“I thought bakers were supposed to be patient,” Rocket said as she got settled in his truck.
“Not this one,” Jayme told him.
Rocket couldn’t help himself, he brought a hand up to her hair and smoothed it back. She’d left it down, which he loved, and the thick locks curled around her shoulders, drawing his eyes to her chest. She had on a V-neck T-shirt that showed just a hint of cleavage. Her jeans molded to her legs, caressing her curves.
His mouth actually watered with his need to explore her, to peel off her shirt and worship her. “Hang on just a bit longer, my curious baker, and you’ll see for yourself what I have planned. But know, if you hate it, plans can easily be changed.”
Tilting her head, Jayme studied him. “You’re nervous,” she stated.
Rocket shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to have fun. I want to impress you. The last thing I’d ever want to do it scare you.” He sighed. “And I’m nervous because I like you, Jayme. I don’t want to do anything that would make you second-guess going out with me.”
She stared up at him for a long moment before saying, “You have nothing to be worried about, Rocket. I’m the one who’s unemployed. Who’s living off the generosity of her grandmother. You’re…you,” she used her hand to gesture toward him, “and I’m me.” She shrugged. “Anyone who sees us together is probably wondering what the hell you’re doing with me.”
“Wrong,” Rocket said immediately. “They’re likely jealous as hell that I’m with you and they aren’t. Buckle up.” He stepped back before he did something stupid, like kiss the hell out of her. He hated that she was insecure. If anyone in this budding relationship should be insecure, it was him. He knew without a doubt that he’d hit the jackpot. And he’d do whatever it took to make sure she never wondered if she could do better than him.
He hurried around his truck and climbed behind the wheel. After he pulled out of the driveway, he looked over at Jayme. She was staring at him and smiling. “What?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m just happy,” she said. “I have no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing, but being around you is relaxing. I don’t have to worry about getting lost or being harassed, or even what to say.”
Without thought, Rocket reached for her hand, sighing in relief when she didn’t hesitate to wrap her fingers around his own. “You never have to worry about those things when you’re with me. You’ll always be safe with me.”
“I know,” Jayme said softly. “Thank you.”
He squeezed her hand in reply.
Within ten minutes, they were driving through the gates of Fort Hood and headed to the hangar where he worked.
“Did you forget to show me something when we were here last?” Jayme asked.
Rocket loved that she hadn’t guessed his plans. “Not exactly,” he told her. He parked his truck and took hold of her hand again as he led her toward a helicopter sitting out on the tarmac. He stopped a short distance from the machine and turned to her. “I thought I’d take you for a helicopter ride today.”
Jayme’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. One of the pilots is doing a test ride today—don’t worry, I got all the approvals I needed to take you up, and it’s completely safe, I guarantee it. He just needs to test out of some of the fixes we’ve done on the engine. I wouldn’t take you up in a bird that I didn’t know was one hundred percent reliable.”
“And you did the work on it?” Jayme asked.
Rocket nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then I know it’s safe,” she said quietly.
Her instant confidence in his abilities made Rocket feel as if he was ten feet tall. “If you’re scared or nervous, we don’t have to do it. I just thought it might be a fun way for you to see more of the area. And get a free helicopter ride in the process.”
“I’ve never been in one,” Jayme told him, looking over at the chopper. “I’m nervous, but excited too.” She looked back up at him. “Thank you. This is amazing.”
Rocket relaxed a bit. “It’s okay?”
“More than okay,” Jayme told him. “And that cheesecake I threatened you with earlier?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s all yours. And I’ll even throw in the double chocolate chip cookies and the loaf of chocolate banana bread I made for Memaw too.”
Rocket chuckled. “Awesome. Although you know you don’t have to keep baking for me. I like you without the bribes.”
“I want to. I tend to bake more when I’m happy. And I’ve been very happy in the last couple of weeks.”
“Good.” Rocket wanted to kiss her. Really kiss her. But he also knew the pilots of the chopper were watching. And the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass Jayme. But it was extremely difficult to do nothing more than smile down at her. “Come on, I can’t wait to see what you think of your first helicopter ride.”
Jayme couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t believe that Rocket had taken her for a freaking helicopter ride! He’d helped her settle into the chopper, and when his hands had brushed over her hips when he helped fasten her seat belt, her thighs had clenched together, hard.
She wanted this man. Badly. She’d never been someone who needed sex. She’d always thought she had a pretty low sex drive. But since meeting Rocket, she scarcely thought of anything else.
He was a big man…and she assumed that meant that he was big all over. If the old wives’ tale about the size of a man’s hands and feet being an indicator of the size of his dick was true, Jayme had a feeling she was going to have a hard time taking him. But oh, how she wanted to try.
Then Rocket had gently placed the headset over her head and adjusted the microphone so it sat in front of her lips, and she struggled to think about anything other than pulling him down and kissing him.
Luckily, the pilot had asked him something, and he’d turned away to answer the question, so she’d been spared doing anything really embarrassing.
