Page 15 of Grounds for Love

My chest puffs up. “Good.” I like that I’m the first. I thought I was prepared for having her in my arms, but I hadn’t even come close to imagining the sublime feeling of her body pressed against mine. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer.

I’m totally fucked.

I can tell the moment she feels how much I want her. She tips her head back and looks up at me with lust in her eyes. I see what she wants and I want it just as badly.

“How much have you had to drink?” I ask.

“I’m not drunk, cowboy,” she replies and I grin. She may not be drunk, but she is on her way.

“I’m not sure I believe you. I’m far from a cowboy and you didn’t say no when I asked you to dance with me.”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I guess I am a little bit tipsy. That’s my only excuse for accepting your offer to dance. That and Joy pinched me.”

That would explain the flash of discomfort I saw in her gaze before she placed her hand in mine.

Thank you, Joy.

“Ah, so you aren’t dancing with me because you want to.”

She looks up and our eyes meet again. “Oh, no. I want to dance with you. The problem is I want to do a lot more than dance and I shouldn’t want to do that.”

She rubs against me and my erection grows harder.

“And that’s a problem?” I growl in her ear.

She shudders in my arms. “It is. I haven’t wanted to dance with anyone in a long time.” She emphasizes the word.

“Are we talking about dancing or fuc—”

“Shush,” she says with a giggle as if someone could actually hear our conversation over the noise. She’s cute when she’s had her drink on.

“I want to enjoy this,” she says and lays her head back down on my chest. “I’ve always wanted to touch all your manly muscles. And I’ve miss this.”

There’s only enough room on the dance floor to sway back and forth, which is perfect. Jenni’s in my arms, hers around me, and I pull her up until I can rest my cheek against hers. Her arms tighten around my neck, and for the rest of the song we’re lost in the feel of each other.

“What’s that, beautiful?”

She snuggles beneath my chin. “I’ve missed being touched. Held. I crave your touch, Rod… and I probably shouldn’t have said that. I’ve lost my filter. It’s probably in the bottom on that shot glass.”

I chuckle and pull her even tighter to my chest and whisper against her cheek. “I crave your touch too, beautiful.”

“You make me feel beautiful and it’s been a very long time since I’ve felt sexual attraction. For so long, I haven’t cared what I looked like or what I wore. I haven’t been to a hair salon in years. I’ve just let it grow because what’s the point, you know? I just haven’t cared about much of anything really. It’s safer that way.”

Her last sentence hits me hard. I know what she means. I’ve kept myself void of relationships and anything emotional to protect myself from being slammed with hurt again. I tip her head up to gaze into her eyes. “Losing someone hurts so damn much and I understand how scary it is to open yourself up to that type of pain again. I haven’t a clue what this is between us, but I do know I want to get to know you, Jenni. We don’t even have to call it dating. We can just spend time together and see how it goes.”

Staring into her cautious eyes, I find myself wanting a lot more, but I’ll take whatever she’s willing to give. We’ve survived the worst type of storms, but we can’t stay buried in the past. Going through life the way I’ve been doing—by being mad at the world, working myself to exhaustion, and pushing everyone away—isn’t how I want to live. Gracie is right. It’s time.

She gives a reluctant nod. “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try.”

My grin widens and, dare I say, may even be a toothy smile. I draw her back into my arms with her head once again on my chest. She must be able to hear the rapid beating of my heart.

The next three songs are slow ones and, by mutual consent, we dance through them all. I’m so lost in this woman. I whisper in her ear, “I want to kiss you so much.”

She leans back and her eyes wander from my eyes to my lips, leaving them warmed from her desire. She wants it too. I can see it on her face. Her voice is so low I don’t hear her, but I can read the okay on her lips. I nip at her jaw and nuzzle behind her ear, and kiss my way to the corner of her lips. Her skin is soft and warm and tastes incredible. “Do you like that?”

“Yes.” Her fingers thread through the hair on the back of my neck.

I rock my body against hers and slide my hands down her hips. I want to cup her ass so much my hands are shaking. Remembering where we are and not wanting to frighten her, I slowly move them back to her waist. She shivers in my arms and she says my name in a gasping plea that makes me want to carry her outside and have my wicked way with her.

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