for her answer. Warmth spread through her belly and she had to fight the need to reach out to touch him.
"Yeah. I think a date or two might be good."
He said nothing for a second or two, then he turned and stepped in front of her. Setting a hand on either side of her, he caged her in, then leaned forward.
"Then I say this is a date."
Somehow, he worked his way in between her legs, and pressed against her. There was no doubt about it; he was definitely interested in her. She could smell the woods and cool clean crisp air that clung to his skin and clothes.
She looked up at him and was irritated again by not being able to see his eyes. Instead of telling him to take his glasses off, she did it for him. Reaching up, she pulled them down then off his face. Those eyes of his were even more intense this time.
"Why did you do that?"
"I want to see your eyes when I talk to you."
He didn't say anything to that.
"And yes. I am okay with a date or two, as long as you understand that it can't be anything serious."
Something tugged at one corner of his mouth. It was almost as if he were trying not to frown. She had to fight the laugh that threatened to bubble up. Mr. Marine didn't like being told the rules. At least not by her.
"How about we just wait and see how this goes?"
"I'm trying to be honest here, Jesse. I can't say that I have ever used this much honesty in the beginning of a relationship—although, I wouldn't call this one that."
"Just dating?"
She sighed. "We barely know each other."
"Exactly. So we don't know where this is going to lead. Why put rules and regs on it right at the beginning?"
"Lord, can you ever just be. Just exist. Can you tell me we can have some fun together and not worry about tomorrow?"
Something moved over his face but she couldn't really discern what it meant.
"I can do that."
She cocked her head to the side and was going to argue with him again, but apparently, he'd made his mind up. He pressed his mouth against hers. Before she could react, he deepened the kiss, sucking her bottom lip between his, then diving in. Heat shimmered through her blood and before she was ready, he was already pulling back from the kiss.
"How about we head on down to this little German place I know of for dinner?"
"I've never had German food before, but I take it you've been stationed there?"
He shook his head as he offered her the helmet he had loaned her. "No. But Dad was when we were younger. I graduated from high school there."
She sighed and he picked up on it.
"What was that for?"
"What?"
She shook her head then put on the helmet.
"No, stop that."
She looked at him and took note of the frustration in his voice.
"I understand we aren't going to get serious, but it doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you. I don’t just want a pretty thing on the back of my bike and in my bed. So, tell me what that sigh meant."
Zoe crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "First of all, don’t presume that I will go to bed with you. I've never really gone anywhere."
His expression relaxed and he nodded. "If you could go one place in the world, where would it be?"
"Venice."
He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I should have known. I've never been either, but I have always wanted to go."
Helmet on, he got on the bike, waited for her to slip on behind him then started the engine.
As they sped down the winding path, she decided he was right. They might not be serious, they might never go past dating a few times, but it didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy getting to know him.
Chapter Six
Jesse waited all week to see her. It wasn't a plan on his part, but he knew work would keep him busy. Weeknight dates didn’t appeal to him. If she lived closer in, it would be different. But, he didn’t want to worry about work the next day. Added to the fact it had taken him a couple of days to convince her to go to the dinner and a movie, he knew Friday was the only choice. It was late Friday afternoon
"Yeah. I think a date or two might be good."
He said nothing for a second or two, then he turned and stepped in front of her. Setting a hand on either side of her, he caged her in, then leaned forward.
"Then I say this is a date."
Somehow, he worked his way in between her legs, and pressed against her. There was no doubt about it; he was definitely interested in her. She could smell the woods and cool clean crisp air that clung to his skin and clothes.
She looked up at him and was irritated again by not being able to see his eyes. Instead of telling him to take his glasses off, she did it for him. Reaching up, she pulled them down then off his face. Those eyes of his were even more intense this time.
"Why did you do that?"
"I want to see your eyes when I talk to you."
He didn't say anything to that.
"And yes. I am okay with a date or two, as long as you understand that it can't be anything serious."
Something tugged at one corner of his mouth. It was almost as if he were trying not to frown. She had to fight the laugh that threatened to bubble up. Mr. Marine didn't like being told the rules. At least not by her.
"How about we just wait and see how this goes?"
"I'm trying to be honest here, Jesse. I can't say that I have ever used this much honesty in the beginning of a relationship—although, I wouldn't call this one that."
"Just dating?"
She sighed. "We barely know each other."
"Exactly. So we don't know where this is going to lead. Why put rules and regs on it right at the beginning?"
"Lord, can you ever just be. Just exist. Can you tell me we can have some fun together and not worry about tomorrow?"
Something moved over his face but she couldn't really discern what it meant.
"I can do that."
She cocked her head to the side and was going to argue with him again, but apparently, he'd made his mind up. He pressed his mouth against hers. Before she could react, he deepened the kiss, sucking her bottom lip between his, then diving in. Heat shimmered through her blood and before she was ready, he was already pulling back from the kiss.
"How about we head on down to this little German place I know of for dinner?"
"I've never had German food before, but I take it you've been stationed there?"
He shook his head as he offered her the helmet he had loaned her. "No. But Dad was when we were younger. I graduated from high school there."
She sighed and he picked up on it.
"What was that for?"
"What?"
She shook her head then put on the helmet.
"No, stop that."
She looked at him and took note of the frustration in his voice.
"I understand we aren't going to get serious, but it doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you. I don’t just want a pretty thing on the back of my bike and in my bed. So, tell me what that sigh meant."
Zoe crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "First of all, don’t presume that I will go to bed with you. I've never really gone anywhere."
His expression relaxed and he nodded. "If you could go one place in the world, where would it be?"
"Venice."
He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I should have known. I've never been either, but I have always wanted to go."
Helmet on, he got on the bike, waited for her to slip on behind him then started the engine.
As they sped down the winding path, she decided he was right. They might not be serious, they might never go past dating a few times, but it didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy getting to know him.
Chapter Six
Jesse waited all week to see her. It wasn't a plan on his part, but he knew work would keep him busy. Weeknight dates didn’t appeal to him. If she lived closer in, it would be different. But, he didn’t want to worry about work the next day. Added to the fact it had taken him a couple of days to convince her to go to the dinner and a movie, he knew Friday was the only choice. It was late Friday afternoon
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