“I’m in entertainment,” Jamie said, taking a sip of his drink.
“Like a stripper?” As soon as the question left her mouth, she realized she was only half teasing.
He choked, lowering the glass and turning his head to the side as he coughed. Then he frowned at her. “In what universe would you mistake me for a stripper?”
“In any universe.” At his look of gaping shock, she gestured to his body. “Have you ever looked in a mirror? I mean, come on. You’re either a stripper or a male model. I bet your abs don’t need any photoshopping they’re so perfect.”
Amusement curved the corner of his lips. “Do you want a closer peek, to be sure?”
“And be spoiled for whoever I end up with? No, thanks.”
He frowned. “Why wouldn’t anyone you ended up with be more attractive than me?”
She laughed. Then she sobered as she realized that he really wanted an answer. “Look at me.”
“I am,” he said in the low purr that hit herjust right.
She cleared the lust from her throat. “Then you see why.”
“I really don’t. Explain it to me.”
“An average girl”—she pointed at herself—“attracts average guys. It’s one of the laws of attraction.”
He shook his head. “There are two flaws with that statement.”
She arched her brow.
“First off, haveyouever looked in a mirror? Because there is nothing average about you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right.”
“You are stunning,” he said, enunciating each word. “I could stare into your eyes for hours and find more to discover.
“Second of all, this.” He reached out and ran the back of his index finger along the side of her neck and then back to brush the nape of her neck. “This curl is definitely not average.”
She shivered from his touch, feeling her breasts suddenly very perky. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “What curl?” she asked faintly.
“You have a perfect Victorian curl right here.” He touched it again.
It sent tremors through her body that she felt down to her toes and everywhere in between.
“Last night when I walked into Clancy’s, it was the only thing I saw, your neck and that curl.” He ran a finger along her neck again. “And I wanted to walk up to you and put a kiss right there.”
She bit her lip to keep from moaning out loud. “Are you always this direct?”
“Yes.”
Gosh, she liked that. “Good to know.” She took a sip of her lemonade, hoping it’d cool her off.
Nope, didn’t work—not with him looking at her like that. She took a deep breath. “I probably would have kneed you in the nuts if you’d walked up to me and kissed my neck.”
“As you should.” He sat back, stretching his perfectly muscular legs. “But I wouldn’t have presumed.”
“Why not?” She heard the disappointment in her voice and wanted to smack herself.
“Just because someone is in public doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to them. It’s not a license to grope.”
She tipped her head. “Have you been groped?”