Dreaming (Romance on the Go)

by Vanessa Devereaux

Jenna hoped that she’d cut her one o’clock client’s hair okay. She’d been glancing out of the salon window, anticipating Rob’s visit with Mollie. She was just taking off the customer’s robe when she saw them heading into the reception area. Rob looked over at her, smiled and waved. She waved back. She walked the customer to the front and saw Mollie had brought a doll along.

  “She’s very pretty. Does she have a name?” asked Jenna, getting down on her knees so she could take a closer look.

  “Sarah, and she’ll need her fingernails painted too.” She lifted the doll’s hand toward Jenna.

  “I think we can see to that.”

  Jenna stood and winked at Rob. “Thank you,” he mouthed to her.

  “Okay, Mollie, you want to follow me and Heidi’s going to take care of you and Sarah.”

  “Is it okay if I wait here for her?” asked Rob.

  “Sure, make yourself at home.”

  Jenna took Mollie back to the spa area and handed her over to Heidi and then walked back to Rob, who was reading a magazine.

  “She should be about an hour. Can I get you some coffee?”

  “That would be great. And I don’t suppose you’ve got time to give me a haircut?”

  “Actually, I do. Why don’t you come back to my station…?”

  Rob followed her, sat in the chair and Jenna put a robe around his shoulders.

  “So were you thinking about just a trim, or something completely different?”

  She ran her fingers through his hair, loving the way it felt and its slight and very sexy wave.

  “Guess I’m not brave enough to try something too different, so maybe just a trim all around.”

  “Okay, and you get a free head and shoulder massage.”

  ****

  He wasn’t sure if it was because the massage was so relaxing or if Jenna’s hands were working their magic on him, but his body had never reacted like this before. Every nerve ending was on high alert. Her fingers traveled over his shoulders and he was sure he let out a groan because it felt so good. His t-shirt and the robe stood between his bare skin and her fingertips, but it didn’t take much of his imagination to sense what it would feel like with just flesh-on-flesh.

  He’d be in heaven.

  She moved up the back of his neck and his skin tingled some more. He swallowed as they made their way upward onto his scalp. Her fingers felt heavy, but in a strange way delicate as they moved through his hair. He’d been placed in such a trance that he hadn’t realized she’d stopped until she was combing his hair, obviously in preparation for cutting it.

  Rob slowly opened one eye and then the other. Had she seen the dreamlike look on his face? He glanced in the mirror. He could swear his cheeks were flushed. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Mollie standing in the pedicure spa, dangling her doll’s legs in it. She started to stomp up and down.

  He turned around and called over to her. “Mollie, behave yourself, because I can see you in the mirror.”

  “It was Sarah, not me.”

  “Well I want both of you to be on your best behavior, so you mind she doesn’t get water all over the floor.”

  He turned back and saw Jenna smiling.

  “I guess she doesn’t have a sibling to blame things on, so it’s going to be the doll,” said Rob.

  “My brothers blamed everything on me,” she said, picking up the scissors.

  “That had to be tough.”

  She put her hands on his head. “If you could tilt your head down a little.”

  Rob did as she asked, and felt and heard her clipping away at the nape of his neck.

  “I hated it at the time, but now I love having so many guys looking out for me. My brother Sean is a carpenter and made all the cupboards and shelving in here.”

  He wanted to look up, but remembered she was cutting his hair.

  “Is your mom still alive?”

  “Yep, and she recently got herself a boyfriend.”

  “Good for her.”

  “Yeah, he’s a really nice guy. What did you brother die from, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Brain aneurism.”

  “I’m so sorry. Mollie’s so young to be without her dad. At least I was a teenager.”

  Jenna put her fingers on the sides of his temples and brought his head back up. She moved around to the right side. Her thigh pushed against the arm he’d rested on the chair. It was warm, and he wished her skin was bare against his. Now the whole thing was making him aroused. She leaned over just a tad more, her body sliding against his arm, putting his cock on full alert. Rob grew harder and more uncomfortable.

  He crossed his legs.

  “No, don’t do that,” she said, spreading his legs apart.

  Now that had pushed him over the edge. Not only the order to uncross his legs, but her hand on his knees. He swallowed, feeling a searing heat travel through his groin and into his balls. His cock twitched.

  “You’ll get a lopsided cut,” she said.

  And here he was thinking it was something sexual.

  “Hope you don’t mind me doing this, but I’ve found it’s the easiest way to cut the front of someone’s hair.”

  Once again she touched his legs and pushed them apart. She stepped as close to him as the bar running across the bottom of the chair would allow. Jenna leaned toward him and began snipping his hair.

  The front of her white t-shirt fell away from her chest. He shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t help himself. He took a peek. She wore a very pretty, very sexy, white bra with a lace front. It didn’t leave much to the imagination, or at least his. Her nipples pushed through the lace. They were light pink and gorgeous. How he’d love to feel them. He’d raised his hand without realizing it.

  Shit, was I going to touch them or what?

  He coughed, pretending he had an itchy nose from the slivers of hair falling across the bridge of his nose. She took her pinkie and brushed it over his skin to edge them away.