Rocket was one of the most amazing men she’d ever met. He’d gotten his master’s degree online simply because he’d been bored. He’d rebuilt several cars and motorcycles almost from scratch, just for fun. Then there was how great he was with Memaw. It also seemed that everyone she met had nothing but the utmost respect for him.
Jayme had been a bit nervous when the helicopter first took off, and had probably left fingernail marks in Rocket’s hand, but before too long, she’d relaxed enough to truly enjoy the flight. Rocket alternated between talking to the pilots about technical aspects of the flight and pointing out landmarks for her. They flew over Fort Hood, and she got to see exactly how large the Army base was. Over Interstate 35, she laughed when Rocket pointed out the best place for her bakery…near one of the gates of the post, but still far enough away for people not affiliated with the military to feel comfortable shopping.
He amazed her with his business acumen and his excitement for a business that was nothing but a dream at the moment.
Throughout the flight, he also held her hand, leaning over and pointing out landmarks, pressing his body against hers. His citrusy smell was driving her crazy, and it took everything she had not to turn and attack the poor man. The flight was probably only about twenty minutes or so, but it seemed as if they’d been in the air much longer, with Jayme ultra-aware of him for every second of the ride.
She was still smiling as Rocket drove them off the Army post.
“You liked that?” he asked.
“Duh,” Jayme told him. “It was amazing! Exciting! Stupendous! Something I never thought I’d do in my lifetime.”
“Good.”
“What now? And I’m not sure how you can ever top that, by the way.”
Rocket wrinkled his nose adorably. “True. Shit. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought out the big guns this early in our relationship.”
Jayme freaking loved that he’d come right out and said they were in a relationship. “I think you’re good,” she told him.
>
“Anyway, I thought I’d show you my house. That is…if you want to. I can take you back to Winnie’s if you’d prefer.”
Jayme sat up straighter in her seat. “I’d love to see your place. You’ve talked about it enough that I’m insanely curious.”
“It’s nothing really special.”
“Wrong,” Jayme said immediately. “It’s your home, and you love it. That makes it very special.”
He gave her a small smile.
“Tell me more about it?” she asked.
“It’s an older farmhouse on about three acres. It needed a lot of work when I bought it, but the first time I saw it, I fell in love. It has a wraparound porch that I pretty much had to re-build from scratch because the boards were all rotted. It’s two stories, four bedrooms. I think I told you that I redid the kitchen and bathrooms, so they’re completely modern, but I kept some of the older touches here and there. I used reclaimed wood where I could, and I have a gorgeous barn door separating my library from the great room. I did my best to make it more open concept, but since it’s an older house, that was harder because there were a lot of the support beams I couldn’t knock out.” He paused and gave her a sheepish look. “Too much?”
“No, keep going,” Jayme encouraged, loving his enthusiasm for his home.
“I wanted a basement—because this is Texas and tornados do happen—but it wasn’t possible, so I built a cellar.”
“Like in The Wizard of Oz?” Jayme asked excitedly.
Rocket chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“So cool!”
“Well, you probably wouldn’t think it was cool if a tornado was bearing down and you had to get in it,” Rocket said dryly.
“I’d probably love it even more,” Jayme mused.
“I’m still working on the landscaping. I’ve tried to minimize the grasses and trees that need a lot of water, because that’s not environmentally responsible, so there’s a lot of gravel and hardy shrubs, but I do have a section of the yard with the original trees still on it. They throw a lot of shade, and I’ve put up a hammock. One of my favorite things to do is simply to lie in it and take in my surroundings.”
Jayme closed her eyes. She could totally picture Rocket lying in a hammock and swaying back and forth in the breeze.
More importantly, she could picture them lying there together.
“What was that thought?” Rocket asked.
The man was damn perceptive. “I was just wondering if we’d both fit in that hammock,” Jayme said, trying to get over her shyness. There was something about this man that gave her the confidence to say what she was thinking.
“We will,” Rocket said.
They shared a look so intimate, goose bumps broke out on Jayme’s arms. She had to change the subject, otherwise she’d do something embarrassing…like reach for the button on his jeans and go down on him right there in the truck.
“Rocket’s an unusual name,” she blurted. “Is it a nickname?”
For a second, she didn’t think he was going to let her change the subject. The heat in his eyes was almost scorching—and Jayme couldn’t wait to get burned.
But as if he knew how on the edge she was, Rocket went with the change in subject. “It’s my real name, not a nickname. I can show you my birth certificate if you want.”
“I believe you,” Jayme said. “No proof necessary.”
“My mom wanted something unique for me, wanted to be different than her friends, who were naming their kids John, Rob, and Samuel. Of course, she didn’t stop to think about how badly I’d get made fun of with a name like Rocket, but luckily I hit puberty pretty early and people didn’t really want to mess with someone as big as me. I guess she chose Rocket because in her mind, it brought forth images of someone going somewhere. Being strong and aiming high.” He shrugged a little self-deprecatingly. “Being a mechanic wasn’t exactly what she thought I’d end up doing though.”
Jayme squeezed the hand she was still holding. “She doesn’t approve of your profession?”
