Chapter Two
At exactly six thirty, Jasper banged on the door of the neat, white house at 22 Mayston Street. He’d been tempted to arrive early and joke about following through to help her get ready, but he didn’t want to scare her off. It was bad enough he’d had to bribe her to go on a date with him.
That’s something I’ll never confess to anyone.
His heart beat a little faster when she opened the door to reveal tight, black pants and an equally tight, black shirt clinging to her tiny frame. She grabbed a jacket from the hallstand, pushed her cat outside, and closed the door behind her. When they had wrangled her old gate closed, she suggested they walk the two blocks to the café. He fell into step beside her, and they quickly walked the short distance, sharing tales of the crazy felines they’d owned over the years.
As soon as they were seated, he filled her in on his meeting with the boys after work. “So, they’re keen. They all wanted to know if they have to be naked.”
She laughed. “What’s their preference?”
“Fifty-fifty. Some were dead keen to drop their pants while others were worried what their mums or wives might think.”
“How about you?”
“Oh, I’m all in—you know that. I’ll do whatever you ask. My mum will be fine with it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She chuckled as she marvelled at the turn of events that had her eating dinner with Jasper Collins. Admittedly, it was only in a café in their neighbourhood—he wasn’t taking her anywhere fancy, like a real date—but it was fun nonetheless. Maybe if she wore more makeup, or got around town in her jeans a bit less he might have considered taking her into the city.
“When will you know when we can start?”
“It will all depend on the printer and photographer. Tomorrow, we’ll start contacting people and see what we can come up with. We want to move fast so we can get the money in quickly and start the repairs. As soon as I have some information, I’ll let you know.”
“Great.” He glanced past her, “Hang on.” He pushed his chair back and rushed to the door where he helped a woman in a wheelchair navigate the narrow opening. He held the door open until she was all the way through and then he cleared chairs out of the way, so she could move to a vacant table. He wished her a good night and returned to sit down as their waiter came to the table.
“Hey, Jasper, good to see you.”
“Chris! How are you? How’s business?”
The waiter looked around and indicated the nearly full restaurant. “As you can see, we’re doing well. Busy everyday, which is nice.”
“This is Mimi Fletcher. Chris owns this fine establishment.”
“Well, the bank owns a nice chunk, but I’m getting there. What can I get you two?”
“I haven’t really had time to look but, umm… I’ll have the lasagne.” Mimi handed her menu back as Chris poured water for them both.
“You, Jasper?”
“I’m going to go with the steak. Easy on the salad, eh? I don’t want to turn green.”
“You really need to eat better. You can lecture him about that, Mimi, while I add extra vegetables to his plate. Talk later, bro.” He slapped Jasper on the shoulder as he walked away.
Jasper grinned at her. “Every time I come here, he gives me a lecture about my eating habits. I don’t know why I keep coming back.”
“How do you know him?”
“We were in university together. We had a crossover course in business one day a week. I hated it, and he aced every exam, so we joined forces.”
“What did he get out of that partnership?”
“He got invited along each week when I went on a date. Win-win.” He grinned at her as he sipped his water, and she was reminded of how many women must have passed through his bed.
***
The walk home was pleasant, and Jasper held her hand and ran his thumb across her skin. The night air was warm, and she was relaxed from the time they’d spent together. As they got closer to her house, her nervousness increased. Would he want to kiss her goodnight? Did she want him to? Would he ask to come inside for a drink? Was that code for something extra, or just a genuine wish to continue the night for a few more minutes? She was so rusty on dating practices that she simply had no idea.
You want him to kiss you again. You want a lot more than that!
Of course she wanted him to kiss her—and not just because he’d set her blood on fire this afternoon. It was all she’d thought about through high school, and the thought had occasionally surfaced when she saw Jasper out and about in the years since. She’d long ago given up any notion that he might notice her, however, and now that she was walking down the street holding his hand, she had no idea what to expect.
He opened her gate and ushered her through, ducking to avoid the roses that had hit him on the way in. She dug around in her bag for her keys, but he pulled her attention back to him with a gentle lift of her chin. As he stared into her eyes, her hand stilled inside her bag. She watched his lips creep closer to hers, and time seemed to stand still as her body responded to the memory of being kissed next to the fire truck. She had let herself go, throwing her usual caution aside and blatantly asking him to kiss her. She knew in this instant that she would willingly do it again.
As his mouth pressed against hers, every part of her body relaxed. She leaned against him and he wrapped his arms around her as he gently explored her lips. Her body pressed against his without waiting for an invitation, and somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice thanked her for leaving the outside light off. He groaned against her in the darkness, making a thrill whip through her.
