by J. H. Croix
I hated drills, so I’d always opted for being on time. Even now, so many years after I’d last set foot on a field. Grabbing my wallet and keys, I headed for my truck and set off to the address Marie had texted to me earlier in the day.
The building she lived in was in an older complex where we’d worked on the renovations a couple of years ago. I knew it well, finding her apartment number situated on the far end of the building easily. Nerves were fluttering inside me when I reached her door, but I dismissed them. I wasn’t a fucking virgin, this wasn’t my first date, and there was no reason to be nervous about this.
The moment I ordered myself to stay calm, my body tightened in anticipation at the thought of seeing Marie.
The doorbell echoed from inside when I rang it. I shook out my hands before Marie opened the door, trying to get rid of my lingering nerves. First dates were always a thrill, so I chalked it up to that and bit back my internal annoyance. The door handle turned, and I swear my heart stopped beating for a second when Marie appeared.
“Hey.” She slipped out of her apartment and closed the door firmly behind her. I didn’t question her not inviting me in or asking me to wait while she grabbed her purse or finished up. She was clearly ready to leave and that was just fine with me.
My throat dried up as I took her in, my eyes refusing to obey my mental commands to stay polite. The black dress she had on fit her like a custom made glove, putting her toned body on perfect display. It showed enough to pique my interest and make my cock take notice, while hiding enough to have my imagination run wild about what might be under there.
Searching for my voice, I replied quickly, “Hi.”
“You ready to go?” She turned to lock her door, clutching her purse in one hand and using it to tuck her hair behind her ear. She’d styled it to frame her gorgeous face, the dark strands contrasting with her creamy skin and making her eyes seem even greener, more intense.
Sparkly gloss drew my attention to her pink lips, and for a flash, I considered kissing her. It was as if her mouth was demanding it, drawing me to it. I grabbed onto a thread of control before I devoured her mouth with a kiss and managed a grin instead.
“Ready when you are.”
Marie flushed an adorable shade of pink, which didn’t help matters at all. She was too tempting, too delectable, and my body reacted to hers like a bee to honey. Offering her my arm, her small hand was warm even through the material of my shirt when she tucked it into the crook of my elbow.
All it took was the simple touch of her hand and lust lashed at me. Control wasn’t usually a problem for me. With Marie, it was. Sonny was right, I hadn’t gotten laid in too long. That had to be it.
Marie fell into step at my side. Though she was tiny compared to my frame, we somehow walked together comfortably. Her scent drifted up to me—sweet with a hint of musk—doing less than nothing to help the state of my body.
“I hope you’re not expecting roses and candlelight over dinner,” I commented as we approached the truck.
Looking up at me, she smiled and shook her head lightly. “I’m not expecting anything. Well, except maybe food.”
“There will be food,” I assured her, opening the door to the truck. Marie climbed in before I could reach out a hand to help her up, buckling herself in. The corners of my lips twitched up. She was quick and independent, I liked that. A lot of women pretended to need my help or reassurance with things while out on dates. The fact that Marie didn’t was refreshing.
“Good food?” she asked as I turned out of the complex drive and headed toward the restaurant I’d chosen. “I’m starving.”
I glanced her way with a wink. “Of course they have good food. What do you take me for, a cheapskate?”
Marie gave me a sidelong look, smiling as she relaxed into her seat. “Hmm, I guess you’ve probably been on enough dates to know which restaurants serve the best food, huh?”
Pressing my hand to my chest, I feigned hurt but I couldn’t stop from grinning just a little. “I’ll have you know I haven’t been on a date in while, but it just so happens that I like good food.”
I had no idea why I’d told her that I hadn’t dated recently, but she didn’t seem to think anything of it. In spite of the fire she set to burning inside of me, she was comfortable to be around.
The restaurant where I was headed wasn’t visible from the road. It was a small, simple place on the banks of the river that served amazing food and only had a few tables.
“Did you forget to mention that I was dinner?” she asked, peeking out into the mostly deserted lot and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Nope, not tonight,” I murmured with a wink.
“Not tonight?” she mumbled, then her mouth formed a quiet ‘O'. Flushing beet red, she whipped her head around so she wasn’t facing me and started climbing out of the truck. I chuckled and followed her out, offering her my arm again. I led her down the tree-lined path leading to the dining area.
Marie’s eyes grew wider as we approached it. Flickering fires in wire metal containers illuminated the entrance, and wild flowers grew along the path under the trees. Marie turned to me without letting go of my elbow, a wry smile on her face.
“No candles and roses, but wildflowers and bonfires? Well played.”
There was laughter in her voice as she spoke, sucking in a breath when she laid eyes on the table where I stopped.
It was the one I usually booked when I came here. A little out of the way, it afforded enough privacy that people didn’t gawk and the waiters didn’t interrupt conversation simply by doing their jobs. My brothers and I came for the ribs sometimes, but I’d never brought a girl here.
“Mr. Lovett, welcome back,” a young server said, grabbing two menus and following us to the table.
“Thanks,” I replied, glancing his way as I waited for Marie to take her seat before sinking into my own. The server handed us each a menu and disappeared after taking our drink order. This was why I loved this place, the food was great and the people who worked here were unobtrusive.
