Christmas With the Best Man (5 page)

“Ewww. Just ick.”
 

“‘B—she thinks I can do better. C—She thinks he’s just like my father.’”

She stared off into space. Joey was supposed to be the guy in question. Her mom had been happy with her dad. She’d love Joey if she’d ever met him, and he was nothing like her dad. At all. Not in the least.

Joey set the magazine on his lap. “This isn’t an essay question.”

“All right, all right.” She typed a letter.

“‘What’s your idea of the perfect partner? A—someone athletic, who loves the same kind of music, loves chick flicks and can cook something other than BBQ. B—Someone who loves and needs me. C—A hot bass player who writes sexy lyrics.’”

“It doesn’t say that.”

He laughed. “Okay, ‘someone intelligent who shares my ideals and goals.’”

She thought for a minute. She knew what she wanted to answer. She stole a glance at him, then typed in an answer.

“Last one. ‘Your partner might have to move for work.” He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah. You: A—end things right then. Long distance relationships never work. B—Start packing. Or C—Are happy for the career opportunity.’”

Jasmine almost dropped her phone. “Does it really ask that?”

He held out the magazine, but she didn’t even look at it.

“That’s not funny. This quiz is dumb.”

“What’s up? It’s a joke. Just pick a letter and we’ll see what result we get.”

She couldn’t even remember the choices so she typed a letter at random.

“Cool. Now, the first question was best friend. I picked C, hanging out after sex. Your answer?”

“I have a BFF. You should know that one.”

He went through the next question and answer, and onto the third. “Perfect partner?”

She clasped her phone to her chest. “You go first.”

“No, then you’ll just copy what I say.”

“I will not.”

“Okay, on the count of three we show our answers. One, two…three.”

Jasmine flipped her phone around and read the answer on his.
Bass player
. The same thing she’d typed. Her eyes widened. “No way!”

“What did you think I’d choose?”

She smirked. “You want a girlfriend who plays bass?”

He thought for a moment, then tossed down his phone. “This is a dumb game.”

“You made me play.” One thing still had her curiosity up.
 
“What’s your answer for the move for work one?”

“Like it matters? I move constantly for work. I’m home only a few months of the year. If we aren’t on the road, we’re recording. I wouldn’t ask you—any woman—to move in with me. I’m never there.” He was nearly shouting when he finished talking. He tossed the magazine aside and jumped up to pace.

“Hey, it was a dumb game, remember?” That question had pushed his buttons. He must have had a relationship go bad over his career. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s the point?” He raised a hand in the air, motioning randomly.

“What else is there to do? Come on, sit down.” She patted the bed beside her.

He sat, looking as stiff and uncomfortable as he could possibly be.

“I had a boyfriend in high school,” she said softly, not waiting for him to explain himself. “We dated in our junior and senior years. I assumed we’d get married when we graduated. A week before our last day of school, he told me he’d enlisted.”

“Lots of people get married in the military.”

She shrugged. “It wasn’t something he wanted. Long distance marriages and such. He was done. We were done.”

“That sucks. You’d think he’d have told you what he planned long before then.”

“I guess we were in the ‘hang out after sex’ category. Everyone we knew was, too. I just never thought about it before.”

“That must have hurt.”

“Yeah, for a while. Then I got over him.” She watched his face to see if he was going to discuss what had upset him.

He stroked the back of his hand down her sleeve. “I mean, I can see why he wanted sex with you, but you’ve got a great mind. He missed out on a lot not talking to you more.”

“You’re not just trying to make me feel better?” Here she was, trying to do the same for him.

“No. You, Kenzi, Bree, you’re all intelligent, beautiful women. The perfect mix.”

She chuckled. “Now I know you’re lying.”

“You can’t take a compliment, can you?”

“I get compliments all the time. I have no trouble accepting them.”

“But one from me…it makes you uncomfortable. Why?”

“You’re Chaz’s best friend.”

“Right…”

She shrugged. “You think I’m a pain in the ass.”

“Not all the time. Right now, however…”

“See? You never compliment me.”

“I should. You deserve to hear nice things every day.”

She turned her face away. “In that case I’m way behind schedule.”

“I can’t believe that.”

She didn’t speak. He was stabbing her in the heart, acting so nice, so sexy. His hand stroking her sleeve was putting her in a sensual haze. She’d better move. She’d better get up before she did something stupid.

Joey turned her head to face him. He moved close…so close. She could feel his breath on her lips.

Those lips. His tongue ran across them as she stared, and they remained parted.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away. She needed to taste them, feel the soft hot skin against her lips.

He made the move for her, his hand cupping the back of her neck, pulling her to him. Her heart fluttered, and heat burned low in her body.

The touch of his lips on hers was just like she’d imagine. Gentle, slowly building in passion as if needing her permission to take it further. She grasped his shoulders, leaning into him. She found his tongue with hers.

He groaned. His hand smoothed down her back, stroking, sliding lower to the hem of her sweater. Finding the skin above her jeans, he moved upward.

Jasmine couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped her. Her skin burned beneath his hand. She wanted more…so much more.

When he reached her bra strap, she arched, wishing he’d hurry. Praying he’d unhook her bra, take off her sweater. Touch her breasts.

A sudden chill hit as Joey jumped up. He bent his head, his hand on his neck, and paced more wildly than he had just a minute ago.

She longed to ask what was wrong, but he had shut down. He’d drawn back into his shell, that casual Joey without a care in the world. Without a friend in the world.

