by Hilary Dartt
“Cheers to our resident rock star!” Josie said.
For the next half-hour, Delaney lost herself in the rhythm, the sea of swaying bodies, the heavy bass that vibrated through her body. When “Love Shack” came on, she glanced at Summer and Josie just in time to see comical looks of surprise cross their faces. Before she had a chance to figure out what they were looking at, she felt a body slide up against her from behind. A pair of arms encircled her waist.
She recognized those arms. Jake Rhoades was holding her. Holding her close. And dancing with her. Summer and Josie were smiling now, in that same lascivious teenage boy way Josie had earlier. Summer even gave her a double thumbs up. Delaney rolled her eyes, but giggled despite herself.
“Hi,” Jake said into her ear.
“Hi,” Delaney said back.
Fortunately, she thought, the blaring music prevented her from having to think of something clever to say as shivers cascaded down her entire body. Jake put his hands on her hips, then ran them up her sides to her rib cage, then spun her around and pulled her close. He smelled so good, like soap and spicy cologne that reminded her of the beach. And he felt so good. Warm and lean. He pressed his body against hers. She thrust her fingers into his hair and leaned her forehead against his. For once, his eyes weren’t smiling. They held that same smoldering intensity they had when he’d stood outside Country Kitchen and looked at her through the window. Delaney felt her insides turn to hot, molten lava. Or cake batter. Was it wrong that she wanted nothing more than for him to take her, right there, or maybe up against the wall?
The song ended and the DJ switched gears. “Almost Paradise” blasted through The Teeter Totter, and Jake smiled.
“Slow dance?”
“Yeah,” she breathed.
“This is nice,” he said.
“Yeah,” she said again.
“Your friends are watching us,” he murmured. His breath on her ear made her shiver all over again. It was delicious.
“Of course they are,” she said, closing her eyes. “They think you’re dreamy.”
“Do you?”
“You bet I do.”
“Mmm,” he said.
For several moments, they swayed together to the song. It seemed to Delaney as if all her senses were in overdrive. She could feel the fabric of his jeans through her silky skirt. She could feel the callouses on his hands through her cotton top. She could feel his heart beating against her ribs.
“You smell so good,” she murmured.
“I put on cologne for you. Part of my wooing prowess.”
“For me?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“How’d you know you’d see me tonight?”
“I have my ways.”
After what seemed like five seconds to Delaney, the song ended. Everybody knows the DJ never plays two slow songs in a row. But that was nice.
Summer and Josie had disappeared. Probably they’d left altogether. Delaney checked her phone. Sure enough, Summer had texted: We headed home. Didn’t want to ruin your romantic evening. Follow your heart. Even if it leads you to his place. ;)
Delaney, anticipation now building from somewhere deep inside her, stuck her phone back in her little cross-body purse and looked up at Jake. Although another fast song, “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” started playing and the dance floor pulsated with its heavy beat. Jake stood perfectly still, staring at her. Again.
Why did that look strike fear into her heart at the same time as it made her quiver with desire?
Without speaking, Jake grabbed her hand and led her outside. Once they were on the quiet sidewalk, Delaney managed to breathe. “Where are we going?”
“Right here.”
He pushed her back against the side of the building, put his hands on either side of her head and kissed her, hard. The urgency of it, the primal feeling of his tongue on hers, made her heart hammer. She hooked her thumbs into his belt loops and pulled his hips toward hers. He groaned, stopped kissing her and grabbed her hand again.
This time, he half-dragged her across the street, then turned left, stalked up a half-block and turned right down an alley between two buildings.
“This isn’t exactly where I pictured your wooing skills coming to a head,” Delaney said.
He stopped her again, pressed her against the brick wall and framed her face with his hands. Then, with a great deal more tenderness than he’d shown the last time, he kissed her slowly. Her insides simmered.
They were on the move again. He pulled her up a set of narrow metal stairs to the second level, where he fished a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. It swung open, creaking , and he pulled her inside.
It was an apartment. A bachelor pad. Huge windows faced the street and she could tell without looking that they overlooked the storefronts on the other side of the street, including The Teeter Totter. So that’s how he’d seen her the night she’d written him that embarrassing message.
Comfortable-looking leather couches faced the windows and a huge flat-screen TV was mounted on one wall. A fireplace sat opposite that, under a mantle displaying a dozen photo frames. A soft, white rug covered most of the hardwood floor. To the left stood the kitchen, all straight lines in black, stainless steel and light wood. He’d even put a bowl of green apples on the counter.
Jake flipped on a single light in the entry and the streetlights did the rest. They cast a warm yellowish glow into the apartment.
Perfect mood lighting.
It was clean, but homey. Manly but comfortable.
At least, that was her first impression, which she made in a millisecond, before Jake led her over to the couch, leaned back and pulled her down on top of him.
“Delaney Collins,” he said, his mouth already against hers again. “You are interfering with my wooing skills.”
“I’d say they’re working pretty well, actually,” she said.
He laid back, but didn’t release her. “Usually I’m much more refined.”
“So I bring out the barbarian in you?”
“Definitely.”
