Jump Start (Texas Hotzone 1)

“He has you,” she whispered to the image in the mirror. She’d already made that decision, while lying in bed not sleeping and wondering what Bobby had going on in his head right now. Knowing he needed her and she’d be there for him, no strings attached. Oh, sure, he seemed to want her now, but after hearing about his father, she knew that feeling stemmed from his need to broach the past. She understood she was a part of his healing. She certainly believed he was a part of her healing. No matter how this ended, she had her closure. And she knew now, she’d needed closure desperately.

The doorbell rang and Jennifer’s heart raced wildly at the sound. She was nervous. With Bobby. As if they hadn’t seen each other in every intimate way possible. As if they hadn’t just had sex several hours before. As if this was a date.

“It’s not a date,” she said softly, rushing toward the door. He was leaving. Again. This was a fling with hot sex and a final kiss goodbye—the end that should have happened before, and never did. A bit of entertainment outside the bedroom was not so abnormal. But Bobby…at her door, knocking when he’d once had a key to her home and her heart, this felt abnormal.

She reached for the doorknob and inhaled a calming breath before pulling it open. “Hi,” she said, bringing him into focus, her calming breath lodging in her throat, and not so calming after all.

Bobby leaned on the door frame, one powerful arm looped over his head, his big, gorgeous body filling the archway. The scent of him inviting her body’s response.

“Hi,” he said softly, while his eyes screamed with crystal-blue awareness.

Jennifer pulled the door open fully. “Come in and I’ll get my purse from the bedroom.”

He dropped his arm and sauntered forward, pushing the door shut behind him. Before she knew his intention, he tugged her into his arms. His lips brushed hers, a caress, a promise, though of what she did not know. “Did you rest?” he asked.

“I tried and failed,” she admitted, her hand brushing his cheek as she noted the weariness beneath the sex appeal. “You didn’t rest either, did you?”

“Rest is overrated, right?” he teased, his hand lazily caressing her back, sending shivers down her spine as he reminded her of her earlier comment. “Guess we could have spent the afternoon in bed after all.” He molded her closer. “We might have time—”

She pressed away from him. “Or we might lose track of time and forget the show. And for the record, this show is the closest you are getting me to a parachute.”

“You forget how persuasive I can be,” he reminded her, nuzzling her ear. “Should I remind you?” His hands slid up her waist, brushing the curves of her breasts.

Jennifer sucked in a breath as her nipples tingled and tightened, and she pulled back to glower at him. “Have you forgotten how stubborn I can be? Should I remind you?”

“I’ve definitely not forgotten how stubborn you are,” he teased in an exaggerated voice and swatted her backside. “You win the battle of wills.” He winked. “For now. Go get your purse and let’s roll. The show’s in San Marcus at the actual Texas Hotzone airfield where we’ll be jumping tomorrow.”

“Not we,” she corrected. “I already told you. I’m not jumping out of any airplane. And don’t try to change my mind. Tell me about the show instead. Is it some sort of festival or charity type thing or what?”

“Someone at the Hotzone told me about it when I called to book the reservations,” he said. “They put the show on themselves once a month to draw interest and new customers. We just got lucky with the timing.” He glanced at his watch. “Show starts in forty-five minutes. It’s about a thirty-minute drive, if I remember my distances correctly.”

“We should have taken Marcie and Mark,” she suggested, and then realized her error. They were going to see his father in San Antonio. He wouldn’t want Mark and Marcie along for the ride. She crinkled her nose. “Then again, it might have started a fight we don’t want to be a part of.”

Bobby kissed her forehead, appearing unaffected by her misstep. “I wanted to have you all to myself anyway.”

The confession vibrated with a sweet, romantic kind of sensuality that made her smile. “I can live with that,” she admitted, and then, with an undeniable smile inside to match the one outside, Jennifer whisked away to her bedroom. She returned a few seconds later, ready to leave. “Should we take my car?”

He dangled a key in his hand and wiggled an eyebrow. “We’re riding in style, sweetheart. An Infiniti G Series.” He held the door open. “And it’s a convertible.”