“What did you say?”
“ I love you, Jules. I don’t see a reason to pretend I don’t.”
He took another bite of pizza and watched the show. He said it as if it was no big deal.
“ Listen, Vince…”
He looked at her again. “I am not asking you to do anything about those feelings. I just thought I should tell you right off.” He gave her a quick kiss. “So, are you an NCIS fan?”
She glanced at the TV then back at him. Suddenly, her heart felt lighter, her outlook cleared.
“ Yeah. I have a bit of a crush on Gibbs.”
He gave her a wink. “Of course you do. He’s a Marine.”
She laughed. “You are full of yourself.”
“ How can I not be? I have NCIS to watch, a pretty girl, pizza and an ugly dog. Pretty good night if you ask me.”
She grabbed up her pizza and snuggled up against him. Vince was right. A pretty damned fine night.
Chapter Eight
A month later, Jules was still in a haze of happiness. There were moments she thought it was all a dream. She had never been this happy with anyone in her life.
“ Why do I have to plant it?” Vince asked as she watched him pummel an impatient. They were in his backyard. Although there was still work to be done, the yard and flowerbeds were starting to look almost manageable. She had insisted that he help her with it because it had been fun to do. Until now. If he massacred any more flowers, she might have to hit him.
“ Stop abusing the flower. And you have to do it because you’ll value it more if you do it with your own hands.”
He snorted and she had to fight a smile. He’d been bitching since she’d dragged him out into the backyard earlier. His idea had been to stay in bed and make love. Again. It had been tempting, but they needed to spend time out of bed. Although, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with a reason why.
“ What’s next?”
She glanced at the flower. It was barely alive, but at least he’d done the work. And he looked so damned hot doing it. He was wearing a pair of faded, holey jeans and no shirt. It was enough to make a girl lose her head.
“ Jules?”
“ Oh, sorry. They need water. Let me get the hose.”
Not that they would survive his abuse, she thought, feeling safe to smile. She turned on the water and headed back to the flowerbed.
She had her head down and was messing with the nozzle. “What’s wrong with this thing? You need a new one.”
“ I don’t need a new one. This one works just fine.”
He stepped in front of her and reached for the hose. She finally got it to work. The hard spray of water hit him smack in the chest. She didn’t say anything for a moment or two. Then she started chuckling.
“ I’m sorry.”
He cocked his head to the side and frowned at her. “That’s funny. You don’t sound sorry.”
The gleam in his eyes warned her he was after payback. She dropped the hose and ran, squealing. He chased her up the steps and into the house. She barely got in the door when he grabbed her. He slammed the door shut and crowded her up against it.
“ Think you’re funny, do you?”
She was giggling when she shook her head. “It was an accident.”
“ Yeah?”
She nodded, and another bubble of laughter escaped. He was frowning at her one instant, then the look changed. His eyes heated.
“ Jules,” he whispered. She barely heard it, but she felt it. He smoothed his hand over her face, brushing her hair out of her face. “I love you.”
For him, it was that simple. He loved her and it was all he needed. In that instant she knew she didn’t have to hide her feelings.
“ I love you, Vince.”
He crushed his mouth against hers. Saying the words freed her, and in that one moment, it was just the two of them. Vince pressed his body against hers and she felt his arousal. Her need soared.
“ Now, I have to have you now, Jules.”
The words thrilled her. The dark, dangerous voice had her head spinning.
I did this . That was all she could think. He tugged off
“ I love you, Jules. I don’t see a reason to pretend I don’t.”
He took another bite of pizza and watched the show. He said it as if it was no big deal.
“ Listen, Vince…”
He looked at her again. “I am not asking you to do anything about those feelings. I just thought I should tell you right off.” He gave her a quick kiss. “So, are you an NCIS fan?”
She glanced at the TV then back at him. Suddenly, her heart felt lighter, her outlook cleared.
“ Yeah. I have a bit of a crush on Gibbs.”
He gave her a wink. “Of course you do. He’s a Marine.”
She laughed. “You are full of yourself.”
“ How can I not be? I have NCIS to watch, a pretty girl, pizza and an ugly dog. Pretty good night if you ask me.”
She grabbed up her pizza and snuggled up against him. Vince was right. A pretty damned fine night.
Chapter Eight
A month later, Jules was still in a haze of happiness. There were moments she thought it was all a dream. She had never been this happy with anyone in her life.
“ Why do I have to plant it?” Vince asked as she watched him pummel an impatient. They were in his backyard. Although there was still work to be done, the yard and flowerbeds were starting to look almost manageable. She had insisted that he help her with it because it had been fun to do. Until now. If he massacred any more flowers, she might have to hit him.
“ Stop abusing the flower. And you have to do it because you’ll value it more if you do it with your own hands.”
He snorted and she had to fight a smile. He’d been bitching since she’d dragged him out into the backyard earlier. His idea had been to stay in bed and make love. Again. It had been tempting, but they needed to spend time out of bed. Although, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with a reason why.
“ What’s next?”
She glanced at the flower. It was barely alive, but at least he’d done the work. And he looked so damned hot doing it. He was wearing a pair of faded, holey jeans and no shirt. It was enough to make a girl lose her head.
“ Jules?”
“ Oh, sorry. They need water. Let me get the hose.”
Not that they would survive his abuse, she thought, feeling safe to smile. She turned on the water and headed back to the flowerbed.
She had her head down and was messing with the nozzle. “What’s wrong with this thing? You need a new one.”
“ I don’t need a new one. This one works just fine.”
He stepped in front of her and reached for the hose. She finally got it to work. The hard spray of water hit him smack in the chest. She didn’t say anything for a moment or two. Then she started chuckling.
“ I’m sorry.”
He cocked his head to the side and frowned at her. “That’s funny. You don’t sound sorry.”
The gleam in his eyes warned her he was after payback. She dropped the hose and ran, squealing. He chased her up the steps and into the house. She barely got in the door when he grabbed her. He slammed the door shut and crowded her up against it.
“ Think you’re funny, do you?”
She was giggling when she shook her head. “It was an accident.”
“ Yeah?”
She nodded, and another bubble of laughter escaped. He was frowning at her one instant, then the look changed. His eyes heated.
“ Jules,” he whispered. She barely heard it, but she felt it. He smoothed his hand over her face, brushing her hair out of her face. “I love you.”
For him, it was that simple. He loved her and it was all he needed. In that instant she knew she didn’t have to hide her feelings.
“ I love you, Vince.”
He crushed his mouth against hers. Saying the words freed her, and in that one moment, it was just the two of them. Vince pressed his body against hers and she felt his arousal. Her need soared.
“ Now, I have to have you now, Jules.”
The words thrilled her. The dark, dangerous voice had her head spinning.
I did this . That was all she could think. He tugged off
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