moment on the beach when he found out he was involved in this whole Bachelor Anonymous thing—but still, even lax, it’s almost as though it’s been cut precisely from stone.
Frankly, it’s kind of a crime that this guy has been single for as long as he has. It makes no sense with nature and physics and science in general.
Still, I can tell by the way he holds himself that just because he’s been single doesn’t mean he’s been celibate. Jake Brent looks like the type of guy who knows what he’s doing—and knows it so well, that it’s as if he were born with the talent. He doesn’t have to try too hard or overcompensate with overzealous remarks about his dick size or tongue talent. He just has it. Both of them, if I had to guess.
The neon lights of the Boogie’s sign shine in the darkening sky as we approach, and I take the last few moments in the truck to gather myself. It’s been a hell of a day—one that’s made me like Jake Brent a whole lot more than I expected.
He’s patient and kind and really knows how to loosen up enough to have fun during all the monotony.
Still, something about going to dinner with him and his daughter makes my stomach flip over on itself. I already spent a little time with them at spaghetti dinner the other night, watching their dynamic play out, and I know the way seeing them together makes me feel. Nostalgic. Squishy. Far too invested.
I don’t even want to know how much another night spent with the two of them is bound to compound those feelings.
I shiver at the thought, and Jake apparently notices. “Cold?”
I shake my head with the truth, but my mouth is at least smart enough to cover for me a little bit. “Kind of.”
He pulls into a spot, throws the truck into park, and twists his torso to reach into the back seat of the truck. “I bet I have a sweatshirt or something back here you can put on.”
A quick trip to Imagination Town paints a pretty scary picture of how it would feel to be that enveloped by his delicious aroma—to swim luxuriously in an item of his clothing.
Yikes.
I cut off that possibility directly at the pass.
“Uh, no. That’s okay. I’ll be fine without it. I’m probably just a little tired. Once I have something to eat, I’ll warm up.”
“You get cold when you get tired?”
“Don’t you?”
He shrugs. “I’ve never noticed.”
I have to laugh. “Yeah, well, that’s because I’m pretty sure you don’t get tired. Ever. It’s not part of your chemical makeup. You’re like a vampire. You never sleep.”
He raises one amused brow. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Uh, hello? This whole day? Dude, if you followed me around for a day and I had as much to do as you do, you can bet your booty I’d also have a built-in nap time.”
His mouth curves up into a smile.
“I didn’t even do the motocrossing. I just watched! And I could so go for a catnap right now. How do you do it?”
“Years of practice, I guess. I haven’t really slept a traditional amount since before BUD/S.” He shrugs, but when he searches my eyes, he offers an additional explanation. “BUD/S is the equivalent of basic training but for Navy SEALs.”
“Gotcha.” I nod. “And, see? You’re basically a vampire.”
His responding smirk is sly. “Maybe I’m a vampire, but you shouldn’t discount what you did at the track. Word gets around, you know, and I hear you were a wild woman in the stands.”
I blush as he pulls the door handle to get down out of the truck. I do the same, but I have to admit a thrill runs through me as I wait for him to come around and help me down. I’m really not sure I’m going to be able to go back to just getting in and out of regular cars myself. It’s not going to feel right.
My body slides down his like a whisper, and I look up into the moonlit pools of his eyes. He watches me closely.
Almost immediately, awkwardness at his scrutiny seeps into my pores.
“We should get inside,” I babble, just to fill the silence with something. “Chloe’s probably here already,” I continue when he doesn’t move away. “What car does she drive? Maybe we can spot it in the parking lot,” I keep going.
Finally shaken from whatever momentary spell he was under, he gathers himself and