揘ah, beautiful. I抦 not the least bit scary.?He bit his lip and eased closer, flat-out ignoring the distance she抎 put between them, even though Rita sensed the same leash around his neck from last night. 揈ven if I did think about stealing you from your bed last night to apologize.?
揂pologize.?God, there was a riot taking place in her stomach. 揑-is that what the kids are calling it nowadays??
His laugh yanked her down, down like quicksand, but he sobered almost immediately. 揑 was a genuine asshole, Rita. Give me the day to make it up to you.?
It was either the worst idea in history or the best. After one day of his acquaintance, she抎 been certain no amount of time would dull him from her memory. Creating more of those mental images and moving pictures couldn抰 be wise. Common sense, however, did nothing to change the fact that spending the day with him sounded梚ncredible.
Even after the debacle last night, she couldn抰 deny that Jasper made her feel relevant. Not so awkward. Why would he have found her this morning otherwise? His apparent interest桮od, it made her feel really good. She wanted to know more about the man who抎 vacillated between supreme confidence and self-loathing. Wanted to know how such a thing were possible, and, crazily enough, she thought maybe there was a chance she could relate to him, this charming, sexual live wire of a man.
There was no denying that Jasper had started a bonfire of attraction below her belly button, and that heat was so new. She imagined him slipping through the darkness of her motel room to steal her from the bed, thought of him cupping a hand over her mouth and angling his heavy body over hers, muffling her moans as he gave her a preview of what was to come. A sharp thrust of rough denim over cotton panties梐nd the image caused warmth to spread between her thighs. Her neck was bright red; she could feel it. Knew the tinge of color was visible. She抎 never been aroused in public before, and he抎 barely done anything to warrant it besides standing there.
揑抦 going to take that as a yes,?Jasper said, voice scratching like the rough side of a sponge. 揃eing that I aim to take you to lunch at my grandmother抯 house, though, I think I should save the better half of my apology for later.?
His perceptiveness over her condition turned Rita on even more. When had she turned so shameless? She抎 seen the evidence last night of how women threw themselves at him. Apparently she was no different than any of them. Rita the Lemming. 揑 don抰 think that抯 necessary.?
Jasper winked at her, then indicated his bike with a jerk of his chin. 揥e抣l find out later, won抰 we??
Rita sputtered a little, aware that she was being railroaded but also confused by the unwanted thrill of getting back on the bike. Behind Jasper. Feeling him between her thighs. But that meant meeting someone new, more opportunities for social faux pas. More cringe-bank deposits. 揑-I卬o way. I抦 not having lunch with your grandmother.?
He only smiled and crooked a finger.
Chapter Twelve
All right. Phase One achieved. She was on the bike.
Jasper wasn抰 proud of fibbing to a visibly wary Rita to achieve just that. Painting a picture of a little old granny pining away for company with three place settings arranged just so? The reality couldn抰 be farther from the truth, but with one phone call he抎 started playing dirty pool last night and once the cue ball got rolling, it smacked into cushions and knocked other balls into new patterns. Nature of the beast, wasn抰 it?
He wouldn抰 dwell, however, and waste the extra day he抎 carved out with Rita. Borrowed time was today抯 theme, and he best get down to figuring out a few pressing details. Why did he get the feeling she was running from something? And why was he determined to be a roadblock she couldn抰 get past? Someone she took seriously. More importantly, what if the impossible happened and Rita found him worthy of more than a roll in the hay? Tomorrow would bring her departure. It was one thing for a woman to enjoy an actual conversation with him, quite another for梬hat?
Jasper didn抰 know what was itching inside his belly where Rita was concerned, but if the universe had any regard for his sanity, an answer would be forthcoming by sunset. It had better be. Or he抎 be setting up a different kind of roadblock. The kind that stopped the correct Suburban replacement part from entering Hurley.
揌ow did you know when to show up at the garage??Rita asked in his ear.
Jasper kept his eyes on the road. 揑t抯 a close-knit place, Hurley. Four strangers hiking across the main road like a Beatles album cover tends to create buzz.?
She was silent a while. 揝o卻omeone called you??
揧ou抮e going to make me admit to being nosy, aren抰 you??He took a right turn and Rita leaned along with him as he抎 instructed before leaving the garage. 揗en like to be described with words like mysterious. Or devil-may-care. If you could swap one of those for nosy, I抎 appreciate it.?
Her hum created a vibration along his spine. 揧ou抮e both of those things, too. That抯 why I抦 poking around.?
揥ell, good. I抎 hate to be nosy by myself.?
Laughter drifted over the back of his neck. 揟hanks for the permission. I think.?Her fingers flexed against his stomach. 揟ell me about your eatery. Does it have a name??
揘ot just yet,?he hedged, even though it felt good simply having someone ask. Not one person had since he抎 begun the addition. 揂s you well know, I抦 not much good at naming places. Kind of hoping it抣l name itself.?
Her laughter sent pleasure filtering into his stomach, like sand through a colander. 揥hat抯 your game plan??
揑 get the feeling my game plan isn抰 going to meet your standards,?he said. 揗ostly since you used the words game plan.?
揗y standards have卻hifted of late.?
揥ell. Shift them a little more, because I抦 planning on setting the tables and opening the doors.?He ran his tongue along his upper row of teeth. 揇oesn抰 sound very sexy, does it??
揂re you going for sexy??
揑抦 always going for sexy.?Damn, he liked hearing her laugh. It was throaty, like she抎 just gotten over a cold but hadn抰 quite regained her voice yet. And at the same time, it always contained a touch of surprise. She was surprised to be laughing. 揝ee, my plan last night was to show you the addition. If you hadn抰 upended up my intentions with that kiss, I抎 have done it.?
The thighs around his hips flexed, forcing Jasper to talk his erection from the ledge. Easy, buddy. We抮e going to Grandma抯 house. Come back toward the window. 揟hat is a pity,?Rita mumbled.
揘ow I definitely didn抰 say that.?Jasper revved his engine when a friend passed by in a truck heading in the opposite direction. 揚ity doesn抰 belong in the same breath as kissing Rita.?
Her stomach shuddered at the small of his back. 揓ust卼ell me about the restaurant addition.?
揝top trying to steer the conversation toward sex, would you??She jabbed him in the ribs with a finger and he smiled. 揑抎 rather show you. Tonight, maybe.?
She didn抰 respond until they pulled to a stop in front of his grandmother抯 house. 揗aybe.?
As was her custom, Rosemary Ellis made her appearance before he could switch off the bike, sweeping out onto the porch with arms spread wide, trying to give the whole world a hug. 揙h, you did it. You brought a girl.?His grandmother tipped forward, slapping both hands onto her knees with a big expulsion of huhhha.
Jasper dismounted the bike and assisted Rita with the same, removing the helmet from her head when she made no move to do it herself. Kind of loving doing it for her, too. He抎 never given much thought to a woman抯 hair before, but as he took off the helmet, Jasper found himself easing little strands free so they wouldn抰 pull in the process. What did she look like brushing it? Probably ripped through it, impatient to move on to something else.