Page 125 of Heartless

“Exactly like that,” he said against my lips.

****

Sitting beside Jakein the fabulous restaurant, housed in an old greenhouse, I planted my elbow on the table and rested my chin on the heel of my hand to watch him.

In a black dress shirt opened at the collar with its sleeves rolled to his elbows and the ends of his overlong hair curling on his nape, he was beyond gorgeous.

His lips twitched, and he slanted his mouth to the shell of my ear, which elicited a warm buzz all over my body.

“You keep looking at me like that, and I’ll drag you out of here before we get our drinks.”

My heart pinched, and I hid the sharp pang by unfolding the napkin over my lap as slowly as humanly possible.I was back to square one: fluttering belly with my head in the clouds.And my heart laid down for the trampling.

“Baby?”

I lifted my forced smile to him.“Mm?”

Jake’s searching gaze dipped into mine.His fingers curved on the side of my neck, and his bass voice swathed me into everything Jake.

“I’ll wait for as long as it takes for you to trust me again.”

The breathtaking tenderness of the touch of his mouth on mine streamed all the way down to the knot in my chest.

“Jake?You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I jumped at the angry voice and gaped at a woman who must have stepped straight out of a movie set.She had lots of honey blonde hair, and she was dressed in a slinky dress that showed off her body perfectly.

Her fiery gaze was solely directed at Jake.“That’s what you dumped me for?A fucking...cheerleader?”

She’d meant to insult me, but I had never, ever been compared to, let alone called a cheerleader, and I had to admit it was hilarious.And a tiny bit flattering.So much in fact that I giggled.

Jake’s jaw clenched.“Margo.”

That was all he said, but the very pissed off snarl quelched my spurt of amusement.

The woman’s coral-painted lips snapped shut tight while her face flushed so hard, she looked like she was about to implode.

Flicking her hair over her tanned shoulder, she set her incensed gaze on me.“You can stop smirking, you stupid girl.He’ll have his fun and toss you away like garbage like he’s done to all of us.”

This time, his fingertips tapped on the table, and I recognizedthatfrown.

I cleared my throat.“I wasn’t smirking.It would imply I’m mocking you, which I’m not.I’m just smiling because I’ve never been called a cheerleader.Andthat’sfunny.”

She gaped for a few seconds, but as she slanted closer, about to say something rude or undoubtedly mean, Jake leaned in.Only slightly, but enough for the woman’s body to jerk straight.When she turned on her high heels, she did it with great panache.

I curled my hand around his fist and grinned at him.“A cheerleader?Isn’t that awesome?”

His fingers interlaced with mine and his lips twitched.“You really are a fucking ray of sunshine.”

I liked the way he said that.I loved it.So, when he kissed me, I kissed him back and lingered.

Our first real date was phenomenal.

****

Jake

I’d just entered my office when Sienna called.“Hey, baby.”