She had to hang on to the side while she gasped air into her screaming lungs. “Pretty impressive, Mr. Jenks.”
He wasn’t even out of breath. It was annoying.
Chad reached out and pulled her close. “I had a conditioning coach a few years back who made us swim every day. It seemed stupid, like there’d be much better ways to increase our endurance, but it worked. What are you going to cook for me?”
“No way, pal. That was a tie.”
“I won. But just to show you what a good sport I am, I’ll settle for a kiss.”
As his lips met hers, Jo didn’t even bother to pretend she didn’t want him to kiss her. Heck, if she weren’t going to be late as it was, she might have let him make love to her. To get it out of her system so she could concentrate when she was around him. Lately it’d been harder and harder not to cave.
His kiss was so gentle, sweet, and incredibly hot, it made her sigh. When his tongue joined hers and then his hands roamed her body, flaming her crazy desire for him, she leaned back to end things before she made a big mistake.
He blinked open his eyes and whispered, “If your date doesn’t make you sigh like that when you kiss him good night, you know where to find me.” He released her and pulled himself out of the water. Then he held out a hand to help her out.
“Thanks.” She clasped his hand and let him yank her right out of the water and onto her feet. She sometimes forgot how strong Chad was. She wasn’t five foot two and a hundred and ten pounds like Shelby. “It’s freezing outside. Can I borrow some dry sweats?”
“Sure.” He frowned as he walked to the other end of the pool and grabbed towels. He joined her again and stuck one out without a word. He wouldn’t even look her in the eye.
As she dried her hair the best she could, she asked, “Are you mad at me?”
He shook his head and then led the way to his bedroom. She followed along, wet shoes squeaking on the tile, confused by his change in demeanor. “Seriously. What is it, Chad?” She grabbed his arm to stop him.
He turned and faced her in the hallway. “I don’t like the idea of you with someone else. But I can’t give you what you need. It stinks, Jo. But have fun on your damned date!”
She didn’t know what to say to that. He was right. He couldn’t give her what she needed. She’d known that all along. Maybe that was why at first it’d been easier to be mad at him rather than face the fact that she wanted him too.
Before she could figure out what to say, he turned and disappeared into his bedroom. She slowly followed behind.
He dug through a drawer and found her something to wear. “Here. See you tomorrow. I’m going to take a shower. A very cold one.”
He walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Half of her wanted to join him, but the sensible side of her brain made her slip out of her wet things and then change into Chad’s T-shirt and sweats that were five sizes too big for her.
Their situation really did stink.
After dinner, Chad flipped through channel after channel on the TV, looking for something to hold his attention. Anything to keep his mind from thinking about Jo, on a date with another guy. He hated that their lives just weren’t meant to intersect at the moment. And how he couldn’t ask her to wait for him. He might play another five or six years if he got lucky and stayed healthy.
And after football? What kind of life could he look forward to? Especially without Jo in it. Being with her and not being able to have her tortured his soul.
When nothing held his interest, he turned off the television and went to the kitchen to grab his phone from the charger to check his email.
The first was from Linda. Demanding five million dollars in back child support. No way she was getting a dime from him. He hit delete.
The next email was from his conditioning coach, demanding to see him in person as soon as possible. He wanted to see for himself what the state of his knee was. Thanks to freakin’ Linda. Coach wanted him in San Diego Sunday, before kickoff.
Crap!
There’d be no more hiding behind emails. What if his knee didn’t pass the inspection? He needed to talk to Jo about it, but didn’t want to interrupt her date. But maybe he’d be doing her a favor. Maybe her date wasn’t going so well, and she’d be happy for the interruption.
No. She’d be mad at him if he messed up another of her dates. Especially after confessing how much he wanted her. He’d tell her tomorrow, after they went to the cemetery.
He texted Heather to confirm she could watch Ryan, then he arranged for a private plane early Sunday morning. He hoped Ryan wouldn’t freak out at the idea of being left with Heather for the day.