  He stayed focused on the t-shirt again. Well, not exactly the t-shirt but the body inside it. She leaned over some more and his cock responded with a jerk. He wanted to kiss her, touch her. He’d told his niece to behave herself, while all the time it was he who was being naughty.

  Jenna finally finished snipping and moved away, but his erection didn’t subside one tiny iota.

  She turned on the hairdryer and he crossed his legs, knowing that the cutting was all done and hoped there’s wasn’t some similar rule when your hair was being dried.

  The heat of the dryer only added to his misery. Luckily it was all over in no time, and as she gave his hair one last comb, he had to say it was the best haircut he’d ever had.

  “You doing anything on Sunday afternoon?” he asked, knowing if he didn’t do this right now he’d lose his nerve.

  “No.”

  “You want to come and watch me play baseball? I’m on a team with some advertising guys I used to work with. I warn you, we’re not very good.”

  “But you were great at school.”

  “You remember me playing back then?”

  “Yeah, I used to watch you all the time.”

  How come he hadn’t known that? How come he hadn’t seen her for the beautiful person she was on both the inside and out? How come he’d missed having this woman in his life all these years?

  “I’ll come by and pick you up around noon, and maybe we can grab something to eat after the game?” asked Rob.

  “Sounds like a great way to spend Sunday afternoon.”

  “Uncle Rob, look.”

  Mollie chose that moment to run toward him. Both she and the doll had painted fingers and toenails.

  “I picked bubblegum pink,” she said, wiggling her toes.

  “I would never have believed it,” said Rob. He winked at Jenna.

  “You have some flip-flops or sandals to wear home?” asked Jenna.

  “Oops. I guess we forgot to bring those,” said Rob.

  “I can go barefoot and you can carry me an
d Sarah to the car.”

  “Can I really? And what do you think of Uncle Rob’s hair?”

  “It makes you look nice.”

  “I guess that says it all. And what do you say to Jenna for letting you have your nails painted?”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Rob dug out $5 from his wallet and gave it to Mollie. “Go and take this to the lady who gave you the manicure.”

  Mollie took it and ran at top speed back to the manicure area.

  “So, I’ll see you on Sunday.”

  “You’ll need my address. Oh, and bring Petey by, because I think I’ve found something that might make him as good as new.”

  He stood and walked beside her to the reception area. Mollie ran back to him.

  Jenna scribbled something on a sheet of paper and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed and they looked into one another’s eyes. Shit, he was aroused big time again. They said their goodbyes and Rob picked up Mollie and headed outside.

  “I want an Eddie Meal,” said Mollie, tweaking his nose.

  “Nope. Uncle Rob has to go home and take a cold shower.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ll find out when you’re older.”

  Chapter Five

  Was it a date?

  She wasn’t quite sure. She was just going to watch him play baseball. Maybe it was a buddy sort of thing. She’d be in for a big let-down if that was the case. He was all she’d thought about yesterday. She’d worked late but almost willed the hands on the clock to move faster so they could get to Sunday, when he’d pick her up. While she’d been cutting his hair, the smell of his spicy cologne had drifted her way. When she’d leaned over to wash his hair, his cool, minty breath had wafted. And he even had a sexy head. Her fingers had glided over it and made her sigh. Everything about him was perfect.

  Jenna dabbed on her lip gloss as she heard a car pulling up on the driveway. She glanced outside and saw that it was Rob.

  She opened the door before he got to the step. He was in his team uniform and looked so sexy. The material pulled tightly over the muscles in his chest and belly. The pants stretched over his thighs. He’d been in good shape in high school, but looked even better as he got close to thirty.

  Please let this be a date.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “Sure. Just let me grab my hat and sunscreen.”

  She threw everything into her bag, stepped outside and closed the door. Rob opened the car door for her and she slid inside.

  “How’s Mollie?” she asked.

  “Happy to be back with her mom. And she’s very happy with her pretty toes and fingernails. That was so sweet of you.”

  She hadn’t done it to be sweet. She’d taken an instant liking to his niece and knew what it was like when one of your parents was no longer in your life. However, she hoped Rob wasn’t only taking her out for the day as a way of saying thank you, and then she’d never see him again. She’d been around too many men who did that, and she couldn’t take another one deciding he wasn’t even ready for a commitment to dating, let alone a long-term relationship.

  “Something wrong?”

  He must have seen the sudden gloom on her face.

  “Nope, just grazing out of the window.”

  “I have a surprise for you after the game.”

  “I was about to ask what it was, but…”

  “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

  “Exactly.”

  Now she was intrigued.

  ****

  He’d said he was going to hit a home run just for her, but it didn’t look like it was going to materialize. Not that it was his fault. He was just as good as he had been back in school, but the guys he played with…well, she hated to say it, but they were downright awful. The game was over and he signaled for her to meet him by the car. She got up and shook her hair out of the clip she’d used to secure it while she’d watched him play.

  Jenna smiled as Rob walked toward her. His t-shirt was drenched in sweat and clung to his body, outlining each one of his perfect muscles. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “I guess I should fill you in on the surprise I have waiting,” he said when they got to his car. He took off his shirt. Jenna didn’t care about the surprise. She was getting a treat right this minute.

