Page 70 of Raging Fires

It hadn’t been just her. She’d seen it happening in Jake, too. He’d become lighter, more relaxed recently; the lines of resentment had left his face. Maybe they were good for each other, as everyone said. That was a thought that made her stomach clench a bit. It was scary. But maybe, just maybe, it was time to let go, to relax and let life sweep her along. See where things went. Maybe it was time for her to copy Jake and just start living in the here and now.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Later, as they strolled back to their car, hands loosely linked, Jake said, “I thought we could go out for dinner this evening.”

“Sandwich and chips?” Kelli joked.

“Nah. Old school style, like a fancy French restaurant where I have to wear a tie and you can dress up and wear those red high heels.”

“Maybe I don’t still have those red high heels.” She knew the ones he meant; she didn’t think she’d ever worn those shoes that she and Jake hadn’t wound up in bed… usually before they could even get out the door.

Jake snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“Okay, maybe I do have them,” Kelli admitted. “This sounds suspiciously like a seduction date.”

“Well, duh.” He flashed her a smile that was itself pretty seductive. “I’ve been watching you climb around in those shorts for two hours.”

“At least you’re honest about it,” Kelli laughed. And maybe it was time to reach out for what she wanted. Hadn’t she just decided she was going to relax and stop letting the past rule her life?

He bent his head toward hers, his breath ruffling her hair, and in a low voice said, “You know where I want to be. I’ve never made it a secret.”

Just his words started heat spreading through her, and she looked up at him, saying in an equally soft voice, “And where is that?”

His eyes sparked. “Inside you, Kell. Inside you so deep and hard, nothing else matters.”

Oh, yeah. She was definitely wearing the red heels tonight.

***

Kelli wore the heels, along with a black dress with a demure neckline in front and a plunging V in the back. The look on Jake’s face made her slip out the front door before he could kiss her into staying right here. But as he walked out the door behind her, he trailed a finger down her bare back all the way down to the end of the V, and Kelli was immediately so hot and aching she was tempted to turn around and pull him back into the house herself.

“Where are we going?” she asked to cover her surge of hunger.

“Le Pur. Half the team recommended it.”

Kelli was unsure how well a bunch of football players knew what constituted a great romantic venue, but Le Pur turned out to be exactly what they had said, the perfect romantic French restaurant—low lighting, candles, small intimate tables tucked away from view behind columns and in shadowy corners or cocooned by a deep curved booth.

The maître d’ led them to an appropriately dark and cozy booth. All around the room, women’s heads turned to watch Jake. No surprise—he looked like sin in a black suit tailored to fit his wide shoulders.

The booth was semi-circular, and they slid across the leather to sit side by side. Jake’s leg was against hers, and he put his elbow on the table, his upper body curving toward her, enclosing her in a way that should probably have made her feel claustrophobic, but all she felt was heat throbbing between her legs.

“Wow, Jake… your teammates really know their stuff,” Kelli said, trying to get her mind off the delicious way he smelled.

“Well, this is where Neil took Stephanie on their first date, and Asa’s a player, so…”

“Asa is not a player,” Kelli protested. “Players are obnoxious. Asa’s great. He’s just really, really good-looking. Women throw themselves at him all the time.”

“Yeah? You think Asa’s good-looking?”

“Duh.” Kelli cast him teasing glance.

“Maybe I should be jealous.” Jake trailed his forefinger down her bare arm, raising goosebumps all the way. “You think?”

“Nah. He’s too nice.”

Jake grinned. “You like bad boys, huh?”

“No, I like cocky goofballs with great hair. You know that.”