She had given me the worst case of blue balls. Way worse than Jasmine had ever done.
***
Staring at myself in the mirror, I felt nervous. This was it, the big date.
I needed to bring my A game and not fuck this up. I even shaved my balls with tremendous care. Not that I assumed she would be down there sucking them. I just wanted to give myself a tidy up, and I took extra care with the boys down there.
Mum had really gotten to me. Her, and my sister. They were as bad as each other. I was almost positive that if they knew I had asked her out, they would be there helping me get ready like my year ten formal.
That was a night to remember, and no, I did not lose my virginity then. That was long gone. I had gotten high and decided I could sit on the hood of a car and not fall off as my mate flew around the school oval. I broke my arm in three places. Great fucking night.
Dad thought it was an epic stunt and was slightly more disappointed in the fact it wasn’t caught on camera than the fact his son had been smoking pot and was rotten drunk.
Mum, however, lost her shit and grounded my arse for a month.
I hesitated before spraying the aftershave on my neck. Did I need it? I didn’t smell, but I didn’t want to be a try hard. Screw it. A quick spray, and I was done. This wasn’t a formal dinner; there was no suit or tie. I had on a decent clean pair of jeans and a fitted V-neck shirt. I was clean, showered, and shaved. That’s all that mattered.
She was what others would be noticing anyway, not me.
I left the apartment, heading towards the lift. I couldn’t go across the hall empty-handed now, could I? Flowers were necessary. She hadn’t told me if she liked them or not, but I was assuming yes and would grab her a bunch.
Red? Pink? Yellow? All three? A fucking plant?
I had no clue. I took the safer option and grabbed a bunch of pink flowers and went to make my way over to the elder woman by the counter when I spotted a larger bunch of twenty-four red roses. They seemed perfect for her. I swapped them and made my way back to the apartment.
By now, I had realised that the flowers would upstage my jeans and shirt. Glancing at the time, I had around twenty minutes to get home and change into a suit. I wanted to look good and impress her. For the first time, I wanted to impress someone. Jasmine didn’t need impressing. She had everything, anyway. Sienna, on the other hand, was a simple girl who didn’t get out much. Who wouldn’t want to impress her? She was worth going that extra mile for.
Heck, I would probably run a marathon twice if she asked me to.
Black suit, light shirt, and a dark tie, hair now combed over, and I looked ready to work, only my sole mission was working to score a second date.
Her panties were going to be soaked if this was anything like her fantasies.
That was what she met as her apartment door opened. Bringing my arm out from behind my back, I offered her the flowers. Her eyes widened, and her smile grew. It was a look that I would capture in my mind forever. Pure happiness.
“You’re in a suit.” Her words came out as a soft groan. “Like… you’re really in a suit.”
Oh yes, soaked panties for sure.
The fantasy of her books came to mind. “Am I?” I faked innocence. “Hmm, yeah, I figured I should wear one. I’ll change if you don’t like it.”
“No!” she exclaims, her voice almost panicky, high pitched as she grasped my arm. “I mean, please don’t change… like ever. I mean, you’re really hot. Not that you’re not hot normally, but you know... suit fantasy and all,” she rambled. “Keep the suit on.”
I don’t know who blushed harder, her or myself. Hot? Yes, I was quite attractive, but it was nice coming from her. I did enjoy the flattery, though, and it made the hefty price of the flowers well worth it.
It was now that I could fully take in the beauty standing before me.
“You look…” There were no words for it. “Beautiful doesn’t seem to cut it.” At first, I assumed she wore a dress. The sleeves were long and flowy. It was cream-coloured with prints of deep blue and purple flowers. My eyes wandered down, and how could they not? I realised it was a jumpsuit and not a dress. I scanned her milky thighs down to her legs that went on forever, to a pair of shoes that I had expected to be heels. Instead, she wore flats. I smiled, looking back up at her. “You’re stunning, Sienna.”
