“Another one?” I asked, looking up at him in amazement.
“Another one,” he said. “I didn’t strike out with this one, did I?”
“Definitely not.”
“Good,” he said. “Then maybe I’ll just keep going until I do strike out.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” I teased, though truthfully I wouldn’t have minded. Another date with Jacob was all I wanted.
“Are you busy tomorrow?” he asked, releasing me but catching my hands as we came apart.
“Nope,” I said. “You know me, just living the life of the unemployed over here.”
He faked a sympathetic chuckle. “Maybe I can distract you from the pressure a little bit? If I haven’t distracted you enough already.”
“Oh don’t worry,” I assured him. “There’s only so many new resumes I can send out.”
“Then in that case, are we on for tomorrow?” He held his breath for a moment. I never would have noticed it if I hadn't been so close to him. He presented to the world this calm and poised persona, but it was nice to see he could be as nervous as I was about things.
“If you give me apparel instructions again,” I replied. “I would have been dead in the water tonight if you didn’t warn me.”
“Tennis shoes and something comfortable,” he said after a moment.
“Tennis shoes? We’re not doing anything athletic, are we?” I said, winking at him.
He laughed. “I'm not thirteen anymore.”
He squeezed my hands. His pulse carried through my limbs and into my chest, the epicenter of my excitement. He pulled my hands until I was close enough to kiss, and his lips landed softly on mine.
I felt him drop my hands and find his grip again on my lower back. His lips sat on mine for a while, his warmth pushing against me. His face tilted and he bit my lower lip before bringing my mouth entirely into his, our tongues dancing.
The lust in that moment was heavy and anchored me only a few feet from my front door. Part of me wanted to drag him through the door, tearing at his fancy clothes until they revealed an even better prize. But the other part of me remained anchored, not wanting the moment to end or even dissipate slightly. That and the fact that my parents were sleeping just a few rooms away.
I was attracted to him, intensely attracted to him, and I wanted to show it. I brought my hand behind his head and cupped his neck, pulling him into me even more. Again I felt him bite softly on my lip before releasing me right back into his kiss.
In only a few moments he had filled the night that had before seemed dark and empty. But then, as sudden and perfectly as it had started, our kiss ended, his lips lingering on mine before falling away completely.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” he whispered, his eyes still closed.
“Yes.” I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't want this moment to end.
“Goodnight,” he whispered and kissed my cheek.
“Goodnight,” I whispered back.
Chapter 8
“How long until we get there?” I asked.
I sat in the passenger seat of Jacob’s car with my eyelids shut and a smile on my face. All of the nice things he had been doing for me were starting to make me feel like a princess. I loved it, but I was still a little hesitant to get my hopes up completely. With everything I was already dealing with, like trying to find work and get on my own two feet, the last thing that I needed was to get my heart broken.
“A couple of minutes,” he said. “No peeking, though, okay?”
I tried to play detective and figure out what this surprise might be. He had said to dress casual, so I was wearing dark jeans with a white blouse. I'd worn comfortable shoes, even if they weren't truly tennis shoes. I really had no clue what to prepare for, though.
“Can I guess where you’re taking me?” I asked. We'd transitioned from the paved road onto a dirt one, but I wasn't sure where we were yet. “Or is that not allowed?”
“You can try, but you won’t be able to,” he said with a chuckle.