Hayden and I had always had a healthy(ish) competitive relationship. If he got me a gift, I had to get him a better gift. If I made him dinner, then he had to take me out for an expensive dinner. It was like a challenge. Which was probably why him coming over and playing my knight in shining armor the other day bothered me so much. He’d racked up all kinds of points and I was seriously in a deficit. I knew it was stupid, but I didn’t like that he was “winning” in our relationship.
I’d been trying to tell myself that he owed me for taking off and staying gone, and he did. But it was still driving me crazy. We used to do the same thing when we were together. Or at least I did. If he did something thoughtful, like surprising me with flowers, I would appreciate the gesture, but then sort of feel like it was a challenge. I wanted to be the best girlfriend I could be so I would bake his favorite cookies or stand out in the rain for six hours, which hadn’t been that bad because I love the rain, to get his favorite baseball player’s autograph. I’d love to say that I did those things purely out of the goodness of my heart, and I did want to make him happy, but I also wanted to even the playing field.
“This is where you’ll be stationed, Jade,” Reece said as she directed me to my seat.
“Do I need to do anything?” I asked as I lowered down into the chair. I’d filled out forms online but wasn’t sure if I needed to do anything here.
“Is this your first time speed dating?”
“Yep.” I’d been here a grand total of five minutes but I had a feeling it was going to be my first and last.
“Oh how exciting! Ladies, we have a speed dating virgin!” she shouted to the room at large. I glanced around and saw that they didn’t share her enthusiasm. Why would they? “So when the men come in, they’re going to rotate chairs every five minutes. It sounds like a long time, and sometimes it feels like it, but when there’s a connection the time goes by like that.” She snapped her fingers. “When the buzzer sounds, the men stand and move to the next chair. We have icebreaker cards at every station so there is no pressure on either party to keep the conversation flowing. You don’t have to use them but they’re there just in case. Once everyone has met and the final buzzer sounds, the men go back to their holding room and the women will have the opportunity to put their phone numbers in an envelope with the gentleman’s name and photo on it. The men will be doing the same. Then we give everyone their envelopes and the rest is up to our daters.”
“Okay.” For some reason I was suddenly feeling very overwhelmed.
“Ten minutes, ladies!” she called out before she did one last walk around the room, double-checking the number of icebreaker cards on each table.
Every woman that I saw was either fixing their makeup or taking a selfie.
I glanced down at my outfit and wondered if I should’ve gone with something sexier. Maybe a dress? The reason I vetoed that selection was because I hadn’t had time to shave my legs and make it here on time. Traffic into Dallas at six p.m. was bonkers but as I looked around, I wondered if I should’ve made the time.
All the other women were in cocktail dresses. Most were short or low-cut. They were putting their best legs and cleavage forward. I was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, silver heels, and a red top that came up to my collarbone. I was not showing any upper or lower real estate tonight.
Oh well. Did I really think I was going to meet my soulmate tonight? No. And even if I did, my true soulmate wouldn’t care if my tatas were on display. He’d love me for my sparkling personality and charming wit.
Reece stepped up on a small stage in the corner of the bar and the entire room hushed like Oprah was about to impart her other-worldly wisdom.
“Welcome to Ice Breaker Speed Dating sponsored by Ice Breaker Vodka, remember drink responsibly and don’t forget to use your icebreaker cards.”
I glanced down at the cards on the table and saw the Ice Breaker Vodka logo on each that I hadn’t noticed before. A little cheesy but definitely on brand.
“Are you all ready to meet your men?”
There were hoots, hollers, a whistle and one “come to mama.”
I was still admiring the cards when the doors opened and my heart pulled an e-brake like I did when I was going sixty down a back road and a cow appeared in the middle of the road.
The cow in this case was Hayden Reed.
The woman beside me gasped. “Oh my.”
I expected him to walk over and swoop me up An Officer and a Gentleman style like I used to imagine he would do every day for the first couple of years he was gone. I would sit in class and daydream that he’d walk in dressed in his combat gear, swoop me up, and take me to live happily ever after.
It never happened then and it didn’t happen now.
I watched as he sat his non-swooping-self in front of the woman at station one and I realized he wasn’t here to see me. I mean, obviously, he was here to see me and that’s why he was pretending to be a dater, but it took me a moment to process his ruse.
The rest of the men filed in and before I had a chance to adjust to the surprise. One named Kiefer took his place in front of me.
We had a nice conversation about the fact that the bee population was becoming extinct and what that would mean for the environment and before I knew it, the buzzer went off and DJ took his place. He told me that his name was short for Douglas James and it was also his chosen occupation. He then proceeded to wax poetic about his love for trance music.
The next hour was a blur. Some of the “dates” dragged on forever and some were relatively painless. There were some interesting guys but the truth was I was distracted waiting for my turn with Hayden. Since I was in the number sixteen station it took a while for that to happen.
