worth a shot. Hell, anything was better than this pathetic display, he decided.
“Jamie.” He even loved the sound of her name on his lips. Man, what was this girl doing to him?
She moved quickly. Before he even had a chance to blink, she was at his side. “Yes?” Concern filled her eyes.
The look of pure, unfiltered sincerity in her champagne colored eyes caused a heavy ache to form deep in his chest. Damn, she was breaking his heart.
He knew women. He could sense immediately when they were being phony or trying to play games, and he hated it when they were.
The woman standing in front of him seemed incapable of that kind of trite manipulation. She seemed real. Open. Honest.
It was scaring the shit out of him.
She tilted her head, leaning slightly forward, waiting expectantly for him to say what he needed.
Her hair was pulled up and the smooth line of her neck drew him as if it were magnet and his lips were made of metal. They tingled at the sight of it. He wanted to kiss every inch of her supple skin starting right below her ear working his way down to her collarbone, running his tongue slowly up and down, lightly nibbling and sucking …
“Alex?” she interrupted his vampire-like fantasy, worry creasing her brow.
Get your head on straight, Sloan, he admonished himself. Focus.
He cleared his throat. “You know the night I was admitted?”
He waited, trying to gauge her reaction before he continued.
“Yes,” She said as her face relaxed for a moment before she bit her bottom lip nervously.
She probably had no idea what that small, innocent gesture did to him. How seductive it was. He had to actively suppress a growl.
“Did we talk?” he managed to ask.
She crossed her arms and smiled slyly, “Yes.”
Oh! Okay, he thought to himself as he grinned widely, so it’s like that. That was fine by him, he was always up for a challenge. He liked that she wasn’t going to make this easy on him.
They stared at each other, neither speaking. In the last few moments, the dynamic between them seemed to have shifted drastically.
Alex no longer felt out of his depth. Maybe it was because, for the first time, he was driving the conversation. Or it could have been that, due to adrenaline or arousal, he was in less pain. Either way, the electricity between them was palpable.
He knew the ball was in his court so he asked, “What did we talk about?”
She shrugged faux-innocently, her eyes dancing with amusement, “Stuff.”
“Did I say anything interesting?” he asked, really enjoying this exchange.
“Yep.” She nodded her head up and down slowly, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.
“Really?”
“Oooh, yeah,” she happily confirmed.
“What did I say that was so interesting?”
“Well, I would say it’s a toss-up between the marriage proposal and declaring your undying love for her,” his brother’s voice came from the doorway.
“Jason!” he heard his sister-in-law Katie shriek.
“Sorry, my bad.” Jason’s tone sounded anything but apologetic. “It wasn’t undying love…just regular run-of-the-mill love.”
Jamie stood frozen for a moment before spinning around so fast Alex was surprised she didn’t land on her rear.
“Hi, I didn’t hear you guys come in, I’ll just get out of your way.” Her voice was about three octaves higher than it normally was as she quickly tried to make her escape.
“Sorry about him,” Katie said before Jamie was able to get to the door, “Jason is known for saying well…just…you know…just…saying…” She absently patted the arm that Jason currently had tightly wrapped around her waist.
“What everyone else is thinking,” Jason finished his wife’s thought.
“Jas!”
“What?” His brother looked back and forth between Jamie and Katie, a knowing half-smile played at his lips, “You know you were both thinking it.”
Katie shook her head but not before a small giggle escaped, “That’s not the point. And they
“Jamie.” He even loved the sound of her name on his lips. Man, what was this girl doing to him?
She moved quickly. Before he even had a chance to blink, she was at his side. “Yes?” Concern filled her eyes.
The look of pure, unfiltered sincerity in her champagne colored eyes caused a heavy ache to form deep in his chest. Damn, she was breaking his heart.
He knew women. He could sense immediately when they were being phony or trying to play games, and he hated it when they were.
The woman standing in front of him seemed incapable of that kind of trite manipulation. She seemed real. Open. Honest.
It was scaring the shit out of him.
She tilted her head, leaning slightly forward, waiting expectantly for him to say what he needed.
Her hair was pulled up and the smooth line of her neck drew him as if it were magnet and his lips were made of metal. They tingled at the sight of it. He wanted to kiss every inch of her supple skin starting right below her ear working his way down to her collarbone, running his tongue slowly up and down, lightly nibbling and sucking …
“Alex?” she interrupted his vampire-like fantasy, worry creasing her brow.
Get your head on straight, Sloan, he admonished himself. Focus.
He cleared his throat. “You know the night I was admitted?”
He waited, trying to gauge her reaction before he continued.
“Yes,” She said as her face relaxed for a moment before she bit her bottom lip nervously.
She probably had no idea what that small, innocent gesture did to him. How seductive it was. He had to actively suppress a growl.
“Did we talk?” he managed to ask.
She crossed her arms and smiled slyly, “Yes.”
Oh! Okay, he thought to himself as he grinned widely, so it’s like that. That was fine by him, he was always up for a challenge. He liked that she wasn’t going to make this easy on him.
They stared at each other, neither speaking. In the last few moments, the dynamic between them seemed to have shifted drastically.
Alex no longer felt out of his depth. Maybe it was because, for the first time, he was driving the conversation. Or it could have been that, due to adrenaline or arousal, he was in less pain. Either way, the electricity between them was palpable.
He knew the ball was in his court so he asked, “What did we talk about?”
She shrugged faux-innocently, her eyes dancing with amusement, “Stuff.”
“Did I say anything interesting?” he asked, really enjoying this exchange.
“Yep.” She nodded her head up and down slowly, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.
“Really?”
“Oooh, yeah,” she happily confirmed.
“What did I say that was so interesting?”
“Well, I would say it’s a toss-up between the marriage proposal and declaring your undying love for her,” his brother’s voice came from the doorway.
“Jason!” he heard his sister-in-law Katie shriek.
“Sorry, my bad.” Jason’s tone sounded anything but apologetic. “It wasn’t undying love…just regular run-of-the-mill love.”
Jamie stood frozen for a moment before spinning around so fast Alex was surprised she didn’t land on her rear.
“Hi, I didn’t hear you guys come in, I’ll just get out of your way.” Her voice was about three octaves higher than it normally was as she quickly tried to make her escape.
“Sorry about him,” Katie said before Jamie was able to get to the door, “Jason is known for saying well…just…you know…just…saying…” She absently patted the arm that Jason currently had tightly wrapped around her waist.
“What everyone else is thinking,” Jason finished his wife’s thought.
“Jas!”
“What?” His brother looked back and forth between Jamie and Katie, a knowing half-smile played at his lips, “You know you were both thinking it.”
Katie shook her head but not before a small giggle escaped, “That’s not the point. And they
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