As she drove back toward Seaside, Jenna’s stomach began doing flips again. She was beyond nervous about her date with Pete that evening. If their kiss was any indication, she wasn’t sure she’d make it two minutes alone with him without climbing across the console of his truck and kissing that glorious mouth of his. She bit her lower lip as heat rushed to her cheeks. She shot a look at Vera, sitting in the passenger seat, watching her, with a smile on her thin lips.
Vera smiled. “It’ll be fine, Jenna. Remember, this is bigger than you. Just let yourself go and follow your heart.”
That’s what she was afraid of. Her heart had been soaking in thoughts of Pete for so many years that she thought she might drown.
Chapter Ten
PETE DIDN’T USUALLY think a lot about first dates, because he rarely let them lead to much else, but there was no denying that he was nervous about his date with Jenna. He was full of should I’s: Should I kiss her right away? Should I bring her flowers? Should I hold her in my arms when I want to? Forget it. He was definitely going to kiss her. He was not going to bring her something as frivolous as flowers, and he was going to hold her every chance he got. He wondered if Jenna was as nervous as he was. He imagined her suffering over what she’d wear, pulling out nearly every outfit in her organized closet, and he laughed under his breath.
Normally, Pete would take a woman on a first date to a restaurant. A little conversation, a drink or two to ease the nerves, and he’d figure out the rest from there. But after their kiss—that amazing, rock-his-world-off-kilter kiss—he couldn’t imagine sitting still in a restaurant, and taking her to his place for dinner was completely out of the question. He’d want to carry her to the bedroom the second they went inside.
His thoughts returned to their kiss. He’d felt guilty kissing Jenna when she’d gone on the boat with another guy, but when she tugged him back after he tried to do the right thing, he was powerless to stop the pull between them. When she looked at him with her big blue eyes full of want, need, and the slightest hint of disbelief, she caused a crack right down the center of his good intentions, and she stepped inside and stuck like glue.
Pete grabbed his keys from the counter and opened the door. Joey wagged her tail beside him. Joey loved going for rides in the truck, and she went nearly everywhere with Pete, but he couldn’t very well show up on their first date with Joey in tow. Joey’s tongue hung from her mouth as she sat patiently waiting to go on their next adventure. Pete crouched and loved her up, scratching her head behind her ears.
“Sorry, girl, but tonight you have to wait here.”
Joey barked, tugging at Pete’s heart. He couldn’t believe he felt guilty leaving a dog behind on a date.
“I’ll see you later, girl. Be good, and maybe I’ll bring you on the next date.” And he’d make darn sure there was a next date.
When Pete parked in Jenna’s driveway, he wasn’t surprised to see Bella and Amy scurrying out of her cottage like teenagers. He waved from his truck. He’d never dated a woman who didn’t try to impress him and act a certain way. Jenna and her friends had never pretended to be anything but their zany selves, and until now he hadn’t given that too much thought. He stepped from the truck and realized that it was one of the things he really liked about them all—and loved about Jenna.
He surveyed Jenna’s deck on his way to her door. He’d been on her deck hundreds of times over the years, but tonight he saw it all differently. The rocks that lined the railing had always been simply rocks. Now it struck him that these were rocks Jenna had chosen. Rocks that she’d seen something special in and refused to leave behind. He’d seen the picture of the ocean nailed to the balusters on the far side of her deck so many times he’d forgotten it was there. Now he saw the beauty of it and imagined Jenna taking great care as she chose the driftwood as her canvas and spent afternoons painting the peaceful scene. His eyes swept across the deck to the basket of neatly organized flip-flops. Everyone at Seaside knew of Jenna’s OCD tendencies, and as it had with the rocks, tonight his mind processed the information differently. He pictured her organizing the flip-flops with her brows drawn together, focusing on each color, lining them up, setting them neatly in the basket, then bouncing to her feet with the same wide smile he saw on her face now, as he approached the screen door and found her standing inside, watching him, with her palms pressed against the screen.
She sizzled in a white halter dress with flecks of blue and green that accentuated her small waist and revealed the swell of her cleavage. She was so beautiful that Pete was momentarily struck mute. His gaze didn’t remain on her enticing figure. It traveled north, drawn to the anticipation in her eyes. It felt natural to press his palms to hers and hold her gaze. She dropped her eyes to their hands, and her cheeks pinked up in a way he’d come to expect—and love.
JENNA HAD ANTICIPATED this moment for so long that she hadn’t been able to sit still as she waited for Pete to reach the door. He looked soulful as he assessed her deck with serious eyes. She wondered what he thought of her crazy rock collection, and she suddenly realized that he knew all of her quirks. He’d hung the shelves in her closets and teased her about the way she color-coded her clothing and organized her shoes by heel height and color. And you still asked me out. He must be a glutton for punishment.
His hands were twice the size of hers. His palms were warm, pressed against hers through the screen. She couldn’t stop herself from raising her eyes to his chest and staring at the space between the open buttons of his white button-down shirt. She’d seen his chest a million times, but somehow seeing just that patch of skin made her go all tingly inside. He was smokin’ hot in a pair of snug-fitting jeans, faded at the thighs, with his untucked shirt and rolled sleeves. Casually sexy, like he’d strolled out of a Hugo Boss commercial.
“Hey there.” Gone was the demanding need that his voice held on the boat. His tone was soft once again, warm and inviting—and she was ready to walk right in.
“Hi.”
“You look amazing.” He held her gaze.
Jenna had worried over her outfit for almost two hours, trying on nearly everything she owned. Amy and Bella had made the final decision. Sexy, flirty, fun, was how they described her above-the-knee dress that showed too much cleavage. Even so, Pete didn’t stare at her boobs, and that made her feel more comfortable. The way he was looking at her, like he wanted to climb through the screen and…hold her hand, made her feel even more confident. She worried that he’d be all about sex after their earth-shattering kiss and his whispered promises of erotic, sensual sex and begging for more. She couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to be with him without the barrier of their clothing, but if she’d seen that look in his eyes, she would have worried that he wasn’t into her, but rather into sex with her. She wanted both.
“Thank you,” she finally managed.