“Oof.” He exhales dramatically.
“Oh, some tough guy you are,” I tease.
“It’s not like I can turn my military training on you again. Last time I tackled you, I nearly killed you.” He pokes me in my side.
“Pfft, you barely knocked the wind out of me,” I scoff, climbing on top of him, straddling his waist and pinning his wrists to the ground.
He smirks up at me like I’m an adorable kitten. And let’s be real, compared to him, I basically am. I’m under no delusions that I’m physically a match for a fully trained Navy SEAL. Unless we’re talking seduction… but even then, Mateo might edge me out with that wonderfully talented mouth of his.
Leaning down, I brush his neck with my lips and whisper in his ear, “Do your worst, G.I. Joe.”
“Jules…” he warns, the muscles in his body tense underneath me.
Wriggling on his lap, I bite his earlobe.
I’m on my back so fast I don’t even have time to blink. One second, I’m on top of Mateo, teasing him and the next thing I know, I’m pinned underneath him, legs spread wide, his shins locked over my thighs. He has my wrists gathered in one of his fists, pinned to the blanket over my head, a smug expression pulling at his ruggedly handsome face.
His free hand trails over my jaw, down my neck and into the valley of my cleavage. Mateo cocks an eyebrow at me.
“Oh man, am I turned on right now,” I breathe.
Mateo rolls off me, laughing so hard he has to hold his side. “Christ, you make me happy.”
We sit under the tree for a long time. Long enough to finish the sparkling wine, which has gone slightly flat since we opened it and promptly forgot about it. Mateo hands me a lemon tart and gets visibly distracted watching me eat it. We sit out under the tree talking for so long that the sun sinks in the sky.
“We should get going…” Mateo says regretfully, his eyes sweeping up and down my body. “I think the park closes at dark.”
“Fine,” I sigh. “I’ll go willingly if you promise to let me pick the movie.”
“Deal.”
Mateo gets to his feet, but his right leg is stiff and he has to stretch it a couple times. He keeps it straight as he bends down to pick up the blanket, wincing the tiniest bit.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” His eyebrows furrow, his head tipping to the side. “Why?”
“Your knee—”
He shakes his head. “It’s fine. It is what it is.”
“But it hurts.”
“It’s just stiff, Jules.”
Oh, hell no. He’s definitely downplaying it. You can’t bullshit a nurse when it comes to pain. I squint at him, but he laughs and pulls me close, kissing me sweetly.
“Mm-hm.” I let it go and help him fold up the picnic blanket. We collect all our little odds and ends, tucking everything back inside the basket before heading down the hill. It’s steep enough that I hold my arms out for balance. We aren’t even halfway when I see the pain on Mateo’s face. It’s subtle, but the corners of his eyes are tight, his lips pursed slightly. His steps are stilted as we make our way downhill. I hold out my hand, wrapping it around his, worried about him but knowing he won’t admit that it’s bothering him.
Once we get to the base and back on the trail, it’s better, but he’s still limping slightly. When we get to the car, I step in front of him, tipping my face up for a kiss. Mateo drops the basket, cupping my jaw in both hands, kissing me deeply. Our tongues tangle and he groans as I put my hand in his pocket. He backs me against the side of the car and we’d be well on our way to round two if it weren’t for the sound of another car crunching through the gravel lot. I don’t miss the little growl that rumbles in his chest.
Mateo sighs and reaches in his pocket for the keys. He pauses, patting the rest of his pockets, a little panicked when he comes up empty. I see the exact moment he realizes I picked his pocket. He freezes and shakes his head slowly, glancing up at me. Holding out the keys, I give them a little shake, biting my lip to hold back the triumphant, gloating grin.
“I’m driving,” I tell him sweetly.
He chuckles. “I can’t believe you got me with the pocket.”
I curtsy and click the fob to unlock the car.