Mom worked three jobs just to make ends meet, and when those ends met, PB&J was the flavor of the month. Every month. But something’s different about this one. Something extra. An x factor I can’t place.
“It’s honey.” His thumb sweeps across my bottom lip, then he sucks it into his mouth with a low moan. It's an incredibly intimate touch from a stranger without any buildup of mutual attraction or flirting beforehand.
He didn’t even hesitate before doing it, and I’m too perplexed to jerk away.
Am I horrified? Turned on? I’m not sure. His close proximity is stifling even as the scent of cinnamon and peanut butter overpowers my senses.
“What is?” The words catch in the back of my throat. I’d love to say it’s the thick peanut butter coating the inside of my mouth, but something’s bewitching about this guy that suggests I need to put as much distance between us as I can.
“My secret ingredient.” His gaze flickers to my lips for a beat longer than is probably acceptable before resting on my eyes again. “I drizzle honey on it. Sometimes I sprinkle sea salt, but this one,” He waves his half-eaten sandwich at me. “This one has honey.”
“Oh.” My body sags as he sits back to finish his sandwich. I’m not sure what the fuck is happening right now. I’m not this doe-eyed, breathless fool when it comes to guys.
Sure, I dropped my life and moved to a school I had no interest in to support my hockey-playing boyfriend, but that’s beside the point. In this moment, I’m not letting my vagina get the better of me. I’m in control. Me. Not my hormones. Not this grinning man-child with sandwiches in his backpack.Me.
He clears his throat, drawing my attention to another sandwich outstretched in his hand. He’s already plowing through his half.
“You just carry sandwiches around, waiting for the perfect picnic opportunity?”
He shakes his head. “Did I expect to be incarcerated with a beautiful woman today? Absolutely not. Am I mad about it?” He shrugs. “Also no.” He polishes off his sandwich with another bite. “But I’m always prepared.” He pauses before hurling an exaggerated wink my direction. “For snack time.”
Pretty sure tiny pieces of bread spray from my mouth as I snort out a laugh. “Does that line ever work?” He’s hitting on me, right? While I’m not in the market for another relationshipquite so soon after breaking up with Mark, I’m not averse to having a hot, one-night stand with my fellow prisoner.
Another head shake precedes him pulling two bottles of water from his bag and pointing one at me with a lazy grin. “Never tried it before today.” This guy is so laid back he should be horizontal. I’ve never met someone who smiles as much either.
I suppose if my face looked like that when I smiled, I would smile as often as he does too.
He gestures at the phone in my lap. “Not making any more calls to escape lock up?”
“I’m stuck here for the duration, I’m afraid. Forty-nine minutes and counting.” I wave my screen at him.
He chuckles. “I think you’ll find that’s one hundred and nine minutes and counting.”
My stomach drops. Two whole hours? Motherfucker. I thought it was an hour.
His chuckle deepens into a laugh, shaking the bench under our butts. “Don’t look so happy about it.”
Ugh. I don’t even have my books to do some studying. “You think your buddy Officer Sy would go grab my books from school?”
The open water bottle destined for his mouth pauses in mid-air as he gasps. “You mean you don’t want to spend the rest of the next two hours in my wonderful company?” He lowers the bottle with a sad shake of his head and clutches his chest with his free hand. “I’d be offended, but you don’t know how awesome I am yet.”
The way he says “yet” makes something tingle in my stomach.
“And he’s my buddy Tate’s brother. Sawyer. Actually hates being called Sy.”
“So naturally that’s what you call him.” I nod as though it makes perfect sense.
“Naturally.” He twists the cap on his bottle. “It’s a sign of affection. He’s probably too busy doing important cop things to run and get your books.”
At my sigh, he nudges my knee with his. “Don’t sweat it. I’m not so bad once you get to know me.”
“What about you?” I return his nudge. “Aren’t you calling your boy squad to be rescued? Surely a guy like you can raise a hundred bucks in no time.” I imagine he has droves of friends. Even if ten of them give ten bucks a piece into the pot, he could be out in fifteen minutes, twenty tops.
He watches me patiently until I turn so I’m staring straight into his captivating eyes. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be, Firecracker.”
CHAPTER 2
Raffi
