Page 35 of Bad for You

She choked out a laugh.

And I kissed my girl again, hard and deep.

Chapter Nine

Lila

Why was I so nervous?

I’d spent time with Jesse alone before. We were having dinner, watching a movie, nothing to freak out about. I glanced around my little one-bedroom cottage and tried to imagine it through his eyes.

I cringed. My place was girly to the extreme. I liked soft colors, lots of pink, florals, and when I moved in here, I hadn’t held back. It’d been the first time I’d been able to let loose and be myself.

I imagined my tough, tattooed, biker boyfriend naked under my cream duvet cover, covered in pink cabbage roses, and flushed hot.

Boyfriend.

Is that what he was?

You’re overthinking this, Lila.

Looking down at myself, I cringed again. Was this the look I really wanted to go for? Buttoned up…covered up. I rushed to my room and shoved off my baggy sweater and pulled on a dark purple long-sleeved T-shirt with a deep V neck that looked a lot better with my black jeans.

Covering up was an old habit I slipped into sometimes. I didn’t need to hide my body anymore.

Modesty, Lila. Cover yourself.

My mother’s voice rang loud and clear through my mind.

Tie back that wild hair. Good girls don’t wear makeup. Do you want to end up like your sister?

I shut her out and went to the kitchen to check on the pot roast. It was almost done, and I had an apple Betty ready to go in the oven for dessert. I put another log in my little wood-burning fire and tried not to freak out.

Still, the familiar rumble of Jesse’s bike had me jumping.

He was here.

It’s fine. You’re fine.

I walked down the short hall and stood there like an idiot, waiting.

The bike shut off, followed by the thud of his boots of the front porch. He knocked and nerves spiked through me along with a shot of excitement.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open. I took him in and was torn between shrinking back from the sheer overwhelming gorgeousness of him and diving on him.

His gaze slid over me, taking me in as well, thoroughly, and I squirmed. I couldn’t help it.

When his gaze finally landed on mine, his nostrils flared and he licked his lips. “Christ, Bambi,” he muttered, then curled an arm around my waist and hauled me up against him.

He grinned before bringing his mouth down on mine for a hard kiss. His tongue slid along my upper lip, making me shiver, not going deep like I desperately wanted him to.

“Hey,” I said, breathless when he lifted his head.

He grinned again, wider this time and he stepped inside, kind of carrying me in with him, and closed the door behind us. “Smells fucking amazing in here.”

When I’d been angry at him, I hadn’t had nearly as much trouble talking or telling him what I thought. With all that aggression and anger gone, I was struggling to find my bearings.

I cleared my throat. “Pot roast and apple Betty for dessert.”