I hesitated, but then I said, “It’s all right.” Because I wanted his focus on me and nowhere else.
But I also knew he was hiding something and that rankled me. And it made me worry, too. Mennezzo was behind bars. So why would JC need protection?
I meant to drop it. That’s what he wanted, and I knew from experience that pushing him never got me anywhere. But I couldn’t let it go. “Just tell me, are you safe?”
He flashed me my favorite grin—charismatic with a hint of playboy. “Of course I am.”
Even with all his secrets, I still trusted him. And maybe I was reading things wrong. It wasn’t crazy to think that he really wanted to put the trial and everything related to it behind him. So I said nothing else about the subject and sat down next to him.
The pier was hard even underneath the blanket, and I wondered if I should have worn jeans after all. Ben was right about the night being warm, though. And sitting so close to JC brought a constant surge of heat that blazed hotter every second that passed, despite my intentions to remain cool and aloof.
A chilled drink didn’t sound like a bad idea after all.
JC peeled the foil off the bottle and unscrewed the lid, to which I raised an eyebrow. “It’s nonalcoholic,” he explained as he passed it to me. “I figured after the humiliation of the last time I drank, it would be better to stick to this instead.”
“Probably a good idea.” I raised my glass to my lips and took a swallow of the sweet sparkling juice. “It’s an excellent choice.”
While JC organized the rest of the picnic, I sipped on my cider and tried to pretend I wasn’t studying him as intently as I was. Memories merged into the present. His concentrated focus, the deliberate way he set about his task, that wrinkle on his forehead—they were all so familiar to me. All things I’d seen him do when he’d moved in and out of me. When he’d given all of his attention to my orgasm. When he’d let go and come as well.
Jesus, how was I ever going to make it through this date?
JC met my stare, his expression amused, as if he could guess my thoughts. He held out a sub sandwich wrapped up in foil. “If this isn’t what you want me to be giving you right now, we could always leave.”
“You wish.” I wished too. More than I’d thought I would. My fingers brushed his as I took the sandwich, and I had to bite my cheek to suppress my moan.
Food. Food would distract me.
I began unwrapping it, curious as to what he’d guessed that I’d want on it. “Turkey and bacon with mayo?” It was one of my favorite combinations. I looked at him suspiciously. “Did you call my sister?”
“I asked Matt. He said you always ordered turkey, bacon, mayo, hold the tomatoes from the kitchen when you worked for him.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Sneaky. I approve.” I lowered my focus to my sandwich so he couldn’t see how giddy I was at knowing how much effort he’d put in planning our date. And on such short notice. Was this the real JC? Was he actually this much of a nice guy? I’d fallen in love with the man who’d pushed and dominated and fucked me in such dirty ways. I hadn’t guessed that this was another side of him. Surprisingly, I liked it just as much.
The discovery was also not doing much to calm my libido.
Food did help, though. A bit. Soon the constant blare of lust dulled to a low hum that was still distracting but manageable. We ate in comfortable silence, watching the display around us, our gazes periodically returning to each other. It was funny how there could be so many people, all of them engaged and participating in their own holiday celebration, and yet it felt like we were alone, the crowd merely scenery, set there by JC to decorate our perfect date.
The sky was darkening by the time we finished. JC cleaned up our dinner and sprawled out on one of the pillows, his hands laced behind his head. The top of his shirt rose and a sliver of skin peeked through, and instead of fixating on how yummy it would be for dessert, I turned my focus to the carousel spinning behind us, the lights gleaming like stars in the growing twilight.
JC followed my line of vision. “It’s still open. We should ride it later.”
The sign outside the glass building had said it closed at seven. “I think it must be a private event. A lot of the people in there are wearing matching corporate T-shirts. But I’ll take a rain check.”
“I’m taking it that rain check is code for let’s crash the party?”
I chuckled. “God, you haven’t changed at all.”
“Have you ever ridden it before?”
“Once. Years ago. It was the best ride I’d ever been on. Well, it had been the only ride I’d ever been on. But it was definitely one of the best days of my childhood. My mother had taken us out while my father was at work. If he’d known, he would have complained that it was a waste of money. ‘Spending a buck to go around a few times in a circle?’” I said in a low voice, mocking my father. “’Give me the buck and I’ll spin them around instead.’” I stared down at my shoes. “Actually, he’d spin us around for free. His rides just weren’t ones I ever wanted to take.”