“You’re making me blush.” Her whisper came softly, her head about to drop down as a blush crept over.
Reaching forwards, I captured her chin with my palm and tilted her head back, forcing her eyes on mine. “I’m trying to be a gentleman, but damn it if I don’t want to kiss you right now.” I wanted to kiss her badly.
“You can’t kiss me.” Her eyes twinkled.
I frowned. “No?” I would kiss her by the end of the night.
“Not yet, anyway.” Her eyes almost smiled as she buried her nose into the red petals and inhaled. “Thank you for the flowers. They’re gorgeous. My favourite kind, actually.”
“Like you.” Cheesy, but true. A win for me. Red roses were it.
“Are you sure what I’m wearing is okay?” She seemed anxious. “I can’t walk in heels, and I don’t own anything dressy. I didn’t know what to wear. You’re in a suit. I feel really underdressed.”
Her red hair was slightly curled, pulled to one side and off her face. Her makeup was barely there, but her eyes stood out with a black liner. And that glossy pink lips that were begging me to taste her… Oh god, did I want to taste her? I had never wanted something so bad.
“No, what you’re wearing is perfect. I figured we can walk there. It’s not too far away.”
“Come in. I’ll just be a moment. I’m so nervous, excited but very nervous.” She pushed the door open further.
“Inviting me in so soon? Are we skipping dinner?” I thought I should tease her to help calm the nerves.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” She laughed.
I wondered for a moment if she got flowers often and what kind of places her past dates took her to. It shouldn’t bother me; we all have a past, but the thought of her and another man…
I cleared my throat, stepping inside her apartment as she filled a vase with water. I began to doubt my choices for tonight. What if she didn’t like the restaurant or thought the idea of us dating was stupid? She had practically been forced into coming along. I didn’t give her much of a choice in the end.
“Ready?”
Her voice startled me, and I realised just how nervous I was.
“Yes, are you?” She went to grab her black purse, and I took it from her, placing it back on the table. “You won’t need that.”
“But..”
“No buts. I’m taking you on a date. You don’t need anything except an appetite.”
“Good. I’m really hungry,” she murmured, although I don’t think I was meant to hear judging by the way she looked at me. Was she talking about the food, or me?
I smirked. “Me too.” Oh, I was definitely hungry… for her.
My fingers easily found hers as I took her by the hand once we were outside, leading her towards the direction of the Italian restaurant I had booked earlier. It was nothing too fancy, but it would hold an intimate setting. To my surprise, she didn’t flinch away or tense up. She instead grasped my fingers tighter, slightly leaning in closer to my side.
“Why are you smiling?” she asked, looking up.
I met her gaze, smiling down at her. “Just because.”
Her curious eyes watched me, her perfume wafting underneath my nose as I smelt her. She was intoxicating. “Because why?” Her voice was soft again, breathy.
I leant in, my nose against hers as I brought my hand up, cupping her cheek and stroking the pad of my thumb against her skin. “I’m with you, that’s why.”
The instinct of combing my fingers through her flowing hair, to grasp the base of her neck, and drive my tongue down her throat was overwhelming. The urge was there. The look in her eyes told me if I kissed h
er the way I intended right now, she would let me. It was almost my undoing. Her soft lips were taunting me again. My nose rubbed gently against hers once more, our fingers intertwined still. Her free hand was on my forearm, clinging to my jacket.
Kiss her, and kiss her hard. I could lose myself in her. Too late, I was already lost.
Pulling away before I could give in and kiss her, she looked ahead and squeezed my hand tighter. “I like that I make you smile. You make me smile, also.”
I was winning. Keep up the romance, and this date is hopefully going to lead to a second and then a third.
I kept the damn smile on my face the entire time we walked, and it probably would have lasted the entire night… until it was wiped off without warning. My heart was hammering in my chest as I stopped for a moment. No. This couldn’t happen. Not tonight, of all fucking nights.
