Chapter Fifteen
Jordan
“Do you want to dance?”
Lifting her shoulders slightly, Mia gives me an unsure look, then turns to look down at the dance floor.
After kissing me, she’s been a little more relaxed. If I’d have known that would have relaxed her, I’d have told her to do it sooner.
Maybe it was the break in the ice that she needed.
Problem is, now I can’t stop staring at her mouth … her soft full lips … wanting to feel them against mine … fully…
She felt amazing.
And she smells so fucking good.
I’d be content to sit with my nose buried in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent for the rest of the night, in-between kissing that gorgeous mouth of hers, of course.
When she leaned in to kiss my cheek—believe it or not it wasn’t on purpose, just a natural reaction to her. I don’t regret it for a second because when her lips touched the corner of mine … fuck … if that’s what a brief momentary touch of her lips on mine is like, then I can only imagine how amazing it will feel to kiss her properly.
And now, of course, all I can think about is kissing her. It’s taking a real effort on my part not to make a move, but I don’t want to rush her and fuck things up. That’s why I’m suggesting dancing – something to keep my mind occupied.
Though, watching her gorgeous body move on a dance floor will probably send my thoughts back south.
I lean close to her back, looking over her shoulder. “I think the paint spraying might start soon. I’m thinking it could be fun, and we can stop by and see how Beth is getting along with Toni.”
She looks back at me, her lips curving up slightly. “Okay.”
We both stand. I move aside to let Mia out first. She passes me, and the brush of her body against mine has me holding back a groan.
We’ve just started walking when I feel Mia’s tiny hand slip into mine. I look at her surprised.
But happy.
Really fucking happy.
Her cheeks blush.
This is the first time she’s ever held my hand. It’s always been me taking hold of hers. I’ve been making up excuses to justify touching her if only for a second, and now tonight, after a no-touch policy on her part—which I understand knowing what she’s been through—she has kissed me and is holding my hand.
I know these are big things for her, which makes them big for me. They show she trusts me.
I gently touch her pink cheek with my fingertips. She smiles.
We walk back down stairs, holding hands, in a bubble of our own, and because the motherfucking world hates me … we bump straight into Shawna the instant my foot hits the bottom step.
“Jordan … hi.” Shawna slants a smile at me.
Fuck.
There’s an unmistakable gleam in her eyes. I’ve seen it before. Namely when she was naked and under me.
“Hi.” My voice is tight. I pull Mia to my side, putting my arm around her shoulders so there’s no mistaking who she is to me. “Shawna, meet Mia. Mia, Shawna.” I do the polite thing and introduce them, but honestly, it’s the last thing I want to do. Introducing the girl I’m crazy about, to the last girl I was doing? Fucking, yay.
“Hi.” Mia lifts her hand in a little wave. She’s so goddamn adorable. “It’s nice to meet you, Shawna.”
Shawna’s eyes dart to Mia. She falters a little, then makes a quick recovery. Her gaze returns to me, burning me with a laser like effect.
“Well, you certainly weren’t lying. You sure don’t waste any time moving on and finding a new fuck buddy.”
I feel Mia tense under my arm.
“Shawna…” There’s a warning in my voice.
“Looks like you’ve traded down though – majorly. But then, it’s not like you can get better than me.” Her eyes slice to Mia. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but he’s nothing more than overused trash. He’ll fuck you, then dump you before you even have a chance to get your panties back on.”
What the fuck!
Okay, so she’s not too far off the mark with the dumping part … but still, what the fuck!
Talk to me like shit, fine – I deserve it. But not Mia. I won’t have her spoken to in this way.
I open my mouth, ready to tell Shawna to piss off back to where she came from, when I hear Mia’s sweet voice say…
“Well, looks aside, going solely off your personality here, Shawna, I’d say Jordan has traded up higher than a skyscraper with me. And as it turns out, I’m just in it for the sex – so seems we’re perfectly matched. Oh, and I don’t wear panties either, so we’ve no worries on that part.”
