FOURTEEN

With only a modicum of embarrassment she pushed Jon out of the dressing room and came out only a little ruffled after changing back into her clothes. Bella blushed her way through her purchases and they burst into laughter on their way out the door.

“I need a drink,” she said and tugged her wool headband back in place.

“Adult beverage or soft?”

She scanned the line of restaurants and a few delis. “I’m thinking adult.”

“Woman after my own heart.” Jon transferred a few of her bags to his other hand and firmly gripped her free one as he tugged her across the street. When he stopped at Tangerine Tavern she was too grateful to drop her bags to comment on the name.

A small woman yelled from the bar. “Pick your seat and we’ll be right with you.”

The waitress came straight over. Jon looked across the booth at Izzy. “Wine or beer?”

“I’m more of a wine girl unless the game is on.”

Jon nodded and decided he was pretty much going to marry her. “Can we have a bottle of your house Pinot?” He glanced at her again. “Hungry?”

She shrugged, “Appetizer maybe?”

“Sampler platter,” he said with a smile.

The waitress winked and scribbled into her pad. “Be right back.”

“Sooo…how am I doing?” He splayed his fingers over the scarred, dark wood. He could sense a good vibe between them, but the dating realm had always been lost on him. The last time he’d dated had been in High School.

Her lips quirked at the corner and she couldn’t stop the grin. “Besides the fact that you’re a perv?”

“Aww, c’mon.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself, The Care Bears will never be the same again.”

“I know they won’t for me.”

Choosing to ignore that one she sat back in the booth. “It depends on where you’re taking me tomorrow night.”

“You’ll see.”

Refraining from sticking her tongue out like a four year old she simply pouted. “How am I going to know what to wear?”

“Wear something Christmassy, but comfortable.”

“Helpful,” she said with a sneer.

Their snacks came and they chatted about childhood, work and with a little prompting, her writing. Between the two of them, they polished off the bottle of wine and they were both feeling warm and a little too willing by the time they condensed bags and left the tavern.

Bella found herself leaning against him as they walked the rest of the strip of small shops. By the time dusk fell she was pleasantly tired and happier than she’d been in too many months to count. “You’re very dangerous for a woman,” she said later as they started unloading her bags into from the back of his SUV.

He unclipped the cargo net he’d used to separate their bags and grinned over his shoulder. “I am?”

“You make a woman think about long nights in front of a fire, wine and romance. You also make her think about sweaty sheets and cold showers for recovery time,” she finished with a laugh. She really wasn’t sure how she was going to keep this classified as a fling. He made her far too comfortable and yet on edge at the same time. It was a heady combination.

Jon turned around and leaned on the bumper, dragging her in to lean against his thighs. She closed her eyes against the feel of him. He was warm, where the night was turning cold. She let out a quick intake of breath when he took advantage of her closed eyes and pressed his lips to hers.

She fought her way out of her gloves, letting them fall to the ground. Her body was so wound up. She went from wanting to feel him to aching to touch him. She didn’t care about the cold, only wanted the silky texture of his hair under her palms. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as the kiss deepened.

“Let me come inside,” he said against her mouth as his fingers gripped the back of her coat and delved back into her mouth. His tongue was beyond talented, with both overwhelming pleasure and staggering technique.

All of her hormones were hopping around below the belt, telling her to let him inside. Let him into her home, her body and screw the three date rule. What was one more really? Most dates only lasted two hours, so technically she’d had about four dates with the amount of time they’d spent together.

Right?

He sipped from her throat, dug his nose into the layers of scarf, coat and sweater to get to the sweet taste of her neck. The cinnamon spice scent of her drove him to distraction.

“Oh God,” she groaned as his lips turned to nips along her neck. “Okay, come inside.”

Jon’s cock was pretty happy with her answer, but when he pulled back he still saw a flicker of indecision in her eyes. And no matter how hot she made him, and no matter how badly he wanted to lose himself in her sweetly curved self, he wanted her to want it just as much.

He kissed her hard on the mouth and slammed the trunk, walking her to the door with bags in hand. With shaking fingers she opened the door and held it wide. He dropped her parcels inside the door, gathered her into him, and kissed her again, feeling her open for him, wanting him. He could ease his way inside and he could talk his way into her bed, but he didn’t just want a fling.

This was the type of woman you took your time with and the type of woman that meant something more than a night of sweat and pleasure. He lingered at her mouth, teasing her with light kisses and soft brushes of lips until he got himself under control. “Goodnight, Izzy,” he said and stepped back onto her porch.

“But-“

He leaned in and kissed her hard. “I can wait. I may not need my hands to hold the steering wheel tonight, but I can wait.”

Her light skin flushed pink as she glanced down then back into his eyes. Her hand rested on his chest as her fingers gripped the butter-soft leather, “You don’t have to wait.”

“I know, but we will.” His eyes locked onto her soft brown, “I won’t tomorrow. Now close that door before I change my mind and toss you on that comfy couch I know is only ten steps to your right.”

She closed the door and leaned on it, letting her head bang on the smooth surface. She walked over to the same couch he spoke of and lifted the remote. She flipped the stations for a Christmas movie and went back for her bags.

“I won’t be sleeping any time soon, might as well get some wrapping done.”