Jase wasn’t some blushing virgin and he’d never make apologies for that fact. He’d experienced all that life had to offer and then some. But no woman had ever managed to get under his skin like Avery had. Hell, he’d spent close to ten thousand dollars over the past week on dinner parties he didn’t even want to attend just to get a glimpse of her. To exchange even one word with her.
He’d never expected things to go this far with her tonight, but Christ Almighty he was sure glad that they had. She was perfection. Every straight line and voluptuous curve of her body was made for him. True, he didn’t know much about her, and his mom would slap him right upside his head if she knew that he hadn’t properly courted Avery before … um … giving her a ride in his truck. But Jase had never been much for convention. So they’d gone about this a little backward. So what? They had all the time in the world to get to know each other. Jase wasn’t going anywhere.
“I’d better take you inside, sugar. You’re shivering.”
She hadn’t answered his initial question but from the slight tremor that shook her, she had to be chilled. Her fingers idly teased the strands of his hair where they brushed the back of Jase’s neck. His cock stirred inside of her, growing harder by the second. He wanted her again. And as much as he would’ve liked to resume where they’d left off, Jase had been taught better than to be a selfish dick. Avery was cold and their position in the truck couldn’t be all that comfortable for her. True, his tall, bulky frame was cramped as well, but he would have fucked her in a clown car if she’d asked. Who cared about a leg cramp or two? The pleasure Avery had given him trumped any of his previous sexual encounters. By miles.
She deserved better than a wild toss in the front seat of his truck like they were a couple of horny teenagers, but Jase wouldn’t take back what happened for even a Super Bowl ring. Avery shifted, rising up on her knees. He couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from her just yet and hugged her tight, easing her back down on his cock. “Don’t leave,” he murmured into her hair. “Not yet.”
Avery gave a nervous laugh, her tension rippling over Jase’s skin. Her voice was shy, tentative when she said, “I don’t want to give my neighbors any more of a show than they’ve already gotten. Besides, it’s late. You probably have an early practice tomorrow and I don’t want to keep you.”
Was she brushing him off? Because he sure as hell felt the bite of bristles in her words. “Not that early.” He planted a kiss below her ear and she stiffened. “At least let me walk you to your apartment.” Where he’d do his damnedest to seduce her into a repeat performance.
“Oh, no. It’s okay.”
In a heartbeat she’d gone from fiery and passionate to cool and shy. Had he misinterpreted her earlier? No. She’d wanted him as much as he wanted her. There was no doubt in his mind. She pulled away and he let her this time, gauging by her nervous behavior that she needed a little space. “I want to walk you,” he said. When her body left his, Jase ached with the need to pull her back to him. Jesus, what was wrong with him? Tonight was supposed to be about scratching an itch and nothing more. The good-luck fuck Carson sent him after in order to get his game tight. “I won’t take no for an answer, sugar.” He should have let her out of his truck—and his life—right now. Clean with no strings attached. Instead, he was trailing after her like a calf with a lead rope around his neck.
One wild romp and he was under her spell.
An awkward silence descended as they took a few moments to put themselves back together. The air in his pickup was thick with Avery’s scent and his body responded, his cock still thick and hard as he tried to zip up his jeans that frankly, weren’t cooperating. Avery’s gaze caught his and her expression brightened as the sweetest shy smile curled her lips.
“Having a little trouble with your pants?” she asked in a playful tone that did nothing to calm his raging hard-on. Damn. Her strange combination of unsure and unabashed turned him on. So unlike the mewling, overconfident groupies he was used to.
“More like a problem with my body,” he replied sheepishly.
The comment earned him the pleasure of Avery’s soft laughter and his gut clenched. She finished buttoning up her shirt, and Jase found himself drawn to the motion of her fingertips as they hovered between the breasts that he’d just licked and sucked in a greedy rush. If he didn’t have her again soon, his body was likely to implode from the pressure. “Ready?” he asked, his voice still rough with passion.
She let out a barely audible sigh. “Ready.”