Chad walked down the hallway and rapped a knuckle against the door jamb of Ryan’s room that Chad had completely tricked out with Chargers gear. “Hey, Ry. Can I come in?”
Ryan was in bed, already dressed in his PJ’s, and flipping through the new Chester book Jo had brought for him.
He looked up and nodded.
“Want me to read that to you?” Ryan never asked him for anything. Chad wanted to read the book to him.
Ryan shook his head. “No. Jo reads them to me. I know what they say.”
Chad sat on the edge of the bed. “You have all the Chester books memorized? That’s amazing, Ryan.”
He shrugged. “I really like them. And I really like Jo. I wish she would live with us all the time.”
“Yeah. That’d be nice, but it isn’t going to happen. We’re going back to San Diego in a few weeks, remember?”
Ryan closed the book. “I like it here. Because we can go to the ranch and see Grandma. And see Jo.”
He hated to disappoint the kid. “We’ll come back after the football season is over and visit. I thought you liked the beach house?”
“I do. But I’ll be sad to leave here.”
When Ryan’s eyes filled with tears, it sent a dagger to Chad’s heart. Crying always made him feel so helpless. “It’ll be okay. Once you settle in out there and make some new friends at school, you’ll be glad we moved back. And we’ll go to the beach whenever you want. Okay?”
“Okay.” Ryan bravely sucked it up and then nodded. “Did my mom call yet?”
He didn’t want to lie. “She wrote me a text tonight about some adult stuff, so she’s fine. But I wanted to tell you that I have to go away on Sunday to talk to my coaches. I’ll be back Sunday evening. It’ll just be a quick trip.”
Ryan’s forehead scrunched. “Can I go too?”
“No. The locker room isn’t a good place for kids. And I’ll have lots of stuff to do for work. But I’ll be home by the time you go to bed. I promise.”
“Okay. Can I text to my mom on your phone?”
“Absolutely. What would you like to say? I’ll write it for you.”
“Jo can talk to her phone and it writes for her. Can I talk to your phone?”
“Sure.” He set up the voice to text and then handed the phone to Ryan. “Just push the button when you’re ready.”
Ryan held the phone near his mouth and said, “Hi, Momma, it’s Ryan. I miss you. Bye. Oh, wait. Chad said we have to go back to the beach house soon, so if you want to find me again, that’s where I am. I hope you come back soon. Bye.” Ryan passed the phone back, looking so sad, Chad could barely hold it together.
Ryan’s whole life had been turned upside down. It wasn’t fair. “Are you sure you don’t want me to read to you? I’d kind of like to see what’s so great about this Chester dude.”
“Okay.” Ryan scooted over to make room. “This one is about getting time-out for being bad. It’s funny.”
When Ryan smiled again, Chad’s heart turned over in his chest. He thought it’d take a while to develop feelings for Ryan. The kid was so angry and resentful when he first came to live in San Diego. And then having to change schools and live in Denver, knowing it was just for a few months, had been another tough change. It was no wonder Ryan resented him.
He couldn’t pinpoint when it’d happ
ened, but it was like he woke up one morning and knew he’d do anything to be sure Ryan had the kind of home he deserved. And that he’d make it his life’s mission to be sure Ryan felt loved and would always know he could count on his dad. He’d made a few mistakes and would probably make more, but having Ryan in his life had just made it feel more complete. He couldn’t imagine a life without him anymore.
When he opened the book to start reading, Ryan nestled up against his side. It was the first time he’d ever done that.
It was progress.
Jo studied the man across from her as she scraped the last of her chocolate molten cake from the plate. Dinner had been great. Gary was blond and handsome, very sweet, and she should be excited to be with him. But it was like having dinner with her brother. Enjoyable, but nothing to get excited about.
It was her fault. She needed to try harder. To stop thinking about what Chad had said earlier about how much he hated she was with another man. She needed to give Gary a fair chance. Maybe she’d kiss him good night to see if there was any spark there. Because in theory, Gary was perfect for her.
