Catch Your Breath (19 page)

The car swooshed again and stopped in front of the attendant. The man yanked the bar
and Jimmy stepped off. He held a hand out to help Moira. Always the gentleman. Except
for when he’d had her pressed against her door. She decided she really liked both
sides of Jimmy.

Jimmy’s head swam in a haze of testosterone. The chemistry between him and Moira was
more explosive every time they were alone. He tried his damnedest to keep it in check,
but she didn’t make it easy.

Discussing his plans with her was easier than expected. He’d had similar conversations
with other women, and it usually ended in one of two ways: they either hit the road
running or immediately looked for a diamond. Moira just listened.

“Where to now?”

She shrugged. A sudden flash of lightning blazed across the sky followed by a crack
of thunder. It looked like their luck had run out.

“We should probably head to the car so we don’t get stuck in a downpour. Let me get
some cotton candy for Norah first.” He pulled her toward the concession stand. “You
want anything?”

Her eyes lit when she looked at the menu. “They have funnel cakes. Yes! Extra powdered
sugar and chocolate drizzle.”

Jimmy placed the order and added a lemonade for them to share. He handed Moira the
paper plate with her funnel cake and grabbed the bagged candy and lemonade. Glancing
at the sky, he said, “You want to take a chance and eat it here, or eat while we walk?”

“There isn’t any rain yet. Plus, you still have tickets. They’re not going to give
you your money back.”

“That’s not a big deal. The neighborhood’s going to be a zoo if a storm hits. Everyone
will try to leave at once.”

She ripped off a piece of fried dough and then looked up at the sky. “I say we chance
it.”

Her wicked grin returned as she tugged at the dough and held out a piece to him. “Want
some?”

He let her feed him, her fingers grazing his lips as she put the dough in his mouth.
He licked the chocolate glaze and sugar from her finger and the air around them electrified.
The dough squished in his mouth, the sweetness reminding him of their kisses.

Moira stared at his mouth for a moment and then broke the spell by turning away. The
beer garden was nearby with a few picnic tables spread out, so she took a seat.

He straddled the bench beside her and took a long drink from the lemonade. He reminded
himself that this was technically their first date. Moira deserved more respect than
for him to spend his time imagining the many ways he’d like to taste her body.

She held up another piece, but he said, “That’s not a good idea.”

She smirked and popped it into her own mouth. “You don’t know what you’re missing.
The first taste isn’t nearly enough.”

Shit. He already knew that.

Leaning over the lemonade, she sucked through the straw. Her lips puckered and she
arched her eyebrow as if she knew exactly where his mind was.

Another flash of lightning lit the sky and the boom of thunder shook the ground.

Moira grunted. “Fine. You win. Let’s go.” She stood suddenly, threw the plate away,
and folded the remaining piece of cake and bit it. Her lion was safely tucked under
her arm.

He liked a practical woman. He tossed the lemonade and led the way out of the carnival
area, pausing to give his leftover tickets to a few teens he figured would brave the
storm. As a teen, he would’ve too. The carnival would restart rides as soon as the
rain cleared and then the crowds would be gone. He was too old for that shit.

Moira made quick work of her dessert while walking. He tried to slow his pace to accommodate
her short legs, but she did a good job of keeping up.

A block down, the clouds opened and dumped rain. There was no warning drizzle or slow
raindrops. Just buckets splashing all around them. He grabbed Moira’s hand and pulled
her into a doorway of a closed business.

Her T-shirt plastered against her skin and her hair hung in waves around her face.
Water dripped down her cheek, but she was smiling.

She tilted her head. “Guess you were right. We should’ve started walking sooner.”

Looking at her now, he couldn’t be sorry she’d taken the chance. The wetness of the
shirt outlined her bra, and her nipples protruded through the cotton. When she shivered,
he realized he was staring. “I’m sorry. Do you want to wait here while I get the car?”

She leaned out of the doorway a little and glanced down the block, then up at the
sky. Looking down at how drenched she was, she said, “What’s the point? I’m already
soaked. Wanna run for it?”

Was she serious?

She didn’t wait for an answer, but took off running down the block yelling and squealing
in the rain. The woman was nuts. He took off, knowing it wouldn’t take long to catch
and even bypass her. He sprinted and then slowed to stay by her side. This was probably
the stupidest thing he’d done in a long time. As soon as the car came into sight,
he pressed the button to unlock it so they could get in as quickly as possible.

Reaching the car first, he opened the door for her and she jumped in. By the time
he got behind the wheel, her whole body was shivering even though the temperature
had been in the mid-eighties when they’d left for their date. He reached behind his
seat and hoped he had a sweatshirt or jacket for her.

He found a sweatshirt, gave it a quick sniff, and passed it to her. “It’s dry.”

She pulled it over her head and then fastened her buckle. Her stuffed lion dripped
in her lap, so she tossed it on the floor at her feet.

“Sorry our date was ruined again. I’m beginning to think we’re cursed.”

“Are you kidding? That was awesome. I haven’t had that much fun on a first date in
a long time.”

He turned the key in the ignition. “Your dating life might be sadder than even mine.”

She laughed. He drove back to his house trying to figure out how to keep the date
from ending.

Her car was at her mom’s house, so he didn’t need to drive her home. Bringing her
to his house didn’t sound too appealing. Norah had taken over his living space, and
he never knew what his dad would be up to. That was the best case. Worst case, Tommy
and Sean would be sitting in the living room with Dad to rib him about his date.

