Tap That! (Panty Dropper Series Book 1) Page 7

  “I already told you: I'm not interested in being one of your conquests.”

  He leaned forward and grabbed her hand again, squeezing her fingers between his. “I know the reputation I have around town, but that's not who I am. I want more than a fling with you.” He rubbed a finger across the back of her knuckles. “To misquote a well-known old movie, I want the whole fairy tale.”

  She laughed loudly at his words and several diners turned to look at them. “So, you’re blackmailing me—telling me you won't lend me the money unless we date, and then telling me you want a serious relationship?”

  “I seem to have gone about this the wrong way. I'm not blackmailing you. I just want us to spend some more time together. I don't know how else to get the message through that I’m serious about you.”

  “Well,” she paused and looked at his hand gripping hers, “we did turn out to be physically compatible.” She met his eyes and the intensity of his stare ripped through her. Then he unleashed the smile that caused women everywhere to hyperventilate.

  “I can honestly say that was the best night of my life.”

  “Really?” Doubt filled her voice.

  “Really. I’d like a lot more of those nights with you.”

  She sighed. “I haven’t stopped thinking about it ever since you stormed out. I hoped there’d be a repeat the next day, but we—well, you know what happened.”

  “I’m sorry for how I reacted. My feelings were hurt and I was panicking about something else.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I tried. My apology was what I was worried about, but you cut me off and made it sound like I was about to give you the big brush off.”

  “What were you going to say, anyway?” She ran a finger over the back of his knuckle and watched with interest as he bit his lip—the lip she’d bitten two weeks ago, right before he’d made her—

  “Promise not to hate me?

  She sighed. “Really? This again?”

  “Sorry. I was trying to apologise for not wearing a condom. I’ve never been that out of control before and I just forgot about it.”

  “That’s what you were going to say that morning?”

  “Yup,” he relaxed into his chair, still holding her hand. “I thought you’d be really angry about it, but suddenly I was the one getting angry and storming out.” Regret was plain on his face. She thought of what might have been, had she just let him speak.

  “I don’t know what to say. I’m shocked. I don’t think I know anyone who would apologise for something like that. I’ll have to remember to ask around next time I’m out with Alyssa and the girls.” Her eyes glimmered with humour and he rolled his eyes.

  “I’m never going to hear the end of this, I can tell. Anyway, do we have a deal?”

  “I have a condition of my own.”

  “You always do. I can’t wait to hear it.”

  “The next date takes place at my house—tonight.”

  “That’s one condition I’ll be thrilled to agree to. I’d like nothing better than to come home with you.” He waggled his eyebrows and blew her a kiss as the throbbing she’d been missing started a dull pounding between her thighs.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Hey there, Tiger. How long does she take to get ready, do you know? I think you and I might be in for a nice, long cuddle, here, if she’s anything like other women.” He scratched the cat under the chin and Tiger responded by pushing his head into his hand. “Oh, you like that?”

  Mimi’s footsteps sounded down the hall and Jasper hastily put the cat on the floor and stood. She entered the room fully dressed and ready to go. “Been cuddling up to my cat again, Jasper? You know he has no say in my love life.” She laughed and stood in front of him.

  “I don’t know why you think I’ve been doing that. We were just having a chat.”

  “A chat and a cuddle.”

  He frowned and laughed off her suggestion. “Nah.”

  “Yeah.” She plucked a handful of white hair off his black shirt and showed it to him. “Unless you’ve got a cat of your own, or your car seats are shedding.”

  He looked down and laughed before brushing the hair from his dark shirt. “Damn cat, you outed me. No more cuddles for you!”

  “You can’t hide this stuff from a woman, you know.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I have no desire to hide anything from you. You got me. I love that guy.”

  She looked at the seat where Tiger had taken up residence. “You hear that, buddy? You can’t trust him. One minute you’re cuddling, the next he’s disowning you, and now he’s declaring love.”

