The Date Auction (15 page)

Eva didn't reply for a few minutes, so he assumed the answer would disappoint him.

To Eva:
i
guess not. Maybe you havent given me a 2nd thought. :(

To Jaime
:
Sorry, I got a call from my sister. To answer your question, I have thought about you several times. I miss your face.

Jaime missed her face too. He missed her hands, her hair, her legs, her elbows, her ankles—and her bum, as Harry would say. His overwhelming attraction to her made little sense to him. He had never been attracted to an older woman before; at least, not one who was old enough to be his mother. However, his own mother was almost ten years older than Eva, and that had to count for something. He wondered what his mother would think if she knew he was obsessing over a woman who was closer to being one of her peers than one of his.

To Eva:
have you reconsidered your standpoint on the whole 'lets just be friends' thing? or am I still screwed?

To Jaime:
I just found out who was going to be on the next season of dancing with the stars. They should really be embarrassed to call themselves stars.

To Eva:
are u avoiding my question? i dont want 2 b just friends. do you?

Her response was delayed, but it came in due time.

To Jaime:
I don't think I've ever been so attracted to one of my friends, so no. Not really.

When he read her reply, Jaime closed his eyes and filled his lungs with precious air. Her response was promising.

To Eva:
so will you go out with me again?

To Jaime:
My sister just asked me about you. She thinks I'm nuts, but she admitted you were cute.

He wondered if she was avoiding his question again, or if they had sent their messages at the same time. Either way, he needed an answer, so he sent another text.

To Eva:
so then, another date? id really love to see u again.

Jaime paused in the middle of composing his message, and his thumb hovered over “send.” He hoped he didn't sound too desperate.

To Jaime:
Sure. I don't see any harm in it. Are you doing anything tomorrow?

To Eva:
No. my tomorrow belongs to you. Where would you like to go? we can go anywhere you want.

As soon as he sent the message, he had an epiphany.

To Eva:
no, wait. I want to take you somewhere special. will u let me plan the date?

To Jaime:
yeah, go for it. This is our fourth date, by the way. Do you know what that means?

Jaime stared at her message for what felt like an eternity, but he had no idea what she meant. Four dates certainly sounded like a lot.

To Eva:
no. what's that mean?

To Jaime:
I don't think anyone goes on a fourth date unless they're thinking about having sex. Wouldn't you agree?

Jaime's eyes were bulging as he read and reread Eva's words. He wondered if someone had picked up her phone and sent a message as a joke, because it seemed too good to be true. It certainly sounded like she had changed her mind about “just remaining friends.”

To Eva:
I couldnt agree with you more.

* * *

When Eva answered the door in her little black dress, she was hoping to get a positive reaction from him. If his swelling eyes were any indication, Jamie liked what he saw.

“You look gorgeous.”

Eva shook her head. She was determined to believe Jamie's compliments couldn't be anything close to genuine. “I look like your mother.”

“You look
gorgeous
,” he insisted. “Absolutely stunning. And you look nothing like my mother.”

“Well... thank you for the compliment, Jamie.” Eva touched the ends of her golden brown hair, which she had taken the time to primp and curl. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone to such lengths to beautify herself. She must have known they were on the verge of a momentous day. “You don't look so bad yourself.”

“Really? I think I look pretty ragged in comparison to you.”

Eva shook her head at his preposterous statement. In truth, Jamie Thierry was the absolute epitome of perfection. For once, he had ventured away from his usual jeans and t-shirt. His sleek black pants, button-down shirt and black jacket had her salivating. His dark hair had been intentionally tousled. It was adorably messy, and yet, there wasn't a single hair out of place. She wanted to touch him, to run her hands through his heavenly hair and caress his chiseled cheekbones.

Later
, her mind whispered.
If you keep thinking thoughts like this, you'll never get to the theatre on time.

“Are you ready to go?”

She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “More than ready.”

“I'm assuming you've seen South Pacific before?”

“I have, but it's been a long time,” Eva said. “What about you? It doesn't seem like your kind of thing, to be honest.”

“It isn't my kind of thing. I'm taking you to the theatre because I'm trying to sweep you off your feet.”

