She mused, licking her lip. She must have been remembering.
“Does he know your body like I do, Jo? Does he know what you need?”
“He’ll get there. We haven’t had much time together.”
“You shouldn’t have any time together because I’m here, and you love me like I love you, and I can give you everything you need.” I groaned, resting my forehead against hers. “I’m here, Jo. I’m all yours.”
Her moaning breath seared my neck. “It’s getting late. We have to go back.”
“Not before you promise me.” I snatched another kiss from her sweet lips. “One night, my little faerie. It’s all I’m asking for.”
CHAPTER 16
Tirone
A Few Months Ago
My fingertips drew aimless shapes on Jo’s shoulders and back as she lay in her bed—our bed for the past week—curled in my arms. Her breath hadn’t gained the slow, steady rhythm of sleep yet.
“Tell me what you like,” I said.
She stirred. “In?”
“Bed,” I answered blatantly. I’d been studying her details for the past week like she was a hard test I had to pass, and I couldn’t figure out that chapter yet.
Even in the pitch black room, I could imagine the incredulous look on her face and the accompanying glare as she rolled out of my embrace and sat on the bed. “That’s none of your business and completely inappropriate.”
“Don’t use that word with me again,Miss Meneceo. We’re way past inappropriate.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and tugged her back into my embrace. She resisted at first, but I managed to bring her back to me like I always did.
She relaxed a bit. “It’s still none of your business.”
“I beg to differ. I’d like very much to make it my business.”
“Tirone, we agreed—”
“I know so much about you already. What’s another secret to the long list I have?”
She stiffened in my arms and abruptly became cold. “What secrets? What do you know?”
This wasn’t an angry reaction to a possible privacy violation. That was sudden panic and it alarmed me. What kind of secret could a twenty-three-year-old high school teacher have that its exposure freaked the shit out of her that much?
“All the important things. Your favorite breakfast is grilled cheese and jelly toast, which is ewww, by the way, but I’d make it for you every day if you’d like. You like scrambled eggs, but they have to be hard cooked or you won’t touch them. Again, ewww. They taste like rubber, but for you, I’ll pretend I like them and eat them with you with a grin on my face. You never drink black coffee or any of the fancy franchise orders. Two sugar, one cream. Very simple and to the point.
“I know the books you like to read during the day,” I leaned in for a whisper, “and the smut you read at night. I went through your kindle and saw all thehighlights.”
“What? You went through my kindle? That’s worse than going through my underwear drawer.”
“Does that mean you’re not mad I went through your underwear drawer?”
“You did what?”
“How else can I know what your favorite color is? It’s red. You have quite the collection of underwear and lingerie to prove it. You never wear the color outside, though. You think it’s too hot to wear in class, which is the only place you ever go to. But you stopped wearing it at home. I’m guessing it’s because of me.”
The sound of her breath grew louder, confirming my speculations. “How did I not notice you went through my clothes? Everything is exactly the same way I left it.”
“I’m a little OCD.” More than a little. “I memorized everything and made sure everything was back in place. But that’s beside the point. I think you’ll look sensationally hot in red,” I whispered, “but you don’t need to wear any special color to make me hot for you, Jo. You know I already am. You physically feel it every single night.”
She cleared her throat. “What else do you know?”