Fighting Dirty - Sidney Halston Page 0,21

him jealous irritated him. Enzo wrapped his arm around Jamie Lynn and tucked her close. “Thanks for the help, Jack,” he said.

Jack took in Enzo’s posture and laughed. “Stay out of trouble, kids,” he told them before he headed to his car and drove off.

“Well, that was…interesting,” she said, sounding more hyper than usual. “You napped, saved me from a panic attack, and almost got arrested. I think my work here’s done.” She rubbed her palms together. “Except that I’m starving.”

“Now can I treat you to food?”

“Nope. I’m going to make you my world-famous tacos.”

“You’re going to cook for me?” This woman just continued to surprise him time after time.

“Unless I’ve sufficiently scared you and you want to end the date right now. I’d completely understand.”

“You have sufficiently scared me. But I’m ready to taste your tacos.” As soon as he said it he realized how it sounded, and at the look on his face she doubled over in laughter. He didn’t laugh, though. He actually blushed.

“Oh, my God, loosen up,” she told him. “Haven’t I taught you anything today? So you’re kind of pervy. It’s cute.”

“I think it’s your mind that’s kind of pervy,” he retorted. More gently he added, “I just don’t want you to think I’m expecting something. I just like your company. I mean, I definitely want more. But I’m cool either way.”

“How cute. You’re stammering. You’re nervous.”

“I am not.”

She poked his side. “You are. You’re totally nervous. And you definitely didn’t learn anything today. You’re still uptight.” She dropped her purse on the grass, stepped close to him, and poked him some more. “I thought I had loosened the stick a little. You know, the one up your ass.”

He swatted her hands away. “I don’t have a stick up my ass.” But she was fast and continued to poke him. “Stop doing that,” he snorted. He took a step closer to her, pretending to be intimidating.

But instead of running, which was what he’d expected her to do, she tickled his neck, then tried to poke him in the ribs again. He attempted to grab her fingers, but the little pixie was fast and he was laughing too much to stop her.

“Oh my God, you’re ticklish!” she said gleefully.

“Stop that!” He laughed, trying to swat her fingers away. She seemed to have a dozen hands at the moment. He held his hands out, attempting to shield himself, but failed miserably.

“No way. I’ve never seen you laugh like this. This is great.” She giggled and launched herself at him. He took that opportunity and the fact that she weighed nothing to playfully tackle her to the grass and subdue her. But she was fast. “You are going to totally lose that MMA bout if you can’t pin down a girl,” she snickered, trying to grip his wrist since he too was now trying to tickle her. “Lorenzo Silva tickled and pinned by a girl,” she singsonged. He tried to catch his breath, but he was laughing too hard and she was kicking and pushing, all arms and legs.

“Wait. Stop,” he gasped. “Stop. I can’t breathe.”

She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and took a deep breath as his phone began to ring for the umpteenth time since he’d picked her up that morning. He reached for his pocket to silence it, but she snatched it from his hands and threw it toward a grassy area a few feet away.

“I cannot believe you just threw my phone.” He shifted over her, his body pressing down on hers.

She pushed him gently away so that he wasn’t right on top of her, her laughter fading away. “I did. I warned you that this was a no-phone date. You broke the rules, Pretty Boy.”

A noise from a car down the street was the only sound that could be heard, except for their heavy breathing. The dead-end street was empty and quiet. She moved an inch, and he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head. “No more tickling,” he said gruffly.

“Wasn’t going to,” she replied in a raspy voice.

“Never met a woman like you, Jamie Lynn.” One of his legs was positioned between hers and his chest was almost, but not quite, on hers; he could feel her breasts against his chest as she breathed. The air thickened, and the moment of laughter was gone and replaced with a heavy sexual charge the likes of which he’d never experienced before. Before he knew what was happening, she brought