During the hour or so it took for us to meet, I kept rehearsing what I would say to him. Would I make a joke? Should I be pissed? Turns out it’s kind of hard to carry on a conversation in person and a different one in your head at the same time. So I had no idea if I was cheating myself out of meeting Mr. Right because my date had once again been hijacked.
This was the first time I’d seen him since he’d dined and dashed. I knew that I should thank him (not for that), but I was mad. He hadn’t called or stopped by since then and when I sent over an email outlining my proposal for his website, social media campaign, and grand opening party he’d responded with a very professional tone. He’d mirrored the tone that I’d written him in, but that didn’t make it any better.
“Hi,” he grinned as he sat down.
I cut right to the chase. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m speed dating,” he answered as if it were obvious.
I stared at him, making sure that my expression made it clear I was not in the mood for games.
“I wanted to see you.”
My heart jumped, but I mentally slapped it back down. I was not going to allow myself to get giddy over him wanting to see me. “You didn’t have to come all the way to Dallas to do that. I live a mile from your house.”
“I wanted to see you tonight.” The look in his eye was one that I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was intense. It was possessive. It was territorial.
I used to like when he looked at me that way, now it just pissed me off.
“How did you know I was here?” I’d mentioned it to a few people, but I hadn’t given anyone the details.
“I saw the info on your refrigerator.”
“Beside my to-do list.”
“Yep.”
This conversation felt different than the ones that we’d had since he’d been back home. It was confrontational but not aggressive. More of a we’re-going-to-deal-with-this energy.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Or what to say. So I didn’t say anything.
“You’re welcome.” His smile broadened.
I knew he’d done it to push my buttons and it worked. “I didn’t ask you to do any of that.”
He rested his forearms on the table and leaned forward. His voice was low a
nd I felt his baritone spread over me like syrup on hot pancakes. I absorbed the vibration of his words. “You didn’t ask me to stop by with soup, give you a massage, or go down on you, but you said thank you for that.”
I sat up and pointed my finger toward his chest. “I did not say thank you for that.”
His eyes twinkled. “Maybe not with words.”
My mind was spinning. I was shocked that he was talking like this. He’d been home so long and we’d barely spoken. Then these past few weeks he’d been…everywhere. What had changed?
I thought back to Trivia Night. I’d been on a date. And tonight I was speed dating. Was that why he was acting like this? Because I was dating?
“You’re jealous.”
“I am?”
“That’s why you keep showing up. You’re jealous”
He didn’t deny it. “I’m a lot of things. We need to talk.”
“Fine. Talk.” I opened my arms in invitation.
“I didn’t see your Jeep outside. Did you drive here?”
“No.” I Ubered so that I could do my makeup.
“Let me drive you home.” The buzzer sounded but he stayed in place.
I wanted to say no, but then I had an idea of how I could even the score. “Fine. You can take me home.”
Chapter 16
Hayden
“Wound tighter than a three-day clock.”
~ Nora O’Sullivan
The headlights bounced off the city limits sign. During the drive back to Wishing Well, we’d talked a lot, but not about us. Our conversation had started with going over the details of the email that she sent me. We brainstormed some media campaigns how best to structure the website. She encouraged me to dedicate space to Ranger’s and my story, and soon other stories of vets and their rehomed service animals. As hesitant as I was to share personal details about myself, I knew that she was right. If people were going to believe in and support Hero Rescue, then I had to put myself out there.
After that we talked about our families and friends and had general small talk. It almost felt like old times. We fell back into a familiar rhythm. I knew that the things I was about to say would probably ruin that, but I didn’t have a choice. Things needed to be said. If I didn’t address the wounds that I’d caused, how could I expect them to heal?
“I still can’t believe that you got sixteen numbers. There were only twenty women there and that included me.” Jade said as she looked through the envelope that Reece had given me.
I’d tried to toss it but Jade had intercepted it. She wanted to count our totals and compare. She’d always been competitive.
“Just think how many I would’ve gotten if I’d brought Ranger,” I teased.
Instead of laughing her face scrunched. “Don’t be the douche that uses his dog to get women.”
“I think the numbers show that I don’t need the dog.” I knew that little dig would cost me, but I couldn’t help myself. I loved seeing her irritated. Not mad, just irritated. She did this little eye squint thing and head tilt that I’d always found fucking adorable.
Taking my eyes off the road for a moment, I checked to see if she’d taken the bait. To my great amusement, she had.
“If you had to call one of these back, who would it be?” She held up her hand. “Wait, let me guess. The brunette who looked like Angelina Jolie.”
“Heather? No.”
“You remember her name?” It was more of an accusation than a question.
She had suggested that I was jealous tonight, but I was beginning to think that might’ve been a pot-calling-the-kettle-black situation.
“I remember all of their names.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I talked to them and they were wearing name tags.”
I sensed her shift toward me. “The blonde with the cute headband.”
