“This coming from the girl who is in a guy’s house, alone, in the middle of the night, and no one knows where you are?”
“Aw…” I grabbed the remote from the cushion beside me and turned on the television, flipping through the channels while Jacob stretched his leg to dig in his jeans pocket for his cigarette pack.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I tucked my hair behind my ear and continued to change channels.
“We had a deal, remember?”
“You can’t smoke in here.” I glanced down at the joint he had just pulled from the pack and shook my head. “Your dad is a cop. What if he comes home? My first time meeting your family is going to land me in jail.”
He shrugged as he placed it between his lips and lit the lighter. I folded my arms over my stomach as I shook my head, which was now enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
“Come here.” Jake’s fingers slid along my jaw, turning my face to his as his mouth inched closer to mine. I let my lips part as he slowly exhaled, his smoke pouring deep into my lungs.
I held in my breath as my chest began to burn, and I coughed, a giggle escaping me as Jacob’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. My cheeks heated under his gaze as his tongue rolled out over his lower lip.
“What?” I asked, my head tilted as I watched his eyes study me, feeling a blush creep over my cheeks.
“I feel like I’m corrupting you.” He shook his head, but his gaze settled on my legs and slowly drifted upward. I smoothed my hands over the skirt of my dress, feeling naked under his scrutinizing gaze. But this was what I’d been wanting, someone who didn’t want me to be perfect.
“I’d have to be innocent for you to corrupt me.” My fingers grasped the hem of my skirt, and I slid it up my thigh an inch, watching as the column of his throat jumped from a hard swallow. He placed his hand over mine, lacing our fingers before pulling it to his face and pressing a soft kiss to my skin.
“You’re such a tease.”
I felt oddly comforted by the fact that he didn’t want to use me to get in my pants, and I didn’t need to be a mindless bimbo like all the other girls in town. I leaned my head against his shoulder as he took the remote from my hand and flipped through the channels.
“Let’s do something for your birthday. Let me make you a cake or”—he laughed—“buy you a cake or something.”
I smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I wish I could, but I’m having dinner with my family.” The truth was, I wasn’t even sure anyone remembered, but to say it out loud was too embarrassing.
He pressed his lips to the top of my head, and with a heavy sigh, I let my eyes fall closed.
The next thing I remember was waking up, my mouth tasting like it was full of cotton. Jacob was lying sideways, his legs off the couch, and I was resting my head on his chest.
“Shit!” I pushed up from him, wiping the hair from my face.
“What? What’s wrong?” He pushed up on his elbows and rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand as he blinked away his exhaustion.
“Shit. Shit. Shit. What time is it?” I combed my fingers through my messy hair, my eyes darting around the dark room. The television was now playing a workout infomercial. “I have to go.” I pushed against Jake’s legs to move him out of my way so I could get off the couch without straddling his body.
“Let me walk you.” He yawned through his words as he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees as he shook his head.
“No. Go back to sleep. I’ll be fine.” I turned to leave, but his fingers looped around my wrist, and I almost tumbled backward onto his lap. “Jake, I have to go.”
“I’m walking you to the fence.”
I twisted around to look at his face, which was illuminated by the television. He wasn’t in the mood to argue, and neither was I. “All right. Hurry up.”
Jacob pushed up from the couch and put his hands on my hips from behind as he guided me from the house and out to the old field. I laced my fingers with his and gazed up at his beautiful face in the moonlight. He made my heart stop and race at the same time. The hard lines of his jaw, nose, and cheekbones made him look as if he were carved from granite. His eyes looked black as coal, a stark contrast to his pale skin.
“When are you coming to see me again?” he asked, his eyes searching over my face.
“Depends on whether or not I get caught sneaking in.” I laughed, but it was out of nervousness. I was not in the mood for Colin’s bullshit. If he found out I was sneaking around with Jacob, I’d never hear the end of it.
I slowed as we reached the fence, not wanting to leave his side.