  “Hey, don’t prejudice him against me this soon. We need to put up with each other for years to come.”

  “Years?”

  “You bet it’ll be years.” He touched her chin and let his lips brush gently over hers. “Longer than years, if I have my way.”

  “Do we really need to eat?” Her words came out as an almost-whisper.

  “I don’t need to. I can live on love.”

  “Love, now? You do move fast.”

  “I’m not afraid to tell you, Mimi Fletcher, that I’m in love with you. I thought I already was after our second date, but these weeks apart have confirmed my suspicions. I love you.”

  “Wow.”

  “You don’t have to say it back—you can tell me when you’re ready. I’ve been looking for an excuse to ask you out for years, so I’ve had a bit of a head start.”

  “Really? You believe what you like and we’ll discuss those details one day soon.” She wrapped her hands around his neck. “I don’t want to be all cliché and say it back straight away.”

  “I said you don’t have to.” He nuzzled her neck, “I believe we were deciding on food or dinner.”

  “I vote bedroom. We can eat any old time.”

  Jasper released his hands from her waist and slipped his hand into hers. He kissed her on the tip of her nose and pulled her toward her bedroom, walking backward and kicking off his shoes as he went. She followed him, excitement flaring in her stomach as she watched him lick his lips. His eyes gleamed in the darkness and he smiled at her when he pulled her through the doorway.

  He might think he was the only one who’d longed for her, but she’d longed for him just as much. Tonight, she would make sure he understood that.

  They stopped beside her bed and he caressed her face. His lips were soft against hers, as he tasted her, exploring gently and loving her with his mouth. Their first night together had been passionate and fiery, but this was different. He focussed totally on her mouth, not letting up as his tongue moved across hers and her full lips yielded to his.

  His kisses promised fulfilment—they promised passion and pleasure, and the satisfaction of physical desire. Lips moved across her jaw, and then he was whispering in her ear, telling her the words she’d never in a million years expected to hear from Jasper Collins.

  Fingers pulled at clothing and hands ran over bare skin while the sound of ragged breathing filled the room. The last pieces of clothing fell to the floor, and they moaned together at the tension between them. Wrapped in a sticky web of need, they moved toward the bed, Jasper sitting and pulling Mimi to him. She kneeled over him as his hands slid over her ass, his tongue tickling along her clavicle. The gasp that escaped her urged him on, and he lowered her toward his waiting hardness. They slid easily together, quickly finding their rhythm as their tongues continued their earlier dance.

  The wanton feel of him pulled ripples of pleasure from her as desire licked at her core. They moved together, stretching and moulding into place, his hands twisted in her hair as their pace increased. Eyes closed, she let her head tip back, allowing him access to her pebbled nipples. His mouth engulfed her flesh, and she held on for dear life, resisting the heat that threatened to overtake her.

  Her mouth opened, but she had no words. She wanted to explain to him all that he meant to her, but each time a phra
se settled on her tongue, it slipped away as his mouth seemed to speak to her soul.

  He picked up speed and moved deeper, grinding against her and replacing his tongue with his fingertips. Moving with him and kissing him deeply, she squeezed herself around his length. His breath caught at the contact, and suddenly he was flexing inside her, spilling his hot seed and shooting her over the edge of her own climax. Their sexual sounds obliterated any sensible thought as they moved together, squeezing every last drop from their pent-up lust.

  When Mimi had finally caught her breath, she whispered, “Jasper?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I love you.” She said the words close to his ear, licking his lobe as she did it. “More than you know.” He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly in response, burying his face in her hair as she held him close.

  They stayed that way, wrapped together with small words of love whispered between them, until Jasper slipped out of her and carefully hoisted her up. “Hold on tight. I need to lie down.” She held on and he stepped around the bed to lay her on her back. More kisses were deposited on her lips before he pulled away. They slipped between the sheets together.

  “You know, there’s no place I’d rather be than here with you right now.” He stroked her hair and relaxed into the pile of cushions.