Now he shifted, tucked her underneath him and slid his hands under her shirt. She practically exploded when she felt his rough palms on her stomach, his thumbs on her breasts. He kissed her neck and his stubble scraped gently over her collarbone.
“This skirt,” he murmured, running his hands down her legs. “I could see every curve. I wanted to take you, right there on the dance floor.”
Delaney smiled.
“Glad to hear it was mutual,” she said, running her hands through his hair.
The skirt in question was now up around her hips, and Jake was doing something very amazing to her legs. It involved his lips and his tongue. She could feel his teasing breath just next to her panty line and her lower belly trembled.
Without warning, images of Summer and Josie appeared, twin angels hovering over her shoulder. She sighed in exasperation. Jake took it as a sign of passion and reached around to unhook her bra. She was positive he was a master at the one-handed flick, so she sat up quickly. Her head bumped his chin.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Sorry. It’s just that I need to tell you something.”
“Uh oh,” he said. “These conversations never end well.”
He was smiling, unsure.
“It’s nothing bad,” she said. “It’s just that I need to say it.”
“Well, out with it, then. I was just getting momentum.”
She imagined swatting the little angels that were Summer and Josie, floating near her shoulder, and blurted it out: “I’m not seeing anyone else.”
Jake’s body relaxed all at once. “I thought you were going to say you’re married, or you don’t like men, or you never want to talk to me again.”
“Nope. Just that I’m not seeing anyone else. You know, before your wooing skills take control of the evening. Thought I’d throw it out there.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “Good to know. I rea
lly like you, Delaney. But you should also know that my first priority right now is getting my gallery set up. It’s taking pretty much all of my time and energy right now. I’m not seeing anyone else, either, but I don’t know if I can give you the devotion you deserve.”
So, a mixed response. Delaney watched the smoke rise from the ashes of the passion that had just died out.
He really liked her, but …
Was it Brittany again? Was her tiny, skinny, blond image running through Jake’s mind right now?
She shrugged. “I understand. I know you’ve dreamt of this for a long time.”
Jake reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I have. And as I expected, it’s taking up a ton of time and energy. So if you could just be patient with me…”
He trailed off.
“Of course,” she said, hoping her tone didn’t convey her disappointment. “Of course I can.”
Jake stood up. “Want a drink?”
“Sure.” Then remembering her two-drink limit, she quickly added, “Water, please.”
While he was in the kitchen, Delaney smoothed her hair, pulled down her skirt and looked around. The view was pretty nice. She could see the entrance to The Teeter Totter and people still standing around the front door, smoking. He returned with a glass of water.
“So you saw me coming out of The Teeter Totter that night, huh?”
“Guilty. I was spying on you.”
“Nice. Is that how you find ladies, spy on them as they come out of The Teeter Totter?”
“Slim pickins, I tell you what,” he said. “But you want a lady, you should see the bartender at Rowdy’s.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Delaney knew before opening her eyes Sunday morning that it had snowed overnight. Contentment filled her when she saw the heavy quilt of soft, pure white snow frosting the ground outside her bedroom window. The clouds had already cleared off and the sun sparkled with such brilliance she had to squint. Mornings like these called for staying in bed, snuggling under the covers for hours. With coffee. And magazines. A man would make a great addition to the mix, she thought. She felt her skin tingle as she imagined what Jake’s bare back and arms would look like against her pillows.
Although, it could be some time before she saw any part of his body in her bed. Last night’s conversation left her feeling deflated. She’d definitely been getting the vibe that he liked her. But was he using his gallery as a ready-made excuse to spend less time with her? Or worse, an excuse to spend time with other people (i.e. Brittany) without her knowing? It could be a man’s twist on the, “I can’t go out tonight, I’m washing my hair,” thing. He was obviously very driven. And she was a bartender. A retiring bartender with no employment prospects in sight. He was also obviously very good-looking. Which meant women were probably chasing him around town like bobcats chasing antelope.
Delaney vowed to take the job hunt up a notch. Not only would it keep her busy, giving her less time to pine away for Jake, but it also would convey to Jake that she was driven, too. Or could be. She got out of bed, her mouth watering in anticipation of coffee.
“It’s cold in here, Pix,” she said to the cat, who had followed her into the kitchen and was now making figure eights between her calves. “Why am I wearing shorts?”
She lifted the coffee pot and began to pour before realizing it was empty.
“Power’s out,” she said. “No coffee.”
The vision of sipping coffee in bed vanished.
The doorbell rang. Delaney jumped and Pixie bolted for her under-the-bed hiding spot. Delaney looked out the peephole. Jake peered back at her, holding up a white bakery bag and two cups of coffee in a carrier.
“Good morning,” he said when she opened the door. His voice was still deep and scratchy from sleep. She felt a tug in her lower belly. “Figured your power’d be out, so I brought you coffee and breakfast.”
She held up her empty coffee mug. “It is. I just discovered that, myself. I was so disappointed my coffee maker wouldn’t turn on. So you came at exactly the right moment. Knight in shining armor, seriously.”
From the other side of the door, he kissed her, long and slow and gentle.
“Mmm,” she said. “That’s the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time. Do come in.”