Jasper Collins groans when he kisses me!
She slipped her arms around his neck like she had done when they’d kissed against the truck; he pressed himself closer. One quick step and he had her backed against the wall, his hands moving to either side of her face as he continued his exploration of her mouth. The sexiness of this pose overwhelmed her and she almost forgot to breathe. None of her daydreams had prepared her for the reality of kissing Jasper.
She parted her legs slightly and he moved to fill the space with his own. His obvious hardness surprised her, and she almost panicked and pulled away. He slid his hands around to bury them in her hair, though, as he held her mouth firmly against his. Their tongues intertwined, and he teased her as he ground against her, tasting her and promising more.
A bite on her lower lip sent a wave of pleasure down to her toes, and she slipped her fingers inside the neck of his shirt. Feeling his bare skin for the first time increased her excitement, and she didn’t flinch when his hands slipped down to cup her ass. He squeezed and kneaded, and for a moment, she wished his hands were inside her jeans.
If only I’d worn a skirt…
The thought of his warm fingers exploring inside her clothing made the throb between her legs pick up speed. His fingers dug into her ass and pulled her hard against him while he moved her pelvis back and forth against his rock solid thigh. It was her turn to moan with pleasure—his expert hands knew just how to mould her to his shape.
She gasped as he moved one hand and his thumb grazed the side of her breast.
Oh God. Don’t stop. Don’t stop!
Heavy breathing punctuated the silence around them as he rubbed gently across her clothing, teasing her nipple—
***
Jasper couldn’t believe how sensible Mimi Fletcher responded to his awkward kiss. He expected a chaste goodbye and to make plans for their next date, but instead, he lost control and started mauling her the moment she was close. Their kiss earlier in the day was fresh in his memory and he was unable to leave without tasting her again.
To his surprise, she absorbed the feel of him, encouraging him with her gasps and sighs. Her tongue was like heaven as she ran it across his lips and let him explore her mouth. It was dark and he was overcome by passion, pushing her hard against the wall and holding her face to get the most of her sensual lips.
He wanted her—wanted to glide into her warm, wet recesses, throb deep inside, and satisfy his searing need.
It’s our first date, not a one-night stand. Get a grip, you idiot!
The onslaught of raw, desperate desire he felt in her presence surprised him. When he sought, she responded. When he tasted, she rewarded him with low, sultry sounds. His erection was out of control and he worried he’d scare her off when he pressed her against it. Instead, she slipped her fingers inside his shirt, her light touch on the sensitive back of his neck urging him on and making him bold enough to explore the maddening contours of her ass—an ass he’d admired all day. He rocked her against him, wanting to please her, and her low moan shot fissures of excitement straight to his dick. Her gasp as his thumb brushed across her nipple made his mouth water.
He wanted to fill her and feel her final eruption tighten around him.
He needed to get the hell out of here before he did something crazy!
***
Jasper wrenched himself away, and his sudden movement jolted Mimi back to reality. Embarrassment flooded through her as she glimpsed the look of distaste on his face in the dim light. She’d gotten carried away and wrapped her hands around his neck, so he couldn’t escape—no wonder he had to drag himself free. Had it really been so long since she’d been with a man that she’d latch onto the first one to ask her out?
Her first defence in any awkward situation was to laugh, and she employed that tactic now as a tight giggle escaped. “Phew, Jasper. You better get home. There’s nothing like being stuck in the clutches of a desperate woman.” She dug around in her bag, willing the keys to magically appear in her hand, so she could get inside and put the solid door between them.
Why did I leave that damn light off?
He stilled her hand again, just like he had before she embarrassed herself. “Hey, it’s not like that.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s our first date. We have four more chances to get hot and heavy.”
She laughed again, a hollow sound. “Don’t worry—you’re safe from me from now on.”
“What are you talking about? I asked you out, didn’t I?”
“You did, and all I’ve done since then is demand that you kiss me and then pounce on you after dinner. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Mimi. I wanted to kiss you—both times—I promise. In fact, I’d like to see you tomorrow to kiss you again.”
She smiled. “I don’t have any free time tomorrow. I have my own work to do and then Alyssa and I are making plans for the calendar. I won’t be home until really late.” Regret was etched into every word.
“We’ll make other plans.” He leaned forward and kissed her, lightly this time, careful to keep his distance. “I’ll call you late tomorrow night, okay?” She nodded and her hands finally settled over the keys. “Good, now get inside, so I know you’re safe.”
As the door closed behind her and she leaned against it, she closed her eyes and remembered the feel of his tongue in her mouth.
A second date is a terrible idea!