“Clearly you don’t get out much either.” She rolled her eyes. “Now enough about sex. Let’s talk about less stressful things. Tell me how you became a SEAL.”
* * *
Two hours later, Mia had to face the indisputable truth—she liked Jackson Ramsey.
Not once during dinner had they run out of things to talk about. In fact, the conversation had flowed so smoothly that not only had they stayed for dessert, they were now lingering on their second cup of post-dessert coffee.
It was ridiculously hard not to like this guy. He was smart, charming, funny, down-to-earth. He listened when she spoke, laughed at her dumb jokes, was interested in her job. And she’d discovered in the course of their conversation that he wasn’t just a soldier, he was also the medic on his SEAL team, which meant he was extra good at saving lives.
Oh, and his cock may or may not be pierced. Don’t forget that part.
Right, who could forget that.
The strangest thing about the date was the way it made her feel. Or more specifically, the way Jackson turned her on. The pull of attraction was so strong her entire body had felt hot and achy from moment one. Every time he opened his sexy mouth, her heart began to race. And whenever her gaze strayed to his chest, hugged by a snug black T-shirt, her palms went damp. And each time she looked into his sultry brown eyes, she utterly melted.
It didn’t help that he kept looking at her like he wanted her naked. The man had mastered seductive gazes to a T, and knowing he was undressing her with his eyes only caused her to mentally undress him—and that particular mental picture was so hot she was liable to burst into flames any second.
By the time Jackson paid the bill and helped her out of her chair, Mia was ready to flee. She couldn’t get caught in the spell he was attempting to cast on her. As wonderful as he was, seeing him again wasn’t an option.
But clearly he had other ideas.
“So when can I see you again?”
She stifled a groan and walked through the door he held open for her. When they stepped outside, the late-evening breeze snaked beneath her hair and cooled her warm cheeks.
“Jackson…” He was so tall she had to peer up at him to meet his eyes. “I had a good time. Seriously, I did. But this doesn’t change anything. I’m still swamped with work and taking care of Danny. I don’t have a lot of free time.”
“I’ll take whatever you can give me. One dinner a week, lunch every other week, I don’t care, darlin’. I just want to keep seeing you.”
For Pete’s sake. The man truly was tenacious. She’d told him that she was pretty much a single mother, confessed her indifference to sex, and he still wanted to see her again?
“I’m not looking for a relationship,” she said feebly. “Or a fling.”
“I know that.”
“Then what’s the point? Why bother spending more time together if it won’t go anywhere?”
“Because I want to. Because you want to.”
She fiddled with the little brown pocketbook she was using as a purse, snapping it open to retrieve her keys. “It won’t work. I’ve got too much on my plate to commit to anything more. And besides, I feel bad getting your hopes up about, you know, potentially having sex, because it probably won’t happen.”
“Why, ’cause you think you won’t like it?”
Because I know I won’t.
She bit back the words before they could slip out. Truth was, she’d completely underplayed the whole sex thing during their discussion earlier. She found sex so boring and unsatisfying that she’d even raised the subject with her old therapist. For a long while she’d thought there might be something wrong with her, like maybe she was an asexual weirdo who’d never be able to function like a normal sexual being. But the fact that she could give herself wild, breathless orgasms without any trouble contradicted that.
She was so apprehensive about getting intimate with anyone again. She’d slept with four men in her life, and each encounter had been more disappointing than the last.
“Y’know what, I’ve got an idea,” Jackson said before she could respond.
She shot him a questioning look, but rather than elaborate he took her hand and started leading her toward the side of the building. The warmth of his fingers seeped into her palm and made her feel achy again. She didn’t understand this effect he had on her. At all.
But although she was incredibly tempted to explore it further, she didn’t want to set herself up for any more disappointment. Only one lover had even made her come before, and getting there had been a struggle, to say the least.
“What are you up to?” she asked warily.
He practically dragged her into the small parking lot behind the restaurant. Jackson scanned the lot and broke out in a grin. “Look at that,” he drawled, “even our vehicles know we make the perfect couple.”