“Oh... you are, are you?”

Jamie was grinning as he took her by the arm. “I am. Is it working?”

“Hmm. A little bit.” She looked down at her ballet flats and wiggled her toes. “But it looks like my feet are still on the ground.”

“Don't tempt me, woman. If you say something like that, I'm liable to lift you off the ground and sling you over my shoulder.”

“That sounds like caveman behavior.” Eva flashed a grin that was just as cheeky as his. “But I think I like it.”

They rode a taxi to the theatre, where they watched an impressive Broadway revival of South Pacific. Jamie fell asleep halfway through
Happy Talk
, so Eva had to give him a little nudge.

She whispered to him, “If I catch you sleeping again, I'll have to punish you.”

He was intrigued. “Oh, yeah? How would you punish me?”

“I'll have to spank you later.”

So Jamie immediately closed his eyes and pretended to snore, which earned him a playful pinch from the woman sitting beside him.

“Hey... no sleeping!” she whispered another playful warning. “Or I'm going to wash you right out of my hair!”

Her reference to the South Pacific song made his eyes fly open, and he watched the rest of the show with all the attentiveness he could muster. When it was over, Eva took him by the hand and led him to a taxi; it was assumed they would be returning to her apartment, which they did. As soon as they stepped inside, Jamie shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over a nearby chair.

When she saw him fumbling with his shirt's buttons, she had to chuckle. “Well, well... it looks like you're not wasting any time.”

“Of course not. I've been dreaming of this moment from the first day we met.” He peeled off his shirt, revealing his toned arms and perfect abdomen. “I just hope you weren't messing with me when you sent me that text. I really don't want to get cockblocked right now.”

“I wouldn't want to cockblock you either. Blue balls are a terrible thing, or so I've been told.” He was already unzipping his pants, which had her nervously nibbling her lip. “Are you sure you don't want to have a cup of coffee first?”

“No.” He was out of his pants in an instant. “Eva... come here.”

“Huh?” She didn't hear a word he said, not when she was too busy staring at his Calvin Klein boxer briefs. The way they hugged his thighs was just ridiculous.

“Come here,” Jamie demanded. When she was within range, he coaxed her to turn around. He found her dress' hidden zipper and glided it down her body. A few seconds later, the black garment was laying in a pile at her feet.

His eyes soaked in the sight of Eva Stanford in her underwear, which were black and lacy and begging to be touched. “You look amazing.”

“Oh, I'm sure you exaggerate.”

“Shush.” Jamie gently laid a finger across her lips. “Please, for once... just believe me when I say you're gorgeous.”

As soon as he removed his finger, she opened her mouth. “But I'm--”

“No buts,” Jamie interrupted. He knew she was going to remind him of their age gap, but it didn't matter. Not now. Not to him.

Eva wiggled her finger as she slipped into her bedroom, encouraging him to follow. When they were inside, she sat on the bed and motioned for him to join her. As soon as he was on the bed, Jamie's mouth found her neck, and his fingers caressed her shoulder.

Eva was fighting off a giggle. “That tickles.”

He ignored her. Very slowly, he peeled her bra strap away from her shoulder, which he promptly covered in kisses. He moved her hands to his chest, encouraging her to touch him, which she did. Her hands feverishly explored his body, from his neck to his torso. She ran her fingers along his sculpted abs, which were unlike anything she ever had the pleasure to touch.

Jamie unfastened her bra and urged her to lie down on the bed. With his finger hooked in a bra strap, he eased the garment away from her body. In one hand, he cupped one of her breasts, and his other hand toiled in her hair. When his mouth closed in on her nipple, she let out a sharp gasp of pleasure.
How can I let this happen?
Her mind screamed at her.
But it feels so right...

Before she knew it, Jamie was out of his boxer briefs and had slipped between her legs. His fingers were curled around the waistband of her panties, which he was tugging from her hips. He kissed every inch of her skin as he exposed it. Her hips. Her inner thighs. He could feel the heat emanating from between her legs; he could smell the musk of her arousal.

