“We’ll go slow, Jenna. Get to know each other. Have fun together. There’s no rush for the physical stuff.”
“I’m in a rush.” She huffed out a breath, tossing her arms in the air. “I’m thinking about it, worrying about it. I want to get the first time over with. I think it’ll be okay, but until I know, I’ll keep worrying about it. If we just do it, then I can stop worrying, and we can enjoy the getting to know each other part.”
My chest squeezed painfully. She wasn’t enjoying this? “I hate that you’re worried, but we're not rushing into anything just to get it over with. How about if we move things along slow and steady as we keep getting to know each other?”
“Fine,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes before they narrowed with determination, her chin coming up. “What’s next?”
I looked around the clearing and back up at the trail. This part of the park was quiet. We were far enough off the path andsemi-hidden by the bushes that lined it. No one would see us unless they were looking, and I didn’t see anyone around.
“C’mere, Firefly.” I snaked an arm around her waist and slid her closer on the picnic blanket, turning her so we were next to each other, hip to hip. With one hand on her waist and the other holding her face, I brushed my lips over hers, and when her eyes dilated and her lips parted, I kissed her deeply. Thoroughly. With a mewl, she grabbed onto my shirt and kissed me back with the same fervor, her tongue dueling with mine. My cock was hard as steel, and I didn’t try to hide it. I slid my hand up her side, pulling her upper body against mine, my thumb grazing the edge of her breast, and she moaned into my mouth. God, she felt amazing.
When she leaned further into me, her leg creeping up onto mine, I reluctantly pulled back, and she still held on. “Easy, Firefly. Baby steps. You liked that?”
She looked up at me, her eyes glazed over and dilated. “Yes,” she whispered, wonder and surprise in her voice.
“Me too. What’s next is lots more of that. Good, old-fashioned making out. You okay with that?”
She nodded, still looking dazed.
“Good. I want you to enjoy this as much as I do.” I kissed her forehead and stood, pulling her up with me. We quickly cleaned up our picnic. “Would Thor like to explore near the lake before we go? He deserves whatever he wants.” I leaned over to rub behind his ears. “I owe him one for letting me kiss you. I wasn’t sure if he would.”
Jenna laughed. “It was very generous of him. I think he’d like that.”
We skipped rocks in the water while Thor splashed around at the shoreline. When Thor’s enthusiasm started to wane, I said, “Ready to keep walking? We should head back to get ready for Dylan’s party.”
“Yes, but no. I’m having the best time with you.”
“Me too. C’mere.” I opened my arm for Jenna to snuggle into her spot at my side, but she walked straight up to me and lifted her arms, wrapping them around my shoulders. I rested my hands gently on her hips, stopping her from making full contact. “We’re going to have a lot more good times. Being together feels so right to me. Do you feel it too?”
She arched back to look up into my eyes. “I feel it too,” she said. “It feels like a dream.”
“A dream come true.” I didn’t care how cheesy I sounded. She deserved to know how I felt.
She curled her hand behind my neck, pulling my head down. “Kiss me.”
I couldn’t deny her demand, but I kept it chaste. If I kissed her like we just did, the way I wanted to and the way I knew she also wanted, she’d definitely feel my cock, and I didn’t want to risk making this hug the last.
We resumed our walk, Thor wagging his tail non-stop, and Jenna and me holding hands and making easy conversation. She laughed as I told her a story about a recent medical call where a concerned neighbor called 9-1-1 when she heard a talking parrot who’d watched too many medical dramas.
We were almost back at Jenna’s car when something made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I tightened my grip on Jenna’s hand and looked around for the source of my unease. Someone was watching us. I felt the weight of eyes on me.
There. On a bench along the other walking path, sat a man pretending to read a book. He was wearing a gray hat pulled down low, dark sunglasses, jeans, and a black T-shirt, and he was holding a book positioned to conceal his face. Unless he was extremely farsighted with a stiff neck, no one held a book like that to read. Caucasian with pale skin. Average weight, averageheight. He wasn’t doing much to substantiate the threatening vibe I got from him, but it was enough for me.
If I’d been alone, I would’ve approached him. Leaned against that tree across from him, and let my height, muscles, military posture, and my most intimidating scowl speak for me. No wuss hiding behind a hat, sunglasses, and a book would stick around for a confrontation with the mean motherfucker I could be, but if he wanted one, I’d be happy to give it. No one needed a creep like him in the park. Not when this was the park that Jenna liked to walk in.
But I couldn’t bring Jenna to him, nor could I leave her alone unprotected. I held her closer and picked up the pace to her car. I stood at Jenna’s back while she buckled Thor in, then walked her to her seat and closed and locked the door behind her. Only then did I glare at him. The asshole’s face was still mostly covered, but he was unabashedly staring now.
Every instinct in me screamed to act, but there was nothing I could do without putting Jenna at risk, so why even draw her attention to this fucker who’d make her feel unsafe? She’d taken big leaps today, and the foundation of that was she trusted me with her safety. There was no upside to worrying her. The only thing I could do was get her away from here.
Fuck. Why did that feel right, and yet so wrong?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Daniel
I didn’t mind that I’d waited hours for her. First, along her usual route, then by her car. My girl was worth waiting for. I didn’t even mind too much that she was with that big jackass. He thought he could chase me away with a look, but even with his arm around her, she’d been scared when she saw me in Market Square. He can’t protect her from me, and she knows it.
But today, Jenna didn’t even acknowledge me. Not a flinch, not a shiver, not a look over her shoulder. Nothing. Like I wasn’t even there.