Mia followed his gaze, groaning when she noticed the black pickup truck parked beside her blue one. “Let me guess—that’s your pickup?”
“Sure is.” Still grinning, he led her toward the trucks, then let go of her hand and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Here’s the deal, sugar.”
“There’s a deal?”
“Yup. I want to go out with you again. You’re being difficult. So here’s what I propose.”
“I can’t wait to hear this.”
He ignored the sarcasm and swept his tongue over his bottom lip, an act so sexy she shivered.
“I’m goin’ to kiss you.”
Her breath hitched. “What?”
“I’m goin’ to kiss you,” he repeated. “And if you like it, then you have to agree to see me again.”
Damned if her heart didn’t start pounding. The heat in his eyes seared right through her clothing and sizzled her flesh, making her feel hot and dizzy.
“You’re nuts,” she stammered.
“Maybe, but that’s the deal, sugar. You claim that nothin’ gets you goin’, not even a kiss. You also said you had a good time tonight, did you not?”
“I did, but—”
“The reason you don’t want to pursue this is because you think I’ll never be able to turn you on—”
She felt herself blush. “That’s not what I—”
“—so it stands to reason that if I can prove to you I’ve got the moves, you’ll have no choice but to give this a shot.”
Her mouth closed. His reasoning was certifiably wacky, but she couldn’t seem to argue with it.
“Do we have a deal?” he prompted, shooting her an adorably crooked smile.
It was sheer curiosity that had her nodding.
“Good. Then prepare to have your world rocked.”
The laugh that flew out was cut short by the feel of Jackson’s mouth on her neck.
Her neck?
Surprise jolted through her at the same time a flurry of shivers danced across her skin. His lips warmed the side of her neck, his dark hair tickling her chin as he bent his head to latch his mouth on to her bare flesh.
“Um…is this what you…consider a kiss?” she murmured between shivers.
“Quit distracting me. I’m busy,” came his muffled voice.
Her neck was on fire as he trailed soft kisses along its column. The rasp of his stubble scraped her flesh, leaving tiny pricks of pleasure in its wake.
“You smell so dang sweet, Mia.” His breath tickled her ear.
Jesus. What was he doing to her? She could barely stay upright, and he hadn’t even kissed her mouth yet.
With a soft rumble of approval, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, then kissed his way up to her ear.
Mia shuddered. Her knees wobbled as he sucked gently on her earlobe. Her hands trembled so bad she had to rest them against his chest to steady herself. And oh boy, touching him was a bad idea. He was rock solid beneath her fingers, his muscles so defined they may as well have been carved out of stone.
Chuckling, Jackson slid his hands down to her waist, and the next thing she knew, she was being le
d backward to the shadowy strip of gravel between the two trucks. Still grasping her waist, he backed her up against the side of her pickup, then moved one hand to her face, his thumb sweeping over her cheek.
“Close your eyes,” he said gruffly.
Her eyelids fluttered obediently. She stood there, eyes shut, heart pounding. Waiting.
The rustling of his clothing hinted that he was moving closer, and then his body heat surrounded her and the most intoxicating scent filled her nostrils. God, his aftershave was addictive. A hint of spice and lemon, with a woodsy fragrance thrown into the mix.
When his lips finally touched hers, she almost keeled over. His mouth was gentle, a featherlight brush against her trembling lips. His fingers traced the line of her jaw as he moved his mouth over hers again, firmer this time.
“C’mon, sugar, let me in.” The tip of his tongue skimmed the seam of her lips, coaxing, teasing.
When she parted her lips, that wicked tongue slid inside without delay. Her core clenched the second their tongues met, a painful squeeze of lust that pulsed in her clit.
Oh my God.
She was insanely turned on.
“You taste like heaven,” he rasped, pulling back slightly.