“Wait ’til you taste this bagel. Incredible. It beats ’em all.”
They sat at her little dining table. Jake wouldn’t be here if he didn’t like her, right? The power had gone out and one of his first thoughts was to bring her breakfast? Definitely a good sign.
“When I was little and I first started playing sports, no matter how excited I got, I never wanted to smile,” Delaney said. “If I hit the ball in baseball, or scored a soccer goal, or made a basket, I’d look at my parents but I’d never smile. I think I didn’t want anyone to know what a big deal it was to me. Anyway, my parents always took pictures of my face and showed it to me. I know that’s what I look like right now. It’s the trying-not-to-smile smile. Totally goofy, right?”
“Nah. It’s not goofy at all. It’s cute, actually. So are you saying my breakfast visit is a big deal to you?”
“Yeah. It is. It’s totally sweet.”
“That’s me,” Jake said. “And when we’re done here, I have something to show you.”
“I’m intrigued.”
“You should be. When I was little, my parents loved snow days. They’d even take off work when school was canceled so they could take us sledding. To this day, I can’t pass up a good snow day.”
“Should I be scared?”
“No, but you should dress warmly. Lots of layers. I’ll clean up. Get movin’.”
Delaney’s hopes of seeing Jake’s bare back and arms in her bed had just risen exponentially, and now they plummeted again. Only slightly disappointed that he’d instructed her to put more clothes on instead of taking them off, she pulled her gloves, hat and snow boots out of the closet. As she added layers, she realized she was more relieved than disappointed. This was the first time in forever that a guy had planned a fun activity just to show her a good time … and not just between the sheets. Summer and Josie would be pleased, too. No sex for … what was it? A lifetime?
Forcing thoughts of prohibited activity out of her mind, Delaney added warm barrier after warm barrier to her now sensitive skin. When she walked outside and saw Jake’s Jeep loaded up with a couple of big sleds, she was thrilled. A folded blanket sat on the passenger seat and a packet of foot warmers sat on top of it.
***
Snow-covered downtown Juniper looked so quaint and cheerful. Turn-of-the-century buildings, painted bright pastel colors, flanked the snowy streets and everything shone and sparkled in the sunlight. Delaney envisioned people driving horse-drawn sleds through town on snowy mornings. That was one thing she loved about Juniper: the second-story balconies overlooking the streets and the false-fronted buildings had barely changed since they were first built. Today’s people walked down the concrete sidewalk instead of a boarded walkway, and they wore designer suits instead of chaps, but it still felt cozy, and life felt simple. Warm in her blanket, Delaney looked over at Jake.
If it wasn’t romantic enough that he’d shown up at her door, saving her morning by bringing steaming coffee and food, he had also planned what promised to be a delightful outing. She couldn’t remember the last time she went sledding. During the past couple of years, Summer had invited her to go when the kids had a snow day, but she’d always turned her down, in some misguided attempt to prove how much of an adult she was.
The idea of breathing the freezing air, careening down the slope of a giant hill past huge, fragrant trees, and rushing back to the top to do it again – all with Jake – sounded exhilarating.
“Warm enough?” Jake asked.
“Yep! Just right.“
He rubbed her leg briskly and then pointed to Conifer Mountain, which boasted the highest peak in the Juniper area.
“Can you take
it?” he said.
“Oh, yeah. I can take it. Can you?”
“Seeing that fierce look in your eye scares me a little,” he said. “But I think I can knock you down a few pegs.”
Finally, they reached Devil’s Slide, a popular sledding spot where Delaney had come in high school. A few hardy souls (shouting, rowdy teenagers barreling down the hillside face-first) had already begun, and Jake and Delaney followed the trail their footprints left from the parking area to the top of the hill.
“Good thing we got up here early,” Jake said. “I’ll bet it’s packed by eleven.”
For the next hour, they flew, side by side, down the hill. They collected their sleds and raced back to the top, over and over. They raced sitting up, lying on their backs, flat on their stomachs, the snow spraying up around them each time they skidded to a stop. By the time several more families and groups of teenagers showed up to sled, snowboard and build snowmen, Delaney and Jake were exhausted.
“I’m gonna be sore tomorrow,” she said as they loaded the sleds into the back of the Jeep.
“Worth it, though, right?”
“Every minute.”
Jake wrapped his arms around her and she felt the now familiar surge of energy at the very center of her body as he kissed her.
He squeezed her hands, swatted her bottom and said, “Let’s hit it. It’s freezing out here.”
As the Jeep wound its way back down the mountainside, Delaney admired Jake out of the corner of her eye. She wondered whether he noticed her taking in his chiseled features, his rough hands, the muscles in his thighs when he downshifted.
The yearning hit her hard.
Sure, she’d had sex with lots of men. But if she was being honest with herself (she was definitely getting good at this honesty thing!), she had to admit she didn’t usually want to have sex with them. Not that she protested, but it was always obligatory. She never craved it, wished for it, felt her entire body heat with the desire for it, like a pan heating up on the stove.
Flashes of Jake’s hands on her skin, his mouth on her body and his fingers in her hair when they got back to her house made the twenty-minute drive seem very short indeed.