But he couldn’t take her anywhere else when they were both dripping wet. He turned
the corner toward his house, giving up on the notion of extending the date. “You want
to try this again some other day?”

“Maybe,” she said teasingly. She looked down the block at his house. “Pull over.”

“Why?”

“Just do it!”

He pulled over to the curb, but left the car in drive, scanning the road to figure
out why he needed to pull over half a block from his house.

She pushed the car into park and reached across him and twisted the knob to turn off
the headlights.

“What are you doing? It’s pouring outside and we’re still a half a block from where
we need to be.”

“Correction. We’re a half a block away from witnesses.” She leaned close to him. “Want
to make out?”

Did he? His brain short-circuited. He felt her breasts pressing against his arm. He
hadn’t made out in a car since he’d been a teenager. Weren’t they a little old for
this?

But what were his other choices? Say good-bye to her now or invite her into his house?

Her breath fluttered across his cheek, and she whispered in his ear, “Don’t think
too long and hard about it, Jimmy. You’ll give me the idea that you don’t want to.”

He turned and captured her mouth. Her lips were cold and her hair dripped on his cheek.
She tasted sweet like the sugar he’d sucked off her finger at the carnival. He plunged
his tongue into her mouth, meeting hers, swirling, loving the touch and texture of
her.

She pulled away from him and said, “This isn’t going to do. Come on.” She turned off
the ignition and then stepped over the console and settled on the backseat. She patted
the spot next to her. “I’m waiting.”

No way he was climbing over; he’d never fit. He stepped out and opened the back door
to reenter. She slid over to allow him to get comfortable and then she pounced on
him.

Her body lay on his as she pushed him against the door. Her cold fingers touched his
face and then ran into his hair. Her lips were no longer freezing, but her hair continued
to drip so much that it soaked his sweatshirt.

“Do you want me to put the heat on?”

“Uh-uh. I’m pretty sure you’re capable of warming me up.”

He refused to release the moan that would tell her exactly how much he wanted her.
Instead, he took her mouth again, this time threading his fingers into her wet hair
and angling her head to give him the access he desired.

She spread her thighs and straddled his leg, rubbing against him from hip to chest.
“Touch me,” she whispered.

“I am.” But he knew what she wanted. He wasn’t going to fuck her in the back of his
car.

“Not like that.”

She bit his lip to get his attention, as if she didn’t already control his every thought.
She grabbed his hand and moved it under her shirt. Her skin was slick from the rain,
but warm under the extra layer of his sweatshirt. He didn’t need any more coaxing.

Pulling her closer, he swung her other leg over his so she fully straddled him. He
straightened and forced her to lean back against the driver’s seat. He peeled the
wet shirt away from her skin and followed it up with warm, wet kisses.

The rain beat a rhythm against the roof of the car matching the one in his head. Moira
tasted so good. He reached her bra and pushed it up, revealing the whitest skin he’d
ever seen. The globes of her breasts were full and her nipples stood out demanding
his attention. He rolled the right nipple between his thumb and finger while he sucked
on the left.

Moira’s hips began to wiggle against him, making him harder. She put her hands on
his shoulders for balance as she pushed her pelvis against his and thrust her breasts
up. “God, Jimmy, that’s so good.”

He switched to suck on the other breast now and she grabbed the back of his head,
keeping him close. He kissed and nibbled his way across her ribs. The fucking car
was not big enough to accommodate everything he wanted to do.

He paused, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. His breath came quickly. Moira,
on the other hand, had no intention of taking a break. She began yanking at the back
of his shirt.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to feel your skin. I want you up against me.”

“We can’t, Moira. We’re not going to fit.”

“Sure we will. I’ll show you.” She flopped over the side and shimmied against the
seat until her shoulders were against the opposite door. “Keep your knees bent and
we can make this work.”

He wanted to believe her, but if he fucked her in the back of his car, that’s all
it would be. Plus, with his luck, Mrs. Corrigan, whose house they were parked in front
of, would call and report them. He’d hate to get caught literally with his pants down.

Once again, he’d taken too long to think, and Moira was already unbuttoning her shorts
and sliding them over her hips. He twisted and grabbed her wrists to stop her.

“Do
not
do this again, Jimmy.”

Something in her voice said more than the words did. If he quit, he’d lose her. Didn’t
she know how hard it was for him to walk away?

She jerked her hand from his grasp. “Forget it,” she snapped, and her fingers began
rebuttoning her shorts.

Christ. He covered her hand again to stop her progress. “I want you. You know I want
you.”

“Funny way of showing it.”

He looked over her head at the now fogged-up window. He couldn’t put into words what
she did to him, why this would never be enough. Glancing back at her face, he saw
the moonlight glint off her eyes. Anger had replaced lust, but she was still as sexy
as ever.

He tightened his grip on her hand, forcing it away from her pants and back up against
the window. He crushed his mouth to hers and ground his hips against her to show how
much he wanted her. The sweatshirt had dropped back over her chest when she laid down.
He remedied that so he could run his mouth over her exposed skin.

She didn’t attempt to free her wrist. Her breath quickened as he rained kisses down
her neck and then back to her breasts. She rubbed herself against him, so he pinned
her down. He wouldn’t let her rush him.