She replaced the cap and dropped it back into her purse. “Not so much. I tend to get a bit too happy.”
His eyebrows shot up and his cock came to full-alert status. Happy—he liked the sound of that. “And that’s a bad thing?”
To his utter shock, Deanna blushed. “In my case it is.”
Curiosity got the better of him. “Care to explain?”
The waiter returned with the check, forcing Jonas to drop the conversation while he fished out his credit card. Once they were alone again, Jonas waited, hoping Deanna would go into more detail. She didn’t disappoint him. “All my inhibitions disappear. It’s not a comfortable feeling for me.”
She was killing him. An immediate picture of a carefree Deanna sprang to mind. He liked it a hell of a lot. “Most people enjoy letting it all hang out every once in a while. Taking life too seriously leads to an early grave.”
“Maybe, but if I suddenly develop the urge, I’d rather be coherent.”
r /> “You don’t like to give up control,” he surmised.
She cocked her head to the side, as if unsure how to respond at first. “It’s not that,” she said. “I guess if I’m in the mood to go romping naked through a forest, for example, then I don’t want alcohol to blur the memorable event for me.” She laughed. “I mean, I’d want to remember a crazy moment like that. Wouldn’t you?”
No doubt about it, Jonas liked the way the lady’s mind worked. “You had me at ‘running naked’.”
Deanna snorted. “You need serious help.”
The waiter returned with his card and Jonas filled in the tip and signed the check. He stood and held out his hand. “Come on, you can tell me all about these forest fantasies back at the house.”
When Deanna reached out and placed her hand in his, a wicked smile kicking up the corners of her glossy lips, Jonas’s blood heated and his cock strained the fly of his jeans. Great. Walking through a crowded restaurant with a hard-on wasn’t his idea of fun. He leaned close and whispered against the shell of her ear, “Save that look for when we’re alone, kitten.”
Instead of moving as Jonas had intended, Deanna lifted her head and caressed his lips with hers, barely grazing. The kiss left him wanting more, which was no doubt her intention. When she pulled back, there was a clear challenge in her dark brown gaze.
Jonas took her face in his large hands and ground out, “If you don’t turn around and start walking, I’m going to forget we’re in a public place and lay you across that table.”
She squinted, and a hint of uncertainty slipped across her face. “You’re all talk, Jonas.”
He released her and smiled. “Keep it up. I never did get dessert.”
To his relief, Deanna stayed silent and started walking out of the restaurant. Thank God, because being arrested for indecent exposure would sure as hell put a kink in his plans.
The cab drive had been quick and uneventful. Now, as Deanna watched Jonas unlock the door to the beach house, a little thrill ran the length of her spine. She had the sexy, dark-haired Jonas all to herself in the gorgeous city of Miami. Yowza. When he opened the door and let her enter first, she realized for the first time that he actually did that a lot. Held her chair, paid for dinner, opened doors for her. She wondered if he was a little old-fashioned. Deciding to find out, Deanna said, “I forgot to pay you my half of the dinner bill.”
Jonas closed and locked the door, then switched on the lamp next to the black leather sofa. The soft, intimate light sent butterflies to flight inside her belly. “Your half?” he asked.
Unless Deanna missed her guess, Jonas sounded distinctly annoyed. She had to look away to keep him from seeing her grin. “Yeah,” she answered, pretending an interest in the generic, store-bought black-and-white photo of a beach hanging on the wall beside the door. “There’s no reason for you to pay for the both of us.”
He took hold of her shoulders and slowly turned her to face him. “If you were a dude and we were going to see a ballgame together, then I’d expect you to pay half the check. You’re the furthest thing from a dude.”
Oh, wow, he was old-fashioned. At the new knowledge, Deanna’s heart did a little backflip. Stepping closer, Deanna murmured, “Careful, Jonas, or I’ll start to think you’re a nice guy.”
His hands slid down her arms in a gentle caress. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for months. It’s about time you wake up and smell the latte.”
Deanna started to speak, but instead yawned. She quickly covered her mouth and muttered, “Oops, sorry.”
“You’re tired?”
“A little. I didn’t get a lot of sleep this week.” Because I was awake thinking of you.
“Me neither.”
At his quiet, two-word reply, bells went off in Deanna’s head, waking her up in an instant. “W-why is that?”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he admitted. “About this ...” His mouth swooped down and took hers in a wild show of possession. Deanna’s temperature shot right into the red zone, and her blood began to race. Without conscious thought, her arms wound around his neck, tugging him closer. He groaned against her lips and ran his tongue along the seam. Unable to resist temptation, Deanna parted them and felt his rumbling growl of approval. As he dipped inside, Deanna tasted the uniquely spicy flavor of Jonas Phoenix.