He paid the bill and then smiled sweetly at her. “So, this was fun. I hope we can do it again sometime?”
“I’d like that. But I have to be up early tomorrow, so I think I’ll call it a night.” That wasn’t a total lie. She and Chad were going to the cemetery in the morning. And early was a relative term. “Thank you for a lovely dinner.”
Gary stood when she did. She liked that he had nice manners. Another point for him.
“My pleasure. I’ll walk you to your car.” He helped her into her coat. More points for him. Really, what was wrong with her? She should be giddy with excitement that a guy like him was interested in going out with her again.
As they weaved their way through the tables and out into the bitter cold, Chad’s words danced around in her head. “If your date doesn’t make you sigh like that when you kiss him good night, you know where to find me.”
She needed to push Chad out of her head and focus on Gary. When they got to her car, she said, “Well. This is me. Thanks again.” She smiled and lifted her chin, giving him the opportunity to go for the kiss, if he wanted to.
He caught her clue and slowly leaned down to kiss her, giving her time to turn her cheek. But she met his lips halfway, eager to get on with her experiment.
His lips were full and soft. They fit nicely with hers. But she got nothing. No kick to the gut, no tingle up her spine, or any heat to her belly like she did with Chad. But it was a quick first kiss, and as those go, it wasn’t bad. It just didn’t sizzle.
She leaned back to end the kiss and forced a smile. “Good night, Gary.”
“Night.” He stepped back, waiting until her car finally started. Once she was underway, he lifted a hand. She returned the wave and started for home, but changed her mind and headed for Chad’s nearby condo.
When she pulled into her assigned spot in the underground parking, she turned off her engine and debated the merits of going upstairs.
It was a terrible idea to sleep with Chad. But it was all she could think about since he’d kissed her earlier. And it was clear that as long as he was around, she wasn’t going to find a man she wanted to be with more than him. Dating was futile when all she did was compare her dates to Chad the whole time. She needed to get him out of her system. Maybe sleeping with him again would do the trick.
Or, she’d get her heart broken again. He’d be gone in a few weeks if she did her job well enough and his knee continued to improve. But if making love to Chad was anything like it used to be, it’d be worth the pain. At least this time, they both would know where they stood and could part as friends. That’d probably make it easier to say good-bye.
She needed to hurry up and do it before she chickened out.
After slamming her car door shut, she made her way to the elevator and swiped her keycard. Her heart pounded as she slowly rose to the top floor.
Was she making the biggest mistake of her life?
12
SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.
When the elevator doors parted, Jo took a tentative step forward into Chad’s condo. He sat on the couch, with his back to her, watching a sports channel. When he turned and smiled at her, her courage rushed back. She was doing the right thing.
“Hey, Jo. How’d the date go?”
“Fine.” She threw her purse on the couch, straddled him, then took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. “I understand you’re leaving, and that geography and our jobs make it impossible to have a relationship, but for the next few weeks, I’ll settle for your body.”
He blinked at her. “My body?”
“I’m tired of fighting what I want. Make love to me, Chad.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“No?” That was the last thing she expected him to say. “Why not?”
“I’ve been thinking about that all night. I don’t want to hurt you again. We’re better off as friends.”
Now he was going all noble on her? Well, too damn late for that. “I’d like the opportunity to change your mind.”
She moved her mouth near his ear and nibbled on his lobe. “What if I kissed you here.” She softly caressed the sensitive skin in front of his ear with her lips. “And here.” She laid kisses across his jaw and down his neck.
“Jo, I can’t take—”
“And then back to here.” She returned her mouth to his and kissed him as she unbuttoned his shirt and let her hands roam his beautiful, hard body. When he kissed her back, she increased the pace, kissing him impatiently, urgently, to show him how much she wanted him.
He used to love when she’d tell him exactly what she wanted him to do to her, so she broke their kiss and then whispered in his ear, “I’d like it hard, and fast the first time, please. Then we’ll do it however you’d like it after that.”
