"Fine. Pretend you haven't already decided this is going to happen. Play your little game, but we both know you would have shut me down five minutes ago if you didn't think it was a great idea. Now, I have an appointment with a man with powerful hands and a bottle of lube, so I need to take off."
"No one needs to hear about your deviant sex life, but thanks for the mental image, Ess," Jack said, with a pained expression on his face.
"A massage, you pervert. I have an appointment with Klaus, my masseur. Presenting brilliant ideas gets me so tense, I really need him to work me over tonight." She wiggled her eyebrows at Jack suggestively, and he rolled his eyes.
"You're a sick individual, you know that, right?" Jack said, shaking his head.
"Yup. But it's genetic. Oh, by the way, are you heading into town tonight, Jay?" Serena asked, her eyes wide with innocence. "Maybe you can give Lacey a ride if she wants to stay here and check out your hardwood?"
"Subtle, really subtle, Serena," Jack muttered. "Lacey, ignore her. You're welcome to stay and hang out if you want. I was going to head into town in about an hour anyway." This wasn't actually true. He usually worked late into the evening. But she didn't need to know that. "So, I'd be glad for the company if you want to explore a bit." That had sounded a bit dirtier than he'd intended, but after Serena's "hardwood" comment his mind was firmly in the gutter.
"No, really. Thanks for the offer, but you obviously have a lot of work to do. You don't need me here distracting you from your rubbing, I mean, sanding. I'll just get a ride with Serena." Other than the flush staining her cheeks, Lacey valiantly ignored her slip. Hopefully, they would too.
"Lacey, I would be happy to drive you. Please stay. I insist." And help me with my rubbing, he thought to himself with a grin. Obviously, he wasn't the only one having dirty thoughts here.
"I seriously have to go," Serena said, walking toward the door. "Lacey, are you coming? I'd be glad to call ahead and see if Klaus can squeeze you in with his partner, Clay. I mean, it seems like you have some tension of your own to work out. So, a massage might be just the thing. Jay will let us know what's happening with 'The Plan,' won't you, Jay?"
Jack was trying block the image of any other man rubbing Lacey's smooth olive skin with scented oils. Just the thought made his vision cloud with a red mist. He felt his fists clench of their own accord. There was no way he was going to allow some soft-handed pretty boy to touch her, while he sat here by himself, polishing his wood.
"You know what? Serena is dangerous behind the wheel on any given day, but when she's in a hurry, she's downright frightening. You should really let her go, and stay here, with me. I'd really like to spend some time with you." There, he'd said it. He felt like a complete weenie, but he was a man, and men said what they wanted. Consequences be damned.
"If you're sure?"
"Yes, I'm completely sure."
"Okay then. I'd like to spend some time with you too. And talk about the cottage. Go ahead, Serena. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have fun with Klaus. And maybe I'll set up something with Clay for another time."
Like hell you will, Jack thought to himself, but grinned like an idiot as they followed Serena out to the porch and watched her walk to her car.
"Jay, if I don't hear from you tomorrow, I will be calling your mother, so get on this thing right away, okay?" Serena called, sliding behind the steering wheel.
"Yeah, yeah. Quit badgering me or I will develop selective amnesia on this subject, I swear to God."
"Okay. Have fun, you two. Don't get any splinters." Putting on her sunglasses, Serena smiled wickedly as she flipped the car into gear, and rocketed down the driveway. All in all, she felt like she'd accomplished a lot today. Both her match-making and her real estate plans were coming together, perfectly. If only her own personal life was so easy to control.
Chapter Five
"My car is parked at the Daily Grind on Third Ave," Lacey said, darting a glance at Jack. His strong profile was barely illuminated by the truck's dashboard lights, and she couldn't tell if he was smiling or frowning. She really hoped he was smiling. It became brighter in the cab as they approached the city limits, but his expression seemed neutral to her.
They had spent an hour at the cottage, simply wandering around as Jack pointed out features that she'd missed on their whirlwind tour with Serena earlier. Then, they had spent another twenty minutes sanding the door Jack had been working on when they had arrived. He had simply handed her a sheet of sandpaper and demonstrated the proper technique as they stood companionably, side by side.
Lacey had half expected him to jump her bones the second Serena's car was out of sight, but he hadn't even touched her. She was totally disappointed. There had been something so intent about the way he had been watching her upto this point. She had felt a little like a particularly juicy rabbit being stalked by a famished wolf. And yet he had been a perfect gentleman, damn him and his mixed signals.
What did she have to do to get a little action from this guy? Maybe, like Barry, he thought she was boring. Well, she wasn't. She was a wild woman. She just needed to figure out how to go about being the aggressor without looking too desperate or slutty. Desperation was not sexy. Neither was clumsiness. And she was terribly afraid she was going to mess this up. Why couldn't he just lean over and kiss her? That would be so much easier.
"Do you mind if we take a little detour?" Jack asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Not at all. I'm not in a huge hurry to get home." She hoped he might suggest going to dinner. She was famished and a meal would prolong their time together. She was about to casually mention a Thai place she frequented when she noticed where they were.
They had just driven past the row-houses where they'd met, and Jack slowed the truck as they approached a building site that was fenced off and had a large 'Kingston Bros.' sign hanging from the gate. The old-fashioned streetlights revealed the frame of a large, roofless house. It stood on a wide, corner lot facing a green space containing a lovely path through a wooded area.
Jack turned off the ignition and pointed through the windshield with his keys. "It's a construction zone right now, so we can't go in. But you see that corner? That just may be your new address in about six months. What do you think?"
Lacey didn't think anything. For perhaps the first time in her life, she just acted.
Instead of answering him or worrying about making a fool of herself, she slid across the bench seat and completely surprised him by turning his face toward her. Looking into his shocked eyes for a moment she leaned forward and kissed him soundly on the lips. It was really more of a peck to show her joy and gratitude than an attempt at seduction, but the result was the same.
Jack's response to Lacey's lips on him was immediate and enthusiastic. He threw his keys on the dashboard and lifted her onto his lap, angling her chin so he could deepen the kiss. His tongue licked at her lips sweetly and then thrust between them with gradually accelerating heat and force.
Suddenly they were making out in the cab of his truck like horny teenagers. The windows quickly fogged up, enclosing them in their own little sensual world and Jack took full advantage of the privacy. He slid his lips down her jaw to her throat where he nibbled at that sensitive skin until she gasped and tightened her grip on his hair. He shoved the shoulder of her blouse part-way down her arm and sucked at that spot where her neck meets the collarbone. She would probably have a bruise there the next day and the idea that she would be walking around with his mark on her pleased him.
Sliding his hand up her denim-clad leg, he made small circles on her inner thigh, and then slid his hand back up to her knee. He did this three times before momentarily cupping her between her thighs. He could feel her heat against his fingers and was overcome with lust when she reached down to capture his hand and keep it there between her legs.