My mouth falls open. Shawna looks like Mia has just slapped her.
“Okay. Right. Well, I’d say it was nice talking to you, but it wasn’t, so … bye.” Mia moves out from under my arm, letting it drop to my side. Head held high, she walks away and makes her way through the crowd.
And my eyes are glued to her hot, sashaying ass as she goes.
Holy fucking fuck.
Have you ever watched that scene in Grease, right at the end of the movie, when Sandy turns up looking and acting completely different, decked out in tight black pants. And Danny sees her, and he’s … shocked—disbelief of the best kind. Like, ‘holy fuck, how did I not know how hot my girl could actually be?’ Then he pretty much chases after her like a dog with his tongue hanging out.
Yeah? Good, so you know what I’m talking about because right now, that’s me.
I’m chasing after Mia as if she’s the last drop of water on earth, and I’m seriously fucking parched.
I’m ready to break out in song and serenade her with “You’re The One That I Want” just to get her attention.
Because angry Mia is fucking hot. Like, off the charts hot.
Of course, I already knew she was hot. But this … wow.
Fucking wow.
I have never been as turned on as I am now. My dick is so hard it could pound nails. Thank god it’s dark and crowded in here so no one can see my boner.
I finally catch up with her just near the dance floor. Hooking my fingers into her tank top, I reel her back to me.
She turns.
Her eyes are wide, a fire still in them. Her chest is heaving up and down, and I’m literally lost for words. I have a hundred thoughts streaming through my mind—none of them clean—and I can’t seem to find one fucking word to start a coherent sentence.
And also, I’m trying really hard not to stare at her tits.
I see the anger in her eyes dim, and the Mia I know is back. “Oh god, Jordan, I’m so sorry. What I just said back there…” She covers her face with her hands. “God, I don’t know what came over me. I just … I didn’t like the way she was talking about you. It just … it made me so angry. And I don’t get angry – ever.”
I step into her space. Peeling her hands from her face, I hold them at her sides.
Those huge blues of hers blink up at me with total innocence. “What you did back there was good. You stood up for yourself. Shawna was being a bitch, and she deserved what you said. I’m just sorry she said those things to you because of me.”
She shakes her head. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not.” I dip my head closer to hers. “I’m not happy about the way Shawna treated you just then, but I am glad you got angry. You should get angry more often.” God, she should. She really should. “But mostly, I’m glad that you got angry over me.” Because it tells me you care, probably more than I deserve.
“Oh no … oh god! I told her that I don’t wear panties,” she says, like she’s not even heard a word I’ve said. An expression of horror flitting across her face. “In the middle of the club, I said ‘I don’t wear panties’.” She searches out my eyes. “I do wear them. All the time. Even for bed.” She closes her eyes on a groan. “Stop talking, Mia.”
I chuckle. “I never thought for a second that you didn’t wear panties.” Just wished, hoped, prayed…
Her eyes open back up, the look in them surprisingly alert. “Jordan, I know it’s none of my business, but … did you actually … go out with that girl? I only ask because … well…” she bites her lip. “She’s just not a very nice person.”
I wasn’t expecting her to say that. I consider my answer carefully before speaking. I’m not going to lie to her, but I’m going to make damn sure I say it in the right way.
“I never went out with Shawna – it never got that far.”
“Oh. Ahh,” Understanding flickers her eyes. “You just slept with her.”
“I’ve never actually slept with anyone. But … we did have sex, yes.”
She steps back, moving away from me, forcing me to let go of her.
“I know you told me about what you used to do … with women … and it’s fine, I’m not judging you. Not at all. And I know this is only our first date, and I don’t have a lot of experience in the dating field … well, when it comes to men in general, but I do know one thing … when I’m with someone, I’m with just them. And I want them to be the same with me. I understand if that’s different for you, but if you want to be with other women while we date … then I’m sorry, I’m not the right girl for you.”
