“Really?” she asked. For her, it was a beautiful thing. The beauty for her was the fact that only she could provide for Lexi in this way. For him, a person on the outside witnessing it, she was curious to know why he felt that way.
“Yeah, really. It’s amazing to think what women can do with their bodies. I mean—when you think about what men can do in comparison, it’s definitely a one-sided contribution.” He laughed and she agreed as he continued, “Without sounding all philosophical, a woman can produce and sustain a life. Where all we were given was fertilizer and the overwhelming need to spread it everywhere.”
She snorted a laugh, disturbing Lexi. When she got her latched back on she said, “That provides one hell of a disturbing visual.”
Jason slipped his arm across the back of the couch and positioned himself against her shoulder. Reflexively, she leaned into him as she continued to nurse Lexi. A few moments later he asked, “Is it okay that I’m sitting with you? I don’t want to intrude or make you uncomfortable.”
Tori just smiled, because for as confident as he almost always was, every once and a while he’d show a bit of insecurity. She considered his supposed intrusion, especially since she cherished the time with Lexi—it was their mommy-daughter time. But she realized it didn’t feel like an intrusion to her. Not with him. “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”
She felt his body relax further. After a few moments of silence, he asked in a soft voice, “What time do you work today?”
“My shift starts at one o’clock. We have an off-site job today,” she answered, shifting Lexi to her other breast. The change in position allowed Jason to rub the top of Lexi’s head. His touch was so cherishing that Tori couldn’t help but watch. Lexi deserved that kind of attention.
Without looking to her, Jason asked, “Do you have plans for breakfast, ‘cause I could make us something or go pick up something. Or if you have the time, we could go somewhere and grab a bite.”
She really didn’t care what they did; she was just happy that each option involved a ‘we.’ Shrugging her shoulders, she looked to him. “I’m fine with anything, really. You can decide.”
Jason kissed her quickly on the lips before he smiled and said, “Then I pick making something here, that way you can stay in just those panties and tank top.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively then added, “Hey, there’s more cupcakes, right?”
She laughed as she recalled what Jason would do with his cupcakes. “Sadly, the cupcakes are all gone. Sorry.” His disappointment was evident, and as endearing as it was, she wanted to replace that look with another one. “But there is frosting,” she added with a smirk, and he groaned before burying his face in her neck.
~*~*~*~
JASON finally pulled up to the jobsite around one o’clock. Walking into the office, he set his laptop on the desk before placing his lunch in the fridge. It was so nice to be sent to work with a care package. From a woman he was dating. Just another first for him. How he had survived that long without experiencing it, he’d never understand. But it didn’t matter, because he had a feeling it wouldn’t matter if it was another woman. It was all Tori.
Sitting at his desk, he got himself situated so he could get to work. A few minutes later, Logan walked in. “Well, look who finally made it to work today.”
Jason ignored Logan’s condescending tone; he’d expected it. In fact, he welcomed it. After the morning he’d had, it was definitely worth it. Jason and Tori had had breakfast together, then went for a walk with Lexi. She’d let him drive her to work and had teased him about needing to return her spare tire. He’d reluctantly agreed but promised he’d find something else to use as collateral, just in case she needed an excuse to see him. It was a simple morning of them continuing to get to know each other, but it was more than satisfying, filled with stolen kisses, gentle caresses, and promises for more to come.
Smiling to himself, he flipped Logan off and continued working. Logan laughed as he dropped into his chair. “Oh, come on. You come in over five hours late, after no more than a text saying, I’ll be late, followed by the middle finger salute. That’s all I’m gonna get?”
“Fine, I promise to give you a more definite timeframe next time, boss man,” Jason offered sarcastically.
“Seriously Jay, I’m not your mom or anything, but that’s not like you. It’s more like the crap I would pull. Is everything all right?” Logan asked. Jason agreed, as once upon a time, Logan did do stuff like that.
Jason sighed and turned his attention to Logan. “I know, but I didn’t know how late I was going to be. I was keeping my options open.” He finished with a smile. “And yeah, everything’s good. Really good.”
The two of them went about doing their own things as Logan continued the conversation. “So, I assume you were with Tori this morning, and you said everything’s good. Congrats man, she seemed great yesterday.”
“She is great,” Jason clarified for Logan.
“You really like her?” Logan asked, though it seemed more like a statement, his voice a cross between humor and surprise. “I mean you like her like her, don’t you?”
Looking his friend straight in the eyes, he nodded. “Yeah, I really do. Damn.” He sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair as he evaluated his words. “It’s kind of crazy, man. I was barely able to leave her this morning. If she didn’t have to work today, I probably wouldn’t have come in.”
The pull he felt to be with Tori was shocking, to say the least. His days usually consisted of a steady routine of work, home, friends, and whatever else came up. With Tori, it was like he was just doing stuff to keep busy until he could see her again. There had been a shift in his balance. Looking at the time, he was counting down how long until he got to pick her up from work. He was comforted knowing he was definitely going to see her; there was no question as to if.
Logan nodded and smiled. “Sounds like the real deal for you. I’ve never known you to talk like that. It’s kinda fun watching you fall for a woman.”