Jase got out of the truck first so he could help her down. His hands lingered at her waist, his fingers digging in as though anchoring his body to hers. Avery cleared her throat and he let her go. Classy, dude. Way to rock the intense vibe. It was a wonder she wasn’t sprinting full speed for her front door.
They stopped at the door to her apartment and she fiddled with the hair at the nape of her neck as though nervous. Christ, a kiss good-bye was nothing compared to the downright dirty things they’d done in his truck.
“Good night.” So sweet.
“’Night, sugar.”
Jase leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Avery’s mouth.
“Thanks for taking care of my car.” She leaned up, kissed him again.
“I’ll let you know when it’s fixed.” One more kiss. And another. This one deeper, intense.
Avery unlocked the door and eased it open before winding her fists in Jase’s shirt. She took a step back and then another, dragging him through the door.
Well, whaddya know. His night wasn’t quite over yet.
Chapter Six
“Be sure to wait for your cream to reach one hundred and ninety degrees before adding the lemon juice,” Chef Isaacs, the head pastry chef said as he strolled through the maze of cooking stations. “If you add it too soon, your cream won’t thicken properly and we want perfect, creamy mascarpone to result.”
Avery checked the thermometer as she continued to stir the heating cream, her attention only half on today’s lesson. Memories of the previous night assaulted her, heating her blood and sending a renewed sense of warmth through her limbs. Once Jase walked her to her apartment, her resolve had crumbled under the onslaught of his kisses along with her plans to keep him at arm’s length. She didn’t regret her decision for a second, either. Their second time had been better than the first and though he’d left shortly after, Avery had floated toward sleep on a cloud of bliss that carried her over into morning. Her limbs were still deliciously heavy, her body sated. It should be illegal to feel this good without an ounce of guilt.
Hands down, the best night of her life.
“Be sure to stir constantly,” Chef Isaacs continued. “You will begin to notice that your cream is starting to foam as it reaches the near-boiling point.”
And though washing Jase’s masculine scent from her body was the last thing Avery wanted to do, she’d reluctantly showered, removing every trace of him from her this morning. She figured her fellow students would appreciate it if she showed up to class clean. Personal hygiene was pretty damned important in the food industry. Besides, no one wanted to advertise that they’d spent a wild night in bed, even though Avery had earned some serious bragging rights.
Jason freaking Blackwell. Ho-ly cats.
The sound of cream sizzling on the burner pulled Avery from her thoughts and she scrambled to turn down the heat as her pot boiled over. “Too hot, Ms. Lockhart,” Chef chided as he passed her station. “You’ll have to start over and heat it to the proper temperature before you add the lemon juice now.”
“Yes, Chef.” She felt the eyes of her classmates on her as she set the pot of scalded cream aside and mopped up the mess. This wasn’t the first time she’d made a spectacle of herself after spilling or dropping something, but for some reason, she was more embarrassed than usual. As though everyone around her knew every dirty thought that had distracted her focus. God, she was such a loser.
How could she possibly concentrate while images of Jase’s perfect body butted their way into her thoughts? It was hard enough to convey an aura of confidence without the distraction.
“Someone’s got her head in the clouds today,” Kristie remarked as she measured out a tablespoon of lemon juice and added it to her cream. “Don’t tell me, Billion Dollar Blackwell gave you the private tour of his bedroom after everyone left last night.”
Avery cringed and her friend’s eyes widened to the size of serving platters. “Oh my god,” she exclaimed, nearly tipping her own saucepan over in the process. “He did! You slept with him!”
“Shh!” Avery seethed, looking around to make sure no one overheard. “I’m not trying to share the details of my love life with the entire room, Kristie.”
“Maybe not,” she remarked, “but you sure as hell better share them with me. Spill.”
Avery checked the temperature of her cream to make sure it had cooled to one-ninety and put the saucepan back on the burner as she measured out a portion of lemon juice. “It just sort of happened,” she said. Usually, she wouldn’t have thought twice about divulging to Kristie the dirty details of her romantic encounters, but this was different. Jase was a secret she wanted to keep to herself. “My car wouldn’t start and—”