On The Edge by Jamie Hill

much concern about her appearance. Most women ran off to check themselves in the mirror every so often, but she didn't seem to care. He liked that about her.
    There were other things he liked, some obvious, some he couldn't quite put his finger on. She was different. Something about her tugged at him like no one ever had before. I don't want simple. I want Joss .
    Running a finger over her toes, he said, “I think we should go back to my place. You need to rest.”
    She scooted down in her chair so he had better access to her foot. “That feels good. More, please.”
    “Want me to rub your feet?” He drew his finger behind the toes, causing them to curl.
    “To begin with. Then maybe you could rub a few other places.”
    He traced an imaginary line down the arch of her foot. “That might be arranged. If you're up to it.”
    Joss wiggled her toes. “How about you? Are you up to it?”
    He grinned, pressing small kisses to the tip of each toe. “I'll definitely be up to it. But we need to leave. I'm not doing anything here.”
    “I thought you planned to stay here tonight. Didn't you say—?”
    “I know what I said,” he cut her off, suddenly very interested in her wiggling toes and the effect they were having on him. He nuzzled each little digit, smoothing a finger over the neatly painted pink nails. Her smallest toe was so tiny he couldn't resist, and sucked it into his mouth.
    Her foot quivered, and Joss groaned. The sensuous action obviously had the same effect on her as it did on him.
    He suckled the toe for a moment, then released it. “I know what I told you, but I changed my mind. We'll go back to my place tonight. I don't want to leave you alone.”
    “I don't want to be alone.” She gazed into his eyes. “I want to be with you, Jake. I don't care where we are. When you wrap me in your arms, you take me to a whole new place. A place I've only been to with you.”
    He kissed her curved instep, watched her foot flex to his ministrations. “Feels a little like burying your head in the sand, doesn't it? We can't ignore real life forever.”
    “Is this place for real?” She glanced around. “I didn't know my father, and so far, I haven't discovered anything here that has me mourning his loss. This house is totally strange.”
    “I'd tend to agree. However, I think you need to uncover everything you can before you form opinions.” He nipped at the soft pad of flesh before her heel, and she jumped. “But not tonight. Tonight, we can bury our heads in the sand—or somewhere equally warm and inviting—for a while longer.”
    Joss groaned and flopped back into her chair. “Don't make me move. I'm comfortable right here. Besides, if you keep doing that thing with my foot, I won't be able to walk. My knees are already wobbly.”
    He lowered her foot and stood up. Offering a hand to help her to her feet, he said, “Let's go. We can be at my place in a few minutes.”
    “Not soon enough,” she grumbled, but allowed him to pull her up. He guided her by the waist, stopping only for her shoes and purse before he ushered her out the door.
     
    * * * *
     
    Jake held the fluffy bath towel out, wrapping it around Joss as she climbed from the tub. His house was modern, but he was a sucker for the big, old claw-footed tub, roomy enough for two. When he discovered it at an estate sale, he'd snapped it up and installed it himself.
    Not that he'd had much opportunity to put it to good use. His last few relationships were brief and to the point. Sex, shared meals, some socializing. He hadn't spent a lot of time lounging in the tub with any of his recent love interests.
    Joss, now she was someone he could lounge with. He envisioned long soaks with her after work, sipping wine, unwinding, talking about their days. It sounded just about perfect.
    They'd both enjoyed the thirty minute bath they'd shared, followed by the most intense round of sex he'd ever experienced in peach-scented bubbles.
    He ran one finger over a