Page 75 of Lost on Ice
Later that evening, Jake drives us to downtown Willow Creek to a new Italian restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try for a while now. He pulls into a spot in the parking lot and turns the car off. I reach for the door handle, but he stops me by cupping the back of my head and turning my face toward him.
I furrow my brow. “What are you…?”
He cuts me off with a hard, hungry kiss. I moan, sinking into him and parting my lips under his. The kiss goes on for several moments before he pulls back, leaving me stunned and breathless.
“What was that for?” I murmur, gazing at him in a haze.
He smirks. “Because you look so beautiful tonight, and I just couldn’t help myself.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re gorgeous.”
I suddenly don’t want to leave the car. In fact, I want to tell him to drive us back home right this instant so we can strip naked, but I remind myself that I was insistent that we come out so I could prove I wasn’t afraid to live my life.
“Come on.” I grin. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
“All right, but we’ll finish this later.”
I feel a tingle between my legs at his words and quickly get out of the car before I lose my willpower.
Jake comes around to my side of the car and grabs my hand. God, he’s handsome tonight. He’s wearing black slacks and a deep maroon button-up shirt. He cuts a striking figure with his broad shoulders and muscled physique, and the way he has his sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms…
Mmmm, shivers.
We make our way inside the restaurant and the hostess greets us with a polite smile before showing us to our table. As we weave through the dining room, a familiar face catches my eye, and I tense.
It’s Stuart. He’s at a table alone, wearing the same thin jacket and khaki pants. I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence or if this guy always has a way of showing up around me at the most inappropriate times, but there’s just something about him that continues to make me uncomfortable. It’s almost in the way he looks at me, not hiding how his gaze always seems to settle on my chest.
When he spots me, he immediately breaks out into a wide smile. I can see that we’re going to pass right by his table, and I brace myself for whatever he might try to say or do.
“Hi, Abbie,” he greets as we get close. “You look lovely tonight. That dress is… wow.”
Suddenly, the sweetheart neckline of my little black dress feels too low and the skirt too short. I clutch Jake’s hand and force a polite smile.
“Thank you, Stuart,” I reply in a tight voice. “Sorry, I can’t talk, though. I’m on a date.”
As if to stake his claim, Jake slips his arm around my waist, giving Stuart a pointed look and frown before pulling me away. We get settled into our table, but it’s hard to be comfortable, because Jake keeps glancing back.
“Who was that?” he mutters, shooting Stuart another look over his shoulder. “Wasn’t he at the clinic the other day?”
“Yeah. He’s a patient,” I sigh. “I keep running into him around town.”
“Seriously?” Jake furrows his brow. “Is he ever inappropriate toward you?”
“Technically… no, but I get weird vibes. Very weird.”
“Not technically?” He clenches his jaw and tenses. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s hard to explain,” I murmur. “Like, for instance, he knew I was a nurse at my uncle’s clinic — even called me his favorite nurse — but that was before he was ever a patient. I mean, even before his appointment with me, his last record said he hadn’t been to an appointment in over three years.”
“That’s weird,” Jake growls and starts to turn his head.
“Stop looking back there,” I hiss. “He’ll know we’re talking about him!”
“Maybe he should know. Maybe I should go back and tell him to back the fuck off.”
“What?” I almost laugh. “You’re going to go all possessive caveman because ofStuart?”
