“It’s not about that anymore,” he says.
I frown at him. “Is that why you texted me? Is this why I’m here? To clear our past?”
He laughs a bitter laugh. “No. I texted you because my career’s over. I wanted to talk to you, like we used to. You always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. But I sat here for a while after I texted you and now I’m not sure I deserve it.”
I put a hand on his leg. Damn, he’s hot in that suit. Even if he did take the eye patch off. And he’s solid muscle under the fabric.
My mind goes completely rogue to absolutely filthy thoughts of him not in that suit and I have to pull myself out of that train of thought while I can still breathe.
When I look up, he’s staring at me. That’s when I remember that he knows me just as well as I know him, and I’m busted. The smirk on his face now is for real. It fades fast though. I know he’s hurting.
I pull my hand back. “So tell me what’s going on.” I’m really not sure. Nobody is. I haven’t even been to any of his games since high school. I followed his stats in college and rooted for him on draft night.
I was a woman scorned after all, but not a total monster. I know his stats have gone down year to year, but that’s it.
He fixes me with those crystal blue eyes that make me melt. Then he palms that square jaw with the blond stubble. Even wearing Fi’s scent and upset about his life, he’s still the sexiest guy on the planet.
“That’s just it, Angie. I have no idea. If I don’t fix it soon and I mean, like, now, I’m done. Permanently. But how do I fix what I don’t know?”
I consider it. Unfortunately, the one time it matters most, I don’t think I have any answers for him.
He seems to sense that I don’t have any answers for him. “Can I see your float?”
“What?” I ask, taken aback. Is float code for something? My body is on fire, screaming yes, yes, yes, show him your float. Whatever that means.
I feel my chest heaving and have to cross my arms so that my nipples don’t break out of my dress and run to him on their own.
“Your parade float. I’ll bet yours isn’t just a stinky, empty wooden flat bed.”
“Oh yeah, sure. The parade float. Of course.” I hate to kick a man when he’s down, but Fi and Kaylee and I actually did have a really good start on our float.
Jake helps me off of the flat bed to the floor, and when our hands touch it’s magic. Like it was before. That night. The night he left without a word.
Stop remembering reasons to be mad, my body tells my brain. I want him. I pretended I was over him when he left, but the truth is I’ve wanted him ever since that night. I’ve wanted him and hated him at the same time.
It was hard enough with him thousands of miles away. Now that he’s here, it’s almost unbearable.
I pick up my dress on the dirty floor and lead him to our parade float. He brings the lantern and sets it up on our flat bed, which is lined with soft, blue crushed up synthetic flowers meant to look like the ocean.
“It’s beautiful,” he says. Then he sets the lantern down and turns to me. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Angie. I wasn’t apologizing for not saying goodbye when I got drafted. I’m apologizing, right now, for running out on you after our night together.”
“Why’d you do it?” My voice is barely a whisper.
Jake runs a finger through his perfect hair, making it even more attractive. “It was so confusing. You know me, Angie. I’m not usually an emotional guy. But I can honestly say you were the best I ever had.”
I’m stunned. And speechless.
“I ran off because it was easier than dealing with my emotions. Especially since you’re you. You know me better than I know myself. I knew if I took one look at you, you’d be able to read me like a book. And I was scared, believe it or not. By the time I figured out how important you were to me, I ran face first into a roadblock. And a shotgun.”
I try to swallow back my own emotion as I see the raw truth playing on his face. And then I do the only thing I can think of. I step forward, stand on my tiptoes, and press my lips to his again.
Immediately, I feel my nipples harden again and my core melts. When our lips touch, it sets my entire body on fire.
He closes his eyes for a moment, and then he puts a hand under my chin and draws me even closer to him. I moan when his tongue enters my mouth.
The noise sends him into a frenzy and his hands cup my ass through my dress, sending electric shocks of desire pulsing through my body. It’s been so long since I’ve been with anybody. I know that I’m already past the point of no return.
Then he jumps up into the parade float.
“Jake, what are you doing?”
He doesn’t answer, he just grins and puts a hand down so that he can help me up into the float. I can tell by the lust on his face and the huge tent in his pants that this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
The two of us tumble into the bottom of the parade float in a tangled heap.
“Ouch,” he says, bumping his head on a piece of wood.
“You okay?” I put a hand to his face.
Instead of answering, he pulls me on top of him. I undo his pants so he can spring free.
His hands go under my dress and I feel