“This place is beautiful,” Marie said, her gaze scanning the room. The décor here was simple. The owners loved nature and had played off the river and the natural greenery. The space had been designed in such a way that it felt as if it were part of the surroundings.
“Yeah, it is.” I was only looking at Marie, not at the restaurant. Bathed in soft light from the fires in decorative cast iron fire pits interspersed around the perimeter and the fairy lights twined into the low roof overhead, she was breathtaking. Forcing my mind to focus on conversation instead of just staring at her, I went back to what we’d been talking about in the car before reaching the parking lot. “So, you were telling me about moving to Savannah after college.”
Marie glanced down at the white tablecloth, pausing for a beat, then smiled and launched into a story about hunting for her first apartment. Apparently, it turned out to have been a dump that she couldn’t stay in for longer than two months. I laughed as she explained faulty plumbing, leaky ceilings and an infestation of mice in the storage area. She was a softie and hadn’t wanted to make the mice ‘move’ as she put it.
It felt like she was leaving small gaps in the story, but I didn’t push her answers about them. It wasn’t a leap to conclude that she’d been with an ex-boyfriend at the time.
From her first move after college, we moved onto mine. My first apartment had been back here in Cypress. I hadn’t lived in it too long before buying the house I still lived in and starting to fix it up—a much less entertaining story than hers. We talked about the years between college and now, eventually landing on her current job at the salon.
Speaking of the salon reminded me of Sarah and my encounter with her that morning. “I didn’t even know Sarah had a son, he seems like a nice kid.”
Marie looked surprised, if not slightly confused. I didn’t blame her, it was kind of strange that Sarah had a son who I’d never seen before, but it wasn’t like she was a close
friend, or as if I kept up with town gossip. In fact, given my own family’s starring role in far more gossip than I cared to consider, I generally avoided it like the plague.
“I don’t know if I could imagine having a child these days. Too many things to worry about. Seems like there’s more than enough disappointment to dole out.” Once upon a time, before my mother died and before my father went from a respectable man to a criminal, I’d assumed I’d eventually have kids. Now, well, I felt like I had my hands full just keeping my own head above water, much less trying to steer a child through the choppy waters of life.
Marie didn’t reply, simply nodding and reaching for her water when the server delivered it.
“Thank you,” she murmured to him. Avoiding my eyes as she sipped the drink, I wondered if I’d said something that bothered her, but then she smiled again and picked up the conversation ball where we’d left it before my observation about Sarah’s son. “We’ve talked about my job at the moment. What about yours? Do you enjoy construction?”
“I do.” Was it my dream job? No, but that wasn’t first date appropriate conversation. Besides, I liked construction just fine as a second choice job. And since my first choice as an NFL player wasn’t in the cards anymore... “I enjoy the physicality of it and seeing something go from nothing to something amazing.”
“I didn’t take you for the creative type,” she remarked, her eyes locked onto mine.
I couldn’t look away from Marie, even if it did feel like I was staring. Far too much if I had some kind of grip. But with her, no such thing. My eyes were downright greedy. Her gaze was magnetic, her expressive eyes filling in what her words didn’t always communicate.
It was almost like I could see what she was thinking… Almost, but not quite. “I’m not, I just like seeing things that are ugly being restored to their former glory. Or nothing turned into something.”
Thinking back at my comment, I realized it probably sounded like I wanted to be restored to my former glory, but I didn’t. It was also not the time to get into exactly why I’d said what I had.
Marie didn’t linger on the topic, moving along to ask after my brothers. She glossed over talking about her own family. We talked all the way through dinner, prime steak and pan fried potatoes which Marie raved about. Before I knew it, the servers were stacking the chairs from the other tables onto them and our server delivered the check to me. “I apologize for the interruption, sir. But we’ve been closed for twenty minutes, we need to close up.”
Marie blinked, as surprised as I was that neither of us realized the restaurant had closed while we were talking. I wasn’t ready for the night to be over yet, but it didn’t look like she was either.
I paid the check, insisting I’d invited Marie out and as such, it was my treat. She reluctantly accepted that I wasn’t going to let her pay a cent and held onto my arm again as we walked to the truck.
The air between us was different now than it had been coming in. While then it had been comfortable silence interspersed with casual conversation and lighthearted teasing, it was charged now. Marie fit flush to my side as we walked and my hand reached for hers, tucked into the crook of my elbow as if automatically. Our fingers laced together, and I never wanted to let her go.
Might want to ease up, man.
My rational side tried to clue me in that maybe, just maybe, I was letting myself get swept up into something. But I didn’t care to listen.
All too soon, we were at the truck and she was climbing in. As soon as I was in the truck too, her hand reached for mine and I closed it around hers, using both our hands to shift the truck into gear. I really wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. It would sound like a line, but I just needed a little more time with her. “Coffee at your place?”
The only light in the truck was the faint light from the dash, but I could see her eyes widen slightly. I was about to backtrack, explain myself or make the request sound less presumptuous when she surprised me. “Could we have coffee at your place instead?”
