“If a romantic night like this is the result of my screwing with your head, let me grab my bag of dust.”
He laughed. “Pix, you wrote about sitting on my shoulder holding a lantern before I even gave you the lantern.”
“Because that’s how I imagine myself if you’re ever able to go on missions again and we’re still together.”
“I won’t. I can’t because of my hearing loss.”
“I know, but I’d like to think that you can do something like it that would make you happy. And if you do, and we’re still together, I’ll be here cheering you on, praying you’re safe, and anxious to see you when you come back.”
“I envy your ability to say and do what you feel without hesitation. You’re putting yourself out there for a guy who wants to leave the island, and you’re not making a single demand on me. I don’t get it.”
“There’s nothing to get. You’re the one who makes me feel more than I ever have before,” she said honestly. “I want to be with you, not own you.”
He pulled her in for a long, slow kiss, making her stomach flip, and kept her close, their mouths a whisper apart. “You’ve got me rethinking the whole universal sign thing.”
He pressed his lips to hers, sliding his rough hand to the nape of her neck, holding her possessively and somehow making her feel freer than she ever had. He kissed her devouringly and tenderly, which she didn’t even know was possible. Everything about him seemed at war with himself, but she knew this was a war he’d win. Whether he would tire of the burden of his raw strength and anger covering up his caring, romantic heart, or the answers he was seeking would clear it all away, she didn’t know. But she believed in him.
Grant Silver was not a quitter. He was a doer.
And oh, how she wanted him to do her.
The sound of a throat clearing startled them apart as Wells walked into the room with a waiter on his heels, each carrying a large tray of food. Jules felt her cheeks burn as Grant squeezed her hand and they went to sit down.
“Sorry to interrupt. I hope you’re hungry for dinner,” Wells said as he and the server began setting out small dishes of chicken satay, crab poppers, roasted vegetables, bruschetta with tomatoes and a dash of mushrooms, and a number of other delicious-looking foods.
Jules was starved, but what she wanted was staring at her like a hungry wolf. She’d happily be his Little Red.
My, what a beautiful mouth you have.
All the better to eat you with.
Ohmygod.
Grant was looking at her like he could read her mind, and she rambled nervously. “Wow, this is a regular smorgasbord. It looks delicious. There’s so much food. I’m starved. Are you hungry?”
A slow grin curved Grant’s lips, and it felt like their dirty little secret, sending thrills skittering through her.
“Grant got us confused with a tapas restaurant,” Wells said as he handed the empty tray to the waiter, who then left the room.
“Don’t worry, bro. I’ll tip you well.”
“Damn right you will.” Wells crossed his arms, a devilish grin curving his lips.
“What?” Grant asked with a hint of annoyance.
“I feel like I should sell tickets or something. It’s not every day my brother asks to use my rooftop suite and shows up with a beautiful woman on his arm.”
“Get out of here, Wells,” he warned.
Wells held his hands up in surrender. “I’m going. Enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, shoot me a text. Otherwise, I’ll come back in a little while.”
Was it wrong that she wanted to climb into Grant’s lap and make out instead of eating? God, what kind of nympho was she turning into? “Everything looks so good, I don’t know where to start.”
“I do.”
Grant took her hand, drawing her into another toe-curling kiss. He threaded his fingers into her hair, kissed her rougher. Her body caught fire, and she shifted closer, kissing him feverishly. She came away breathless and needy.
His eyes were as dark as midnight, restraint written in the tightness of his jaw and his tight grip on her hair. “Every minute I spend with you makes it harder to keep my hands and mouth to myself.”
“Then I want to spend lots of time together.”
“You’re killing me,” he ground out, tugging her in for another scorching kiss.
His hand moved up her thigh, stopping short of her skirt. The heat of it seared into her bare leg, causing her inner muscles to clench with anticipation.
“Jesus, Jules. I get carried away so easily with you. We shouldn’t do this here. Wells could walk in again.”
She’d been so caught up in him, she hadn’t been able to think of anything, much less that. She nodded. “Good thinking. We should eat.” In her mind, she saw herself slipping to her knees and feasting on him. Holy moly. There must be an aphrodisiac in the air. She had never been that girl. Heat climbed up her chest, and she turned away so he couldn’t see her blushing and began dishing food onto her plate.
He put his hand on hers, drawing her attention to his knowing smile. “I want to know every little detail about what you’re thinking.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She shoved food in her mouth, and he laughed, which made her laugh. “Stop looking at me.”
“That only makes me want to look at you more.”
She sat back, laughing. “We’re hopeless. I’ve never been like this before. Is it always like this for you?”
His brows slanted. “Hell no. It’s never like this. You’re all I think about, and you were all I thought about before I even kissed you. You know how it usually goes. You hook up with someone and get hot and bothered, and when it’s over you both move on, and you never think about that person again.”
“I’ve never done that.” She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, her nerves going haywire for a whole new reason.
“What? Had a one-night stand?”
She nodded. “It’s not my thing. I mean, I’ve made out with guys, but I’ve never done the have sex and never see each other again thing.”
“That’s good, Jules. Why do you sound worried?”
“Because I don’t have the experience you do.” She debated telling him she’d never had sex, but she didn’t want him to get weirded out about it, which Leni had once told her could happen. Jules had been nineteen at the time, and Leni had said guys would overthink what it meant to have sex with her if she was a virgin for much longer. She’d said they might flip out about it being too big of a commitment to be her first. It had made sense at the time, but that hadn’t dissuaded Jules from waiting to feel the right chemistry before going all the way. She knew in her heart Grant was the right guy, and she wasn’t going to ruin that by making him overthink her sexual status during their romantic date. She’d tell him when the time was right, and she trusted herself to know when that was.
“Experience is not all it’s cracked up to be,” he said as they ate. “I don’t regret anything I’ve done, but while one-night stands might feel great while they’re happening, they can leave you feeling shitty about yourself. But you know what my life has been like since high school. I was away for months at a time, and I needed to be totally focused on the work. To be honest, I never understood when my buddies would talk about how much they missed their girlfriends or families. Now I get it, because the past few days when I didn’t see you were hell.”