All That Jazz (Butler Cove #1)(90)

I spin around when I hear a noise in the apartment. Someone’s knocked on the front door. I hear my mom open it.

“Hi, Joey,” she greets.

“Good evening, Mrs. Fraser.”

He came to the front door? For some reason this strikes me as ridiculously romantic. And I get how serious he is about us starting over.

I head out of my room, and Joey freezes when he sees me. He’s wearing black pants and a pale blue button down shirt. His slightly damp hair is curling over his collar. He looks incredible.

My heart beats in my throat.

His eyes sweep down my body, and he visibly swallows.

“Oh, Jessica. You look lovely,” Mom gushes. “Doesn’t she look wonderful?”

“Yes, Mrs. Fraser,” he answers, not taking his eyes off me. “She’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

I pick up my purse, that’s big enough to stash the rolled up shorts, t-shirt, and toothbrush I put in there earlier, and go hug my mom. “I won’t be home tonight,” I whisper. “Don’t wait up.”

I’m sure that’s hard for a mom to hear, but I know she supports me and this thing with Joey.





JOEY IS LAUGHING as I regale him with stories about Allen and Dave. We’re at a new restaurant that opened on the south end of the island while I was away. We don’t recognize anyone in there, which was totally the point of the choice. We’ve shared a bottle of red wine and are lingering over a crème br?lée dessert.

“I hope I get to meet them one day,” he says.

“Me too. I’m going for their wedding. I think you should come with me.”

He looks at me, his blue eyes glowing indigo. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Being able to admit this freely to him feels amazing.

He smiles, and we lapse into silence just looking at each other. His long fingers fiddle with the teaspoon in front of him.

“So,” I start. “Is your date hot enough?”

“To put out on the first date?”

“Yeah.”

He shrugs. “She’s incredible. Funny, sexy, amazing, and beautiful.”

“So when are you taking her home?” I raise my eyebrows.

He holds a hand up. “Check please.”

I chuckle. Especially as the server falls over herself to respond to Joey’s signal.





“YOU’VE REDECORATED,” I remark as Joey leads me by the hand into what used to be his parents’ bedroom. Looking around helps keep my nerves in check.

“Keri Ann did.” The walls are pale grey, and the wood of the king-sized bed frame is stripped and distressed. The big fluffy comforter is white and crisp, dressed with throw pillows of varying sizes and textures. It’s a man’s room without being cold and too masculine.

He turns to me and takes my bag off my shoulder, setting it on a chair in the corner, then steps in close. A hand slips around my waist and another brushes over my shoulder and slides around the back of my neck and up into my hair. Goose flesh erupts over my skin. I’ll never get tired of the way he gets ready to kiss me. It’s so sensual, so intense, so utterly erotic.

My own hands climb up his biceps and cradle his strong jaw. The skin is smooth and freshly shaved. My thumb brushes over his full lips. His eyes are half-closed and glittering beneath his lids as he looks down at me.

“I love you,” he whispers. “I absolutely love you.” And he lowers his lips to mine.

His mouth is warm.

I kiss him back, loving every give and take and nip of his lips. I taste the tip of his hot tongue. Red wine and crème br?lée. I seek more.

He groans, pulling me hard against him. I can feel his erection pressing against my belly. His fingers tangling in my hair bunch and grow tight, tilting my mouth up, opening my mouth farther.

My breathing comes fast. A moan emanates from my throat.

His lips leave mine and slip down my neck.

Pushing him back for a moment, I catch his gaze with my own and hold it as I step out of my shoes.

He toes his shoes off and gets to work on his shirt buttons. I watch in fascination as he opens them all the way down and pulls the shirt off his shoulders, revealing his broad, beautiful chest.

Reaching to my side, I slide the zipper down my body with shaking fingers and let my dress drop to the floor.

Joey’s jaw flexes, his mouth pressed tight, his eyes roaming my body.

The way he looks at me is stoking the fire deep inside until it’s roaring, the flames licking upward, stealing my breath.

“Your turn,” I tell him. My voice is scratchy.

He unbuckles his belt, and I can see how hard he is. Then he flicks the button on his pants, slides the zipper down, and pushes the fabric past his hips until it too drops to the floor.

We’re standing in our underwear. It strikes me as funny, and I smile. The smile becomes a chuckle. I’m so happy. I’m so damn happy right now. I can’t believe he’s standing in front of me—the boy I can’t ever remember not loving.

And he loves me back.

He laughs too and gathers me up against him. My feet leave the floor. The feel of our bodies coming together skin to skin feels amazing. He walks us backward until we fall across the king sized bed, and he rolls, pulling me on top of him.

Our mouths find each other again, and our hands roam. His fingers pull down the cups of my strapless bra.