揥orried might be an exaggeration,?Rita said.
When her golden-brown gaze lit on his mouth, Jasper realized he抎 moved into her personal space without any conscious thought. One of her knees brushed the denim covering his hip and, God help him, if the bar were empty he would抳e been between her split thighs before she could call for Jesus. For someone who hadn抰 felt more than a passing appreciation for the opposite sex in years, his libido was sure trying to play catch-up tonight.
揥hat are you thinking about??
Lie. He had to lie. I want to strip you down and fuck you on this seat, but I抦 trying my hand at being a gentleman, was not an acceptable line. It was too aggressive when she seemed spooked merely from his close proximity. But she was leaving, leaving his town tomorrow, and the slow-game option had been ambitious for Jasper when he knew nothing about it. So he抎 tell the truth while leaving out the oh-so-dirty reality in his pants. 揑 was thinking it would have been a goddamn shame if you抎 broken down one town over.?His voice was gravel, so he cleared it. 揗ore than a shame. I抦 kind of finding it hard to think about, if you want to know the truth.?
For long moments, he couldn抰 hear a single sound in the loud bar. No music, no crunching ice or raucous laughter. And, somehow, he knew she couldn抰 hear the noise, either. It was there in the perplexity of her expression. He expected her to call bullshit or make a joke, but she didn抰。 She shocked him instead.
揑抣l think I抣l take that kiss now.?
Chapter Eight
Holy hazelnut cannoli.
Rita would have smacked a hand over her mouth to prevent the words from escaping, but they were already out. She抎 said them and they were immortalized in her cringe bank for all eternity, destined to pop up and mortify her all over again at inopportune moments. Did normal women who existed outside of sitcoms say things like I抣l think I抣l take that kiss now? Answer: no, they didn抰。 They梔id something else. Right? They flirted and enticed the man closer until he made the move梤ight?
Only Jasper was coming closer anyway. Actually, closer was an understatement. His hips were inching her thighs apart on the stool?his attention so focused on her mouth that she held her breath so as not to break his concentration. He appeared to be wrestling with his hormones as much as she was, but what sense did that make? They were roughly the same age, which meant this wasn抰 their first rodeo, even if it really, honestly, felt like an inaugural bull ride.
He抎 be a rougher ride than a bull.
He might as well have whispered that promise out loud because it surrounded him like an aura. Men like Jasper were supposed to be reserved for naughty Internet memes, but here he was. Her own private, moving GIF, only he didn抰 loop back to the beginning after three seconds. No, he just kept coming, like he might never stop kissing her once he started. Like he might do a shit ton more than just kiss with that mouth.
But he stopped. He stopped just a breath away, blue eyes lifting to slay her. 揧ou抮e gorgeous sitting there, Rita. And I can see you squirming in that seat. God knows I can.?His low growl was one of frustration. 揃ut would you mind if we went somewhere and talked a while? Before we give each other that kiss??
Confusion and chaos rippled in her bloodstream. He抎 asked to talk? She shouldn抰 feel like her body had been dipped into warm oil, but there was no mistaking the wicked bottoming-out of her stomach. She抎 heard of a thing called woman抯 intuition where men are concerned, but she抎 never experienced it. Jasper definitely wanted to do more than talk, but he seemed to be holding back. Why?
Behind them, a chorus of voices hooted Jasper抯 name, and he flinched. And that flinch kept Rita from turning around. His gaze didn抰 stray from hers, either, gaining gravity instead.
Something akin to disappointment dinged in his expression when she hesitated over his offer to talk, and some of his leash appeared to unravel, right before her eyes. 揅ome with me, Rita. I want to be with you where no one抯 watching.?The very tip of his tongue made contact with her lower lip and her brain nearly atrophied. If his echoing groan was any indication, he was just as affected. But that was impossible, wasn抰 it? This was her he was kissing. Rita Clarkson. The underachiever of the family, her career summed up in a thirty-second YouTube clip. Nary a romantic prospect to boast of.
揅ome with you where??she breathed.
揓ust to my office.?Obviously having interpreted her question for a yesyesfuckinghurry, his big, callused hand closed around her smaller one. 揑 promise not to keep you back there long enough for anyone to assume I抦 taking advantage.?His wink was raw sex with a sense of humor. 揂nd I抣l do my best to bring you back in one piece.?
In somewhat of a daze, Rita allowed Jasper to tug her off her seat. She had the presence of mind to make eye contact with Peggy, who gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up amidst the crowd of men who抎 gathered around her. As she was tugged through throngs of bar patrons, Rita抯 attention snagged on the dance floor. And the rare sexual confidence she抎 been experiencing thanks to Jasper plummeted with a vengeance. Women梥exy women, women in miniskirts梬hispered behind their hands as they watched Jasper pull her through the crowd. It was a flashback to high school. To culinary school. To everyday life. She didn抰 belong with this charismatic man in this place. God. Had he just grown bored with the local flavor and wanted some strange?
Her feet dug into the saw-dusted floor, but when Jasper turned with obvious concern on his face, words refused to emerge. She couldn抰 very well admit out loud that she felt like a fish out of water. That she didn抰 understand what the hell he wanted or expected from her. It would make her twice as pathetic as she already felt.
Warm hands clasped the sides of her face, tilting it up. Jasper抯 hands, dragging her out of the rocky chasm she抎 fallen into. 揝weet Lord. I抳e never had to ask someone what they抮e thinking so many times in one day.?
揥hy are you so interested??
The question had fairly burst out of her, but Jasper didn抰 even flinch. 揑f I don抰 know your thoughts, how can I get inside them??
She was being drawn back under his spell. But even her total awareness of the fog descending couldn抰 get her to pull away or heed the warning signs on the road to destruction. 揧ou抮e there,?she murmured. 揇oesn抰 mean I don抰 want to kick you out.?
揑 can be stubborn when I have a mind to. You just wait and see,?he responded, completely undeterred. 揂re you coming back to my office so we can get to know each other better? Or do you want to be carried??
Carry me. 揇on抰 even try it.?
His answering smile probably dropped panties from Hurley all the way back to California. 揑抣l ask you again later, when your knees are feeling weak.?
She glanced down at their joined hands, noticing his tight grip for the first time, probably because she抎 been ready to make a dash. His knuckles were white, the unbreakable hold so at odds with his casual demeanor. 揥e抣l see if you can make them weak.?
揌ere抯 hoping I get the chance,?Jasper muttered, turning once again to lead her through the masses. They抎 only made it five steps when two dancing miniskirts sailed into their path. It was like that moment at the end of a concert when the lights go on and the atmosphere is obliterated. One second you抮e in a dark, magical place with musical notes painting the air, and the next? You抮e in a sweaty room with strangers and spilled beer on your shoes. Jasper visibly deflated with the women抯 arrival. And that reaction twisted Rita抯 stomach into a pretzel.