign that told them to seat themselves, they headed to a small table situated near one of the windows overlooking the street.

Jana shrugged from her long leather trench coat and draped it over the back of her chair. She caught him eyeing the garment and chuckled. “I know, it’s not practical. I’m worse than a six-year-old when it comes to things like dressing appropriately to avoid frostbite.” She plopped down on her seat and shivered.

He removed his coat and sat across from her before reaching for her hands. They were blocks of ice. He speared her with a stern look. “Gloves?”

Her expression remained chagrined. “Forgot to put them on.”

“What are we going to do with you?” He rubbed her hands between his before lowering his head and warming her fingers with his breath. A shuddery exhalation slipped from her. Not failing to note the tremble in her hands, he lifted his gaze. The hungry way she was staring at him fired his blood more effectively than the cafe’s central heating. “Sweetness, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, we won’t even make it to the soup.”

She licked her lips before carefully extracting herself from his grip and dropping her focus to the menus stacked in the nearby holder. Sliding two free, she handed one to him before studiously unrolling the paper napkin folded around her silverware. “At the risk of me sounding nosy for the millionth time, I couldn’t help noticing that you didn’t pick up a gift for anyone else in your family.”

“That’s because my mom is the only one I have left.”

Compassion softened her features. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. My dad died when I was a baby. My mom was an only child, which means no aunts and uncles. And she was never close to my father’s side.”

“You don’t have any brothers or sisters, right?”

“Nope. Kev’s the closest I’ve ever had to a sibling.” Which probably explained why they’d gravitated toward each other. They’d both lived in single-parent households. Though shit knows, his had been—and continued to be—infinitely more loving than Kev’s.

“Your mom was a single parent?” Jana asked, apparently intuiting his thoughts.

He nodded. “And a damn good one. God knows, it wasn’t her fault I was such a carouser growing up.”

“Hmm, maybe you’ve always loved women because you have such strong respect for your mom?”

He cocked his head to the side, considering. “Possibly.” Recalling his horndog past, he grimaced. “Though if you were to ask some of the women, they’d probably say it had a lot more to do with my love to get them naked.”

A soft laugh fell from Jana. “Something tells me they weren’t complaining.”

“Perhaps. Regardless, I certainly haven’t been much inspired to get a woman naked. Until recently.” As if it possessed a will of its own, his gaze dipped to her mouth again.

Her lips parted and he detected her quickened breath. “Nick.”

He closed his eyes, battling temptation. “I damn well said I wouldn’t do this.”

“We aren’t doing anything.”

But I want to. I want to spread
you out on this table and feast on your pussy for hours.
Opening his eyes, he found her watching him, her hands clenched so tightly on the table her knuckles were white. He dug deep for the overtaxed strings of his willpower. “No, we’re not.”

The waitress arrived finally and took their orders before making tracks for the kitchen. He reached for one of the ice waters the girl had left for them. “I hear that you and Kev shared an
interesting
conversation the other night.”

Her hand in mid stretch toward her own glass, Jana gaped at him. “H-he told you?”

“Yeah, after I dragged it out of him.” He quickly interpreted the cause for the crimson flush charting a journey up along her neck. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m glad you were able to break through his barrier.”
Now
if only we can find a way to jackhammer through that sonofabitchin’ resistance.

“You’re…okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sure, he’d be a motherfucking liar if he didn’t admit to being a little envious. He’d give his left nut to be on the receiving end of hot phone sex with Jana. Though God knows, a few of their past convos had sure as shit straddled the line a time or two. He’d have to content himself with that.

Jana swallowed. “I wasn’t sure what you’d think of being included the way you were.”

He frowned. “Included? What do you mean?”

Jana’s squinty gaze slashed sideways, ensuring no prying ears, before sliding back to him. She held up her hand, blocking the side of her face. “Hello. You know, this?” She did a thing with her tongue that made him choke on a stunted cough. “Not to mention
this
.” Dropping her hand, she made a tight circle with her thumb and forefinger before thrusting her other finger through the gap.

He didn’t know whether to groan or laugh. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Those are the universal symbols for oral sex and bumpin’ nasties.” She rolled her eyes. “How could you not know this?”

“Bumpin’ nasties?” His lips twitched. “That’s charming, sweetness. You could have just used your oh-so-descriptive word choices. Why the tongue and hand gestures?”

“Everything’s better with tongue and hand gestures.” She shrugged like he should have already realized this obvious news. “Or sock puppets. I didn’t have any of those, so I compromised.”

He shook his head. “Okay, so during phone sex with Kev, you two did
this
and
this
.” He imitated her raunchy gestures.
Hell, she’s right.
It was better using them. Or at least more entertaining, anyway.

She chewed her lip. “Uh, not exactly.”

“What, did you leave a gesture out? Something involving your big toe, perhaps?” he teased.

“No, more like something involving your big cock.”

He stared at her.

“Holy shit balls. I totally didn’t mean to say it like that. I mean, how the hell would I even know if you have a big cock? Not like I’ve seen it before. Although, I felt it on my hip when you hugged me that day in my shop, and it felt
huge
. A freakin’ bratwurst ain’t got nuthin’ on that bad boy.” She stopped in mid spiel and cleared her throat delicately. “Long story short, I have a tendency to blurt things out.”