“It’s not that she doesn’t approve,” Rocket said. “I mean, she was happy I went into the Navy, but I think she was hoping I’d be a literal rocket scientist or astronaut or something more prestigious. She loves me, we just aren’t close.”
“I think what you do is amazing. Sure, rockets are impressive, but someone has to design it. Someone has to keep it running. Someone has to fill it with fuel and make sure provisions are all loaded up so the astronauts are kept safe. Not to mention the people who stay on the ground and monitor the technology as that rocket is flying toward space. I think people are too impressed by those at the top, when they should be worshiping the little guys, the people who keep our economy going. The fast food workers, the people who work at gas stations, those at the big convenience stores and markets who work long hours stocking the shelves. Us little people are the ones who really keep the world going, not the head honchos at the top of the pile.”
Jayme was a little embarrassed when she got done with her impassioned speech, but she couldn’t stand to see Rocket feel any doubt about himself or what he did for a living.
Rocket divided his attention between her and the road for a long moment before bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing the palm. His ever-present five o’clock shadow was scratchy against her hand.
“Besides,” she said, her tone lighter, “I’m thankful that you’re good at engines, because I’m hopeless when it comes to anything mechanical. I can change a tire, if I have to, but anything else with a car and I’m totally out of my depth.”
“You’ve got me to change your tires now,” Rocket said with no hesitation whatsoever.
“Awesome,” Jayme said softly. She loved the thought that he’d be around if and when she ever had car trouble. The one time she’d broken down on Interstate 5 in Seattle had been extremely stressful. She’d had to wait almost two hours for the car service to show up and she’d been scared one of the cars whizzing by was going to hit her the entire time.
“This is my driveway,” Rocket said as he pulled off the main road.
Jayme looked forward—and inhaled sharply when she saw Rocket’s house.
It was gorgeous. And if she was in the market to buy a house, it was exactly what she’d want for herself. The wraparound porch made her want to pull up a rocking chair and hang out. Each window had adorable shutters and everything about the property was welcoming and peaceful.
“Oh, man, Rocket, I love it!”
“Good,” he said as he drove around to the side of the house, pushing a button on the garage door remote. He pulled his truck into the bay and said, “I’ve got a large outbuilding on the other side where I restore vehicles and do the construction work for the house. The cellar is out back, I’ll show both to you later, if you want.”
“I want,” Jayme said with a smile.
They both climbed out of the truck, and he held open the door to the house for her. “I’m not a good cook by any stretch, which you already know, but I do grill a good steak, or chicken if you prefer. That’s…if you want to stay for dinner.”
“I’d love to stay,” Jayme told him. She turned around to face him before entering the house. She was a step above him and he was still taller than her. Feeling brave, Jayme wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. She could feel his heart beating under her cheek. “Thank you for an amazing date, Rocket,” she told him. “But we could’ve sat in your truck in a Walmart parking lot and it still would’ve been awesome. I just like spending time with you. I know you’re really busy, and I appreciate you spending your day off with me.”
“Wasn’t a hard choice,” Rocket replied as his arms closed around her.
“I know you probably had stuff to get done.”
“Nope. Nothing important,” he countered.
They stayed like that for a long moment before Jayme pulled back. She didn’t let go of him though. Instead, she looked up at him briefly before rising up on her tiptoe
s.
She pressed her lips to his and closed her eyes.
If she was afraid she was being too bold or overstepping, her fears were immediately put to rest when Rocket groaned and pulled her closer. He took over the kiss, tilting his head and licking her bottom lip, as if asking permission to enter. Jayme immediately granted him access, tightening her grip on him as he lifted her off her feet and entered his house. He towered over her, but it made her feel protected and cherished instead of overwhelmed.
Rocket pushed her back against the wall just inside the house and they kissed as if this was going to be the first and only kiss they’d ever share. It turned carnal quickly, which only made Jayme want him more. Their tongues intertwined and played, learning what each other liked. But throughout it all, Rocket didn’t take advantage; his hands stayed locked around her body and didn’t roam. Jayme desperately wanted to feel the calluses on his palms against her sensitive skin, but was enjoying their first kiss too much to want any distractions right that second.
When he finally pulled back, they were both breathing hard. Jayme saw his gaze flick to her chest and knew she should probably be embarrassed, because he had to see how hard her nipples were. But nothing about this felt awkward.
“I like your house,” she whispered.
He grinned. “You haven’t even seen it.”
“Doesn’t matter. I know it’s perfect.”
“You okay?” he asked, his brows furrowing a bit. “I don’t want you to feel any pressure here. You’re safe.”
“I know I am,” Jayme told him. Was two weeks enough to fall head over heels in love with someone? She had no idea, but had a feeling she was already a goner.
He lifted a hand and brushed his thumb over her lips. They felt a bit swollen, and she couldn’t help but smile and flick her tongue out to lick over his skin.
“Fuck,” Rocket muttered. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”
“But what a way to go,” she sassed back.
“True. Come on. Let me show you my house.”
'Tis the Season for Romance Page 48