Her heart pounded even harder when she glimpsed the raw desire burning in his whiskey eyes. His handsome features were taut with passion, and she could see his pulse hammering in the hollow of his throat. He wanted her. There was no denying it.
And there was no denying that she wanted him just as bad.
With a husky growl, he dipped his head and captured her mouth, driving the kiss deeper this time, taking it to a whole new level. His tongue teased her senseless, and when he nipped at her lower lip with his teeth, a soft moan slipped out and echoed in the night air.
“You okay?” he murmured.
She couldn’t answer. Arousal had tightened her throat, making it impossible to speak.
He laughed quietly, and then his mouth found hers again. One warm hand tangled in her hair, angling her head so that she was at the mercy of his mind-blowing kisses, while his other hand glided down her body, snuck beneath her dress, and settled directly over her damp bikini panties.
Mia whimpered and tried to break away. “Someone might see us,” she hissed out.
“No one can see us, sugar. We’re completely hidden from view.”
Another moan left her throat when he rubbed her with the heel of his hand.
“Ah, look at how wet you are,” he muttered as his lips teased her neck again. “Your panties are soaked.”
Embarrassment scorched her cheeks. He was right. She was drenched.
“You’re blushing.”
His teasing voice only made her blush harder.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Mia. You’re turned on. That’s hot.” His tongue circled her earlobe. “In fact, baby doll, that was exactly the response I wanted from you.”
Sugar. Darlin’. Baby doll. The man certainly had a silver tongue.
Oh God, his tongue. It was in her mouth again.
And his hand… Rubbing, stroking, driving her crazy.
Mia’s legs started shaking. She’d never felt this way before. Every square inch of her body throbbed relentlessly, and either she was imagining it, or those were the first ripples of orgasm tingling in her core.
“You like that, don’t cha?”
Jackson’s thumb grazed her clit over her panties, his warm breath fanning over her lips.
When she moaned, he laughed seductively. “Ah, you do like it.”
His thumb brushed her swollen bud again and she jerked.
“So is it safe to say that I’ve succeeded in—”
The orgasm came without warning, surging through her in a fiery rush.
Biting her lip to stop herself from crying out, she buried her face in Jackson’s chest and rocked into his hand as waves of pleasure consumed her body. She fisted the front of his T-shirt, holding on tight, stunned by what was happening.
He seemed equally stunned when he finally withdrew his hand, which was no doubt covered in the moisture that had seeped through her panties. He gently tugged her by the hair and forced her to look at him.
“Sweet Jesus, did you just come?”
She managed a nod.
His brown eyes gleamed with pure male satisfaction before turning sheepish. “Shit, Mia. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t think I was applying enough pressure on your lady bits—I was purposely trying not to.”
She choked out a laugh. “My lady bits?”
He cast that little-boy grin that made her pulse race. “Yes, your lady bits. A gentleman can’t say the word pussy on the first date.”
Another strangled laugh popped out. “You just said it!”
“That didn’t count.” He swept his gaze over her. “Are you mad at me?”
“Are you seriously asking me if I’m mad that you gave me an orgasm?”
“It was only supposed to be a kiss. I crossed the line. I’m sorry.”
Mia gaped at him. Who was this man? He’d just made her come apart in the parking lot of the restaurant. He’d barely touched her and she’d exploded like a Fourth of July firecracker, and now he was apologizing for it?
“It’s okay. I forgive you.”
Obviously he hadn’t picked up on the sarcasm because he beamed at her. “You do?”
“Jesus. Yes. Oh my God, Jackson, you really are nuts.”
“Good nuts or bad nuts?”
“There’s no such thing as good nuts!”
Smirking, he lowered his hand and cupped his groin. “Sure there is.”
Sheer exasperation had her fighting another wave of laughter. This guy was one of a kind. And damned if her pussy didn’t clench again the second he touched himself like that.
“So…” His hand left his crotch, long fingers hooking in his belt loops. “When can I see you again?”
5
“You sure you’re cool with going to a high school football game?” Mia asked Jackson on Friday night. She’d just slid into the passenger seat of his truck, which was parked in front of her building.
