Page 41 of Ruled Out

“Gimme.” Flipping my hands toward me, I beam in delight at the tub of Ben & Jerry’s as Jessie slides it across the counter, followed by a spoon.

“What are you smirking at?” I say around my first mouthful—it took me exactly half a second to pop the lid and dig in.

He shakes his head and takes the stool next to me. “Nothing. Just know that’s probably Felicity’s stash you’re eating.”

I stop chewing immediately. “Seriously?”

“Yep. I mean, she offers to buy your drinks for the night, and you repay her by eating her favorite ice cream. You’re a bad friend.”

That’s when I see the second spoon in his hand. “Don’t think you’re sharing this. If I’m going down for ice cream theft, then I at least want to enjoy it all to myself.”

Setting his spoon down, he rests his elbow on the counter and watches me side-on, his face resting in his palm as he continues to smile softly.

“What now?” I say, managing to scoop another load of ice cream onto my spoon.

“We have at least three hours to kill. How about a movie?”

I pause, remembering the last time we watched a movie together, and my thighs squeeze together at the memories. “What kind?”

“Your choice, ma’am.”

I stand and clear away the spoons and ice cream and take them to the kitchen, and then walk across to the couch and pull off a couple of blankets from the arms. “Are you taking thatone?” I point at a second couch opposite and throw him one of the blankets.

Jessie looks surprised as he catches it against his chest and makes his way toward the other couch. “Yeah, sure.”

As much as I’d love to snuggle up with him and watch the latest action movie just released on Netflix, I know a dangerous idea when I see one. I haven’t changed my mind since last night in the bar; if anything happens between us, then he has to be the one to make the first move.

He grabs the remote from the coffee table and starts flicking through the latest releases until he lands on the one I was hoping to watch. “This one?”

I adjust some of the pillows behind me, getting myself comfortable. “How did you know?”

Jessie starts the movie and kicks his feet up in front of him, a wry smile pulling at his lips. “How could I forget? You enjoyed the first one so much.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MIA

We timed tonight to perfection. With my dad out of town on a golf stopover, there was no way he could catch us.

I waited at my window, pulling the curtains back every couple of minutes to catch a glimpse of Jessie’s black muscle car pulling up along the sidewalk.

We’d snuck kisses every now and then—either in my office when no one was around or in the dark of the empty player parking lot.

But tonight, I hoped we’d have more time alone, and heat thrummed through me at the thought.

After nearly ten minutes of back and forth to the window, two headlights shone into the living room as Jessie pulled up outside the gates to our driveway, and my phone buzzed in my pocket.

J

I’m here, Sweetheart.

I giddily smiled down at the text.

Me

Okay, coming out now. Shall I bring snacks for the movie?

J

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