When Will leaned over to give her some kisses, Jasmine snuck a glance at the man she had been trying to avoid looking at for the last ten minutes.
Trying to be stealthy while stealing glances didn’t work, though, because Leo was not only staring directly at her, but he had seemed to be waiting for her to grow some balls and look at him. At least that’s what she assumed by the cocky smile he tossed her way when she finally met his eyes. Unable to ignore the heat in his gaze, Jasmine felt her eyes lock on his.
There goes that damn dimple again.
“Stop that.” Jasmine hadn’t realized the words had tumbled out of her mouth until Leo barked out a laugh.
“Stop what?” Leaning forward he braced his elbows on the table, his smile growing wider.
“All of that.” Jasmine waved her hand in the air to encompass Leo’s entire area.
“All of what?” Leo cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
“The dimple, the sexy smile and the bedroom eyes,” Jasmine whispered in a hushed voice, trying not to get Winter and Will’s attention, as they sat still making googly eyes at each other.
“Sugar, what you are seeing is the normal Leo.” Raising his hands, he sat back as if he were surrendering.
“Well…normal Leo needs to tone his shit down,” Jasmine said, feeling heat rise in her face.
“And why is that?”
Jasmine stared at him a moment, taking in his genuinely curious expression. “Because I can’t think when you look like that and it gets worse when you focus that look on me.”
“If you aren’t used to those kinds of looks then you haven’t been around the right kind of men, Jazz.” Leo reached over and covered her hand with his own on the table. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Jasmine sat silent for a moment, confused at the abrupt change of subject. “I’m going to the station to drop off some cookies for the guys.”
“Ahhh…these must be the cookies that you were talking about when we got here?”
When Leo let go of her hand to reach for his own drink, Jasmine missed the warmth but was grateful for the reprieve. She was sure her hands were dripping with nervous sweat and that was one thing that she didn’t want him to notice.
“I decided to test out the cookie cutter that I got for Winter’s bachelorette party.” Her words were somewhat jumbled since Jasmine had shoved a chip in her mouth.
“Don’t sugarcoat it, Jazz.” Winter chuckled after taking another sip of beer. “She made dick cookies.”
When the guys both looked at her with wide eyes, Jasmine tried to appear innocent.
“I wanted to have a practice run before the party and you guys had a late night so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone.”
Both men turned their gaze to Winter, now wanting to see the cookies in question.
Winter leaned down and pulled out the container from her bag. Unwrapping the parchment paper, she held out the small square so the men could see the cookies in all their penis glory.
“Is that ball hair?” Will chortled, unable to not laugh at the cookie on display.
“Yes?” For some reason the answer came out of her mouth like a question. Jasmine looked around the bar making sure that nobody else was listening to their conversation.
“How did you—” Will wiggled his finger, encompassing the blush tone she had applied to the cookie to give it a fleshlike color.
“I iced them in white and then used a sponge to apply the pink color. I wanted to make it look like there was blood flow.” Jasmine covered her face with her hands, knowing that her attention to detail sounded sex crazed. “Maybe giving them to the guys wasn’t the best idea….”
“No, it’s perfect. The guys are going to get a kick out of them.” Leo nodded before looking at her with laughing eyes. “How long did these take you?”
“Just a couple hours, I had some spare time this morning since I made the trip into KC yesterday to see the parental units.” Jasmine’s eyes widened when she realized their server was on the way to their table and the cookie was still out and about in all its cock and ball glory. “Put that away!”
Winter rolled her eyes but folded the parchment back over the X-rated snack and snapped the lid back on.
“So, you left my house this morning after I specifically asked you to stay just so you could make some dick cookies,” Leo asked, uncaring that Winter and Will were now watching them with wide eyes.
“No, I left because you weren’t there and I didn’t see a coffee pot.” Jasmine shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Plus, I had errands I needed to run and laundry I needed to do.”
“Ah yes, laundry.” Leo’s eyes twinkled at her words. “I take it that you were able to put the flamingos away?”
“Flamingos?” Will repeated, the only one at the table out of the loop.
Winter touched his arm and shook her head indicating that he should be quiet.
Jasmine’s face turned red when she remembered that yes, she had indeed put the flamingos away, but had forgotten to put on a freshly laundered pair of panties so she was still commando. Squirming in her chair, she stopped the movement when Leo narrowed his eyes at her.
“Yes, the flamingos are put away…and that’s enough talk about that. I suggest we all just finish lunch.” Grimacing inwardly at how prim she sounded, Jasmine picked up her hamburger to take a big bite.
Just as she was crunching through the pickle and lettuce, Jasmine felt a warm hand on her thigh.
High on her thigh.
Finishing her bite, she pretended to reach down for the napkin and flicked her finger hard against Leo’s tanned paw on her fleshy thigh. Even though he jumped at the sting, he didn’t remove his grip. Instead, he rubbed the soft skin with his thumb.
“I need use the restroom. Excuse me.” Jasmine stood up and then gave Winter a pointed look which didn’t take her long to decipher.
“Me too. Back in a jiffy.” Winter stood up and followed Jasmine to the bathroom, understanding the time-honored tradition of women going in pairs so they could talk about the men.
