Page 49 of Unexpected Love
Cal finishes his last row and neatly ties off the yarn without the help of the instructor. Around us, the other DIYers are wrapping things up. We’ve hit the time limit on the class, and it’s getting late.
“Here, let’s go get our picture taken while we can.” He wraps the blanket that he finished for me around my shoulders and grabs his. We pose for the instructor; then Cal gets her to AirDrop him a copy of the picture while I go aboutfolding my blanket. A strange moroseness falling over me that we are at the end of a very fun date. Even if it was more me watching him enjoy himself.
The warmth of his body seeps into me as he steps close behind. “You want to stay for another round?”
I want to say no and at the same time I want to say yes. I want to turn around and press my lips to his for another one of those kisses.
I go for option three.
A growl rolls up from his chest, and then he’s smiling against my lips.
“Let’s go have one more round out by the fire pit.” He punctuates the sentence with another kiss.
The patio is nearly full when we make our way out, and no spots by the pit are open. Cal delivers our blankets to his bike before taking my hand and ordering us another round. Then, linking our fingers, he tugs me to a corner and two bar stools. He takes one, straddling it, pulling it between his thighs. I’m surrounded by him as I take the other.
We’re closer than necessary, but I don’t mind, because as soon as I’m settled, he leans over and kisses my neck, right in the tender spot below my ear. Taking a second to breathe in deeply. The whisper of air across my ear sends a shiver down my spine.
“This has been a fun evening.” The low rasp of his voice does delicious things to my insides.
“Yeah, it has.” Good lord, my voice sounds all sex kitten. If I don’t get this horniness under control, I might climb him right here. “So, you had a good week, you got all settled in at the station with good peeps.”
“And you had a conflict that you avoided. Wanna talkabout it?”
“Not really. I mean, this is how we roll. We have differing ideas. She gets all control-ish. I let her have her say, and she goes about her business, and then I do what I want. Sometimes it’s my way, sometimes it’s hers.”
“But you didn’t actually talk about the problem?”
“Why bother creating drama? It all works out in the end. Oh, come on, don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” He’s smirking at me now before taking a long pull of his beer. There is something so sexy about a man enjoying a good beer.
I realize it’s the first full one he’s had. When I got frustrated with my project, he’d pushed his in front of me and told me to sit back and let him help.
He pulls the glass away, a smidge of foam lingering on his top lip for a brief second before his bottom lip whisks it away. “Jules, what’s on your mind?”
He knows.
He knows that I am absolutely feral for him.
“Why don’t you ride your bike more often?”
His gaze goes molten. “Did you enjoy that ride, baby?”
Instant panty combustion.
“I’ve had a couple of drinks.”
His hand drifts to my hip, securing me to him. “You have. You’ll have to hold on tight on the way home.”
“Right.”Cheese and rice, I sound like a porn star. But hot damn, I’m ready to wrap my legs around this man.
He busts out laughing, and I realize I might have spoken the thought out loud. He pulls me so close I have to drop my legs over his, and then he buries his face in my neck. I’m pressed against his chest, in the safety of his arms, draped over him like a freaking rag doll, and I want more.
I don’t care if we’re in public. It’s dark and the patio is full. No one even notices us in our private corner.
But Cal notices, and his chest is expanding like he’s having as much trouble breathing as I am. “You ready to go?”
I turn my face into his neck and lick the column of his throat. A rumble rolls through him.
