Groomless - Part 1 (18 page)

Britt laughed so loudly that she snorted, then covered her mouth with her hand in belated embarrassment. By the time they got to dessert, they had decided to share the sampler. While she waited for another margarita, Jack excused himself to go to the restroom.

“Are you ditching me?” She asked flatly. “Because that’s been happening to me a lot tonight.”

“No worries,” He said with a wink. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched him walk away and had to admit she enjoyed the view. His wrinkled button down clung nicely to broad shoulders and his jeans hugged narrow hips. Britt thought idly that if he ditched her, she’d really miss him. This was easily the most fun she’d ever had on a date, even if it wasn’t a conventional date. He was smart and funny and sexy as hell. She gulped down half a glass of water just to try to cool herself down and get her mind out of the gutter.

Although to be fair, her mind wasn’t in the gutter so much as it was peeling off his shirt. She thought he’d look amazing with his shirt off, lean and cut. He had long elegant fingers but his wrists were manly and thick. She’d never had a thing for wrists, or guitarists, but she most definitely had a thing for Jack the margarita rescuer. She wondered if he sent drinks to women often and how many of them took him up on it. Switching back to her glass of wine, she decided firmly that she didn’t care. Because tonight, he was with her. If he ever decided to come back to the table where she was waiting not so patiently for him.

Oh Jack
, she thought,
I’d be thrilled if you’d introduce me to blues guitar and teach me how beautiful I am
.
In fact, I’d be thrilled if you offered to teach me to make balloon animals and told me I looked like Jeff Goldblum as long as you were wearing those tight jeans and had that bedroom smile turned on me.

Chapter 4

Britt laughed at her train of thought and made herself look out at the water instead of watching the doorway into the bar to see if he was coming yet. When she checked the time on her phone in what she hoped was a casual manner it had only been three minutes. She was panicked over nothing. The man went to the restroom. He’d be back. They’d share dessert. They might even share more than dessert if Britt had her way.

The desserts arrived before he returned and he found her halfway through the cheesecake.

“What? It had chocolate on it. You weren’t here. That practically screams ‘go ahead and eat the best one without me’.” She said and he grinned.

Jack had one hell of a grin. It was almost, nearly as appealing as his ass was in his faded jeans. She smiled back. For the first time in her life, she understood the expression about undressing someone with your eyes, because she totally was. He was talking about desserts and about a rustic ricotta cheesecake with lemon that he had once. She was staring openly, possibly ogling. In her mind, she unbuttoned his shirt very slowly, savoring the sliver of tanned muscled chest revealed by each slow sweet button. Then, in her mind, she licked her way down his chest. She was pretty sure that kind of behavior was frowned upon in Tamarind so she kept the idea to herself. For the moment anyway.

They finished off the dessert sampler and she asked for the check. The waiter shook his head.

“We are aware of the—predicament in which you found yourself. There will be no charge for your meal. Tamarind wishes you the best and hopefully you will be our guest again in the future.” The server said neatly.

Surprised, she nodded.

“Thank you so much. The meal was lovely, really. And the margaritas kicked ass.” She said and then pressed her lips together in dismay, fairly certain she’d said something inappropriate.

Britt left a big tip and stood, holding out her hand to Jack.

“Thank you for joining me. Because of you, this was a much better evening than I thought it would be.”

“It kicked ass.” He smirked.

“I’m pretty sure you’re making fun of me but I don’t much care right now.”

“I had fun, Britt.” He said. “I’m glad your guy acted like a douche. If he had been decent, I wouldn’t have met you.”

“You would’ve had to hit on some other woman at the restaurant.”

“I think it’s safe to say you’re a higher quality than the general run of women who get hit on.”

“You mean I’m not as hot as the general run of women who get hit on?”

“Not at all. I mean there’s more to you than that. You made me laugh, a lot. You’re smart and self-deprecating and that dress is practically a dirty movie.”

“Thanks. That’s not exactly what I was going for. I was going for elegant and a little sexy.”

“I think you ended up with extremely sexy and…what was the other part? I got stuck on sexy.”

“I don’t mind you getting stuck on sexy, Jack.” She said.

“You know, I’ve never slept with an accountant.” He remarked and she smiled slyly.

“We’re just as exciting in bed as we are at work on those spreadsheets.” She joked.

“Somehow I don’t think you’d be boring anywhere, Britt.” He said.

“So take me home.” She offered.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m super sure. Like six thousand percent sure.” She said, nodding enthusiastically.

“That’s a very high percentage for a person who does math for a living.”

“So you should take me seriously.”

“Okay.” He said.

“Did you drive?”

“I took a cab.”

“Then you can ride with me.”

“You’re not driving anywhere, slugger. We’ll get a cab.”

“Why?”

