AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A real date.
Almost giddy, Jacee dug through her small closet and discarded one top after another. She felt like a silly teenager, trying to find the perfect thing to wear in order to please Micah, when deep down she sensed he wouldn’t care. Even if he wasn’t scarred, she didn’t believe he’d be hung up on appearances.
But she still wanted to please him, and twenty minutes later, she finally settled on a short-sleeved blue blouse that contrasted nicely with her dark hair. Then, wanting to show that she owned more than just the jeans and cowboy boots she wore at the bar, she pulled on a pair of breezy black capris and slipped her feet into a pair of black sandals.
In the tiny bathroom, she put on minimal makeup, not nearly as much as she wore at the Grizzly. She stared at herself for a few minutes, fretting over that some. Again with the appearances. But the Jacee who flirted and made nice with the customers at the bar, who wore tight jeans, low-cut tops, and heavier war paint, wasn’t who she really was on her own time.
No, she was a simple girl. She liked to think of herself as a nice person who wanted someone to see the real her. Not the made-up slut a lot of folks no doubt believed her to be. Especially Jax and his buddies.
That thought made her cringe. Even more, the idea of what Micah would think or do when he found out that his future mate used to sleep with one of his Pack made her sick to her stomach. She had harbored some feelings for Jax at one time, so it hadn’t been just sex on her part. But it had been on his, and he’d never made any promises. She’d known their brief fling couldn’t last, and yet she’d let it go on until he met his mate.
Who knew how long she would’ve continued to cling to a man she’d known wasn’t hers? Until she finally met Micah, which it turned out was inevitable. God, that was what embarrassed her more than anything. To realize how lonely she’d been, so much so that she’d been willing to sacrifice her self-respect to stave it off, even for just a while.
Micah would understand. She hoped.
Enough of that. Tonight was about new beginnings, and it seemed both of them deserved to be happy. Leaving her hair loose, she left the bathroom and made sure she had her small cross-body purse, wallet, and keys ready to go.
A few seconds later, she heard an engine and the crunch of tires on the driveway out front. Peeking out through the blinds, she was surprised to see a sleek black two-door Mercedes coup parked there. The driver’s door opened, and Micah got out and stood—and Jacee’s mouth watered.
He wore dark jeans, which hugged his thighs and sex like a glove. An emerald green button-down shirt emphasized his strong shoulders and chest; it was tucked in, showing off his trim waist. Dark coffee-colored hair fell in layers to his collar and around his handsome face. Yes, handsome to her even with the scars. She wondered if he wore his hair longer to obscure some of it or if he just preferred the style.
As he started up the steps to her porch, she went to the door and flung it open before he even got the chance to knock or ring the bell.
He smiled, happiness lighting his eyes. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks,” she said. “You look gorgeous yourself. Want to come in?”
“Sure.”
Stepping inside, he immediately gathered her in a hug. He felt so good and warm, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her check against his shoulder. Just stood there getting the feel of his body against hers. And it felt pretty damn nice.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“More than.” She smiled. “You smell good.”
“So do you.”
“Mmm.” Pulling back slightly, she tilted her face up for a kiss. He wasted no time giving her what she wanted.
His mouth was every bit as delicious as she remembered, but fresh and minty with a hint of toothpaste. Her tongue stroked his and he moaned, the vibration making her tingle all over. She found she liked being the cause of those sounds from him, and did it again.
Chuckling, he put a bit of space between them. “If you don’t stop, we’ll never make it to dinner.”
“And your point is?” she teased.
“As tempting as it is to stay here and have dessert first, I want to prove I’m a nice guy. I’m not just out for your hot body.” Grinning, he winked.
He looked so much like a mischievous boy, she laughed. “I already think you’re a nice guy. But I am hungry, so shall we?”
“You bet.”
They stepped outside, and she locked the house. Then he escorted her to the car, where he opened the passenger’s door and helped her inside. It seemed chivalry wasn’t totally dead, contrary to rumor, and she liked that. A lot.
Almost as though reading her mind, he said, “My mother raised me to treat a woman with respect. That means opening doors, paying the tab, running to get the car when it’s pouring rain, bringing her soup in bed when she’s sick—you name it. If any of this is going to be an issue, it’s best to get it on the table now.” He quirked a brow playfully at her as he backed out of her driveway.
“Well, we’ll have to negotiate on you always paying the tab,” she informed him pertly. “I work and I can pay, too. And I’ll take care of my mate any way I see fit, when he’s sick or not.”
“Hmm. I can work with that.”