“Carolina.”
“The redhead with the killer tattoo on her forearm.”
“Jana.”
“The girl that looked like Emma Stone.”
“Cher.”
“Eeee!” she made what I guessed was her impression of a buzzer. “Her name was Emma. I saw it and thought it was weird because she looked exactly like Emma Stone.”
“Her name is Cher.” I corrected her. “She put Emma on her nametag as a joke because so many people tell her that she looks like Emma Stone.”
She huffed as she sat back against the seat and faced forward.
“Did you put your number in my envelope?” I asked the question that I already knew the answer to.
“No.”
“In that case, none.”
“What?” She turned her head my way.
“You asked if I had to call one of the women back, who would I call. If your number’s not in there, I wouldn’t call any of them back.”
I glanced over at her and saw a grin flash on her lips. It was only there for a brief second, but I saw it. It was yet another tiny crack in the walls she had up. Originally, I’d planned to chip away at them slowly, but after my session with Dr. Rice, I was changing tactics. It was time to take a jackhammer to them.
The rumbling engine of the truck silenced after I turned off the ignition in Jade’s driveway. The sudden quiet sent a pang through me. It meant that pretty soon, Jade would be hopping out of the truck and our evening together would be over.
It seemed like every minute we were together, I had a clock in the back of my brain counting down the minutes—hell the seconds—until we’d be apart again. It was the only sad part about being with her. The feeling like it would be over soon.
I turned to look at her, so beautiful in the radiant glow of the moonlight. I needed to apologize to her. I needed to try and explain some of the realizations that I’d had at therapy today.
“Jade,” I said her name as I collected my thoughts.
“Hayden.” She mimicked my serious tone as a wicked grin spread across her face.
“We need to talk.”
“Talking is overrated. I’m more of a show-not-tell kinda girl.” Jade stole my line as she leaned closer to me and placed her hand on the front of my jeans, grasping lightly on my cock, which was already hard. It had sprung to life in just the moment since she’d gotten that mischievous glint in her eye and leaned closer.
He was a responsive little—scratch that—big bugger that way.
Without breaking eye contact, she stroked her fingers up and down my stiff member. I felt each small twitch and movement of her hand, even through the sturdy fabric of my jeans.
What I felt her convey through her eyes as they looked into mine, I cannot describe. I can only say that the energy that passed between us was intense. It heightened everything. It was more than just the sensation of her caressing me through my jeans; it was because this was Jade. The energy passing between us was beyond intense.
Hell, I didn’t even think that it was something she was trying to intentionally build up. It was just a spark between us that couldn’t be denied, one that was always there, and never failed to find dry twigs and start a huge brushfire. It was just that powerful.
A groan rumbled low in my throat. It was loud in the close confines of the truck cab. I wished I was strong enough to stop her and say the things that needed to be said, but I wasn’t.
I closed my eyes and then immediately forced them open again. I didn’t want to miss one moment of the sight that lay before me. Her beautiful face, her beautiful body. So close to me, so lovely bathed in moonlight and shadows.
I never wanted to forget the way she looked right now.
Jade shifted in her seat, angled her body toward me, and leaned down so that her lush hair fell around me like a curtain. Her hands began unfastening my pants and shoving them down a bit to free my stiff erection from its denim confines.
All the air in my lungs rushed from me in a relieved exhale, as if there had been a steel band around my chest until that moment, constricting it in the same way my
jeans had been holding in my shaft.
“Mmmm…” She hummed, low in her throat, her eyes cast down at my dick.
She wrapped her fingers around it and gave several slow, methodical strokes up and down, curving her hand over the tip to cup it as she rounded the top and headed back toward the base.
“Oh, fuck,” I breathed, the words squeezing out through my tight throat.
I didn’t want to come right then. Not all over her hand, and certainly not after only three strokes. I had to get my shit together, and quick. Because if I allowed myself to just lie back and surrender to everything that her talented fucking hand was making me feel in that moment, that was exactly what was going to happen.
I clenched my jaw and my fists with equal force as I mustered every ounce of will I possessed to control my body.
Then, just as I was confident that I had it under control, she changed the game.
Without warning, without a single word at all, she lowered her head and wrapped her luscious lips around my tip, swirling her tongue around it luxuriantly and then sliding her head all the way down, a low moan vibrating in her throat.
Maybe Jade was right. Maybe talking was overrated.
Chapter 17
Jade
“Once you peel an orange, you can’t put the rind back on.”
~ Nora O’Sullivan
I relished the feeling of Hayden’s dick in my mouth, as stiff as a rod of steel.
This all felt so natural. It was like I didn’t even have to think about what to do, or give my muscles instructions. My mouth had its own instincts and they led the way perfectly.
A flick of the tongue here, a tightening of the lips there. I could tell easily enough by the flexing of Hayden’s fingers on the back of my head and the grunts that escaped from his throat that my instincts were dead on.
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