Anything for You (Blue Heron #5)(24)

Someday, he was going to figure her out.

“Connor,” she said calmly, “you don’t want to sleep with a stripper.”

“You’re not a stripper. You got fired.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. Twice. The Irish Spring smelled better on her.

She swallowed. “I should get back to Davey.” But she didn’t leave, either. And she was staring straight ahead, at his chest, not at his face. It was as though she was waiting for him to convince her otherwise.

In fact, it was almost like she was shy.

Jessica Dunn, who’d beaten up boys twice her size in middle school, then slept with most of them in high school, and yet who also seemed like an ice princess, totally untouchable...seemed shy. Even if her tongue had been in his mouth a few seconds ago, even if his shirt had been fisted in her hands.

She liked him. He was almost sure of it.

He wanted to say a hundred things, about taking care of her, and wanting her so much he ached, and how his chest felt punched when she came out onto that runway tonight, and how if he didn’t kiss her again, fast, it might kill him, and if he couldn’t sleep with her again, it would definitely kill him.

“Who stays with Davey when you’re out?” he asked instead, his voice a little hoarse.

“Gerard Chartier. They’re the same mental age.”

“Can Gerard stay a little longer?”

There was a long pause, and Jessica was very still, and Connor’s whole being clenched with wanting, with hope, with please say yes.

She nodded.

Connor didn’t wait. He stood up, lifted her onto the bar and kissed her, a different kiss this time, hungry and full, his tongue against hers, his hand pulling out her ponytail and sliding his fingers through her long, damp hair.

She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him back, and that thrum of electricity became a lightning storm of white heat, and all that mattered was Jessica, her mouth, her neck, the shoulder blades that shifted under his hands, her long, beautiful spine and perfect ass.

He stopped kissing her for a second. “I live upstairs,” he muttered against her neck.

She answered with a little smile, and that smile, it just killed him. “I guess I should walk you home, then.”

Rather than let her walk him anywhere, he just lifted her up and carried her up the rickety stairs to his apartment, kissing her as he did. Kicked open his door, set her down and started on the buttons of her shirt, kissing her neck as he worked. His hand seemed to be cupping her breast. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her nipple hardened against his palm, and there it was, that blinding, stunning flash of want.

“Wait,” she said. “Wait. Hang on.” She pulled back a little, gripping his hands in hers. “This has to be a secret, okay? Because Davey will... He might... You know.”

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Right now she could’ve said You have to cut off your right arm before we do this, and he would’ve answered Hey, not a problem! “Don’t worry. We can take it slow.” Slow. And fast. And hard. And—

“I don’t want your sister to be—”

“Nope. Me neither.” Because Colleen would be insufferable if she knew.

Jess looked at him, and for the first time all night, she really looked at him, and Connor got the impression it wasn’t easy.

Then she reached up and touched the scar on his cheek, and her fingertips slid down to the place under his jaw that dented in. The scars from Chico, all those years ago.

“Take me to bed,” she whispered, and Connor couldn’t help thinking that God did exist and was smiling on him for no good reason.

He’d take it. He’d take anything Jessica Dunn and the universe saw fit to give him.

CHAPTER SIX

Eight and a half years before the proposal...

FOR THREE WEEKS—well, twenty days—after her humiliating foray into the world of exotic dancing, Jessica, who wasn’t the type to spin out happy fantasies of how wonderful everything would be, was starting to feel kinda happy and wonderful.

On day three of their...thing, she presented Connor her terms, written on a note card.

Rule number one: no telling anyone. God forbid she date one of Manningsport’s favorite sons and have it not work out. She already had enough of a reputation to deal with. Plus, Davey. She had to figure a way to make him okay with this, and right now she had no clue.

Rule number two: no coming over when Davey was awake, and never without checking with her first.

Rule number three: no sappiness. Sappiness was just not her thing, and so no flowers, no cards, no you make me want to be a better man stuff.

Connor listened with a half smile and a raised eyebrow. “Anything else, majesty?” he asked when she was done.

“I’m sure there is. I just can’t think of it right now.” She put the index card back in her pocket.

They were walking on one of the paths on Ellis Farm, which was partially open to the public. It was cold, and she’d ridden her bike there, since her car was still acting finicky.

Hardly anyone came out to Ellis Farm on a cold, sleety November day, which was exactly why Jess had chosen it.

“So how long will we be a secret, Juliet?” he asked.

“As long as I say, Romeo. Is that a problem?”

“Anything for you.” He gave her a crooked grin. “Can I kiss you? Do I need permission for that first? Are there guidelines for that on your index card?”