shoulders slumped as she sighed.
When she heard the sound of a car coming down the road, she looked over her shoulder. Her breath caught. She’d recognize that truck anywhere, and the man driving it. It rolled to a stop when it reached her, and Jaime was there, opening the passenger door. “Want a ride?” he asked.
Grace was almost tempted to say no, but it was cold and dark and she really wished she had her gloves. So she climbed in, putting her hands up to one of the vents blasting hot air. “Thanks,” she said.
Jaime started driving again, and silence reigned between them. Then, without warning, he asked, “Did Eric ask you out?”
She froze. She turned to look at him, but it was too dark to see anything beyond his clenched jaw.
“How did you know he asked me out?”
“Does it matter? So it’s true?”
She had the strongest urge to punch him in the side. He told her they can’t be together, but if another guy asked her out, he got pissy? She wanted to bash her forehead against the truck’s console. Men were idiots!
“It’s none of your business, but yes, he did. It was months ago. I told him no. End of story.”
Jaime just gripped the steering wheel.
Grace sighed. A headache threatened to erupt, and she rubbed her temples. “Are you jealous or something?”
He flinched, then turned toward her. “What?” he asked.
“You don't get to dump me or whatever it is you did and then get mad that some other guy showed interest in me.” She leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes. “It’s dumb. And I don’t have time for it.”
Jaime didn’t reply, but when she felt him stop the truck, her eyes flew open. He was clenching and unclenching his hands from the steering wheel.
“I know it’s stupid,” he said in a low voice, “but everything about you makes me feel stupid.”
She frowned. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“No, I’m telling you that you make my life harder and it’s driving me crazy.”
“Uh, I’m sorry…?”
She watched as something seemed to snap inside of him. With a curse, he pulled her across the leather bench seat of the truck before sealing his mouth against hers.
She knew she should push him away. She knew how this would end. We can’t do this. And yet, kissing him, tasting him, feeling his arms around her? It felt like home. His tongue slicked inside her mouth, and she held onto his shoulders.
He was warm and solid and safe, and she had missed him.
“I told myself I’d stay away from you,” he said on a groan, unwinding her scarf and kissing her bare throat. “I said we couldn't do this. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you all this time. You’re like some kind of disease.”
She gasped in outrage before laughing. “And you give the worst compliments!”
“If it makes you feel better, it’s a disease I don’t want to be cured of.”
“Why are you comparing me to something like herpes? If I’m herpes, you’re…” She thought a moment. “Athlete’s Foot.”
He looked up at her. “I’m a foot fungus?”
“Yes, and one that keeps coming back.”
He smiled, and her heart melted. “My darling herpes, you drive me insane.”
Grace didn’t know if she should laugh, moan, or cry. Maybe all three. But when he began to unbutton her coat, his fingers trailing down her torso, she decided biting her lip to keep from moaning like an idiot was her best option.
“Let me touch you,” he whispered against her mouth. “Let me touch you, Graciela. I need you.”
Like she was going to say no to something like that.
She smoothed her fingers through his hair as his hand drifted down her legs, inching up the skirt of her dress. She wore cotton leggings underneath, and as he danced his fingers across her hip, stroking her upper thigh, she felt like she was wearing too much clothing.
He looked up at her, his eyes dark. He kissed her just as he found the waistband of her leggings, and then he was touching bare skin.
“You’re so soft and sweet. You drive me crazy.”
You drive me insane, Jaime.
He kissed her harder. She gasped and moaned and wiggled against him, wanting him to touch her lower. Touch her all over. She’d never gotten this far with any guy, and she wished she’d worn something other than white cotton panties today. But Jaime didn’t even notice, and when his fingers brushed low on her pubic bone, she shuddered.
He kissed her neck. “Are