was covered by her shirt. But she was still gazing at him with those huge, crystal-blue eyes…
“Look, let’s slow things down a bit,” he said, the blood still throbbing in his brain. “I’d like to get to know you better.”
She knotted her shirt around her waist and her eyes narrowed speculatively, as if she was trying to figure out his game.
“You want to get to know me.” She sounded like she thought it was a joke.
“Yes,” Jake managed. He was still fighting the urge to kiss her senseless, to take what she was offering and the hell with the consequences. But he forced himself to slow down. “I don’t know anything about you,” he managed. “You know, normal things like where are you from? Do you have any siblings? What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? And most of all, why did you agree to come out?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?” It was his turn to be baffled.
“This.” She waved a hand, gesturing toward the picnic, the blanket, the ocean. “The whole romantic setup. I get it. It’s your style, the whole seduction scene. But let’s be real. You are a serial dater, never serious with any girl. And we have this…attraction between us.”
“And?”
“I don’t need the roses, the beachside picnic. I think we both know what we want to get out of this. So why pretend?”
Her eyes seemed to look right through him and her meaning was clear. She wanted a fuck buddy. That was all.
Most guys would have been thrilled at the prospect. Beautiful girl. Hot sex. No strings attached. He felt as though he were in a poker game, and his hand had been called by a much more knowledgeable player.
He decided to put his cards on the table. At least some of them. “Look, one-night stands are a dime a dozen. Either one of us could go out to a bar right now, pick somebody out, and satisfy our sexual needs. That’s not what I want. I don’t think it’s what you want, either. You are worth so much more than that. I want to get to know the real Nikki Case.”
“Why am I having such a hard time believing that?” Her arms were crossed and she looked him up and down appraisingly.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. He was surprised himself. But it was true. He continued from the heart. “From where I stand, I think you are one hell of a woman. You intrigue me, and not just on a physical level. Is that so hard to accept?”
That seemed to set her back on her heels. For a moment she looked flustered as she considered his words. Apparently, it
was
hard for her to believe.
Jake took a seat on the checkered tablecloth and extended his hand, inviting her. Dubiously, she joined him, and he poured her some wine.
“Peace offering?” He extended the glass.
She accepted the wine, her fingers brushing his, making him fully aware that he had let her go when he had her right where he wanted her. He could tell that she was trying to make sense of it all. His body still sent conquering signals, but he vowed to stay firm.
Even if it killed him in the meantime.
“So where are you from?” He managed to sound conversational.
“South Jersey.” She did a little eye roll, as if struggling to digest the fact that they were going to talk. “I currently live in Marlton.”
“I know where that is. Just outside Cherry Hill. Any siblings?”
“One sister. You’d like her—she’s not at all like me. Blond and beautiful, and a whole lot more fun.”
He refilled her cup, and then topped off his own. “For the record, I don’t prefer blondes.” That got him a smile. “So how did you wind up here?”
“When my marriage fell apart, I got a job in public relations. I used to have a pet shop, but found out my ex hadn’t paid the taxes so I couldn’t keep it. This kind of work pays a lot more.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. About your marriage, I mean.” He saw the shadow of pain in her eyes. Up close, the color was even more fascinating, sort of a
“Look, let’s slow things down a bit,” he said, the blood still throbbing in his brain. “I’d like to get to know you better.”
She knotted her shirt around her waist and her eyes narrowed speculatively, as if she was trying to figure out his game.
“You want to get to know me.” She sounded like she thought it was a joke.
“Yes,” Jake managed. He was still fighting the urge to kiss her senseless, to take what she was offering and the hell with the consequences. But he forced himself to slow down. “I don’t know anything about you,” he managed. “You know, normal things like where are you from? Do you have any siblings? What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? And most of all, why did you agree to come out?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?” It was his turn to be baffled.
“This.” She waved a hand, gesturing toward the picnic, the blanket, the ocean. “The whole romantic setup. I get it. It’s your style, the whole seduction scene. But let’s be real. You are a serial dater, never serious with any girl. And we have this…attraction between us.”
“And?”
“I don’t need the roses, the beachside picnic. I think we both know what we want to get out of this. So why pretend?”
Her eyes seemed to look right through him and her meaning was clear. She wanted a fuck buddy. That was all.
Most guys would have been thrilled at the prospect. Beautiful girl. Hot sex. No strings attached. He felt as though he were in a poker game, and his hand had been called by a much more knowledgeable player.
He decided to put his cards on the table. At least some of them. “Look, one-night stands are a dime a dozen. Either one of us could go out to a bar right now, pick somebody out, and satisfy our sexual needs. That’s not what I want. I don’t think it’s what you want, either. You are worth so much more than that. I want to get to know the real Nikki Case.”
“Why am I having such a hard time believing that?” Her arms were crossed and she looked him up and down appraisingly.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. He was surprised himself. But it was true. He continued from the heart. “From where I stand, I think you are one hell of a woman. You intrigue me, and not just on a physical level. Is that so hard to accept?”
That seemed to set her back on her heels. For a moment she looked flustered as she considered his words. Apparently, it
was
hard for her to believe.
Jake took a seat on the checkered tablecloth and extended his hand, inviting her. Dubiously, she joined him, and he poured her some wine.
“Peace offering?” He extended the glass.
She accepted the wine, her fingers brushing his, making him fully aware that he had let her go when he had her right where he wanted her. He could tell that she was trying to make sense of it all. His body still sent conquering signals, but he vowed to stay firm.
Even if it killed him in the meantime.
“So where are you from?” He managed to sound conversational.
“South Jersey.” She did a little eye roll, as if struggling to digest the fact that they were going to talk. “I currently live in Marlton.”
“I know where that is. Just outside Cherry Hill. Any siblings?”
“One sister. You’d like her—she’s not at all like me. Blond and beautiful, and a whole lot more fun.”
He refilled her cup, and then topped off his own. “For the record, I don’t prefer blondes.” That got him a smile. “So how did you wind up here?”
“When my marriage fell apart, I got a job in public relations. I used to have a pet shop, but found out my ex hadn’t paid the taxes so I couldn’t keep it. This kind of work pays a lot more.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. About your marriage, I mean.” He saw the shadow of pain in her eyes. Up close, the color was even more fascinating, sort of a
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