Page 19 of Good For Me

“I don’t know,” I say. “I guess it’s longer than usual.”

She sighs. “I haven’t had sex in four months.”

I again find myself choking on air. “What?”

She shrugs, like it doesn’t bother her, but I can see the flash of hurt in her eyes. “He always said he was tired after work. Not that I pushed him very hard.” She closes her eyes. “God, what was I even doing with him?”

“I’m sure you had your reasons at the time,” I say, even though I’ve been asking myself that question since the first day I saw them together.

“Come on,” she says, face getting red with anger or embarrassment—maybe both. “The fact that he didn’t want to touch me for months and I didn’t even care? That’s fucked up, River. That’s not a relationship.”

“You’re right.” The physical ache to touch her has always been there, but tonight it keeps coming on in stronger and stronger waves. I concede to the desire this time, running my knuckle across her red cheeks, marveling at how hot her flushed skin feels, wondering what it would feel like in other places…

“You deserve better than that,” I tell her, looking straight into her eyes. “You deserve a man who worships you, Jas.”

“I would settle for a man who’s actually attracted to me,” she mutters, and I can’t help the bark of laughter that erupts from me.

“Are you fucking kidding? You’re the most attractive woman I’ve ever seen. Don’t you ever believe differently just because some pencil dick accountant was too stupid to realize what he had.”

Her voice is very soft when she responds. “Do you really think that?”

“That your ex is a fucking idiot? Yes.”

She shakes her head. Her eyes are wide, almost pleading, like things more important than I know are resting on my answer. “Not that part. The attractive part.”

I roll my eyes. “Shit, Jas. You must see the way men look at you. Every eye in the room is on you the second you walk into that bar.”

“I don’t care about them,” she says quickly. “I care about what you think. Do you find me attractive?”

How in the hell can she even ask me that? Does she honestly not know how completely into her I am? But as I peer at her face, I can see that it’s true. Maybe it’s the influence of her asshole ex or maybe there’s some other insecurity I’m not aware of, but whatever the reason, I can see it clear as day in her eyes. Jasmine has no idea how strongly I feel.

I don’t even give it much thought before I’m rolling on top of her, pressing her back to the sand. I balance on my elbows to keep some of my weight off her, then use my hands to cup her cheeks. She releases her breath in a soft gasp, eyes wide and staring up at me.

“Listen to me,” I say fiercely, staring right back. “You are amazing. You’re smart and you’re strong and you don’t take shit from anyone—especially loser bartenders.” I grin at that before turning serious again. She needs to understand this. “You’re also the most goddamn beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. You walk into a room and I can’t keep my eyes off you.” I lean down and press my forehead against hers, our lips an inch a part. “You walk into a room and the entire world lights up.”

“River,” she whispers.

“I mean it,” I say forcefully. “Every word. You’re beautiful, Jas. Absolutely beautiful, in every way there is.”

“That’s how I feel when you look at me,” she whispers, her gaze locked on my lips. “Beautiful. That’s how you make me feel.”

And that’s about all I can take. I crash my lips into hers and she accepts them eagerly, kissing me right back with equal passion. Her hands are suddenly everywhere, on my back, tugging my hair, running her nails up my sides until I’m shuddering with the sensation. I want to touch her, too, but her face feels so good cradled in my hands and I don’t think I can stand to let her go.

“How close is your place?” she whispers. Then she bites my bottom lip and I pretty much explode into raging flames, right there on the beach. “How close is your bed?” she clarifies.

“Too fucking far,” I growl, running my nose down her neck. Damn, she smells good. “Your skin is so soft,” I say, pressing kisses everywhere I can reach. “I want to burrow right into you.”

She laughs, the sound breathless underneath me. “That’s creepy as hell, River.”

Then we’re both laughing, our bodies shaking uncontrollably against each other. It’s just enough of a break in the tension to allow a much-needed ounce of blood back to my brain. I rise from the sand, pulling her up with me. “Come on.”

She doesn’t even question me, just follows me up the beach, her combat boots dangling from her fingers. When we get to the street, I go to my knees in front of her, slipping her feet into the boots. “You have any idea how sexy these are?” I ask.

“I have another pair,” she says, eyes flashing wickedly. “They go all the way to my knees. And they have a three-inch heel.”

“Holy fucking damn it,” I curse, pressing my face into her navel, the image of her in boots like that making it difficult to breathe. She laughs softly, running her fingers through my hair.

“Hurry up, Riv. I want your hands on me and I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

I stare up at her, completely overwhelmed by this woman. How she can be so effortlessly sexy, so confident and sure of herself? It humbles me.Shehumbles me. What have I ever done in my life to deserve to be right here, kneeling at her feet?

“We could stay on the beach,” I tell her, needing to inject some levity to this before I give myself away entirely. I’m not sure how Jas would feel about the fact I’m already calculating the distance to Vegas and the twenty-four-hour chapels there. “What’s a little indecent exposure charge to a tough girl like you?”

She laughs, the husky, throaty sound going straight to my chest. “I haven’t been arrested as an adult,” she says. “I think I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Fine,” I grumble, slipping her other foot into its boot. I do a piss poor job of tying them—my hands are fucking shaking like I’m a teenager about to do this for the first time—but it’s good enough to get her back to my place. And if not, I’ll fucking carry her.