I froze, a chill running down my spine as I heard her loud voice again. Fuck. No.
“Jackson…”
“Keep walking,” I kept my voice low. This was going to fuck up the night completely.
“What?” Sienna looked confused, already beginning to turn around to see who was calling out. I had no choice but to follow and damn, I wished it could be anybody else but her coming towards us.
My throat closed over as I opened my mouth to speak.
She looked the same. Nothing had really changed. Well, she had probably had a few more dicks in her by now, but that’s about it. I always wondered how I would feel when I saw her again. Would the feelings come back?
No, thank fuck. I was glad that I had no reaction of desire towards her. How could I when Sienna was beside her? There wasn’t even a competition.
All I could see was the lying bitch who cheated. Finally, I had the answer I had been searching for yesterday. Jasmine still repulsed me.
“Jasmine.” My tone was icy and cold. How could it not be? After all this time, she had decided to come and find me right when I had just begun moving on and on a fucking date. “What are you doing here?” Besides still trying to fuck my life up.
“I’ve been trying to call you, but you didn’t reply to my calls or texts…” she said, quietly trailing off.
“Why would I?” I half-rolled my eyes. There was no need to speak to her again.
Jasmine sighed, her large blue bag that I had paid for resting on her arm as she pulled off her thick rimmed, black sunglasses. “I wanted to talk to you… in private.” Her gaze went to Sienna.
Fuck. Sienna… she was looking confused and not the least bit pleased.
I could hardly blame her. She had every right to be annoyed. Christ knows what she was thinking. Probably ways to cancel tonight and high tail the hell out of here.
I felt her hand loosening in mine, and I grasped it tighter. Oh no, she wasn’t going anywhere. “Well, that’s not going to happen. Stop calling me. I won’t ask again.” My words were final. My tone was not to be fucked with.
Wow. That was easier than I had initially thought it would be.
Jasmine stepped forward, eyes begging. “Jackson…”
“If you don’t mind, I’m kind of hungry, and we have reservations,” Sienna, polite but with an undertone of jealousy, said as she stared Jasmine down—jealousy or anger towards me.
“Of course, you do.” Jasmine’s innocent smile turned to a smirk. “Enjoy, and I’ll see you around Jackson.”
Don’t count on it, I thought to myself. “I meant what I said. I have nothing left to say to you.”
“I have things I need to say to you, things that you want to hear.” She came closer. “You can’t deny not wanting to know. I know you do. I know you, Jackson..”
“You thought you knew me. Now, if you don’t mind.”
Her gaze drifted back towards Sienna, and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t get your hopes up. It won’t last.”
“Fuck off, Jasmine.” Not my finest words to say to a woman but shit, what else could I do?
To say things were now awkward was an understatement. It was awkward and tense. I didn’t know what she was thinking, and after Jasmine had left, Sienna didn’t really say much. She sat opposite me, staring into the glass of red as we waited for our mains to arrive.
“Sienna, I can’t apologise enough,” I began, yet again saying sorry profusely to her. I’d done it about three times so far, and she hadn’t said a word back about it. I couldn’t even read her reaction. I would have given just about anything to know what was going through that mind of hers. The only time she had spoken was when we ordered a glass of red wine.
Her eyes darted up, pink tongue sweeping out and licking her plump, red-stained lips slowly. “She’s your ex-girlfriend?”
Although this was a question, it was more like a fact being stated. “Yes.”
“Did you and she date for long?” She pressed further. “How long did you date for?”
This was the last thing I had ever wanted to talk about tonight. “Two years.”
Silence grew between us until she asked, “When did you break up?”
I paused. I didn’t want to get into things. Not here, not now. Especially not on our first fucking date. “Do you really need to know this now?” I asked quietly. I was growing uncomfortable.
Sienna, nodded. “I do. When did you break up?”
“Around six weeks before I met you at the park. I moved into my parents, as I told you before.” I had not lied about this. I just never told her… and now, I wished I had. “I’m over her.”
