Hang Tough(56)
His heart kicked hard.
“I’ve never met a man like you. You are helpful, thoughtful, mindful, respectful and wonderful—not just to GG but to me. You don’t pander, you don’t assume, your pride isn’t enormous or easily bruised. You are stubborn, but you’re also sweet. You’re patient . . . until you’re not.”
He smiled because she had taken that exactly as he’d intended.
“I could tell you that you’re smart—but that’s redundant. I could mention that you’re a hard worker—but that’s also a given. I could tell you that you’ve transcended the term ‘nice guy’—but you’re too humble to take the compliment. I could tell you that everything about you—your big muscled body, your handsome face, your intense eyes, your sexy mouth, your ropy forearms that I’m obsessed with, your broad shoulders—just does it for me in a bad, bad, bad way, but I’d rather show you.”
Tobin couldn’t think, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t fucking breathe when she looked at him and let him see the truth of everything she’d said, right there in her eyes.
Jade pulled his face closer, using her mouth with erotic intent. When she finally allowed their lips to part, she whispered, “And then there’s that.” She nuzzled the hollow below his ear. “You’ve maintained tight control over the passion that’s such an innate part of you.” The hot, openmouthed kiss she dragged down his throat caused his entire body to tremble. “No more containment, Tobin.”
“How did you know?”
“Because like recognizes like.”
He groaned.
“So when we become lovers, no holding back.”
“For either of us.” Tobin tilted her chin up. “Which means the first time we get naked and sweaty together can’t happen here.”
“Agreed. Let’s check into a seedy motel.”
“Christ. I’m about to throw you over my shoulder and sprint to my truck. We can be in Rawlins in half an hour.”
“I want a whole night with you, Tobin. No interruptions. Just us—”
“And a case of fucking condoms.”
She laughed. “I’ll leave you to set it up.”
“How’s tomorrow night?”
“I’m officially meeting the Mud Lilies tomorrow sometime.” She folded her arms together in front of her. “But that shouldn’t take all day and night.”
The sun had dropped and so had the temperature. Tobin rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “Cold?”
“A little.”
“You want my shirt?”
“You’d be bare-chested?” The gleam in her eyes was unmistakable. Then she blinked. “I couldn’t control myself if you were half-naked, so . . . better not.”
“Let’s head back.” Tobin threaded their fingers together and they strolled down the dirt road, hand in hand. “Wanna hear something corny?”
“Sure.”
“This is why I sent you on a run.”
“So you could chase after me?” she teased.
“So we could hang out together away from the house. I like talking to you. I want to know everything about you.”
She turned her head and kissed his bicep. “That’s not corny. We haven’t had a normal courtship, have we?”
“Courtship.” He snickered. “You have been spending all of your time with Miz G. That sounds like something she’d say.”
“I did have coffee with Riss today,” Jade pointed out.
“How’d that go?”
“I like her. She definitely isn’t shy, which is what I need in a friend. Someone who pushes me just a little further than I would myself. She asked me to join her book club.”
Tobin lifted an eyebrow. “Riss is in a book club?”
“I guess she’s been part of it for three years. They meet at different members’ houses in Casper. It sounds like an eclectic group. I’ll have time to read the book before the meeting next month.”
Jade had no trouble keeping up with his longer strides. Their joined hands swung between them. Her ponytail bobbed from the spring in her step. But she didn’t say anything for what seemed like an eternity.
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he tugged her against his body. “Spill it.”
“This is going pretty fast.”
“That’s the speed you like.”
She smiled. “True. It just seems like a lot of promises between us and we haven’t had sex yet.”
“Oh. That’s the problem? You think we’ll be sexually incompatible and this will all fall apart?” Tobin fused his mouth to hers and kissed her.