“Oh, please. You can’t even help it.”
“Well, what about you?” I waved a hand in the direction of the café. “Doesn’t it bother you anymore to see Beck flirt?”
It was Claudia’s turn to scowl. “We’re friends. And girls flirt with him. If we were anything more than friends, I’d have to get used to that fact. Just like you have to get used to the fact that your boyfriend is hot and I hate to say it, babe, but since you two got back together, there’s this light around him… it’s totally attractive.” She patted me on the shoulder. “I guess you’ve only got yourself to blame for the hot señorita flirting with him right now.”
I groaned. “Okay. So how should we play this? Cool, unaffected… or pissed off?”
“Let’s be grown-ups and play it cool and unaffected. You know Jake loves you. You don’t need to be jealous. Ever.”
I shoved the horrible feeling away and let rationale take over. “You’re right,” I agreed, studying her carefully. “When did you get all wise and mature?”
Claudia tilted her chin up in thought. “Hmm… I think it’s a fairly recent development.”
“I like it.”
“We’ll see how long it lasts.”
Laughing at her, I followed as she crossed the street toward the café. Jake caught sight of us and when our eyes met, I felt our connection zing through me as always. I raised an eyebrow, nodding my head toward the girl next to him, but I wore a smile so he’d know I wasn’t mad. Anymore.
He shrugged and then tapped Beck on the arm. Beck looked over, his eyes instantly moving to Claudia. He straightened in his chair. Jake turned to the girls and said something. Whatever it was, it had them looking over at us walking toward them. The girls gave us curious looks but got out of our seats, waving flirty goodbyes to our boys.
A few seconds later, we rounded the table and as soon as my ass was in the chair, Jake wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me in for a slow, sweet kiss. I smiled softly as I pulled back. “Good morning to you too.”
“Soooo…” Claudia drawled, relaxing back in her chair. “This is what you guys do with your time when we’re not around. Flirt with gorgeous Spanish girls? It’s a little unfair. If we’d known, we would’ve taken up with those two hot guys on mopeds who asked us if we wanted a private tour of the city.”
I looked at her with both eyebrows raised.
She smirked. “Guess it didn’t last long,” she said, referring to her wisdom and maturity.
I laughed, shaking my head. When I looked at Jake, he had an annoyed furrow between his brows. “Guys? Mopeds?”
I shoved him playfully. “Claudia’s lying.”
I thought his expression would clear but now Jake looked worried. “The girls just came over. We didn’t invite them to sit.”
“You are so whipped,” Beck muttered, reaching for a glass of cold orange juice.
Unamused, I glared at him. “Jake’s dating me. I’m freaking awesome. I love him and he’s getting it regularly and it is mind-blowing. Even if he is whipped, he’s sitting a lot prettier than you right now.”
Jake and Claudia burst out laughing and Beck smirked, his eyes filled with mirth as they met Jake’s. Jake pulled my chair closer and I turned to find his face inches from mine. His eyes danced happily. “You’re wrong. You’re not freaking awesome. You’re freaking phenomenal.” He brushed his nose alongside mine. “About that getting-it-regularly thing,” he whispered against my mouth, “I miss you.”
I missed him too. We hadn’t slept together since we’d gotten to Barcelona. Three nights might not sound like a lot but they were a lot after having slept with each other every single night in the past few weeks.
“You know what I’m thinking,” Claudia said loudly, bringing our attention back to her. She was smiling at Beck. “I’m thinking you and I should spend the day together. Leave these two to be all icky and in love. I could do with a breather. It’s nauseating.”
I knew she was teasing but that sounded like an amazing idea.
Beck grinned back at her. “You’re on.”
“I’m good with that,” Jake murmured in my ear.
A shiver rippled down my spine and I felt my body respond to the promise in his voice.
Suffice it to say, we shoveled down a light breakfast with Claudia and Beck and said a hasty goodbye. Jake practically dragged me by the hand all the way back to the hotel. When the elevator doors shut, he was on me, pressing me against the wall, kissing me voraciously, like he couldn’t get enough.
I panted as he hurried out of the elevator and along the corridor to my room. We got the door clicked open and shut and Jake yanked off my tank top and quickly pulled his own shirt off. I unbuttoned my shorts and shimmied out of them as Jake divested his jeans and then I was in his arms again, sprawling over him as he took us to the nearest bed.
Jake groaned as my searching hands found him hot and hard. He kissed me as I touched him, sliding his hands around to unclip my bra. He pulled back as it fell away from my chest and he whispered, smirking, “We have such good friends.”