He kicked off his shoes and lay down on his blanket on the floor, rolling away from her.

Jasmine quietly put their phones on the table, set the magazines by the foot of the bed and stretch out on the mattress. Turning out the light, she lay in darkness and the weight of unanswered questions.

~*~

Joey lay awake most of the night, wishing he’d never come to Ireland. Chaz could have gotten one of the other guys to be his best man. It might not be the same, since the two of them had started the band and been best friends ever since. But Chaz would have gotten over it.

How was Joey to know he’d end up liking Jasmine so much? That was dangerous. Nothing good could come from it. He needed to keep his distance to preserve any chance of a friendship between them.

Chapter Five

When Jasmine began to stir, she had the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. She blinked her eyes to clear them, suddenly wide awake. She clutched the blanket to her chest.

Joey sat with the pillow propped behind his back, leaning against the wall.

Yawning, Jasmine said, “Let me guess. You were the kid who was up before the rest of the family, wanting to see what Santa brought.”

“Not really. I just couldn’t sleep.”

“You didn’t by any chance heat some water on the hotplate so I can have some coffee? I’m guessing the businesses are all closed this morning.”

“Did we buy instant coffee? We have some Cokes downstairs in the entry staying cool.” He rose. “Want one?”

“I guess, thanks.”

When he returned, he had some granola bars along with two cans of soda. Jasmine sat up and took the offered food.

Joey sat on the bed, scooted back to lean against the wall and took a drink.

Jasmine noticed he had a small bag in his hand, but didn’t question him. She preferred to wake slowly, which meant she had to rise an hour earlier than most people just to get to work on time. “So, what should we do today to pass the time until we go to Ned and Sue’s for dinner?”

“I only have one request. No stupid romance quizzes.”

She grinned. “That was your idea, if I recall.”

“Yeah, a stupid idea.”

Jasmine took another bite of her granola bar.

Joey handed her the small bag, which she recognized came from the flower and gift shop they’d gone to yesterday.

“What’s this?”

“Why don’t you open it and see?”

She set her Coke on the table and peered inside the bag. A shocking pink ball of wool sat at the bottom. She took it out. “Socks. And wow, that’s pink!”

“I hope they’re not too bright. We can probably exchange them if they are.”

She saw lines on his forehead. He was afraid she didn’t like his gift. He looked like a little boy in need of…something. “No, I love them.” Taking off the pair she had on, she put on the pink socks and wiggled her toes. The wool was so much softer than the store-bought socks she usually wore.

“Okay, if you’re sure. But like I said—”

“Joey, they’re perfect.” She leaned over and hugged him. She remained leaning against him, enjoying his warmth on her arm. “I didn’t get you anything, though.”

“That’s cool. I knew you missed your family, so I wanted to make you feel better.”

“It worked.” She peered up at him. His face was so close. She wouldn’t kiss him, though. That started too much trouble last night and left her confused and alone on the bed.

He didn’t share her qualms, apparently. He kissed her before she could pull away. Once their lips touched, nothing could tear her away.

Joey kissed her like a man who’d gone without for way too long. His hunger, his desire answered hers. The taste of him, the lingering scent of soap mixed with something she couldn’t name—something exclusively Joey—it combined to drive her over the edge.

Her entire body was in heightened awareness of everywhere they touched. Her breasts, crushed against his chest, swelled, ached for his touch.

She pulled away and pulled her sweater over her head. “I need more…”

He stood, tugging his t-shirt off by the back of the neck. She saw his abs first, all six revealed two at a time, her stomach tightening with each visible row. His pecs were just as hard as she’d noticed through the tank tops he wore so often. Just as defined as his shoulders and biceps.

She suddenly felt self-conscious about the comparison to her body. Like he’d said, she was soft. Not overweight, but not muscular. When he eased her back onto the mattress, she pulled him on top of her so he couldn’t see the pooch of her stomach.

He kissed her again, his hunger no less desperate. Each swipe of his tongue against hers drove her mad. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, tracing her jaw to nibble at her earlobe. She shivered when his breath hit her ear like a whisper.

He lifted himself on one arm and slid her bra strap down her arm. He moved so slowly, she wanted to tell him to hurry up and take her bra off.

Yet he teased her. With one fingertip, he pulled the cup down almost to the crest and kissed her breast. Using his tongue, he found her nipple.

She gasped. If he kept up this slow exploration, she was going to come before he had his jeans off. Or hers.

When he’d bared that breast, he moved to the other, not lingering. He rolled her in his arms and reached around to unhook her bra. He urged her to bring her leg across so she was sitting on him.

She felt his gaze roaming over her as if his hands were touching her. Her skin grew hot, especially when he reached the button on her jeans. Still, she waited.

His hands now touched everywhere he’d looked, the curve of her hips above the waist of her jeans, up over her ribs, and finally, her breasts. Her hips rocked, needing more pressure against her core, but she forced herself to trust Joey’s timing.

And his timing was so good. So leisurely, as if he had no goal in mind.

Her goal was pleading for release.

Joey pulled her shoulders toward him, bringing her breasts within reach of his tongue. His lips engulfed the tips, his teeth rasping against her hardened nipple. All her focus was there, on his teeth, his lips, and tongue…her skin.

Torture. Ecstasy.

He reached between them to unbutton her jeans. She shifted to rise and take them off.

“Slow down. Trust me. Let go of how you think it needs to happen.” His voice, so thick and gravelly, told her just how much he was enjoying this.