“Kopi luwak.” At his raised brow, I shrugged. “It’s a type of coffee. My friend brought it back from Europe, and we tried it out one morning.”
He frowned. “Why is coffee weird?”
“Because the beans pass through the digestive track of a civet. It’s a small, wild cat-like creature.”
He blinked at me. “You drank pooped-out coffee beans?”
I chuckled. “Not exactly. Well, kind of exactly.”
“Was it good?”
“Yeah. But I still prefer Starbucks.”
“I’ll bet. And for the record, I don’t recommend eating bugs, either.”
And that was when the next course appeared before us. This one was slivers of meat with a garnish of pretty flowers served on a decorative slice of wood. Leafy greens surrounded the food and I had no idea if we were supposed to eat those, too, or if they were merely decoration. I suddenly wished I’d paid more attention in school. How cool would it be if I could identify everything I was looking at?
“I feel too uneducated to fully appreciate this meal,” I murmured.
He grinned. “Thank God, I’m just a stupid jock. Nobody expects me to understand this. Ready?” He reached forward and picked up a slice. I did, too, and together, we popped it into our mouths, then repeated our groans of delight.
And so went the rest of the evening. We talked about all the regular first-date stuff while indulging in the most amazing food on the planet. He hadn’t been the best student in school, but the moment he’d discovered baseball, he was hooked. I had been a great student in school because I was too bookish to face the real world. He had a brother and a sister plus a team of firefighter friends who felt like family, most in Indianapolis. I had a couple friends in Indy, but the bulk of my family was here in Chicago.
It turned out that he was as funny as he was handsome, and my libido ramped up in accordance with his charisma. He also got me to relax and talk about things I never expected would spill from my lips. It wasn’t just that I was a coward about standing up for myself. I’d already told him that. But I talked about when Bernie Hailstock tore my shorts in third grade and I’d spent the rest of the day in ugly, too-big basketball shorts I’d taken from the Lost and Found. And that once my mother had chewed me out in front of the entire cafeteria for forgetting to bring my lunch.
He responded in all the right ways. He commiserated when I needed him to, and laughed to help me see the humor in the situation. It was perfect, especially since we were eating the most amazing food throughout the whole conversation. But it was now time to leave, and I wasn’t ready. Struggling to my heels, I know I leaned too heavily on his arm. He was laughing at something, but his eyes kept focusing on my lips, which made me lick them self-consciously, which in turn made his nostrils flare.
“Want to take a walk?” he whispered.
“Sure. Why not?”
There were a thousand reasons why not, including the fact that we were supposed to end the evening without any kissing. But I wasn’t listening to that part of my brain. Instead, I was leaning on his arm, smelling his scent while feeling his heat. And he was wrapping his other arm around me to hold me close.
If I’d been on any other date, I would be popping a mint for the kisses to come. On any other date, I would have made sure I had condoms, just in case. But not tonight. Tonight, I just smiled at him and decided to find out what was coming next.
Chapter Six
Jake
We were walking toward my hotel room.
It was only a couple of blocks. We’d make it before I finished telling her about my first pro baseball game. She’d still be laughing while we rode up on the elevator. And then, there was a 100 percent chance I could steal a kiss—a 10 percent risk she’d slap me for trying, but a 90 percent possibility I could get her in my room, in my bed, while I did whatever I wanted to her.
And boy did I want to.
Guilt started to eat at me. I’d promised to be a gentleman tonight. But then, I never kept my promises to girls. Ever. So why should tonight be any different? I mean, I’d try, but somehow, I always screwed up. Usually, something would happen at home, and I’d have to lie to cover for it. It wasn’t long before I gave up making promises to anyone.
The conflicting thoughts warred in my head. Be a gentleman. Be a player. Call a cab for her. Pull her into bed with me before she knows what’s happening. All those were possible, and in my control.
And while my mind built up arguments for both sides, my body did whatever it wanted. She was tucked against me, sweet, pliant, and smelling like the cherry dessert we’d eaten. Her right breast was pushed against my side, and I reached across my torso as if by accident and stroked it. Right across the nipple, which was already a tight nub.
She gasped against me, but I tightened my hold.
An apology hovered on my lips, but I didn’t voice it. I wasn’t sorry. After all, hadn’t this been my plan from the beginning? One hot night, pushed too far, so that she didn’t call me back in the morning? That way we’d both have fun tonight, without any promises to break tomorrow. And yet part of me really liked Ellie. And I didn’t want to treat her like my usual fast fuck.
Did that mean I was about to play nice? To leave her without so much as a good-night kiss? I couldn’t believe I was even considering it.
Meanwhile her gaze leaped up to mine. I could see the exact same argument going through her head. Did she want an old-fashioned date or one that ended in sweet release in a celebrity’s bed?