Eh? I’m not entirely sure where this is coming from. I thought I’d been very clear about how I feel about her, but obviously not, so she needs to know.
And now.
“Mia, I’ve never really been with anyone to define parameters … I’ve never had a relationship. I’ve never dated anyone. You’re the first person I’ve ever had a real date with.”
She doesn’t say anything, her face blank, and I get this sudden ache in my chest.
I feel like I’m losing her before I’ve even gotten her.
“When I told you about me, the way I was, the way I behaved … the guy who you just got a glimpse of through Shawna, that is who I was. Not who I am now.”
She wraps her arms around herself in a protective manner. I hate that she feels she needs to shield herself from me.
“What changed?” Her voice is quiet, wavering.
“You.” I take the chance and move close to her again, closing my hands around her upper arms. She doesn’t pull away. It gives me hope. “You changed things for me.”
She looks away. “You’ve … changed things for me too.”
“I have?”
She nods, tugging on her lower lip with her thumb and forefinger.
“I see you, Mia. Only you.” My gaze drops to her lips.
She stops tugging on them, her hand falling to her side.
“This Is Love” by Will.i.am starts to filter in the background. The piano medley eases through the crowd toward us. Mia’s eyes lift to mine. My heart starts to kick a beat in my chest. Then the song explodes, like the heat between us, until there’s a bonfire of want flaring all around.
Her breathing falters, coming in quick … her eyes close on one of those sweet, short breaths … her lips part slightly…
And I know.
This is it.
The moment I’ve been waiting for since she walked into the hotel.
I lean into her, cupping her cheek in my hand, more than ready to press my mouth to those sweet lips of hers … and then the noise level around us increases exponentially until my ears are nearly bleeding from the squeals and screams of laughter.
And then I feel the reason for those screams of laughter when paint splatters all over me.
Mia’s eyes flash open, her mouth popping to an O.
Motherfucking paint party.
They couldn’t have waited like, five more fucking minutes before blasting out that shit!
I run my hand through my hair and look down at my palm. It’s streaked with yellow, blue and pink neon paint. Mia’s hand goes to her face. She’s equally as covered with the paint as I imagine I am. Running her fingers over her cheek, then her forehead, she streaks the colors, mixing them together.
She looks even more beautiful, if possible.
Incandescent.
Exotic.
And incredibly dangerous to my heart.
She looks up to watch the continuing shower of color, shielding her eyes with her hand, and laughing.
And I can’t wait a fucking second longer.
I take her face in my hands, and I kiss her. Hard.
There’s a tremble in her body. I feel her tense for just a split second, then she relaxes into me and her lips part on a soft moan.
I feel it all the way down to my dick. And let’s just say, he’s pretty fucking happy about it.
Sliding my fingers into her hair, I cup the back of her head. “Is this okay?” I whisper over her lips.
She nods.
It’s the only answer I need.
I kiss her deeper, slipping my tongue into her mouth, needing more of her.
Mia’s hands slide up my arms. I can feel the slick of the paint between my skin and hers, and it makes the sensation of her touch even more intense.
Okay, so maybe they’re onto something with this paint thing.
She inches up on her tiptoes, looping her arms around my neck, gripping my hair with her fingers, keeping me with her.
Not that she needs to because I have no intention of going anywhere right now. If ever. But I like that she wants me closer. That she doesn’t want to let me go.
I wrap my arms around her tiny waist, enveloping her, lifting her small body against mine. She’s so tiny, so fragile, yet so unbreakable.
She’s fucking amazing.
Everything I didn’t know I was looking for.
I know I’m fucked. She has me now. If there were ever a chance of me going back after this one taste of her, it’s gone.
I’m gone for her.
I know she’s meant to be leaving in a little over a week’s time, but I can’t let that happen. I’m going to have to figure out a way to keep her in my life for good. Figure out a way for her to want to stay with me.