“Three margaritas.” He said. “I don’t want to die and I don’t think I have bail money if you have to take a breathalyzer test.”

“Fine.” She said. “We’ll take a cab.”

Jack led her out of the restaurant, taking her hand in his with assurance. He held up his arm and a cab swung to the curb and picked them up. She gave her address and held onto his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. She felt warm and loose, relaxed and happy. He had great biceps, firm under her fingertips and made her anticipation grow. They raced through the darkness, neon lights whizzing past the window in a blur. At her building, they stumbled out onto the pavement after he paid the cab. She managed to get her key in the lock on the fourth attempt and they crashed up the stairs, laughing and talking in stage whispers. At her door, he covered her hand with his, stopping her from turning the knob.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Six thousand percent, remember?”

“I just—don’t want to do anything you’ll regret in the morning when you’re sober.”

“I’m not drunk, Jack. I’m tipsy and I’m a little bit high on you—the hot stranger who bought me dinner.”

“I didn’t buy you dinner. Tamarind bought you dinner.”

“Right. You disappeared for ten minutes, then suddenly the waiter says we’re not being charged. I’m not so sure restaurants give a shit if I get dumped, particularly restaurants with thirty dollar margaritas.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Let’s just say you shouldn’t look for work as a spy if the band doesn’t work out.”

“Damn, I thought I was so subtle.” He said with a half-smile.

“Are you convinced of my cognitive ability to provide consent?”
     “Anyone who can say cognitive ability can’t be that wasted.” He said and followed her inside.

Britt flicked on the lights, briefly concerned that the place would be a mess. Immediately, she figured out that he wouldn’t care. Jack cupped her cheek in his hand with unexpected tenderness, stroked her cheekbone with his thumb, and brushed his lips against hers lightly, teasingly. Smiling, she stepped in closer to him, her keys clattering to the floor as she put her hands in his hair, pulling his face down to hers. He kicked the door shut and claimed her mouth. Jack’s shirt landed on the floor near her keys, and her shoes joined them. In a frenzy, they peeled off their clothes, parting their kiss only long enough to remove essential garments. He was a phenomenal kisser, his tongue darting sensuously into her mouth and withdrawing. She nearly sang with ecstasy, remembering for a second the way that Kevin used to just jam his tongue in her mouth and leave it there like its mere flaccid presence should thrill her. This man, on the contrary, knew what to do with his mouth, his hands driving her wild.

Even in her tipsy blur, Britt stopped. She took a good look at him, golden and lean, muscled in the right places. His black hair fell across his face, his breath coming fast. She ran her hands across the breadth of his shoulders, down his arms, savoring every line and curve of him. He caught her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. It was strikingly intimate, holding hands with him like this, feeling the warmth of his palm pressed flush against her own, their fingers knotted together. He raised their joined hands and kissed hers. Looking at their intertwined fingers, she blinked hard, unsure for a moment where she ended and he began. Breathless, she lifted her face to be kissed. She could kiss him forever, she thought, just sinking into the blaze he ignited in her.

Jack kissed her, never releasing her hands from his. She pulled him toward the bedroom but he stood stubbornly still, nipping at her lips and licking the roof of her mouth as she trembled. Britt pressed her chest against his, feeling his hardness against her stomach and rubbing against him. At last he dropped her hands and grasped her hips, dragging her against him so she could feel the fullness of his arousal. She made a humming sound in her throat without meaning to as the excitement rose to fever pitch. Mirroring him, she held his hips, her hands sliding around to grip the muscled curve of his ass. With a shiver, she imagined his thrusts, imagined digging her fingertips into his backside, urging him on as he drove into her, strong and relentless. His mouth was on her neck, blazing a path down between her breasts. He bent her back over his arm and took one nipple in his mouth, making quick work of reducing her to moans with his tongue and teeth.

Jack pulled her leg around his hips, his thigh pressing between her legs, rubbing against her needy wetness. Returning his mouth to hers, he tugged at her ponytail holder.

“I want your hair down.” He breathed and she nodded as he released her hair and it fell loose along her bare shoulders.

“I want you to take me to bed.” She insisted.

“What if that’s too far away?” He asked with a wicked grin.

Jack scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the couch. She sank into the soft cushions and held up her arms immediately, beckoning to him. She frowned when he left her there to rummage in his jeans. He came back with a condom and she was so excited she could hardly wait for him to put it on. Britt reached for him, eager, impatient.

“Please. Now.” She said, looking in his eyes and surprised by the intensity there, the focus.

“Not yet.” He said, rubbing his lips against hers teasingly. “We’ve got all night.”

End of sample.

Thanks for reading!

The rest is available to read here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGUNZE2

Addictive Collision

Part 1

by

Chrissy Peebles

Copyright © 2014 by Chrissy Peebles

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