done it on a kitchen counter or two.” She picked up the baby doll off the floor and a large multicolored velvety worm.
“No, that’s not who I’m talking about.”
Her face flushed again as she dropped the toys into a straw basket. “You did make me feel ‘like a virgin’ just now, I have to admit.” She sang a line of the infamous lyrics. “That’s going way back now. See how I know my pop music?”
“Not that Madonna!”
Her brows bunched together. “What are you talking about then?” She stared at me, her jaw slowly slackening. “Oh, oh, you mean—” The blood drained from her face. “Oh.”
“I shouldn’t be pinning you down in your kitchen. You-you need to be worshipped.”
She moved toward me, her blue eyes leveling with mine. Her hand landed on my chest and slowly rubbed up and down. The heat rose up my neck, my face.
“The way you touch me, kiss me, is worship,” she whispered. “Believe me, I’ve never had that before. Ever. I can feel your heart pounding through your mouth, through those fingers. I can only imagine what it would be like when—”
I put my fingers over her lips.
She blinked and clasped my hand, her lips nuzzling my fingertips. “I’m not the Virgin Mary, a divine goddess, or some delicate fairy princess. I’m just me.”
Her lips brushed over the thin skin of my wrist where my pulse raged. Something shimmered in my gut at her soft touch, the heat in her eyes.
“You’re not just anything . Not to me.”
“I spread my legs for you just now. I urged you on.”
“Yeah, you did.” I peeled her hand off me and forced out a laugh. “You need a fuck, little girl?”
Jill punched my chest. “A, I’m thirty-two years old, not a little girl. B, I need you to fuck me.”
My heart slammed against my ribs, my mouth dried. “We both know—”
“Save it!” She marched into the kitchen.
I stood still, my eyes shutting closed like a castle gate against the cavalry of possibilities of me and Jill rising before me.
A drawer slammed in the kitchen. Her voice rose loudly. “I’ve been with boys, and I’ve been with men my age—”
I stood in the doorway of the kitchen, Rae’s white-and-blue trimmed kitchen straight out of the pages of Cozy Country Home Magazine . I was the interloper, the intruder. I was the fucking, What doesn’t belong in this picture, boys and girls?
Jill spun around, facing me. “I like you. I want you .”
“Jill—”
“You’re older than me. So what?”
“Over thirteen years older.”
“That doesn’t matter to me, Boner. I’m not counting. I’m very attracted to you. Plus, I trust you. I know I’m safe with you.” A slight tremor unfurled over her lips. “I like that. I need that,” she whispered.
I let out a breath as I wiped a lock of hair from her throat.
Yeah, she needed that, especially after what she’d been through. She’d put on that brave face, sporting that breezy attitude left and right, but I knew— I knew —there was a gooey center to all of it.
Like there was to mine.
Was she still looking for another biker to come save her? Was that how she’d hooked up with Catch and stayed with him, even after it had gone to shit between them?
I didn’t want to be her biker security blanket. I didn’t want to be her cardboard-cutout dude whom she’d plant at her side and convince herself that everything would be all right.
I wanted—
My back straightened, I lowered my chin. “I don’t have to be your man to protect you. I’m always here for you. You know that, don’t you? You need me. I’m here. Right?”
“Right,” she said quietly.
“Jill, I’ve never had an old lady. I don’t want one.”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t say I wanted to be your old lady.” Her neck suddenly elongated. “I mean, I’ve been an old lady, remember? I don’t want to go there again.”
Why did that surprise me? My spine stiffened. Why did that piss me off?
I folded my arms and eyed her, my pulse
“No, that’s not who I’m talking about.”
Her face flushed again as she dropped the toys into a straw basket. “You did make me feel ‘like a virgin’ just now, I have to admit.” She sang a line of the infamous lyrics. “That’s going way back now. See how I know my pop music?”
“Not that Madonna!”
Her brows bunched together. “What are you talking about then?” She stared at me, her jaw slowly slackening. “Oh, oh, you mean—” The blood drained from her face. “Oh.”
“I shouldn’t be pinning you down in your kitchen. You-you need to be worshipped.”
She moved toward me, her blue eyes leveling with mine. Her hand landed on my chest and slowly rubbed up and down. The heat rose up my neck, my face.
“The way you touch me, kiss me, is worship,” she whispered. “Believe me, I’ve never had that before. Ever. I can feel your heart pounding through your mouth, through those fingers. I can only imagine what it would be like when—”
I put my fingers over her lips.
She blinked and clasped my hand, her lips nuzzling my fingertips. “I’m not the Virgin Mary, a divine goddess, or some delicate fairy princess. I’m just me.”
Her lips brushed over the thin skin of my wrist where my pulse raged. Something shimmered in my gut at her soft touch, the heat in her eyes.
“You’re not just anything . Not to me.”
“I spread my legs for you just now. I urged you on.”
“Yeah, you did.” I peeled her hand off me and forced out a laugh. “You need a fuck, little girl?”
Jill punched my chest. “A, I’m thirty-two years old, not a little girl. B, I need you to fuck me.”
My heart slammed against my ribs, my mouth dried. “We both know—”
“Save it!” She marched into the kitchen.
I stood still, my eyes shutting closed like a castle gate against the cavalry of possibilities of me and Jill rising before me.
A drawer slammed in the kitchen. Her voice rose loudly. “I’ve been with boys, and I’ve been with men my age—”
I stood in the doorway of the kitchen, Rae’s white-and-blue trimmed kitchen straight out of the pages of Cozy Country Home Magazine . I was the interloper, the intruder. I was the fucking, What doesn’t belong in this picture, boys and girls?
Jill spun around, facing me. “I like you. I want you .”
“Jill—”
“You’re older than me. So what?”
“Over thirteen years older.”
“That doesn’t matter to me, Boner. I’m not counting. I’m very attracted to you. Plus, I trust you. I know I’m safe with you.” A slight tremor unfurled over her lips. “I like that. I need that,” she whispered.
I let out a breath as I wiped a lock of hair from her throat.
Yeah, she needed that, especially after what she’d been through. She’d put on that brave face, sporting that breezy attitude left and right, but I knew— I knew —there was a gooey center to all of it.
Like there was to mine.
Was she still looking for another biker to come save her? Was that how she’d hooked up with Catch and stayed with him, even after it had gone to shit between them?
I didn’t want to be her biker security blanket. I didn’t want to be her cardboard-cutout dude whom she’d plant at her side and convince herself that everything would be all right.
I wanted—
My back straightened, I lowered my chin. “I don’t have to be your man to protect you. I’m always here for you. You know that, don’t you? You need me. I’m here. Right?”
“Right,” she said quietly.
“Jill, I’ve never had an old lady. I don’t want one.”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t say I wanted to be your old lady.” Her neck suddenly elongated. “I mean, I’ve been an old lady, remember? I don’t want to go there again.”
Why did that surprise me? My spine stiffened. Why did that piss me off?
I folded my arms and eyed her, my pulse
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