His laughter vibrated in her chest, rumbly and sexy. “Hah! I doubt there’s much you can’t handle. I meant emotionally.”
She used the heels of her hands on his shoulders to lever herself upward. “Now you’re my emotional compass?”
He smiled, sort of rakish and smug. “You were worried about making out in a car, Em.”
Fair. “But I did it.”
“Total chore?”
She rolled her eyes with exaggeration, tucking her chin into her shoulder in a sudden bid to pull off the Dixie flirt. “Ugh. Horrendous. Couldn’t you tell?”
Cupping the back of her head, Jax pulled her tighter to him. “I’m saying this all wrong.”
“You’re not winning any wordsmith awards.”
“What if I said I wasn’t ready?”
What if? Or what if you’re just a gentleman? One of those nearly extinct beings that takes pity on a woman and her deprived libido, but wants nothing in return. “Right. Because I’m far more woman than a man like you can handle.”
“That might not be far off the mark. And some truth here, it’s been a long time for me. But what I meant was, I have no condoms, and seeing as you don’t make it a habit to make out in cars—”
“Jeeps.”
“Jeeps. I figured you wouldn’t have any on hand, either.”
Smart and Dreamy McSteamy. Did his perfection know no bounds? “You’re noble and wise.”
Now he growled, tightening his hold on her, the rigid line of his cock burning between her thighs. “Make no mistake, if I’d had that condom, I can’t promise you wouldn’t be naked with me buried inside you right now. All night long if I could manage it in such cramped quarters. I’m hornier than I think I’ve ever been for any woman, Emmaline Amos.”
Gulping. She was suddenly speechless and gulping. No one had ever used words like that with her before. They made her shaky—uncomfortable, but the good kind of uncomfortable.
Jax read her body language with ease. “No one’s ever said that to you before, have they?”
Everything became too much again. Too big, too loud, too honest. She began to pull away as reality set in.
But Jax wasn’t letting her off so easy; he drew her back in by flattening his palm on her butt. “Jesus. Okay then, I’ll be the first. You’re damn hot, damn irresistible, too.”
“I don’t know if irresistible is the right word. But I can tell you I’m not myself.” No. She sure wasn’t. One minute she was shy and all worship-y like he was some sex god, the next she was lusty and flirty like she was the sex goddess.
Jax’s eyes teased, but his words were direct. He curled a finger under her chin and nipped the corner of her mouth. “You want to run away and hide, don’t you?”
Yes. No. Yes. She couldn’t think when his mouth was near hers. “And never see you again.”
“That’s going to prove difficult, seeing as we work in the same office.”
She began grasping at straws, pulling away, straightening, putting back on her Em-face. “It’s only temporary. You’re not a permanent employee.”
“Neener, neener, neener.”
“What?”
“I’m making fun of your playground move. You know, pull my hair and run away?”
Em winced, her shoulders sagging. “Childish, right?”
He shrugged, his muscles rippling beneath her hands. “Defense mechanism. Totally understand. You feel exposed, vulnerable.”
Which reminded her... “I think I have to go home.”
“I think you’re going to overthink this when you get home.”
You bet she was. She was going to think so hard they’d see the smoke clear over in Johnsonville. “I think you’re right.”
“Damn. That means we’re going to be awkward at the office, doesn’t it? Avoid each other in the halls—suck in our stomachs so we don’t brush against each other when we’re in the kitchen?”
“You have to suck in your stomach? Preposterous.”
“Reactive. You know, make yourself small to avoid contact. So, is that where we’re headed?”
“Count on it.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I don’t think I can help it.”
“Try.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“I really have to go home.”
“Not until you promise not to be awkward at work.”
“We just had almost sex. Awkward is a given.”
“Not if you try. Don’t make me take your keys from you until you promise you’ll at least try not to be awkward.”
“Promise.”
He clucked his tongue and shook his head, but his eyes teased hers. “Lies.”
“Guilty.”
A sharp rap of knuckles on the Jeep’s window sent her into a heart-thumping panic. Em scrambled to push her dress down, horrified at the mere thought they’d been caught fooling around in a car.
Jeep, Emmaline. You said Jeep.
Yes, Mama. My Jeep. Tack on I’m messin’ around with a man I hardly know and every nosy crony in Plum Orchard’ll be sewin’ up scarlet letters to paste on my chest in no time.