Page 36 of Bad for You

That grin lit up his eyes and he gave me another kiss, just a lingering press of lips, but damn, it made me weak all over. “Sounds awesome. Show me your place.”

When he went away I hadn’t been living in Rocktown long and was staying with Kate, so he’d never seen my cottage. I straightened and he released me, but then grabbed my hand. His hands were rough, calloused, with large, wide palms and long fingers. I loved his hands.

“Um…well, there’s not much to see.” On the left of the hall was the living room and the right was my bedroom. The bathroom was beside that and the kitchen was at the end. There was also a decent-sized deck out back that would be awesome in summer.

“Show me anyway,” he said, low and raspy.

I fought back a shiver and led him into the living room. I glanced at him as he took it in.

“You weren’t lying when you said you liked pink, huh?” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

I laughed and smacked his hard, flat stomach. “What can I say, I’m a girly girl.”

“No shit,” he said, chuckling, and grabbed my hand, tugging me close again. “Show me the rest.”

He was behind me, his arms around my waist, and we walked like that across the hall. I pushed my bedroom door open and flicked on the light.

He’d gone quiet and I twisted to look up at him. He had an odd look on his face. “Jesse?”

“Christ.”

“Hey! I’m not showing you my bathroom now, you’ll only mock my towels.”

“What’s up with your towels?”

“They’re pink with dark pink polka dots.”

He nuzzled my throat. “I like it, it’s you. Soft and sweet, and it smells good, too.”

I drew in a giddy breath. “Your reaction when you saw my room makes me think otherwise.”

“That reaction had nothing to do with the color.”

I glanced at him over my shoulder again and raised an eyebrow.

He made a rough sound. “That’s what you sleep in, Bambi?”

A bit of tangerine silk and lace peeked out from under my pillow. I liked pretty nightwear as well. “It’s just my pj’s.”

He dragged his nose up the side of my throat. “Sometime soon, I’m gonna need to see you in those.”

My heart banged harder in my chest. “Okay,” I whispered.

He flicked the light off suddenly and all but towed me out of the room, pulling the door firmly shut behind him.

“You heard from Brooks?” he asked.

“No. And I doubt very much I will after what happened.” There was also the fact that everyone had seen Jesse and me leave the bar together the night Bull kicked Brooks out. That news had spread all over town.

“Good. Now let’s eat, woman,” he said gruffly and gently pushed me toward the kitchen.

When I obviously didn’t move quickly enough, he swatted me on the butt and laughed when I narrowed my eyes at him. I walked ahead and could feel his eyes on me the whole way.

I liked it.

After we had dinner and dessert—Jesse had two helpings of both—we chose a movie. Jumanji, the new one with The Rock in it. I loved Dwayne Johnson, so I highly approved of this choice. Something that Jesse noticed a short way into the movie.

“Bambi, you get all starry-eyed when The Rock comes on screen.”