He considered that, not really thinking about what was happening, just knowing that it was different—more. Was he falling? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he wasn’t going to worry about it. If he was going to fall for someone, he had no problem with it being Tori.
“Glad I could entertain you,” he tossed at Logan. “Now can I get some work done?”
Hours later, he shut down the site office and headed out to pick up Tori. It didn’t take too long to get to her work, so as he sat waiting for her, he assessed the possibilities for dinner. She’d fed him leftover enchiladas for lunch, so it was only right for him to take care of dinner. Not presumptuous at all, he told himself. Besides, if she didn’t want him to stay, he still needed to feed her. Examining the route between Lexi’s daycare and Tori’s place, he came up with a few options.
Engrossed in his phone, he hadn’t known she’d come out until there was a knock on the window. Though saddened he missed the opportunity to watch her walk to him, he hopped out and made his way to her side. “Hey you,” Tori said when he rounded the car.
“Hey yourself,” he said as he stole a quick kiss, not wanting to be inappropriate at her work. “How was your day?”
“Great. How was yours?” she asked as she got in. He closed the door and quickly walked around to his side before answering.
“It was good. Had a fantastic morning with this amazing woman, then she packed me a lunch that had Logan jealous, which is always fun. And now I’m going to buy her some dinner to say thank you. So my day couldn’t have been better.” He winked, and she gave him a smile so genuine, he wanted to lock the car doors and never let her out of his sight.
“Is that so? Well, I’m afraid that isn’t going to work for me.”
Instantly, his ego deflated, and he couldn’t contain the disappointment. But then she smiled and said, “You’re gonna have to cancel with that other chick because I was hoping to have dinner with you.”
His smile was instantaneous. “Oh, that
was good. I totally set that up for you.”
“Total amateur move, big guy.” Her voice was laced with laughter. “I couldn’t resist.”
“Ah, so you’re saying you can’t resist me. That’s good to hear, Cupcake.” She blushed before he leaned over and stole a kiss. Putting the car in gear, he pulled away from the curb and gave her the choices for dinner. He was anxious to get their evening together started and hoped his day ended much like it started ... with Tori.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
TORI grabbed her make-up bag and stuffed it in her overnight bag. When she left the bathroom, she tried to think of what else she would need for the night. Excitement and nerves warred with each other as she thought of their plans for the evening. Over the past month, she and Jason had developed a routine of sorts—they spoke on the phone every day, sent each other messages, shared meals whenever time allowed it, and basically built their schedules around each other. On days when she worked in the afternoon, he would try to go in late and work late, so he could spend the time in the morning with her. She never asked him to do it, he just did. Of course, he asked if it was okay with her, which was so not what she was used to in a relationship.
It was obvious he was being cautious and trying not to smother her, and it only emphasized exactly how different he was from Damien. Even though she didn’t compare the two men any longer, she couldn’t help but notice simple things Jason did that had never been done for her in the past. A phone call when he was on the way over to see if she needed anything. Asking her preferences for dinner and if she even wanted to go out. All questions that never existed in her marriage to Damien.
Even before she’d married Damien, he’d simply made decisions based on his needs and expected her compliance. To him, it was her job to meet his needs. Getting lost in thought, she hadn’t realized her hand had ventured up to her scar. It was an unconscious move and she didn’t do it as often as she used to, but wanted to stop altogether. Refocusing on the night ahead, she prayed she wasn’t out of line in assuming Jason wanted her to stay at his place. Over the past month, they had slept together plenty of times, but always at her place, and she had yet to actually sleep in his bed. Sure, they’d had sex at his place, but it was always stolen moments when Lexi was asleep or with a sitter. There was even a time or two on his lunch break. She was ready to get a little more carried away with him—to feel sexier with him.
Throwing a change of clothes into her bag, she zipped it up as Tessa strolled in the bedroom. “Okay, I have to ask, are those clean sheets on your bed?
“Of course I changed the sheets for you,” Tori answered, irritated that Tessa would think she was a bad host. But when Tessa muttered a curse of disappointment under her breath, Tori looked to her in question.
Tessa flopped down on the comforter and mumbled, “I was hoping I’d be able to smell Captain Orgasm on his pillow. That way it would be like I was sleeping with a man, too.”
Tori laughed and shook her head. “I don’t know how you still surprise me with the shit you say, Tess.”
“That’s because I keep coming up with new and improved shit,” Tessa said as she waggled her eyebrows. Sitting on the corner of the bed, Tori pulled on her new boots. They were a lot like a pair she used to own that Damien had thrown away, among other things of hers. Smiling down at them, she hoped Jason liked them.
Standing up, she moved to the mirror and took in her appearance. Her hair was falling in soft curls down her back, contrasting the light color of her dress. It was a strapless, cream-colored dress with a layer of eyelet lace and a thick brown belt resting high on the waist. The dress was shorter than she preferred, with the hem landing just below mid-thigh, making her legs look longer. And the position of the belt seemed to emphasizing her breasts. Overall, she was happy with how she looked, and she hoped for Jason’s approval, as well.
