“Jay.” Even the way he said her name made her stomach flip. He reached to squeeze her free hand. “What are you doing here?”
“Just out for a walk.” Don’t peek down, don’t peek down. “What are you doing here is the more intriguing question.”
His gaze followed as her eyes darted from his stunning face to the door of Desires. He dropped her hand, his neck turning a light shade of red. “Same here. Just out for a walk.”
“And your walk took you through a lingerie store?” She looked down, her attention pausing on his trim hips. What a man could do with those kind of hips … She might have moaned out loud at the thought.
At least her scan also told her that his hands were empty. That was good. It meant he hadn’t purchased anything for anyone. But if he wasn’t buying, that meant he was browsing, and that seemed awfully pervy, or, at the very least, pro-objectification of women. Not that Jaylene didn’t like a nice pair of girly undies, but she wore them to make herself feel good, and certainly not for a man’s benefit. As soon as she thought that, she was already picturing the look in Noah’s eyes if he saw her in something as sexy as the window display. She could practically hear his intake of breath—but no, because that was a silly, girly thought. Why should she start being silly and girly with him, when he’d never once objected to her being a strong woman?
Of course she had just busted him walking out of a lingerie store. Solo. Total perv move.
But Noah didn’t seem the perv type. He’d been nothing but a gentleman with her. She was sure he’d checked out her ass a few times the other night and just now he’d glanced at her legs in the short shorts she was wearing, but every time had been flirty, not disrespectful. There had to be another explanation for his visit.
She couldn’t wait to hear it.
“Um.” He wiped his hands on his jeans then let out an awkward laugh. “Well, yeah.” His face lit up. “Hey, while we’re here—” He put his arm around her waist—God, the tingles that sent down her spine—and gestured toward the bookstore a few doors down. “Join me for a little perusal?”
It was an obvious deflection, but it was also an invitation—an invitation that Jay was more than happy to accept. “I’ll never turn down a little perusal.” She winked. “I’m even interested in looking at some books.”
Overtly flirtatious? Maybe. But it earned her a fantastic grin.
Noah escorted her to the doors of Book Nook, his hand on her lower back burning through the material of her clothing to warm her skin. Inside, he started toward the fiction section when she stopped him.
“Oh, no, you can’t visit Book Nook without stopping at Literary Wine.” She nodded toward the bar attached to the shop.
“There’s a wine bar in a bookstore? This neighborhood just gets better and better.”
Noah’s hand fell from her back as they moved to stand in line. With the break in conversation and without his touch, awkwardness began to itch at her skin. It was soon replaced with clusters of goose bumps when he pulled her into his arms, the bag of sticky buns dangling at their side.
“This may not be the most appropriate place for this,” he said softly, his mouth inches from hers, “but I haven’t stopped thinking about that kiss since Saturday night. So forgive my forwardness—I just can’t help myself.”
Before she could respond or protest—yeah, like she’d object—Noah took her lips in his. It was as sweet as their first kiss, but decidedly less tentative, and also hungrier. His tongue slid easily into her mouth and stroked along her own, making her stomach clench and her thighs twitch and her mind fill with naughty fantasies.
It was brief, but by the time he pulled away she’d been thoroughly swept away. Her stomach held a swarm of butterflies that she thought was maybe more like a swarm of bees the way they made her innards buzz with lust. There was definitely sexual tension between her and Noah, and though she was not one to jump in bed without a fair amount of wooing, Jay had a feeling their physical relationship would likely escalate quickly—woo or not.
In fact, she was ready to lean in and kiss him again, but it was their turn to order.
Several minutes later, and after she’d stuffed a handful of extra napkins into her purse, Jay and Noah were walking through the aisles of Book Nook sipping Cab Sav from clear plastic cups with straws.
“This. Is. Awesome.”
Jay smiled at Noah’s sentiment. This shop was one of her favorite spots in town. It was another checkmark in the Noah-is-amazing column, a column which was becoming so full she was beginning to think it was the only one that existed. “I’m glad you approve. Books and wine. What else can you ask for?”