“You don’t say.” He offered her a wry look, but inside he was shell-shocked by her admission, his mind reeling. He’d been an involved—no, make that a pretty fucking
active
—participant in Jana and Kev’s phone sex? Why the hell didn’t Kev mention that juicy tidbit last night? He could only think of one possibility.

Kev hadn’t wanted him to know. But why? For fuck’s sake, they’d shared plenty of women. What difference did—?

He broke off in mid muse as his suspicion went from seed to full blossom. “What was Kev doing during all of
this
and
this
?” He repeated the gestures with his tongue and hand.

“Watching. Well, and sucking my nipples.” Jana circled her fingernail in the ring of condensation left by her glass of ice water. “I got the impression he liked it. A lot.” She looked at him then, the heat in her eyes practically glowing. “He wasn’t the only one.”

Their gazes remained locked for an endless moment, the sizzle and spark snapping between them. The magnetic pull almost distracted him from the bigger picture looming on the horizon. With a resounding crack, it managed to break through his trance, and he jolted like he’d literally been struck.

Jana gave him a perplexed look. “What just happened?”

His pulse kicking from the adrenaline rush, he blinked before giving his slow smile full rein. “Sweetness, I’ve found the motherfucking jackhammer.”

Chapter Nine

Thirty minutes into their lunch, Jana was still baffled by Nick’s cryptic statement. It didn’t help that the damnable man refused to fill her in on what he meant. Tossing her crumpled napkin on her plate, she frowned at him while he reached for the bill the waitress had brought. “Okay, what gives?”

His focus remained on his wallet while he fished out a twenty and several singles. “Hmm?”

“Why the mysterious silence?” She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “You’re up to something.”

“Sweetness, I’m always up to something.” His smile suitably evil, Nick tucked the dollar bills near his glass before lifting from his seat. After he pulled on his coat, he walked to her side of the table and helped her into hers. He lightly grazed her nape, making her shiver as he gently tugged the few strands of hair that’d managed to get caught beneath the collar of her leather trench. Trailing his fingers to the front of her neck, he caressed her lingeringly before tucking her scarf in place. Still moving with his methodical, maddeningly slow motions, he reached for her belt and cinched it. “You really do need a better coat than this.”

“I’ll be fine.” If anything, she was roasting. “Thank you for the lunch.”

“My pleasure.” His hand brushed hers, fingertips swirling along the hill of her palm, stirring up tingles throughout her body. “Any plans for the rest of the day?” There was no mistaking the invitation in his husky voice.

She moistened her lips, a fierce brew of desire and nervousness making her shaky. Unless she was mistaken, Nick had decided to revoke the non-ravishment clause in their relationship. She wasn’t sure what part of their conversation motivated his change of heart, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity for some skin-on-skin time with him pass her by. “N-not really. Was there something you wanted to do?”

His thumb rubbed the inside of her wrist. “A few possibilities have popped into my mind.”

She hoped to freakin’ God those possibilities involved lots of sweaty sex. And maybe some whipped cream and handcuffs. “Then consider me all yours.”

His expression turning smoky, Nick cupped her elbow and escorted her to the checkout. After taking care of their tab, he laced their fingers together and led the way outside. Wispy flurries of snow scurried along the sidewalk, dusting her and Nick’s shoes. He released her arm and dug in his pockets for his keys. “I’m not parked far from here. If you’d like, you can come with me, and I’ll bring you back to your car later.”

Come with him. Oh yeah, she could definitely get on board with that. Stifling a moan, she nodded and hurried with him to the section of public parking where he’d left his vehicle. Once she was situated in the passenger seat and thawing her numb fingers with the blissful heat blasting through the dashboard vent, she slid a glance toward Nick and became fixated by the shadow of beard bristling his strong jaw. Her nipples tightened in anticipation of receiving the intimate rasp of that sexy scruff.

“If you continue eye-fucking me, we won’t make it out of this parking spot.”

“I’m pathetically obvious, aren’t I?” Exhaling a heavy sigh, she loosened her trench and settled in more comfortably.

“Trust me, I’m not complaining. But that backseat is too small for what I have in mind.”

She licked her lips. “And that would be…?”

“Anticipation is half the fun, sweetness.”

“God, you’re such a tease.”

“You haven’t seen me at my best.” Shifting into drive, Nick headed toward the exit. His right hand abandoned the wheel and settled on her upper thigh, tormentingly close to her pussy. He stroked the inner seam of her jeans. “Slide down your zipper.”

His soft, unexpected demand tripped along her nerve endings, igniting a sizzling spark. The muscles deep in her core clenched. Smothering her whimper, she complied with his request.

“Take off your pants.”

She shot him a startled look. “All the way?”

“Yes. Your seat heater is on, you won’t get cold.”

Like that’d even been an option with the way she was burning up. Wiggling, she rucked her waistband over her hips before she shimmied her legs free. Luckily the denim wasn’t so tight that it couldn’t fit past her boots without removing them too. Pulse drumming, she reclined into her seat.

Nick’s hot gaze swept the triangle of blonde curls topping her mound before drifting to her rumpled jeans next to her feet. “No underwear?”