  He’d been a hunk back in school, but now he was like a god. His body was tanned, toned, and shit, she wanted him in a completely different sort of way than she had back then. Years ago she’d dreamed of dating him. Now she not only wanted to do that, but she also wanted him to make love to her.

  “I should blindfold you, and…”

  She hadn’t been listening and all she heard was blindfold you. Now her mind was heading for the gutter.

  “Jenna.” He said her name but she was still miles away. “I’m just going to take a quick shower and while I’m gone, be on the look-out for a certain van from a deli.”

  He winked at her and then headed to the changing rooms with a bag.

  A deli van? Just what was he up to?

  ****

  Rob walked out to find Jenna standing by his car, smiling. A large wicker basket sat by her foot. Things had gone as planned.

  “So, have you figured out what the surprise is?”

  “A picnic.”

  “I remembered you missed the school one, because…”

  “My dad passing away.”

  “Come on. I have the perfect spot for us to eat.”

  He put his dirty clothes back in the car and pulled out a blanket and they headed toward the fields where there was a lake. A manmade one, but it was pretty as the sun, now low in the sky, shone across it.

  He spread out the blanket and they sat down. Rob opened up the basket and pulled out the food he’d ordered: Sandwiches, pastries, and also a bottle of wine.

  “You really shouldn’t have.”

  He put his finger on her lips to stop her from saying more. They were soft and pink, and yeah, he had to do it. He could almost feel his brother urging him.

  He leaned over and kissed her. That had been the wrong thing to do, because the two of them wrapped their arms around one another and fell back onto the plaid blanket. She kicked off her sandals and inched her toe up under his pants. He rubbed her back and then they finally pulled away.

  “Guess that part usually comes after you eat,” said Rob.

  “We can always eat and then kiss again.”

  At this rate, he was going to need another cold shower.

  ****

  They’d eaten and fallen asleep under the sun, lying head to head on the blanket. Jenna was the first to wake. She picked up a blade of grass and used it to tickle Rob’s nose. He grabbed her wrist and brought her body down on top of his. His cock was already hard and strained against the top of her thigh.

  If only he knew how damp her panties were right now. The sun was beginning to set, and what was left of it reflected off the water, making the whole scene the most romantic thing she’d ever seen.

  She pinched herself.

  “Why did you do that?”

  Darn, he’d seen her do it.

  “To check if I was dreaming.”

  He pushed her hair behind her ears and kissed her.

  “You going to wake up anytime soon?”

  “I hope not.”

  “I think we should be heading home before we get the uncontrollable urge to make love here on this blanket.”

  Now, that would seem like she was dreaming.

  “Yeah, and we have a stuffed toy to deal with, too,” said Jenna.

  Chapter Six

  Jenna had to agree that Petey was a pitiful sight. He could only be described as tie-dye pink. The missing leg and eye didn’t do anything to improve him, either.

  “Don’t tell me, he’s a lost cause.”

  He must have read her face when she’d first set eyes upon the bear.

  “I know I can sew on the leg, and stick on the eye, but it’s up to t
his magic formula to get him pristine white again.”

  “This stuff work?” he asked, taking the box from her.

  “It did when my white bra accidentally got in the wash with my purple t-shirt.”

  “Was that the white, lacy bra I caught a glimpse of the other day when you were cutting my hair?”

  “Were you peeking down my t-shirt?”

  He pulled her in close and kissed her collarbone. “Guilty as charged.”

  “Let’s put Petey in the wash with some of this and see what happens.”

  She took the bear and poured in one packet of the powder and switched on the washing machine.

  “So, how long does that take?”

  “About twenty minutes.”

  “Perfect. Then we’ve got more time for this sort of thing.”

  He kissed her, but she pulled away.

  “I don’t want to seem like one of those clingy women, but I don’t fool around with just anyone.”

  “I’m not a one-night stand sort of guy, Jenna. Maybe that’s why I’m still single. Even ladies don’t seem to want the promise of tomorrow these days.”

  That was music to her ears. She let him kiss her again.

  He pulled her t-shirt up over her head and let it fall behind her. It tickled her back as it did so.

  She looked into his eyes as she popped open the button on his jeans and her fingers glided down its fly. She pulled the two sides of the blue denim apart, noting that he wore boxers. His erection was more than obvious as it strained against the light blue material.

  Rob fingered the lace on her bra, outlining each raised piece of stitching with his pinkie. It teased her and made her want more, but she guessed that was his intent. He pulled her chin up and kissed her again, this time running his tongue along her lower lip before letting it slide inside her mouth.

  She closed her eyes, positive that she was in fact dreaming the whole thing. Her running into him again, the picnic, them being on the verge of making love.

  If this is a dream, don’t let me ever wake up.

  He pulled his mouth away and reached behind her back, unclasping her bra with the ease and finesse she’d always assumed he possessed. He gently slid it off her shoulders as it fell away from her body.

  He traced a tantalizing trail from her neck down over her right nipple. It and its partner responded by puckering and turning into tight buds. Rob raised his hands so he could simultaneously run his fingers around both nipples at the same time.