The minute the bathroom door closed, Jasmine turned to Winter in pure panic mode.
“What the hell is happening right now?” Jasmine ran her hands through her hair then turned to the mirror to fix the mess she’d just made.
Winter eyed her for a moment before walking into a stall to take advantage of the bathroom break.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Jasmine mock yelled.
“I’m thinking you’re crazy, bish.” Winter flushed the toilet and walked to the sinks. “He’s obviously into you, he’s hot and he’s single….”
“You’re telling me things I already know.” Jasmine waved her hand to activate the paper towel dispenser for her friend.
“I guess I just don’t know why you’re freaking out.” Winter took the towels that Jasmine handed her with a quick, “Thanks. Plus, it’s not like you’re seeing anybody now. All the guys that your parents throw in your way are basically just boring speed bumps that you either drive over or go around. You’ve never given them a call back, and I’ve never seen you this worked up over a guy in the years I’ve known you. You even said yourself that you needed to get laid. Well here is the perfect candidate! And I do mean perfect, he was helping Will fix the fence the other day and they both had their shirts off….” Winter’s voice trailed off for a moment as if she were reliving the moment in her head. Just as quickly as she had drifted off, Winter snapped back with a shake of her head. “This could be a good thing.”
Jasmine stood there for a second thinking over what her friend said. “I guess you’re right, but what if I get attached? I don’t want to date a firefighter.”
“That is a problem….” Winter tapped her finger against her chin as if thinking hard. “How about you lay out some ground rules and keep it casual on
ly. I mean, if you go into it knowing that it’s not going any further than just some fun in the sack, what harm would there be?”
“I guess you have a point.” Jasmine chewed on her lip for a second, trying to think of a way to have her cake and eat it too. Leo being the cake in this scenario.
“Just keep it light, right,” Winter suggested as if it were the simplest answer in the world.
“I guess,” Jasmine answered still not sure if she was going to be able to guard her heart from the dimpled hunk of gorgeous man that was able to make her crazy by just touching her leg.
“Plus, I think Nix was asking about you yesterday after he realized how big he fucked up by bringing Veronica to the dinner. I think he’s wanting to settle down. Either that, or he’s having a crisis now that he’s getting ready to turn thirty.” Winter opened the bathroom door and started to lead Jasmine back to the table.
“Nix? Really?” Jasmine thought about what she would do if the big guy asked her out. Before Leo, she would have said sure, knowing that it was going to be harmless fun. Nix wasn’t a guy that you would say screamed ‘stability,’ or ‘family man’ for that matter. No, Nix was a big guy who worked hard and played harder by all accounts. He was also incredibly sexy in a dark and mysterious way, and quite a few of the ladies in their circle had given in to temptation and sampled the dangerous man. None of them came back with complaints other than they were upset because he wasn’t interested in a second helping of what they were serving. “We’re talking about the same Nix, right?”
“How many guys do you know named Nix?” Winter asked sarcastically.
“What about Nix?” Leo asked when they sat down, obviously having overheard the women on their way back to the table.
“Oh, just that Nix was asking about Jazz,” Winter blurted out before looking wide-eyed at her.
Leo leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his wide chest. When he focused a glare at her best friend, Jasmine realized Leo was not happy with that news.
“Really?” The question was short and to the point and Jasmine was unsure how to answer it.
When she stayed silent and picked up her burger again as if he hadn’t spoken, Will chuckled and filled in the gap. “Take it easy, man. Nix was just wanting to know if she was single still. He didn’t realize that you and Jazz were a thing.”
“Wait, we’re a thing?” Jasmine asked with her mouth half full while Leo simply nodded. Will’s answer obviously pleasing him.
“Jazz, if I have to show you how much of a thing we are, we may need to have a little bit of privacy,” Leo drawled tossing his napkin down on his now empty plate.
At those words, Winter choked on the bite of food she was trying to swallow while all Jasmine could do was stare open mouthed at Leo. Will chuckled and patted Winter’s back, trying to help her while she struggled to breathe.
Jasmine felt herself melt a little when Leo reached over and closed her mouth with a soft nudge to her chin.
“Okay,” Jasmine agreed with a breathless voice, and with that simple answer, she took Leo’s outstretched hand. Tugging her from the table, Leo nodded to Winter and Will.
“That should be enough to cover our half,” Leo said dropping a couple twenties on the table before hustling Jasmine out the door.
“Holy Hell.” Winter’s voice followed the pair as they exited the bar.
Chapter 10
“I’m glad we got some rain last night,” Jasmine drawled, unsure what to say now that she was alone with Leo in his truck.
“Are we really going to chit chat about the weather?” Leo’s deep voice rumbled as he turned the steering wheel to head north.
“Wouldn’t it be easier for you to catch 6th Street—”
“Yeah, but we are going to stop by the station first so you can drop off your cookies.” Leo looked over at her where she sat clutching the small cooler she had with her at the restaurant.
“I can do it tonight before I head home. No big deal.” Jasmine patted the floral printed canvas bag as if it were a pet.