Eva's legs parted, granting him permission to do as he pleased. His tongue dove between her legs and dedicated itself to her pleasure. As his tongue dipped and probed, Eva had to clasp a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She didn't want her neighbors to know about her extracurricular activities.

After she climaxed, he laid beside her and trickled his fingers through her hair. “You taste wonderful,” he whispered.

“Mmmf.” After what she experienced, a muffled grunt was the only reply she could manage.

Jamie kissed her neck as he climbed on top of her. One of his hands slid beneath her, squeezing her bare bottom as he slid inside her. As he thrust in and out, his mind was swirling in ecstasy. Every inch of her curvaceous body was shuddering with pleasure, and when Jamie finally exploded, it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The anticipation of it had undoubtedly heightened his pleasure.

Eva's eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably as she tried to regain her sense of self. Jamie laid beside her, held her in his arms, and tickled her cheek with an index finger.

“That was
amazing,
” he whispered. Even with the added emphasis,
amazing
wasn't a word that could do justice to the moment.

“It was.”

His lips found her shoulder, which he kissed again and again and again. “
You
are amazing.”

“I know.” Her sarcastic response was accompanied by a grin. “It's a shame it took you so long to realize that.”

“Cheeky.” He gave her a playful tap on the cheek. “What am I going to do with you, Eva?”

“Well... I suppose you could have sex with me again.”

“I like the way you think.” Jamie started to roll on top of her again, but he hesitated. “Wait. Does this mean I'm your boyfriend now?”

Eva was tapping her chin as she considered his question. “I'm not so sure about that.”

“Okay... then I'm not your boyfriend? You're just using me for sex?”

Her reply was predictably facetious. “Maybe I am.”

“Maybe you are.” A playful scowl formed between his eyes as he studied her face. “Somehow, I'm okay with that.”

Then he coiled his arms around her waist and pulled her on top of him.

Chapter Seventeen

They were sitting on a couch in Cora's apartment, where she had made it her mission to demonstrate her video game prowess. They were playing one of Cora's favorites, which Harry claimed to be skilled at as well: Gears of War 3. Even though they were playing on the same team, the game had turned a bit competitive. Cora had killed several more locusts than Harry, and she wasn't afraid to rub it in.

“You need to get rid of your sawed off shotgun for a hammerburst, Harry.” She knew she sounded frustrated, but it was only because she kept offering the same advice over and over again, only for it to fall on deaf ears. He kept picking up the shotgun over and over again.

“I used to be better with the shotgun.
And
the torque bow.” Harry was starting to feel like a useless teammate, which had him pouting like a baby. “What do you think about the sniper rifle?”

“No, a sniper rifle is only good for certain situations. Trust me, a hammerburst is the way to go.” As she instructed him, she single-handedly ripped through an angry locust horde. “To be honest, you should really be using your lancer most of the time.”

He was tired of being shown up, so he switched his weapon and promptly shot a Lambent Locust in the head.

“I saw that. Good shot,” she commended him.

“Oh, now you're just patronizing me!” Harry whined. “You praise me for fighting
one
guy... meanwhile, you're taking on an entire swarm of tickers!”

One by one, Cora felled her enemies. It was all Harry could do to keep up with her pace. “You're really not so bad.”

“I
am
bad. But I
am
out of practice.” With an eyebrow raised, Harry suggested, “Maybe you're doing better than me because you're Marcus Fenix?”

“Oh, come on! Being the main character has nothing to do with it. It's not like Marcus has super-powered stats or anything. Dom is just as good.” Cora was shaking her head with disbelief. How dare he suggest her shooting skills had anything do with her character?

Cora was so into the game, she had almost forgotten a very important fact: she was playing video games with
Harry Shaw
. She never thought something like that could actually happen. It felt like a dream, and yet, he was sitting right next to her, occasionally shouting profanities at the enemy. It was like they were actually
friends
. Sure, he wasn't her boyfriend, but it wasn't as if she ever expected
that
to happen. For the moment, she was happy enough to have him as a friend. As long as he was a gorgeous celebrity and she was a plain nobody, Harry would only be her boyfriend in her deluded dreams.