She sighs and gives me an incredulous look. “Fine, but only because you have heated seats.”
I chuckle as she slides down into the front seat and runs her hand over the buttery soft leather. I watch as she leans her head back, resting against the headrest, and closes her eyes. There’s the faintest smile on her lips. I want to kiss them more than I want my next breath.
I’m in big trouble.
Chapter Fourteen
Lyndee
A girl could get used to this.
The ride is too short, and before I know it, we’re pulling into my driveway and I have to get out. But I don’t want to. The seats are the most comfortable seats in the world, conforming perfectly to my butt. And the heat? I’ve never actually sat on heated seats before, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never be happy with the regular old cloth seats in my Malibu again.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re home safe and sound.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes. “I would have been fine walking.”
Jasper shrugs. “Maybe. Now we don’t have to worry about it.”
I start to reach for the handle, but something gives me pause. “Do you want to come in for a drink?”
Even in the darkness of his car, I can see the surprise on his face. “Oh,” he replies, seeming a bit confused, which tells me one thing.
He’s trying to figure out how to let me down easy.
“Never mind,” I blurt out quickly with an awkward chuckle, reaching again for the door handle. “It’s late. I’m sure you’re busy.”
Yeah, busy trying to come up with a getaway excuse.
I practically throw myself out of the car, only to be stopped by the still-fastened seat belt. A whoosh of air leaves my lungs in a very clumsy fashion as it tries to hold me against my will inside this fancy Mercedes. Could this get any more humiliating? Rejected by the owner and the car itself.
“Let me help you.” Jasper suddenly appears at my door, crouching down and reaching for the buckle release. I can feel the warmth of his imposing body as he reaches across my lap and presses the small button. He meets my gaze as I feel the restriction of the belt relax, but for some reason, I still can’t breathe. It’s almost worse now, staring into his deep brown eyes. They practically swallow me whole with their power and need.
Maybe I’d be better off taking my chances with the seat belt.
I stand up, barely feeling the cool air around me. The night is silent as he shuts the passenger door and escorts me toward my condo. “What are you doing?” I ask, realizing for the first time that his car is off.
Jasper stops, a look of uncertainty flashes across his features. “Well, you invited me in. If you’d rather not now, that’s fine,” he says, taking a step back and dropping his hand.
“No!” I insist, reaching for his coat. I don’t know why I grip it in my hand, to keep him from leaving, maybe?
His leisurely smile turns a bit too cocky for my liking, and I can’t help but roll my eyes again. “Then I’d love to join you inside for a drink.”
Something in the way he says inside sounds way too dirty and way too good.
I quickly unlock the front door and usher him inside. We’re both quiet as to not wake up my brother, even though I know my brother could sleep through a freight train running through his bedroom. Dustin’s always had this uncanny ability to sleep through anything.
“Throw your coat on the chair, if you’d like,” I whisper, toeing off my sneakers and tossing my own coat over the arm of the couch. Four in the morning comes too early to worry about hanging it up in the closet.
Jasper does and kicks off his own shoes before following me into the kitchen. Our condo is fairly open, with wide doorframes and plenty of moving space, but for some reason, having Jasper in my kitchen makes it feel small. He’s close, hands shoved in his pockets, as he looks around at the space.
“What would you like to drink? I have water, orange juice, Dr. Pepper, and some milk that might be questionable on the date. Oh, and chamomile tea,” I say, glancing in the refrigerator.
“What are you having?”
“Tea. I love warm tea before bed.”
His eyebrows arch upward, and another smirk spreads across his lips. I can tell he took that whole bed comment the wrong way. It’s in the way his eyes dance with something naughty. I feel a fierce blush creep up my neck, and I try to hide it by sticking my face back in the fridge.
I hate that he has this schoolgirl crush effect on me.
I shut the door a little too hard, causing the condiments in the door to rattle. “I just mean it helps me relax after a long day,” I add, crossing my arms over my chest.
Jasper leans a hip against the counter, mimicking the way I hold my arms. “I prefer other activities at bedtime to help me relax.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively just to punctuate his point.
And now my blush feels like someone lit my face on fire.
“Umm,” I stammer, clearly flustered. I reach for the tea kettle and notice the slight shake of my hand. I don’t know if it’s the embarrassment or the fact I can’t stop picturing Jasper doing other things, but I’m completely out of sorts right now. Maybe it’s best if I just offer an excuse to end the evening, run to my room, and come out in the year 2055. Surely I’ll have forgotten all about this moment by then, right?
“Tea would be great, thanks. I actually prefer coffee, but I don’t see a pot on your counter,” he says, glancing around.
“Oh, uh, yeah,” I stutter, awkwardly laughing. “I don’t have one. I can’t drink that stuff at night, or I’d never go to sleep,” I add, turning on the stove and filling the kettle.
“It doesn’t bother me,” he informs, taking a seat at the small table in the corner.
“You drink it at night?”
Jasper shrugs. “I have insomnia, so it doesn’t really matter. I don’t sleep whether I drink coffee or not.”
Pulling two mugs from the cabinet, I place a teabag in each and pop a hip against the counter. “Insomnia? What’s that like?”
Jasper seems to contemplate my question, gently leaning back in the chair. “Well, it started in college. It was like overnight I went from a solid eight hours of sleep to like four. At first, I just thought it was because I was in college, drinking like a typical twenty-year-old student and occasionally smoking pot in someone’s dorm.
“But then I was done with school and working full time. My stress level was off the charts, so that didn’t help. I went to a doctor, who prescribed a sleep aid. All that did was make me groggy and grumpy.”
I can’t stop the snort.
Jasper glances up and grins. “Fine, more grumpy than normal. Anyway, over the years, I learned to live with it. I come up with some of my best recipes after midnight.”
The whistle sounds, so I turn to fill our cups, letting the tea steep for a few minutes. “Well, good news for you. Chamomile tea is supposed to be a great sleep aid. I bet, one cup of this, and you’ll be sound asleep in no time,” I tell him, carrying the cup over to where he sits.
“I guess that’s okay. You know, since the thing I do to help me sleep hasn’t been thrown on the table yet.” His eyes are playful as they meet mine. “Unless you want me to throw it on the table.” Jasper waggles his eyebrows suggestively.