“Sure.” I’d have had coffee on Mars if that were what she wanted.
The ride back to my place was quieter than we’d been all night. Marie was staring out the window. The fingers of her hand were still laced with mine, her thumb gently tracing my knuckles almost absently.
Even that light touch from her was setting me on fire, sending sharp slivers of need through me. I wanted her hands on me, all over me. I wanted to trace her silky skin and to finally bare her lush curves to my gaze.
Acutely aware of her in the confined, dimly lit cab, I could smell her feminine scent, and it merely added to the haze of lust clouding my thoughts. Her scent was sweet and spicy.
Despite my lust-addled brain, I managed to get us to my house in one piece. “Here we are.”
“This is yours?” she asked quietly as she peered out at my house.
My house looked more like a family home, but I’d picked it up cheap because the previous owners hadn’t bothered to maintain it. It had been overdue to remodeling and basic maintenance. I liked the space, so I figured why not. The yard offered Arcadian plenty of space to run and play too.
“Yup,” I replied, shutting down the engine. “You still up for that coffee?”
She nodded and shifted in her seat. Her shoulders were stiff, tension radiating from her as she twisted a lock of hair around her index finger.
I wanted to set her at ease, but this was the first hint of nervousness from her. Figuring a comment from me about it wouldn’t help matters, I said nothing. Once we were out of my truck, I took her hand again and led her to my door, unlocking it and motioning her inside. “After you.”
The moment the door clicked shut behind us, Arcadian jogged over. Giving him a quick scratch behind his ears, I glanced to Marie. “This is Arcadian,” I said, belatedly considering he might appear intimidating given his size.
Arcadian’s tail thumped against the wall though, announcing loud and clear that he was friendly. “Oh, aren’t you a sweetie?” Marie murmured as he wagged by her side while she stroked his back.
Just as I was thinking dogs weren’t too helpful for romance, Arcadian ambled off toward the living room, most likely to curl up on his bed. Glancing in Marie’s direction, my gaze collided with hers. Her eyes were wide, and her skin slightly flushed. We were maybe a foot or so apart.
Her gaze locked with mine. I hardly had time to register it before she leaned up on her toes and pressed her mouth to mine. She moved so quickly, it startled me. I also hadn’t expected it. Oh, I knew what I felt buzzing between us—the desire fairly heating the air around us, yet I hadn’t expected her to be this bold. I didn’t mind. Not one bit.
Instinct took over as I slid a hand into her hair and another down the sweet curve of her spine, tugging her flush against me, every inch of her pressed against me. I didn’t know if the door had even shut fully behind us before her hands were slipping under my shirt and her warm hands were tracing the muscles in my back.
Our kiss went from tentative to hot inside of a few seconds. Her tongue tangled with mine as I dove into the warm sweetness of her mouth.
A low growl slipped from my throat as my hands traveled up her spine, finding her zipper. It slid down easily, and I felt the material go slack as her dress pooled between us.
Tearing my lips free, my gaze flicked down, my knees nearly buckling. Her breasts were just about perfect, full and round. Her nipples were taut, practically begging me to touch them through the silk of her bra. Without even bothering to take my time, I slid my hand free from her hair and traced down along her neck to circle her nipple, thumbing it lightly. I savored the sharp hiss of her breath and the way she arched into my touch.
When I looked up again, her eyes had darkened and her lips were swollen from our kiss. More was the only thought passing through my mind.
Chapter Eighteen
Marie
Up close like this, Jeremy smelled like woods and teenage dreams. He tasted like mint and kissed like a
dream. Sealing his lips over mine again, he took immediate control as he tugged me toward him, one of his strong hands weaving into my hair to grip at the back of my neck.
His tongue slid across the seam of my lips, and my mouth opened on a sigh. I wasn’t the most forward person, but my hands seemed to forget that. They had a mind of their own, mapping the muscled expanse of his chest and savoring the flex of every subtle motion.
Taking his cues from me, his hands got busy and before I knew it, my dress fell to my waist and he traced a single fingertip down the side of my neck to circle a nipple—his touch like a line of fire on my skin. Then his lips were on mine again, and a gasp escaped at the feel of his calloused palms coasting up my side. I arched my back, pressing my chest into his. His body was hard, the skin underneath my fingers hot. Suddenly desperate to feel his skin against mine, I started tearing blindly at his buttons.
Chuckling softly against my mouth, he caught my hands. I froze, wondering if he was going to put a stop to all of this. God knows I should’ve stopped it, but I couldn’t. Inside of a hot second, I discovered I needn’t have worried. His strong hands released mine, and he tugged his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor.
The second his lips met mine again, our kiss went wild—hot, wet and overpowering. Our bodies came together, nearly nothing between us. His palm slid up my back in a heated pass. With a flick, he undid the clasp of my bra. I shimmied my shoulders as it slid down my arms and fell to the floor.
My nipples responded to the feel of him against me, puckering tightly to an ache. I moaned softly into his mouth. Walking us backward, Jeremy shielded me from hitting the door too hard as he pushed us into it. My dress fell to the ground as we went, and I kicked it free after almost tripping over it when it tangled around my ankles.