“I figured you would stay at my place tonight,” Leo added, causing Jasmine’s heart to accelerate at the implications.
“Really?” Jasmine looked toward the window and closed her eyes in annoyance when her voice squeaked out that one word.
“Yeah, really.” Leo reached over and let his warm hand settle on her bare thigh. “I had planned on having you in my bed this morning and since that didn’t happen I figured you could make it up to me tonight.”
Jasmine was silent for a moment, her brain trying to figure out a way to say yes without sounding too eager. Eventually she settled on a response and said calmly, “I guess I can.”
“Do you go to church? I can take you tomorrow morning if that’s something you’re into.”
Jasmine wanted to laugh at the fact that he was mentioning church while his fingers traced lazy figure eights on her thigh and she was imagining him naked, but her mouth had run dry at the start of this conversation. The thought was still very sweet of him though, especially since it sounded like he didn’t attend church.
“I haven’t been to church in years,” Jasmine started only to stop when his gaze quickly met hers before going back to the road. “I remember Janet always had Sunday off so she could attend services. Did you go with her?”
“Nah, that was something Mom really enjoyed but I couldn’t get into it,” Leo admitted. “It always made me angry when I would hear them saying one thing but doing another. Mom loved everything about church, but most the people around her were hypocrites and she didn’t notice it.”
“Hypocrites?” Jasmine had heard the slight bitterness in Leo’s voice at his words and was wondering if there was something personal he had dealt with.
“Yeah, the pastor that Mom spoke so highly of was not only cheating on his wife but he also made moves on one of the girls that volunteered for the youth group. He was kind of pushy and she came to me for help before it got out of hand.” Leo rubbed his hand over his jaw. “Remember when I dated Dannie for a couple months our senior year?” He waited for her to nod before continuing, “We only went out a couple times, but it was so she could get him off her back. We were friends more than anything. I also went to a service with her and let him know that I was aware of what he was up to and I didn’t appreciate it.”
“Well…shit,” Jasmine whispered remembering the pretty girl he was talking about.
“Not long after that he transferred to another church down south. I have a feeling his wife found out he was stepping out.” Leo’s voice was full of disgust at the memories.
“I guess that would sour somebody on the whole church experience, huh?”
“I believe there is a higher power than me. I just don’t need a hypocrite preaching it to me…especially when they can’t keep it in their own damn pants.” Leo’s voice was matter of fact as he laid out his views.
“I agree with you there.” Jasmine nodded. “I don’t think I’ve been to church in years. We used to go for the big holidays like Easter and Christmas. You know, those big events that everyone expects you to attend? That lasted until my parents got busier at the hospital and then it was as if it never happened. Sunday became the day that they could get errands taken care of or catch up on patient files.”
“I don’t think there is a time when I remember your parents not working.” Leo pulled into the fire station parking lot and parked near the front. “I’m sorry—”
“No, you don’t need to apologize,” Jasmine said quickly. “My parents are the definition of workaholics. You witnessed that for yourself when we were younger and it’s pretty much never changed.”
Leo jogged around the front of the truck to help her out. With the high step, she passed down the cooler before climbing down. As he held her hand to steady her as she stepped off the running boards, he squeezed her fingers. “Regardless, you
turned out really well for someone who had absentee parents for most of their childhood.”
Jasmine felt her face heat in the wake of the compliment. “Thanks, I could say the same for you considering how much Janet worked while you were little.”
Leo nodded. His dimple popped into place as he smiled. “Mom was amazing. I was lucky to have her, and, now when I look back at those years, I am happy that you were the one I was sharing her with.”
Jasmine swallowed hard as the words warmed her heart from the inside out. “Thanks?”
Leo held her hand snugly in his own as they walked into the station to deliver her cookies.
“Hey, man!” Justin popped his head out of the kitchen area to see who had entered the building. “I didn’t think you would be in until tomorrow considering the call last night.”
Leo nodded to his friend and coworker. “We are just stopping by so my lady can drop off some cookies.”
When Justin looked behind Leo to see if there was another female present it almost made Jasmine laugh. She couldn’t stop the smile that took over her face when his eyes fell to their linked hands, his expression finally showing that he had caught on to what Leo was implying.
“You and Jazz?” Justin asked with his brows raised.
“Yeah, you got a problem with that?” Leo’s voice had a slight edge to it at the question.
“Nah, man…you might want to fill Nix in though.” Justin raised his hands in peace, one of them holding a forgotten loaf of bread.
“That’s what I came to do.”
At Leo’s words, Jasmine realized why he had been so set on bringing her by with the cookies. Apparently, this was his chance to mark his territory. Jasmine would have normally been a bit pissy at the thought of a man peeing in a circle around her, but when it came to Leo things were a little different. She wasn’t quite sure when they had become a thing, but she wasn’t going to worry too much on that right now. The fact that she was interested in a man who was obviously interested in her was such a change from her normal routine that Jasmine wanted to just absorb the excitement for once instead of second guessing herself. Plus, Leo had a way about him that made it hard for her to say no….and right now she wasn’t even close to saying anything remotely close to no.
Simmering Heat Page 7
