“But everything is so crazy and—”
“Listen.” Reaching and gently taking her hands, he easily stilled all her frenetic movements, as if his touch alone made all the fight go out of her. Her eyes met his, glistening in the lamplight, and he was dismayed to think she might actually start to cry. So he didn’t mention it, pretended he didn’t even notice. “Next time, it’s just you and me. I want to take you out. Would you be up for that?”
“I’d love that,” she said softly. “But—”
No. No buts, no way. He wouldn’t let her talk herself out of it. “So let’s do it. Name a time and place. I’ll come get you. I don’t care if you want me to bust up in your workplace and carry you out over my shoulder, I’ll do it. In fact, I might do it anyway just to make a point.”
She laughed, such a beautiful sight, and he relaxed a bit. “Jared, I… Ugh.” Her shiny hair fell forward as she lowered her head and drew a deep breath. “Everything is so complicated.”
“So let’s figure it out.”
“It’s not that easy. You seem to wanna come in and slay my dragons, but…they’re mine. I’ve lived with them for a while now. We’re old friends.” Chuckling sadly, she looked back up at him. “I’m rambling like an idiot.”
“I’m the complication,” he said grimly.
“Yes.”
“I get it. We have baggage. Should we just lie down and let it crush us, though? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been doing that for a long damn time. After meeting you, I feel like shoving it off. If that makes any kind of sense.” Now he was rambling, and he didn’t really know where he was going, hadn’t thought much about the consequences of his words. She made some primal instinct come out in him, and maybe it was all about slaying her dragons, as she put it, but he didn’t think so.
Truth was, he was tired. So fucking tired. He’d lived for Macy, he’d lived for giving Shelly the best life he could, now he lived for his girls. And that was fine. He could keep doing that for Ashley and Mia. But what the hell was wrong with taking what he wanted for a change?
Right now, more than anything else, he wanted Starla.
“Tell me when,” he said, sliding his hands under her hair to gently lift her face. Her deep brown eyes searched his while her bottom lip trembled a little. It made him need to taste it again, but he restrained himself.
“Tomorrow.” The word tumbled instantly from her lips. He liked to think he heard an urgent promise behind it. “Seven. I can take an hour.”
Damn. Only an hour? “Pick you up at work?”
“Yes. Please don’t walk in and throw me over your shoulder, though.”
Laughing, he pulled her to him and hugged her, loving the way she seemed to melt into him as her arms went around him. “I’ll try not to.”
Chapter Ten
She tossed and turned that night. Ordinarily, she was a night owl, and since she didn’t have to be at work until two in the afternoon, she felt she had every right. After getting home from Jared’s, though, she’d been so wound up and so bored without any outlet for that nervous energy, she’d simply gone to bed. Of course, there’d also been Doug’s smirking face to avoid.
This coming week, she would begin the hunt for a new place to live. That decided, she felt better already. Too many times in her life she’d endured undue suffering for no real reason except not wanting to rock the boat.
Well, she was ready to rock it, and rock it hard. New home. Most likely, new job. New boyfriend? The possibility was like a delicious secret she was dying to share with someone, but she didn’t dare. No more oversharing. Not even Janelle would know where things went from here. Janelle knew enough of her secrets.
God help her, Jared’s mouth had been every bit as strong on her lips as she’d suspected they would be. Panty-dropping strong. No weak, mushy kisses here—how she detested those, almost as much as she detested when the guy acted like he was trying to eat her alive. So unsexy. Jared’s, though…slow, thorough, teasing, leaving her wanting more, leaving her to imagine what other devastating techniques he might master. She’d pulsed and throbbed and barely kept from embarrassing herself, from rocking her hips into him, letting him know exactly what she was thinking. Still, an unfulfilled ache lingered, a flower that had bloomed and promptly wilted at the sound of one little gleeful voice.