Turning to get a view of the back, she made sure the curve of her rear didn’t shorten the dress too much. From the bed, Tessa said, “You look hot, all you’re missing is a cowboy hat to match your boots.”
Tori smiled. “I know, right; it would totally make the outfit. I used to have one … maybe next time.”
She grabbed her bag, and Tessa followed her into the living room. Tori leaned forward and kissed a napping Lexi. It was the first time she would spend the night away from her, and she couldn’t help the small dose of anxiety that surged through her system. She wanted to be alone with Jason, but didn’t like feeling as though she was abandoning her daughter—no matter how irrational the thought.
“She’ll be fine, Tori; don’t worry about her. As soon as you leave here, you get to have Jason all to yourself. Parents do this all the time.”
Taking a deep breath, Tori let it out slowly, feeling some of the apprehension lessen at Tessa’s words. “I know, but I still feel a little guilty.”
“Totally normal,” Tessa said as she slung her arm around Tori’s shoulder. “Now, did you bring something sexy to wear later? Alone time doesn’t happen often so you have to make the best of it.”
“Honestly, I thought about it, but I think Jason would be just fine with me in nothing but my boots and panties.” She smiled at the image of her standing before him like that.
They both turned at the sound of Jason pulling in the drive. Tori slung her bag over her shoulder and went to the door, wanting to escape without waking Lexi. If she woke up before they left, it would be too hard to leave. Waving to Tessa, she grabbed her cropped denim jacket to wear after the sun went down. As she gently closed the door, she heard Jason before she saw him. “Holy shit …”
She looked over her shoulder to find Jason staring at her from a few yards away. Flipping her hair back, she turned and smiled before walking to him. By the time she stopped in front of him, he hadn’t said anything else, but his expression screamed loud and clear—he was a fan of her outfit. The ability to render him speechless was empowering.
With her best flirty voice, she said, “Hey handsome, you wanna be my date for the night?”
His hand met her waist, and she found herself anchored against a hard, very aroused man. He let out a long, shaky breath and with a low, husky voice, he answered, “Your date? Hell, Tori, I want to be your everything tonight.”
Holy shit is right. She didn’t know what to say to that, so she just smiled. With his eyes locked on hers, the hunger and passion he showed her so well was there, lingering in the icy depths. After finally pressing his lips against hers, she could feel him trembling, holding back. She knew if she said the word, he’d unleash all that hunger. It made her feel like she was his everything.
Pulling his lips from hers, he bent down and wrapped his arms around her legs, before standing back up. Tori squealed as her body was lifted straight up in the air—against his. Now looking down at him, she giggled, resting her hands on his shoulders as he turned and carried her to the truck.
“I so badly want to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back inside, but I’ll settle for carrying you like this. Because at least you’re against my body.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, kissing him again. He groaned and placed her on the ground by the passenger door. Opening it, he took her bag and helped her in.
“What’s in the bag? Cupcakes by chance?”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “No. Have you thought about having your cupcake addiction to checked out? It’s borderline obsessive.”
Jason started the truck and said, “Oh, I’m addicted for sure, but it’s not the baked goods kind.” He winked and turned his attention to the road. Damn, he really said the best things.
“Got the charm on full force tonight I see. You hoping to get lucky or something?” she teased.
“Hell, I’ve already gotten lucky, anything else is just a bonus, Cupcake.”
~*~*~*~
JASON was ready to call it a night. He was ready to blow off the rest of the concert and find a place where he could devote all his attention to Tori. Friends be damned. The onl
y thing keeping him from storming off with her—caveman style—was the smile on her face. She was enjoying herself, and he wasn’t about to ruin that. Scanning the crowd, he tried to find her again. The three women had ventured to the bathroom, leaving the men to stand in line for drinks. Personally, he thought one of the men should have gone with them.
The ratio of men to women at the concert was definitely tipped on the testosterone side. Everywhere he looked there were cowboys prowling around everything in a skirt. And Tori was wearing a skirt—a very short skirt in fact. He perused the crowd again, anxious to lay eyes on her. Focused on finding her, he was startled a moment later when he felt a hand on his arm. Looking down, he found a young woman smiling up at him. The line moved so he excused himself and stepped forward, tapping Jake on the shoulder.
When Jake turned around, Jason moved in to tell him he was going to look for the girls, but a hand on his arm held him up. Thinking it was Tori, he was disappointed to find it was the same woman from a minute ago, and she was now leaning into him, wearing an expression that could only be described as an invitation. While it wasn’t an invitation he would’ve accepted ever, it especially irritated him right now. He wanted Tori’s hands on him.
“Excuse me,” he said more curtly and moved his arm. Ignoring her, he looked back to Jake. “I’m going to find the girls. It’s too much of a meat market around here, and I don’t like it.”
Jason laughed and gestured behind him. “Relax Jay, they’re right there.”
He spun to look for Tori, relaxing when he finally laid eyes on her. Taking the water Jake handed him, he moved quickly. Once she was close enough, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Giggling, she asked, “Whoa, did someone miss me?”
“I don’t think you should go anywhere without me the rest of the night,” he grumbled, giving her the water.
Love Required (The Real Love Series) Page 16