He groaned, “God, Jo.”
It made her smile. “Was that a yes I heard, Mr. Jenks?”
“Yes. Dammit. But it’s still a bad idea.” His hands must not have agreed, because they were busy hiking up her dress so he could cup her rear end. He’d always had a thing for her butt.
With his mouth fused to hers and both of his hands still on her ass, he stood up and carried her toward his bedroom.
Chad kicked his door closed behind them and then lowered her until her feet hit the floor. He pulled her close and whispered, “I’ve wanted this ever since that first day, when you were spitting mad at me in your café.”
He reached behind her, slowly unzipping her dress until it slid from her body and cascaded to the floor.
He hummed in appreciation. “Nice.”
Thankfully, she’d taken the time to pick matching underwear earlier for her date. Just in case.
Who was she kidding? She’d picked it for Chad. Black lace was his favorite.
His gaze swept up and then back down her body, sending a lightning bolt of need to her nether regions. When his eyes darkened with desire, her insides quivered in anticipation. She wanted to rip his clothes off and get down to business, but he’d always liked taking his time undressing her. Suddenly, her own desires took a backseat. What she wanted most was to please him. To make him happy, to see him smile like he used to right before he made love to her. As if he was the luckiest guy in the world. Maybe going at his pace was the better choice after all.
He unclasped the front of her bra, gently parting the material as if opening a fragile gift. In a husky whisper, he said, “You’ve gotten even more beautiful, Jo. How is that possible?”
That made her heart a little gooey along with her knees.
But she’d vowed to keep things light between them, so she did her best to shut down the feelings trying to escape from that corner of her heart where she’d locked them away for good. “You’re not so bad yourself, Chad. But you have way too many clothes on.”
“Relax. We’ll take care of that—eventually.” His hands slid to her
shoulders at the base of her neck, gently caressing the tension away as he leaned down and kissed her. It was the best massage she’d ever had. And the most erotic. She was like a ticking bomb, ready to explode any second.
When he’d softened her shoulders and neck muscles into putty, he slowly ended the kiss. Then using just his forefingers, he slipped her bra straps down her arms giving her goose bumps at his light touch, until the bra joined her dress on the carpet. His gaze swept over her newly exposed flesh as he knelt, and then, using the same two fingers, he slipped her thong down her legs.
After she stepped out of them, he ran his hands up the back up her calves, then her thighs, higher until he got to the junction between her legs already throbbing for his touch. When his fingers finally slipped inside her, she was already halfway to the promised land. It wasn’t going to take much to get her all the way there.
Then his tongue joined in the fun, and her head nearly blew right off of her shoulders. Her hands tangled in his soft hair, and she held on for dear life. She wanted to scream out, Yes, right there, and just like that, but she was so engulfed in the quickly building tsunami churning within her, it came out as a garbled groan. And then the “big O” hit her like a semitruck, hard, fast, and so very perfectly satisfying. Like nothing a mechanical device could ever give her. Only Chad.
Spent, she crumpled to her knees in front of him. Then she laid her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and sighed in contentment. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t think it was possible for someone to come that quickly.” He chuckled as he stood and then scooped her up off the floor. “Let’s see if we can make round two last a bit longer.”
“You can try, but I have two years of orgasms to make up for.” She moved her face to the crook of his neck and kissed him as he carried her to the bed. He smelled like expensive aftershave and yummy, sexy man.
“Lucky me.” He dropped her from three feet above the bed and made her yelp.
Quickly recovering, she propped her chin up with her hand and smiled in anticipation as he slowly removed his shirt. God, she loved his chest. Add in six-pack abs, the thin line of blond hair that disappeared under his waistband, and the way his muscles flexed as his hands headed for his zipper, and it made her want him all over again. And he hadn’t even touched her yet. Sheesh. The prospects of the next round lasting longer weren’t looking so good. Maybe by the third, her hormones would settle down.
Perfectly Ms. Matched (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Series Book 2) Page 12
