Too Hot to Handle (Romancing the Clarksons #1)(73)

“I’m fine.”

“Really, okay?” His concern must have reached her, because understanding passed between them, as real as anything he knew.

She nodded slowly. “Everything—even the kitchen—feels a little easier after last night.”

“Good.” Pressure pushed against his jugular, but he was too aware of the chef regarding their exchange, so he lightened the mood. Temporarily. “Can I talk to you for a few minutes before you knock yourself into a coma?”

A smile smoothed across her mouth. “Funny.”

Just like that the silent tension of the morning faded, leaving them searching one another’s eyes for what came next. The hand he used to soothe Rita’s head drifted down to hold her face. “Talk to me about the specials.”

Pink highlighted her cheekbones, obviously pleasure that he’d remembered that talking over the specials menu calmed her. Made her less anxious. Except Jasper was pretty sure it would benefit them both right about now, considering he was about to lay everything on the line. He gestured for Rita to precede him into the office, closing the door behind them. He leaned back against it, watching like a starving man as Rita perched herself on the edge of his desk, a piece of paper pinched between her fingers.

“Okay, well.” She tucked a few strands of stray dark hair behind her ear. “I looked over the menu your chef planned on using and offered a few suggestions. I hope that’s okay.”

“Don’t use that professional tone with me, Rita Clarkson.”

Her flush deepened. “I don’t mean to.” She used the paper to fan herself. “You were so different this morning. I wasn’t sure I should still come.”

Lord, she might as well have fired a round of bullets into his stomach. Had she misinterpreted his silence for checking out early? “I can’t even imagine you not being here.” He advanced toward her. “Read me the specials.”

She traded glances between his approaching body and the menu, as if unsure whether she should proceed. “Um.” Her voice wobbled. “There were some great items. I just added some spice, I guess you could say. The strip steak is already on the main menu, but I thought as a special, we could encrust it with blue cheese. Serve it with baby spinach and…”

Jasper rested his hands on either side of her hips, tracing the curve of her neck with greedy lips. “Keep going.”

“Keep…?” Her head fell to the right and Jasper pressed his advantage, raking the sensitive skin with his teeth. “Going?”

“Yes, keep going,” he breathed, punctuating his words with a soft bite.

It took a few minutes for Rita to continue, her breasts puffing up and down beneath her white tank top. “Fried Kobe meatballs…served with spicy mayonnaise. Th-they—we—glazed them with teriyaki sauce.”

“You’re making me hungry, beautiful.”

“Maybe I should stop.”

“Don’t.”

“Oh, God. Okay.” Her exhale washed over him. “The chef had a shrimp cocktail on the specials menu, but I-I think that should be on the regular appetizer list. A buffalo-shrimp po’ boy for the specials menu, though. Ohhhh, what are you doing now?”

Jasper smiled against her neck. “Just unhooking your bra for a little while.” The snap made them both moan a little. “That okay with you?” She nodded without hesitation, giving Jasper the green light to slide his hands around front and palm the two sweetest tits he’d ever held. “Anything else you want to tell me about the menu, Rita?”

God, her panting breaths were sexy as all get out. “I-I did a little research and found a fish market not too far from here. They’re willing to deliver, but I just took a drive and picked up some bluepoint oysters—”

“What?” Cement bags piled on top of Jasper’s shoulders. “You drove somewhere?”

Golden-brown eyes, still a little lust-fogged lifted to his. “Just a few towns over,” she murmured. “The Suburban is fixed now.”

The room tilted around Jasper. “I knew that. I knew.” Fuck, he had no control over his mouth or his pulse. The latter sped up so fast his head felt like it might float off. If he reacted this way to Rita leaving and coming back, how the hell would he cope with her never returning? Not good. Really f*cking bad. Catastrophically. “Stay, Rita.”

She stared at his mouth, as if the words were painted there. “What?”

“Stay in Hurley, Rita. Don’t leave me.” His hands skated down from her breasts to enfold her waist, shaking her body on the desk. “Sit here every day and read me the specials menu. This place—Buried Treasure—it became half yours when you walked inside, and we both knew it.”

“Jasper,” she whispered, sounding out of breath. “I don’t—”

“Please, just don’t act surprised. I won’t be able to stand it.” His mouth fell to hers, kissing, kissing, like a man mouthing a furious prayer. “You can’t be surprised when the last few days have given me life. Act upset or happy or storm out. But I can’t handle surprised, like maybe you didn’t even consider me for a second.”

“I’ve considered you,” she sobbed. “Of course I have. Just stop talking like that for a second, stop stealing my breath when I’m trying to catch it.”