“That’s just great that you need to point out you’re over her,” she muttered dryly, wrapping her fingers around the crystal stem and taking a large mouthful of wine.
Playing that back in my head, I could have done with leaving that last part out. I probably came across as someone forcing myself to move on, but I wasn’t. “Ask me what you need. I’ll answer truthfully.” May as well get this over with now. The night was ruined, anyway.
I picked up my lager as she sat watching me with caution. “Do you still love her?”
“Not holding back, I see.” I pointed out. She had gone for the home run. “No, definitely not. I wouldn’t be here with you if there were any feelings left for her. In which, there isn’t.” Hadn’t I made that clear enough when I told her to fuck off? “Sienna, I know this isn’t the ideal date.”
“I’m not finished.” She cut in, and I couldn’t help but smile at her bossy tone. “Why didn’t you tell me about her? Why lead me to believe you were fully single at the park? I even asked why you weren’t dating.”
“I was trying to forget her.” It was the truth. “How do I mention an ex when I’m trying to impress you… It’s an almost impossible task.”
“She’s beautiful.” She was quiet for a moment, and I could almost hear all her self-doubts as she fiddled with a strand of her hair. “Really beautiful.”
Did she not see what I saw?
“Sienna, trust me, her personality isn’t that beautiful. She may be attractive, but she’s nothing compared to you... and I would much rather be sitting here tonight with you than be anywhere else.” I reached over, taking both her hands in mine. “Jasmine and I broke up a while ago, and I can honestly say that there’s no part of me that wishes to be back with her.”
“Why did you break up?”
I honestly didn’t see that one coming. Everyone usually dances around the cause of a breakup.
Then again, why wouldn’t she ask? It was like a punch to the gut to have to tell this woman what really happened. “She went out and fucked another man.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“What a bitch.”
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Yes, she’s a bitch alright. Now, can we please get back to our date? I don’t want to talk about her anymore.”
Sienna nodded, smiling. “Ok, I’d like that.”
We managed to get through the main course without another word of Jasmine. The conversation was effortless with her. If there were silence, it only lasted while we ate. I had my ow
n questions I wanted to ask her, but I would wait for dessert. It was only fair. I answered all of hers, and now it was her turn to be put on the spot.
Dessert turned into ice cream and a stroll down the street. Our hands were held together between us as we walked, looking in the windows of shops and displays. She was in the middle of telling me about her mother who sounded just as crazy as mine when I pulled her to a stop.
“When was your last relationship?” I needed to know. I would go crazy otherwise.
“What?” I had clearly caught her off guard, just as she had me with her line of interrogating.
I stepped closer, the chemistry between us pulling me in until I had her pressed against the brick building. “How many men have you dated?” I asked again, this time slower.
“Does it matter?” she asked, her voice cracking as she diverted her gaze from me.
“No, it doesn’t. You asked me questions tonight. Now, it’s my turn to.” Her hands were on my waist, playing with the loops of my belt. “Last relationship?”
She didn’t look at me. Her eyes fixated on my torso. “I’ve never had one…”
My brows shot up in surprise. “What? You just have male friends… that you?” Christ. I didn’t want to know anymore. Please god, don’t tell me…
“No,” she replied, stuttering.
Thank fuck. I skimmed my fingers down the sides of her curved hip, pressing my thigh between her legs to part them slowly.
“I mean… I’ve never… you know, dated or been with a man before.” I did not see the next part coming. “I’m a virgin.”
I immediately pulled away and saw the disappointment flash in her eyes. It made me feel like a dick. “Sienna. Fuck. I’ve been coming on to you all night. I never… It never occurred that you’d be… a virgin.” I was horrified. “You’ve been kissed, right?”
She shook her head with a firm no as I stood there speechless. “It’s not by choice,” she muttered, brushing past me as she began to walk away.
His Rebound Love Page 11
