Page 17 of Jessica's Hero
“I do,” I told her firmly. Then I grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze. “I can’t wait for tomorrow night.”
And it’s the truth. I’ve been thinking about going out with Jess all day. Contemplating the best place to bring her, someplace nice but not too fancy, so she doesn’t end up thinking I’m trying too hard. Debating whether to bring flowers or candy when I go to pick her up.
All things I wouldn’t have given a second thought to before. But this time around, I care.
Thanks to Shea’s advice—Oliver wormed my plans out of me within the first hour of our shift—I’m going with flowers over candy, just in case Jess has a food allergy I don’t know about. It wouldn’t make the best impression if I give her chocolates with hazelnut and end up having to give her an Epi-pen shot and spend the rest of our date at the hospital.
As I head up the path to Jess’s front door, a giant bouquet tucked under my arm, my steps slow as a new thought hits me.
What if she’s allergic to flowers?
What if I end up giving poor Jess a massive allergy attack?
Shit. It was so much easier not worrying about these kinds of things.
But was itbetter? That’s a different question with an answer I haven’t decided on yet.
My gut tells me my feelings towards Jess are different. She intrigues me more than any other woman I’ve met.And there’s just something about her that makes me want to take care of her.
Anyway. I lift my chin and square my shoulders as I make my way up the stairs and onto the porch. No doubt, I’m worrying about nothing. The night’s going to go well, I’ll get to know Jess a little better and find out if she’s someone I want to keep seeing or not.
Once I get to the door, I press the doorbell and peer into the new security camera I installed the other day. When I saw the setup Jess had before, I had to swallow back my dismay. Old cameras with grainy footage, motion light sensors that only came on half the time, and ancient windows that an amateur thief would have no trouble breaking into.
While I’m still not crazy about Jess being here alone, at least now she’s better protected.
A few seconds go by before the door opens to reveal Jess standing in front of me.
And for a few seconds more, all I can do is stare.
Shit.
I always knew she was pretty. But standing here, her hair falling in long waves over her shoulders, her cheeks pink and lips rosy with some sort of shimmery gloss, her expressive eyes framed with the longest lashes I’ve ever seen… Jess is way more than pretty.
She’s beautiful.
“Hi, Kane.” Her voice pitches up slightly, exposing her nerves. “It’s really good to see you.”
She gives me a lightning fast once-over, so quick I almost miss it. Then her cheeks flush an even deeper pink. Almost in a whisper, she adds, “You look nice.”
“You look amazing,” I reply with a smile. Then I holdthe bouquet out to her. “I hope you’re not allergic. I didn’t think about it until I was walking up to the house. But if you are, I can go buy something else instead. Candy. Cookies from Sleepy Sweets.”
Jess looks at the flowers for a moment before turning her attention back to me. “Kane.” Her smile expands, lighting her face up with it. “These are gorgeous. Blue is my favorite color, too.” A beat later, as she hugs the flowers to her chest, she adds, “And I’m not allergic. Just for the record.”
Noted. And if flowers make Jess smile like that, I plan to buy more of them for her. Maybe for every date, if things go well.
Still clutching the flowers, Jess takes a few steps backwards and says, “Let me just put them in some water and then I’ll be ready to go.”
I spot a coat hanging from a hook next to the door and angle my chin towards it. “Is this the one you’re wearing?”
Halfway to the kitchen, Jess glances back over her shoulder. “Yes. Unless you think I should wear something different?”
“No, it’s perfect,” I reply as I pull the navy blue puffer coat off the hook. “It’s getting pretty cold out, so I just want to make sure you don’t get chilled.”
Less than a minute later, Jess is back in front of me, eyeing her coat in confusion. “I can put that on, Kane. You don’t?—”
“I want to, Jess.” Holding her coat out, I wait until she slips her arms into it before coming around to her front. Then I pull up the zipper and adjust the collar around her throat. My fingers graze her skin, and that same sizzle ofelectricity hits me, the one I felt back when I first held her hand.
I’ve been attracted to women before. Felt a rush of desire when I saw them. But this electric feeling is something different.