  “Ditto. I’m glad I insisted on our date being tonight. I’ve missed you these last few weeks.” Her hand traced across his chest and it wasn’t long before he rolled to cover her body with his.

  His eyes bored into hers in the darkness. “I thought I wasn’t going to get another chance—I thought I’d blown it—but then you showed up at the station.”

  “Jasper?” He answered by moving his body over hers and claiming her mouth once again. The smell of him filled her senses as he released her lips and trailed kisses across her chest, slowly seeking more with his mouth.

  “Hmm?”

  “I’ll always give you another chance. You can count on it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You get the list of items from the butcher and I’ll get what we need from the supermarket. I’ll meet you back at the car, okay?”

  “Can’t we just do the whole list together?”

  “No, we’re already running late. Let’s split up, so it’s faster. Just the stuff on the list, Jasper.”

  “Okay, got it. See you back here in fifteen minutes.”

  He raced to the butcher and managed to get every item she wanted for the Ruben’s barbecue. It wasn’t his fault they were late—she’d kept him in bed an extra hour doing delectable things with her mouth, practically holding him hostage.

  He carried the two bags of meat back to the car, for a moment forgetting where they had parked. He looked around and spotted her mass of auburn hair and he set off to join her. She was talking to someone, but he couldn’t see who it was. As he got closer, he called out to her. Later, when he replayed the scene through his head, he could swear it was his shout that started the chain of events that followed.

  “Get away! Stay back!” A teenage boy whipped her around and grabbed her shoulder. He had an enormous kitchen knife—not the type of knife you just happen to be carrying around a supermarket carpark. He waved it in Mimi’s direction and she recoiled, trying to make avoid being slashed.

  Jasper dropped the bags of meat, put his hands out in front of him, and slowly walked forward. “Put the knife down, kid.”

  “No way. You’ll rush me—you won’t let me be!”

  “I promise I won’t rush you. All I want is to make sure you’re not going to hurt Mimi.”

  “Why should you care? You was just passing by.”

  “No, I was coming to meet Mimi. We’re meant to go to a barbecue. Would you like to come with us? Maybe we can talk this out over lunch.”

  “You can’t bribe me with lunch.”

  “It’s not a bribe, I promise. If you put the knife down, we’ll happily take you to lunch with us, won’t we, Mimi?”

  She nodded, still being careful to stay clear of the knife. “We will, I promise. You know we’ve always gotten along. There’s no need to do this.”

  “We don’t get along, anymore, Miss. I’m not allowed to come back to the Community Centre. The police said so and me mum says so—she says I’m not welcome.”

  Well, you did burn the fucking place down, kid!

  “Of course you’re welcome. I never said you couldn’t come back ever. It was just a little break until things cooled down. We’re just getting the hall ready again, so we can start activities. I’m sure, once your mum sees it’s good as new, she’ll let you come back. That can’t happen if someone sees you now and calls the police, though, can it?” She glanced at Jasper. “How about you put the knife down and come with us to the barbecue?”

  He looked uncertain about the best course of action. Jasper watched him grip Mimi’s arm tightly and hold the knife closer to her neck. He wanted to leap forward and grab it, but he took tiny steps forward, instead, hoping for a distraction, so he could get her clear.

  “How about you go the barbecue, Mister, and leave her here with me?”

  “Well, that won’t work now, will it? Lots of people are waiting for Mimi to give a speech. I need to take her with me, so they’re not disappointed.

  Really, Jasper? That’s all you could think of? I have to give a speech at a barbecue?

  “Why do you care if they’re disappointed? Why do you even care about her? Just leave her with me and get in your car and go. Isn’t that what men do? Just leave?”

  “Oh, I care, mate. That woman is my future wife, so I want to make sure she’s okay.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Mimi glance at him, wide-eyed. Now wasn’t the time to declare himself to her, but the words he’d spoken were the truth. None of that mattered, though, if the kid did something reckless.

