with each breath she took, but instead of removing her hand, she placed both palms against his skin. She smoothed her hands over his pecs in a slow, outward sweep and then back in. When her fingernails grazed his nipples, his muscles contracted involuntary, making his abdomen a hard ridge that seemed to fascinate her. She sucked in a breath when she came to the waistband of his sweats. The bulge of his erection was all too visible and left no doubt that he was going commando. He wanted her to touch him there, stroke him, and when she didn’t, a low groan escaped him.
“Jessica . . .” He tilted her head up to look at him. Her cheeks were pink, and she licked her lips. “Touch me.”
“I can’t,” she said in a breathless voice, and then grinned slightly.
“What?” he asked gruffly.
“Madison reminded me earlier that I always told her that
can’t
wasn’t a part of her vocabulary. She called me out on it.”
“Smart girl,” he joked, but his voice sounded strained.
“Yeah.” She tilted her head, making her golden ponytail slide over her shoulder. She smoothed her hands upward and then back down, coming even closer to his rock-hard penis, almost as if daring herself.
“God!” Ty sucked in a sharp breath. He knew she wasn’t being a tease on purpose, but still. . . . “You’re driving me nuts.”
She looked up, startled, and pulled her hand back. “Oh! I’m sorry. I should really go!”
“Would you stop saying that? Jessica, I’ve been drawn to you since last summer when we went to that prom for Olivia and Noah.” He shook his head. “No, even before that. I caught glimpses of you at Chicago Blue. And yes, I loveyour amazing food, but I eat at Wine and Diner almost every night to see you. Surely you must
get
that.”
“I—”
“Don’t say it. There is no reason you should go unless you really want to.” He looked into her eyes. “Do you?”
She searched his face and then glanced away. “Oh, Ty, I’m way out of my league here. Do I have to spell it out for you?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, you do.”
“I have devoted myself to Madison. To my career.” She lifted one shoulder. “Sure, I dated here and there, but . . .” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “It’s been years since I’ve been with a man.” She put a hand to her mouth. “My God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this. Damn that shot of bourbon!”
Ty cupped her cheeks with his hands. “You’re not telling me anything I haven’t already guessed.”
“Oh, great . . .” She laughed without much humor. “I feel like the forty-year-old virgin. I mean, okay, I
know
the mechanics, but I would be a bumbling, fumbling fool.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“No, really, it has been
years
.”
Ty laughed shortly. “That’s not what I meant.” He took her hand and gently placed it against the hard ridge of his erection. “That’s what you do to me. Jessica, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Even more color rose in her cheeks. “Yes, that might be what I do to you. But what would I do
with
you?”
Ty gave her a slow grin. “As they say here in Cricket Creek, anything your li’l ole heart desires. Do as little or as much as you wish. Happy birthday. I’m all yours,” he offered in a teasing tone to keep the mood light, but in reality he meant what he said and he didn’t mean just for tonight. He just wouldn’t let her know it yet.
Her chest rose and fell, but she remained silent.
“Hey, I’ll be your guinea pig. To get you back in the game.”
As long as you only play with me,
he thought.
“Ah . . . taking one for the team?”
Ty laughed, but when her smile trembled, he sobered. “I want you to know you are a beautiful, desirable, sensual woman. I don’t care how long it’s been. You are capable of bringing a man to his knees.”
Frowning slightly, she shook her head and looked away.
Ty gently cupped her chin and tilted her face back in
“Jessica . . .” He tilted her head up to look at him. Her cheeks were pink, and she licked her lips. “Touch me.”
“I can’t,” she said in a breathless voice, and then grinned slightly.
“What?” he asked gruffly.
“Madison reminded me earlier that I always told her that
can’t
wasn’t a part of her vocabulary. She called me out on it.”
“Smart girl,” he joked, but his voice sounded strained.
“Yeah.” She tilted her head, making her golden ponytail slide over her shoulder. She smoothed her hands upward and then back down, coming even closer to his rock-hard penis, almost as if daring herself.
“God!” Ty sucked in a sharp breath. He knew she wasn’t being a tease on purpose, but still. . . . “You’re driving me nuts.”
She looked up, startled, and pulled her hand back. “Oh! I’m sorry. I should really go!”
“Would you stop saying that? Jessica, I’ve been drawn to you since last summer when we went to that prom for Olivia and Noah.” He shook his head. “No, even before that. I caught glimpses of you at Chicago Blue. And yes, I loveyour amazing food, but I eat at Wine and Diner almost every night to see you. Surely you must
get
that.”
“I—”
“Don’t say it. There is no reason you should go unless you really want to.” He looked into her eyes. “Do you?”
She searched his face and then glanced away. “Oh, Ty, I’m way out of my league here. Do I have to spell it out for you?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, you do.”
“I have devoted myself to Madison. To my career.” She lifted one shoulder. “Sure, I dated here and there, but . . .” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “It’s been years since I’ve been with a man.” She put a hand to her mouth. “My God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this. Damn that shot of bourbon!”
Ty cupped her cheeks with his hands. “You’re not telling me anything I haven’t already guessed.”
“Oh, great . . .” She laughed without much humor. “I feel like the forty-year-old virgin. I mean, okay, I
know
the mechanics, but I would be a bumbling, fumbling fool.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“No, really, it has been
years
.”
Ty laughed shortly. “That’s not what I meant.” He took her hand and gently placed it against the hard ridge of his erection. “That’s what you do to me. Jessica, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Even more color rose in her cheeks. “Yes, that might be what I do to you. But what would I do
with
you?”
Ty gave her a slow grin. “As they say here in Cricket Creek, anything your li’l ole heart desires. Do as little or as much as you wish. Happy birthday. I’m all yours,” he offered in a teasing tone to keep the mood light, but in reality he meant what he said and he didn’t mean just for tonight. He just wouldn’t let her know it yet.
Her chest rose and fell, but she remained silent.
“Hey, I’ll be your guinea pig. To get you back in the game.”
As long as you only play with me,
he thought.
“Ah . . . taking one for the team?”
Ty laughed, but when her smile trembled, he sobered. “I want you to know you are a beautiful, desirable, sensual woman. I don’t care how long it’s been. You are capable of bringing a man to his knees.”
Frowning slightly, she shook her head and looked away.
Ty gently cupped her chin and tilted her face back in
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