The Challenge (6 page)

Jimmy smiled, his lips wet. “I should’ve done this a long time ago.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t sure you wanted something like this,” he said. “With me, I mean.”

People passed them on the street, some giving them curious glances but most ignoring them. He stepped her backward into the relative privacy of the alley and leaned against the brick wall of the storefront without letting her go. Katie pressed against him, noticing he’d run out after her without a coat.

“Why on earth not?” she cried, pushing at him with her fists but not too hard. “God, Jimmy. We’ve been talking for months. You know the color of my favorite panties and the name of my first dog!”

“I know, I know, but…hell, I’m better on the phone than in person,” he said.

Katie frowned and swiped her tongue over the taste of him lingering on her lips.

“That sounds like a very bad excuse.”

He sighed, looking serious. “I know. B-but…” Jimmy paused, drew a breath. “Well, I’ll tell you. Until I was about fifteen, I stuttered.”

Katie raised a brow.

“I grew out of it, or taught myself not to, whatever,” Jimmy said slowly. “But by then I’d already found out I was better on the phone than talking to someone face to face. On the phone I could take my time or something, I don’t know. It became a habit.”

She shook her head. “I don’t care if you stutter. You could’ve told me.”

Jimmy nudged her just a bit closer into the space between one cocked leg and the opposite thigh. “I liked you the first time I met you, Katie. But then we started talking…”

“And you didn’t like me any more?”

“No.” He laughed. “I liked you more. A lot more. I didn’t want to ruin it.”

She made a disgruntled noise, already forgiving him because to do anything else would only spite herself. “You almost did.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Jimmy kissed her again, lingering this time. “Do you think we could start over?”

“Hell no,” Katie told him, wrapping her arms around him and getting up on her toes to return the kiss. “Start at the beginning? No way. Let’s go straight to third base. Unless,” she paused meaningfully, “you really are better on the phone.”

Jimmy grinned, eyes gleaming, and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Why don’t we go to my place and you can decide for yourself?”

“That,” Katie said, “sounds like an excellent idea.”

Dean had brought flowers.

He didn’t even know if Jacob liked flowers.

Dean liked flowers, purple and red and yellow, tied with a green ribbon. He liked them in vases around his house. Dean liked flowers because they were pretty and they didn’t last long, and he didn’t have to take care of them the way he’d have had to be responsible for a potted plant.

Maybe it was time he stopped being so afraid of taking care of things.

He’d just tossed them into the bushes by Jacob’s front door when he was caught by the door opening. Jacob looked at the bushes. Then at Dean.

“Why are you throwing flowers into my bushes?”

Dean tried to look innocent and knew he failed by the way Jacob’s eyebrows rose.

“Uh…”

Jacob peered behind the bushes, then put a hand on his hip. “Did you bring me flowers and then throw them away?"

“Yes.” Dean’s jaw tensed.

Jacob smiled.

When Dean kissed him, it felt right. Like coming home. When Jacob kissed him back, it felt even better.

“I like flowers,” Jacob said against Dean’s mouth. “Thank you.”

Dean pulled away just enough to look into Jacob’s eyes. There was probably more to say but nothing came to him just then. He spoke with his body, his mouth using kisses instead of words to express what he wasn’t sure he should say aloud. Jacob seemed to understand, though.

He smiled against Dean’s mouth. “Come inside.”

Dean nodded. Then he smiled too as he followed Jacob through the doorway, walking behind him.

Not walking away.