“I told you, as long as I get to spend time with you, I don’t care what we do.”
The smile he gave her made her heart do a silly little flip. She’d been thinking about that smile for three days now. And his husky voice. And his gorgeous face. His rock-hard body. His hands. Yep, definitely his hands—AKA what he’d used to make her come in the parking lot of Tonio’s.
She’d gone to bed that night overwrought, confused and stunned, analyzing every sexual encounter she’d ever had in so much detail she may as well have drawn diagrams and flow charts. What had her previous lovers done wrong? What did Jackson know that they didn’t? Why had her body decided to respond to him when it had always been so meh about the other guys in her life?
She’d fallen asleep without reaching a single conclusion, and seeing Jackson again now only raised a slew of new problems.
Because the moment she’d gotten into his truck, she’d wanted to fuck him.
“You look sexy as hell, by the way,” he told her as he started the engine. “I’m lovin’ the outfit.”
Mia glanced down at her black Madison High Warriors T-shirt, skinny jeans with a hole in the left knee and bright red flats, wondering how anyone could label the outfit “sexy as hell”. But Jackson was eyeing her like he wanted to peel off her clothes and devour her whole.
“Um, thanks,” she answered. “You look nice, too.”
Nice? Ha. The man was a walking Adonis. She’d never met anyone who could pull off Levis, wifebeaters and plaid shirts better than Jackson Ramsey. He oozed raw masculinity in his casual get-up, and the fact that he hadn’t shaved since she’d seen him last only aided his heartthrob cause. The dark stubble slashing his jaw was so hot her fingers itched to stroke all those sexy bristles.
“Thanks, sugar. That’s sweet of you to say.” He put the car in drive and turned to look at her. “So where am I g
oin’?”
She gave him directions to Danny’s school and then they were off. When they reached the stop sign at the end of the street, he leaned forward and flicked on the radio. The upbeat tempo of a Temptations song wafted out of the speakers, prompting Jackson to sing along.
Mia burst out laughing. Never in a million years would she have pictured herself sitting in a pickup with a bona-fide cowboy, listening to him sing “My Girl”.
“What, no country music?” she teased.
He shot her a sideways look. “Oldies are my guilty pleasure. I only listen to country when I’m feelin’ down.”
“I can’t imagine you ever feeling down,” she said frankly. “You might just be the happiest, most well-adjusted guy I’ve ever met.”
“Everyone gets sad sometimes, sugar. Even happy, well-adjusted folks like myself.”
There was an odd chord in his voice, an emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but he flashed another smile before she could try to decipher it. “Anyway, tell me how your day was. Are you working a new job?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we just got contracted by the city to redo all those little parks near the waterfront. It’s a lot of work, but it pays an obscene amount, so my boss promised everyone big bonuses once it’s done.”
“Nice. Oh, and by the way, Miranda loved what you did at their place. She’s telling all her clients about you. I’m not sure you know this, but she owns a dance school in the city.”
“She mentioned that, yes.” Mia paused. “I really liked her. We’re going to try to have lunch next week.”
He offered a mock pout. “So you’ll make time for Miranda like that—” he snapped his fingers, “—but you make me beg for it? Evil woman.”
“Hey, I made time for you, pal. Are we not having a second date at the moment?”
“Damn right we are.”
He sounded so overjoyed about it that she had to grin. “Better make this one good too or you won’t get a third.”
“Oh, I’ll get a third. Just you wait.”
They reached Madison High five minutes later, then spent a full ten minutes cruising the jam-packed lot for a parking space. Apparently everyone and their grandmother had shown up for the season opener. Mia experienced a burst of pride that her brother was starting tonight. She’d taken him out for a steak dinner when he’d gotten the coveted position, an achievement that was made all the more impressive because the coach had chosen a junior for his varsity quarterback over the current senior starter.
Out of Uniform Box Set: Books 4-6 plus 2 Bonus Novellas Page 63
