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She dragged her attention from Jake’s tense jaw and met the kind eyes of the cop at her side. “Yes, it was me,” she said, letting him lead her over to his car.
Half an hour later, she’d been questioned and re-questioned. The cops finally left, along with her new friend Steven. Noelle was pretty sure he’d decided Jake was her boyfriend, probably because Jake had lingered in the background, ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice. That he’d returned Steven’s coat as if it were contaminated didn’t help either.
Steven didn’t know that taking charge was just what Jake did. It was part of his big brotherly thing. She must’ve been sipping some sort of lust-spiked Kool-Aid to think he could ever see her as more than little Nellie Gregory, the girl he’d thrown pebbles at the first time she’d come home with his sister.
She sighed. All in all, the day hadn’t proceeded as planned. She’d lost her car—though the cops seemed certain they’d find the perp soon—her dress, and her pictures, and now, her mojo was flagging. She truly didn’t want to abandon her romantic scheme, but this was Jake. She couldn’t halfheartedly seduce him. It had to be a full out, slay him dead seduction, or she’d have to try another day. Possibly after alcoholic inducement.
“Are you ready to go now?” Jake asked gently, cupping her elbow.
Noelle shook herself alert. It had finally sta
rted snowing, and the streetlights shimmering on the falling flakes had mesmerized her. Or else her fixation on the man beside her had finally consumed her brain.
Jake smirked at her, the streetlamp adding a halo of gold to his dark hair. “As warm as your bunny shirt must be, you’re shaking. Do those cotton puffs help with insulation?” He tucked his jacket tighter around her. In a minute he’d be pulling up the zipper as if she were a child.
“I’m fine,” she grumbled. And she would be, once she shed this shitty day via a hot shower and a cold beer. “I need to go home and make some calls. See if there are any car rental places still open.”
“The cops think they’ll catch the guy who took your car tonight. You’re lucky it’s such a noticeable red. Maybe you won’t even need to rent anything.” Jake arched a brow. “Besides, it’s New Year’s. You can just chill at home. Unless you have a hot date or something.”
“Who hangs out at home on New Year’s? I’m twenty-four, not ninety-four. I want to party.” She kicked at the fluffy white snow settling around her clogs. Pretty or not, right now the white stuff was annoying her. Just like everything else.
“I’m spending New Year’s at home,” he said, voice tight. “So I guess I fit into the ninety-four-year-old category.”
“No, you’re not. Alexa’s party is tonight. She promised me you’d be there! You just got back to town and we haven’t had a chance to talk or—“
“Or what?” he asked softly.
Or have really good sex on a number of pieces of household furniture, multiple times.
Ha. Yeah, right. He wouldn’t have sex with her. Heck, he probably figured her lingerie collection consisted of fleece jammies. She didn’t turn him on. That’s where the dress had come in. But now she had nothing to wear and Jake thought she was a frump and she had no transportation to the party Jake had no intention of going to anyway.
God, listen to her. How long had she been waiting for a chance at him? Years. By the time she’d finally started coming into her own, he’d hooked up with saintly, perfect Maureen. The woman with pin-straight hair that never frizzed and saucer-sized blue eyes she loved to bat at Jake. They never argued and had seemed to exist in a state of synchronistic couple harmony.
Until they’d broken up early this year.
Noelle had done her best to be a good friend to him. A platonic friend. She’d bought lots of extra buttered popcorn and selected action movies for their occasional Friday nights together, only too happy to be his sounding board if he felt like talking. He’d said surprisingly little. Whether that was because he didn’t consider her an appropriate outlet or because he still viewed her as his kid sister’s pal, she didn’t know.
Then there was the other possibility, that he actually saw her as a woman. That she hadn’t imagined the kiss she’d been sure he’d been about to plant on her before he’d taken off last summer. He had zoomed left at the very last second, when she’d finally been able to taste his breath on her lips.
Giving up wasn’t her style. Not when she finally had the opportunity to go after what she wanted.
“Why aren’t you going to Alexa’s?” she asked, pressing her cold hands against her hips. Soon, the tips of her fingers would be turning blue.
“Have stuff to do around the house.” He shrugged and tugged at the lapels of the coat. His fingers almost brushed the curve of her breasts. Almost. “Your teeth are practically chattering. Why don’t you put your arms in the jacket?”
She sighed and shook her head. The Jake she knew wasn’t distant and didn’t avoid his friends and family like this. He also didn’t resist answering questions. Late last year, shortly after he and Maureen had called it quits, he’d taken a leave of absence from his pharmaceutical sales job and taken an extended trip up north. As soon as he’d returned earlier this month, he’d gone right back to work. He hadn’t called her or stopped by to say hi, and tonight, he’d barely touched her. Maybe his breakup with Maureen changed him? Normally he gave the best hugs ever.
Well, that didn’t have to stop her from touching him.
“Well, I think you should go,” she murmured, gripping the lapels of his coat together with one hand and using the other to stroke his forearm. Crisp hair and hot skin singed her palm, eliciting a shudder. “It’s a tradition. You’ve been going forever. We both have.”
He glanced from her hand to her face as if he couldn’t quite make the connection between them. Her fingers continued their playful path as if there was nothing the least bit strange about her caressing his arm.
“Uh, yeah, but that’s because Mo loved it. I like staying home to watch the ball drop and going to bed. After, I mean. You know, when I’m tired.”
Inwardly, she giggled. His drooping eyelids proved he at least enjoyed her touch. A good start, indeed.
“You sure that’s what you meant?” she teased. She tipped back her head and hoped he didn’t hear her self-conscious hiss of breath. “It’s okay. We’re both adults. I know what usually happens on New Year’s. First comes merrymaking, then comes lovemaking. With or without the usage of noisemakers and sparkly hats.”
