It surprised her when he didn’t let go of her hand as they headed down the dock. They were walking like two teens out for a picnic. She was fairly certain that at no point during their dating relationship had they held hands like this. It felt weird. It felt good. Maybe they were entering the nostalgia phase of Chance’s breakup schedule.
When she was a teenager, there had been no budding romance with innocent hand-holding and a few stolen kisses. There had been a part-time job at the diner, school, and of course, her super-strict father. It wasn’t until she turned eighteen and her mother took her to Nashville on a hope and a prayer that Jolene had even started dating.
The thought of her mother made her feel even more nostalgic. “I’m sorry I never introduced you to my mother,” she said. “I’m not sure why I never did. But I know she would like you. Lord knows it would be good for her to see a man treating a woman decent.”
“I don’t know that I was all that decent,” he said. “I was kind of a prick to you, for which I’m sorry.” He stopped at the edge of the dock and turned to her.
It was a much more sincere apology than his earlier one. Yet she felt the urge to laugh. As if she’d fallen into an engagement photo shoot. It was so ridiculous and so not them. “Stop looking at me like that,” she said, pursing her lips so she didn’t bust out with a chortle. “It’s like being in a Nicholas Sparks movie or something, and it’s strange. I appreciate the apology, but we need to act like Jolene and Chance, not a couple of kids with cancer in love.”
His expression froze in shock before he started laughing. “You are not even right. What the hell, JoJo?”
“I can’t help it. We don’t do melancholy well. It isn’t us.” He had looked like he was about to take a knee, and it just all seemed too much. “We’re both sorry. I don’t think we need to mope around the lake for two weeks. I’m officially shaking it off.”
“Okay, Taylor Swift.” He rolled his eyes. “If someone offered to pay me five million dollars to predict what the hell you’ll say next, I’d be mourning the loss of that money, because you are not predictable.”
“No woman should be predictable.” She winked at him. “Then you’d lose interest.”
“You’re wrong.” He leaned in close and gently tugged her earlobe between his teeth. “I’ll never lose interest.”
Jolene shivered, his words having an instant reaction on her body. She felt a tug deep inside and took a step back, determined not to read any more meaning into his words than the obvious—he wanted her physically, right here, right now. Nothing more, nothing less. “Then follow me, and I’ll show you how fascinating I can be.”
Chapter 10
Once they were back inside the cabin, Jolene peeled her shirt off and let it drop to the floor. Chance slowly nodded.
“You’re right,” he said. “I find that infinitely fascinating.”
She’d be lying if she said that wasn’t satisfying. Chance looked mesmerized. Hell, he looked like a thirsty dog in the desert, eyeing water on the horizon. “Dog” being the operative word. “I’m going to walk into the bedroom, and you can choose to follow me or not.”
He’d never been one for following. Which was why it didn’t totally surprise her when she was only halfway through her pivot and he scooped her up into his arms with a bear growl. “Well, hello,” she said, amused.
“Don’t hello me, you little flirt.”
“I beg your pardon?” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she snuggled up against him, making sure her breasts pressed against his firm chest. Running her fingers through his dark hair, she tugged a little, just because she could. She felt lighter emotionally than she had since their breakup. Okay, so she didn’t feel lighter physically, but she didn’t give a care. It felt great to be with Chance and not have a bunch of negative feelings weighing her down. She wanted to laugh, to tease, to flirt, to make love to him. To write an album and look back on their relationship with fondness, not hurt, not anger.
So, yeah, she was flirting. What of it?
“You’ve always known just how to drive me wild, JoJo.”
Jolene stroked his hair, entwining the strands around her fingers. “You’re not exactly like cracking the da Vinci code. Your needs and wants are not a great mystery.”
“Can you guess what I need right now?” He carried her into the bedroom and settled her on the edge of the bed. “I’ll give you three chances.”
One Chance was just about all she could handle. The pun amused her and she shifted onto her knees. She gave him a sly smile. “Would you like me to demonstrate?”
“Sure. I’ll let you know if you’ve guessed right or wrong.”
“I have every confidence you’ll be pleased.” She was in just her bra and denim shorts, and the way he was looking at her, she felt sexy and appreciated. Reaching out, she popped the button on his jeans.
He pulled his shirt off by the back of the neck and flung it onto the floor. That barely gave her pause before she took his zipper down with tantalizing slowness.
“You know what would please me?” he asked.
“What?”