Hang Tough(37)
Jade glared at him over her shoulder.
He snickered. “Hell, I couldn’t even say that with a straight face.”
“This is not funny.”
“Yeah, darlin’, it is.”
Was this typical of Tobin not to take things like this seriously? “Would it be funny if she went to jail? Is it funny that she might be gullible enough to grow an illegal controlled substance for her friends? Can you imagine GG in prison like on Orange Is the New Black? Those hardened criminals would decimate her sweet nature. She’d probably get shanked.”
Tobin turned her around, keeping their bodies so close his thighs brushed hers. “Whoa. You’re goin’ full steam ahead and getting pretty far off the track.”
She inhaled. Since her nose was practically pressed against Tobin’s chest, the clean cotton scent of his shirt filled her lungs. Why did he have to smell so good? “Sorry. I get a little wound up sometimes.”
“A little?” he repeated. His gaze zoomed in on her neck. “Your pulse is pounding like a snared rabbit’s, sweetheart.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m a rule follower, remember? This is breaking a major rule and it makes me nervous.”
“Or I’m making you nervous.” Tobin dipped his head and placed an openmouthed kiss on the base of her throat. “Goddamn, you smell so freakin’ good.” He rubbed his cheek across her skin. “I wanna sink my teeth into you . . . right here.”
As soon as his teeth connected with the slope of her shoulder, her knees gave out.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” he growled. “Reminding you how it is between us.”
“Like I could forget,” she said breathlessly. “Were you worried I would?”
“I hoped not. But I planned on giving you a hands-on reminder if you had.”
Then she said, “Show me. Kiss me again, Tobin.” She slid her hands up his chest and twined her arms around his neck. “Kiss me like you were dying to drag me into your bed.”
Jade expected that would drive him to ravish her in a consuming kiss.
Instead, he glided his lips back and forth across hers. Teasing. Tracing the seam of her mouth. Tasting her breath when she opened for him. But he didn’t dive in. “Such sweetness,” he whispered, “but I know that tongue is tart.”
“Yes.”
“You want me to suck on it?” He slicked the very tip of his tongue across the bow of her upper lip.
“Please.”
“But I want a bite of this first.” After a gentle scrape on the inside of her plump bottom lip, he sank his teeth in.
Jade dug her fingers into the back of his neck and moaned.
“Jade? Where are you?” GG called out.
They broke apart with as much guilt as if they’d been caught going at it in the dirt.
Uh, you were going at it in the dirt.
“Hide under that bush,” she hissed at him
“What? No fuckin’ way.”
“You will hide. And don’t even think about trying to escape from here until we’re back in the house.”
Smart-aleck man saluted.
Shamelessly, Jade watched his jean-clad behind after he dropped to all fours and crawled behind the juniper bush—which did not hide his big body at all. Slamming the gate shut behind her, she practically skipped out of the herb garden. “What an awesome herb selection! Not that I got to see more than just the front part.”
Was it her imagination or was GG scrutinizing her more than usual?
Poker face, poker face, come on, poker face.
Finally GG offered that sweet smile. “You oughta see my veggies. It’s a great year for okra. Come on, I’ll show you.”
By the time they finished the tour and returned to the house, the aroma of the rustic savory tart wafted out from the kitchen.
“You didn’t have to make supper tonight, girlie-girl, but I’m sure glad you did. It’s quite a treat to have someone cook for me.”
“Tobin doesn’t cook at all?”
GG snorted. “That man can burn canned green beans. Canned green beans,” she repeated. “That stunk to high heaven. After that, I told him I’d feed him. I gotta say, it’s been nice cooking for a man again. I forget about such ravenous appetites.”
Just then, Tobin stepped past the swinging doors.
His turquoise gaze roved over her slowly and thoroughly, from her mouth to her bare toes.
His molten look when their gazes clashed indicated his ravenous appetite wasn’t just for food.
Chapter Ten
“Tobin!” Garnet said with a smile that quickly turned into a frown. “Didn’t you check the schedule? Tonight isn’t your night to eat with me.”