  “What’s your name, kid?”

  “Ryan.”

  Jasper’s eyes flicked to Mimi and she gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head.

  This is the kid who started the fire in the community hall.

  “What do you want, Ryan?”

  “I want to be allowed back to the Community Centre. I said I was sorry for the fire, but they said I’m banned, now. I want to hang out with my friends again. It’s boring without them, and I can’t stand being at home.”

  He pulled Mimi with him as he backed away, glancing from her to Jasper. She was almost against the railing—soon, there’d be no room left for them to move back.

  A siren sounded in the distance and Ryan’s head turned toward the noise, his face filled with panic. In a swift movement, he stepped in front of Mimi and drew back his arm, ready to throw the knife into the bushes twenty feet away. As his arm swung, he knocked Mimi backward. The next moments moved in slow motion for Jasper. He watched in horror as Ryan turned to look and Mimi tumbled over the railing.

  “No!” his scream drew Ryan’s attention again, and instead of letting go of the knife, he held it in front of him and slashed wildly as Jasper rushed forward. He didn’t care about the knife, anymore—he had to get to Mimi! The next level housed an underground carpark, so he dodged around Ryan and sprinted for the ramp. The sirens got louder behind him and he hoped the kid had made a run for it—if Mimi was injured and he came face to face with him, he’d likely kill the poor kid.

  “Mimi!” he called, but there was no answer. “Mimi!” He saw where she’d fallen, and for a moment, he thought the worst. She was lying at a strange angle and he almost turned back, afraid of what he would find. He rushed to her side, though, and found her breathing with her eyes open. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were dead!”

  She gave a strangled giggle. “I’m definitely not dead. That little shit is going to be when I get my hands on him, though!”

  “Exactly the thought I was just having. I hope he can run fast!” They laughed together as Jasper felt all over her body, scared to ask the question at the front of his mind. “Mimi, can you move?”

  �
�Yes, I can move. Don’t worry, I have feeling everywhere. I think I’ve hurt my arm, though. I tried to get up, but I can’t put any weight on it.” He helped her to turn on her back and she cried out. The sound pierced his heart, but he was trained in first aid and emergency rescue and he needed to check that her only injury was her arm.

  “Lie still. I’ll call an ambulance. That is quite a decent fall and you need to be checked out.”

  “Can’t you just take me to the hospital?”

  “We’ll get you to a hospital just as soon as the ambos check you out.” He pulled his phone out and made the call. The operator assured him that help was on the way; even as he hung up, he heard voices above them. A uniformed head peered over the railing, and he waved at the officer who swiftly directed others to come down to them.

  “I’ve called an ambulance!” he shouted up, knowing that would be the next call they’d make, now that they knew someone was injured.

  “Jasper?”

  “Yes, baby?” he smoothed the hair back on her forehead.

  “What happened to our groceries?”

  He laughed, and without warning, tears started falling as he kissed her forehead. “Well, the meat is somewhere in the carpark where I dropped it. A stray cat is probably helping itself to prime rump steak right now.” She laughed and cringed as he went on, “What happened to your bags?”

  “I, at least, got mine into the car. He asked me to come back when I was done.”

  “That was very polite of him.”

  “That’s how he sucked me in, I think. We were actually talking normally, and then he just snapped and started screaming at you.”

  “Don’t worry about it, now—the police will find him. You want to know something awful and funny?”

  “Yep.” The paramedics started down the ramp as they chatted.

  “When I saw a kid holding a knife to you, for a second, I thought you were pulling another prank.” She started giggling as two men knelt beside her.

  Jasper moved out of the way as they asked her questions designed to show if she was concussed. They checked her for broken bones and carefully strapped her injured arm to get her ready to move to hospital. He recognised both of them from call outs to various accidents over the years and knew she was in good hands. He’d accomplished his one goal: to keep her calm while they waited. Now that she was safe, he was free to have his own nervous breakdown.