sarcastically. “Sure. I’ll be in the lobby being social—which is more than I can say for either of you.” He chuckled as he walked out, and once the door had closed behind him, Jas turned back to her.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” he said. “The other night was harder than I expected.” He took a deep breath, holding his focus on her eyes. “It was also incredible.”
The smile she returned was small, but she nodded.
“I don’t want you to get hurt. I also don’t want to worry that you’re struggling to wrap your head around this. I want you to enjoy it. I want it to feel okay for you emotionally. If it doesn’t, then we…” He shook his head. “Then we can’t do this.” He swallowed harshly. “Do we need to stop?”
He held his breath as he waited for her to answer.
“No.”
He smiled. “I don’t like having my hands tied by Ian’s rules.” He smirked. “But… I don’t want to stop yet either.”
She nodded.
They found Ian in the lobby moments later and walked out together to Jasper’s car. He drove the short distance to the bar, and Ian sat in the passenger seat. Every time Jasper had to check his rearview mirror, her eyes were watching him. He’d get trapped by them for a moment until he could force himself to return his attention to the road. He parked in the back, and they entered through the back door.
“Hey, boss.”
“Hey, Seth. We’re going to take the table in the back.” He cocked his head toward a small round table that sat nearby, and once they’d ordered their drinks, he clasped his hands on the table.
Ian was staring at his phone, and it wasn’t until their drinks were set on the table that he bothered to look up at either of them. They made small talk, but it was strained. Gray seemed … too quiet, off in some way. Jasper kept watching her as she’d look around and then stare at Ian curiously. She’d glance at his cell phone, and then she’d look away, the tendons in her neck showing as she pursed her lips. She was annoyed.
“So, this whole ballet thing you did tonight was interesting,” Jasper commented casually to her when she glanced at him after eyeing Ian’s phone venomously again.
She laughed as she took a drink of wine. “Was it? What was so interesting about it?”
“Well, your near see through leotard for starters.”
She busted out laughing, and Ian looked up quickly, clearly lost on the conversation.
“Does it hurt?”
She smirked at him. “Dancing or fucking?” she said as she watched him, finally ignoring Ian.
“Touché.” He winked at her. “Both I guess?”
She shrugged, but she was blushing. “Yeah. Sometimes. Depends on the partner I suppose.” She studied him for a moment. “Doesn’t mean it’s not amazing,” she said quietly.
He smiled, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden. “I’m glad to hear it. I will say, it’s hell on your feet. I’ve noticed they’re a bit of a fucking train wreck.”
She nodded. “The dangers of sex.” She glanced away then.
Ian was still focused on his phone, and as he glanced up, he looked toward a nearby table, checking out a tall, dark haired woman who was eyeing both he and Jasper. Jas ignored her. Ian did not. He smirked devilishly at the woman, and Jasper’s jaw clenched tight in irritation. When he glanced to Gray her eyes were already focused on Ian. She was staring at him deadpan without an ounce of inflection, but as Ian looked back down at his cell phone, her jaw tightened, and she glanced at her lap.
A few minutes later, Ian looked up from his phone again. “Well, I gotta run to work. Fire to put out.”
“Now?” Gray asked him, her eyes narrowing.
“CFOs have fires to put out on the weekends? Can spreadsheets explode or something?” Jasper commented sarcastically.
Gray smirked in appreciation but didn’t react beyond that.
“I’ll be back soon. How about you two go upstairs and play without me for a while. Can I take your car?”
Jas handed him the
“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” he said. “The other night was harder than I expected.” He took a deep breath, holding his focus on her eyes. “It was also incredible.”
The smile she returned was small, but she nodded.
“I don’t want you to get hurt. I also don’t want to worry that you’re struggling to wrap your head around this. I want you to enjoy it. I want it to feel okay for you emotionally. If it doesn’t, then we…” He shook his head. “Then we can’t do this.” He swallowed harshly. “Do we need to stop?”
He held his breath as he waited for her to answer.
“No.”
He smiled. “I don’t like having my hands tied by Ian’s rules.” He smirked. “But… I don’t want to stop yet either.”
She nodded.
They found Ian in the lobby moments later and walked out together to Jasper’s car. He drove the short distance to the bar, and Ian sat in the passenger seat. Every time Jasper had to check his rearview mirror, her eyes were watching him. He’d get trapped by them for a moment until he could force himself to return his attention to the road. He parked in the back, and they entered through the back door.
“Hey, boss.”
“Hey, Seth. We’re going to take the table in the back.” He cocked his head toward a small round table that sat nearby, and once they’d ordered their drinks, he clasped his hands on the table.
Ian was staring at his phone, and it wasn’t until their drinks were set on the table that he bothered to look up at either of them. They made small talk, but it was strained. Gray seemed … too quiet, off in some way. Jasper kept watching her as she’d look around and then stare at Ian curiously. She’d glance at his cell phone, and then she’d look away, the tendons in her neck showing as she pursed her lips. She was annoyed.
“So, this whole ballet thing you did tonight was interesting,” Jasper commented casually to her when she glanced at him after eyeing Ian’s phone venomously again.
She laughed as she took a drink of wine. “Was it? What was so interesting about it?”
“Well, your near see through leotard for starters.”
She busted out laughing, and Ian looked up quickly, clearly lost on the conversation.
“Does it hurt?”
She smirked at him. “Dancing or fucking?” she said as she watched him, finally ignoring Ian.
“Touché.” He winked at her. “Both I guess?”
She shrugged, but she was blushing. “Yeah. Sometimes. Depends on the partner I suppose.” She studied him for a moment. “Doesn’t mean it’s not amazing,” she said quietly.
He smiled, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden. “I’m glad to hear it. I will say, it’s hell on your feet. I’ve noticed they’re a bit of a fucking train wreck.”
She nodded. “The dangers of sex.” She glanced away then.
Ian was still focused on his phone, and as he glanced up, he looked toward a nearby table, checking out a tall, dark haired woman who was eyeing both he and Jasper. Jas ignored her. Ian did not. He smirked devilishly at the woman, and Jasper’s jaw clenched tight in irritation. When he glanced to Gray her eyes were already focused on Ian. She was staring at him deadpan without an ounce of inflection, but as Ian looked back down at his cell phone, her jaw tightened, and she glanced at her lap.
A few minutes later, Ian looked up from his phone again. “Well, I gotta run to work. Fire to put out.”
“Now?” Gray asked him, her eyes narrowing.
“CFOs have fires to put out on the weekends? Can spreadsheets explode or something?” Jasper commented sarcastically.
Gray smirked in appreciation but didn’t react beyond that.
“I’ll be back soon. How about you two go upstairs and play without me for a while. Can I take your car?”
Jas handed him the
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