Page 43 of Only This Once
He blushed so easily, even at the hint of being called sexy. “It’d have to be an image that I’d want to wear forever, and I haven’t thought of any I’d like that much yet. I’d never be able to do it on a whim. I’m not the spontaneous type.”
She chuckled. “Well, you learned to be cautious with all the near misses as a kid, even if it didn’t help. Tell me, how many times did the universe try to get you while you were away at college?” Her smile faltered a little when she remembered how anxious she’d been after he’d moved away. If something had happened, she wouldn’t have been there to push him out of the way. That worry had been constant during that first year apart and had still snuck up on her over the rest of the years.
It was better having him in front of her.
He winced. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Bullshit.” Her fingers tightened a little when his eyes lifted to hers. “No way you were only jinxed here. Tell me.”
His eyes softened. “Did you worry about me?”
Her neck heated. “All the time.”
“I thought about you, too.” His shy smile was back.
She waved her hand as if she could push away being called out for caring too much. “Stop stalling. How bad was it?”
Julia listened, her stomach tightening as he spoke. His eyes grew distant while he tried to remember all the times. It was at least a dozen, and with each one he told her about, she wanted to move beside him and hug him. The clueless idiot had chosen a school with two stories, which added incidents with stairs andobjects falling from above. There were way too many dangers in the world without adding heights to the list.
She suddenly regretted her third-floor apartment.
“I got pretty scraped up with that one,” he finished, recounting the bicycler who’d mowed him down. At least it hadn’t been another close call with a car. Her hand gripped the table, hidden under the napkin she’d placed there after they’d finished their meal.
Her eyes traced his features, so familiar but also slightly different from her memory. His cheekbones were more pronounced, and there was the hint of blond stubble along his jaw that hadn’t been there before. His eyes, which were a gorgeous sapphire blue with barely any variation, didn’t sparkle in the same way they used to. Instead, shadows darkened them, even with his lips turned up in a smile.
He didn’t smile with his whole face anymore. She still hadn’t seen that boyish grin that was all teeth and joy.
Why did she hate it so much that he had changed while she wasn’t looking? She wished he’d gone to the same college as her and Phoebe like he’d originally planned, though she understood why he hadn’t now. Still, she hadn’t been around when he needed her. Even at that party, she should have done more. Kept a closer eye on him.
Her hand fell to her lap as the server brought the check. “Oh, I can—”
“Let me,” Jinx said, putting his credit card in with the bill. “Today was something I’ve wanted for a long time.”
She nodded, her eyes lowering as her hand pressed against her stomach. What was this bubbly feeling inside? It was almost as if she was feeling shy. Julia didn’t do shy. Her eyes lifted again, caught by his intent gaze and that sweet smile of his. She wanted to kiss it off him.
Her mouth went dry. Too bad her water glass sat empty. At least the server returned quickly.
She watched him sign the receipt. She’d never let anyone buy her dinner before. Even letting them buy her drinks was rare. The exchange of money could complicate things. Some guys saw it as an expectation for more, almost like a payment.
There was no way Jinx thought of it like that. He might not even kiss her tonight.
When they both rose, he held out his hand. His palm felt warm and solid against hers. Holding hands in public was something new to her as well. She never thought she’d like something like that.
She did, though. At least, she did with Jinx.
He opened the passenger door to his Jeep for her. While he drove, she watched the passing streetlights flicker over his profile. His lips looked soft, and his eyes flickered toward her nervously a couple of times. She loved watching him swallow, even if it was with nerves. She wanted to lick and kiss around his throat until he moaned.
Heat curled inside of her while imagining it. She wanted him. Normally, she’d jump him and show him just how much. She tended to be forthright about her desire and loved taking control. It had sounded like the college girl had been in control, though, and she didn’t want to trigger him.
Julia could do slow. Couldn’t she? Just this once. For Jinx.
He parked at her complex, turning off the ignition and sitting for a moment. The bob of his Adam’s apple indicated another nervous swallow.
She unbuckled, letting the seat belt slide away. “Walk me up to my apartment?”
He nodded, glancing at her before slipping out of the Jeep and jogging around to her side before she could get the passengerdoor all the way open. She let him take her hand and help her out, keeping a hold of him afterward.
Really, holding hands wasn’t so bad.
