Page 20 of Sexy Dare (The Sexy 1)

Reaching out, he slid his hand behind her neck, his fingers gliding into her hair, tugging her head back as he said, “Because I want you there. I. Want. You.”

* * *

Jason knew she was pushing him to admit what they both felt. What couldn’t be denied. And he was through fighting the yearning for this woman. For as long as she needed his help and desired him, too, she was his.

He slid his tongue into her mouth and knew he was lost. Arousal ripped through him, hard and fast, the warmth of her mouth and the way she pressed her body into his turning him on. He tugged on her hair and she moaned, the vibrations rippling through him. She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her lush body against his, stripping away his defenses. With a groan, he tangled his tongue with hers, then pressed kisses and nibbles down the side of her neck, suckling on the sensitive spot behind her ear.

She gripped his hair, holding on as he devoured her, tasting her flesh and finding it as sweet as she was. His cock throbbed as desire consumed him, fast and furious, based on this one first kiss alone. He could go on like this forever, just feasting on her mouth, learning what she liked, imprinting himself on her.

But without warning, the tinkle of the doorbell interrupted them and she jumped, backing away from him, fixing her hair, and swiping her hand over her mouth, her cheeks flushed as she faced the customer in front of her.

“Umm… Hi. I just wanted to buy some candy,” a woman said, stepping toward the door, her own face flushed.

“No, wait. I’m sorry. What can I get you?” Faith rushed behind the counter, leaving Jason with a hard-on the likes of which he’d never seen and the inability to speak. So he lowered himself into the chair in front of his laptop, drawing in a deep breath and hoping he could get back to work.

Long after the customer left the shop, Faith busied herself in the back, clearly avoiding him, which he let her do, knowing they’d be alone later tonight at his apartment. In the afternoon, the shop became busy, the after-school crowd tumbling in. Clearly word had gotten around and teenagers came and went, keeping Faith hopping.

At no time did Jason catch sight of anyone looking remotely suspicious, although he realized he needed a picture of her brother if he was going to recognize anyone stalking the premises. He checked in with the PI Gabe had given him and the man said he hadn’t found any hint of Colton in the city. He’d tracked his movements in his hometown up to a week ago, after which he’d disappeared. But the man was still searching.

Finally, the end of the day came, and since Faith closed up at six during the week, only staying open later on the weekends, they could go home. He helped her clean up and close the store in silence. He understood she was still flustered by the kiss. Clearly she wasn’t one of his more experienced women, and he both liked and appreciated that about her. She was unique, special, and got under his skin. And if her brother came near her, he’d have to answer to Jason.

They were settled in his car when he turned to her. They hadn’t eaten since lunch and he was starving. “How about Italian for dinner?” he asked.

Her eyes lit up at the thought of food. “Sure.”

“I know a great little place we can go. The owner is a friend of my cousin’s. He introduced me to him when I moved to town and you’ll love the food.”

“Oh! You want to go out and not order in?” she asked, sounding surprised.

He chuckled. He wanted to talk to her in a setting where she couldn’t escape to her room, make sure she understood that kiss had meant something.

“You owe me a date, sweetness.”

Her face flushed and she turned to him. “Did I ever actually agree to go out with you?”

He reached over, because they were at a stoplight, and ran his knuckles down her cheek. “By moving in with me, it was implied that we’d have dinner together.”

He drove them to a parking garage, left the car with the attendant, and strolled, his hand on the small of her back, to an old-fashioned northern Italian restaurant.

The owner, Gino, greeted him as they walked in the door. “Jason Dare, it’s been too long! Rosa! Jason is here!”

A robust woman came out of the kitchen, rushing over to greet them. “Jason! Did you bring Gabriel?” she asked, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“He’s home with his family,” Jason said. “But I did bring a friend. Faith, this is Rosa Bianci and her husband, Gino. She makes the best pasta in the city. This place is a hidden gem.”

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