Pure Wicked: A Wicked Lovers Novella (1001 Dark Nights) Read Online Free PDF Page B

It’s a turn-on.”
    She gave a tsk of self-disgust and swiped at the flour, then dragged the elastic band covered in pink polka-dotted fabric from her hair. The multi-hued brown strands bounced past her shoulders and brushed her arms, the ends a shade much closer to blond. It wasn’t any sort of ombre dye job, simply a natural byproduct of the sun. Her tresses framed her delicate face.
    “Okay, so I’m not Vogue ready.”
    “But like I said, you are pretty, no matter what you’re wearing,” he told her. “You know, since I’m your boyfriend for the evening, I should know more about you. I mean, in case people ask? At least the vitals.”
    “That’s a point. My mother may have paused her interrogation, but she’ll be back.” She seemed to gather her thoughts. “I’m twenty-four, my middle name is Alexa. My dad died when I was ten. We used to bake together when I was a kid. I dropped out of college in my sophomore year to start a little coffeehouse in my hometown called Sweet Cinns . Making ends meet each month is touch and go, but I love what I do and wouldn’t change a thing. What about you?”
    “I’m still trying to find myself. I got a GED at sixteen. I had this crazy idea, but it didn’t work out the way I thought. So…right now, I’m seeing the country and trying to figure out where to go next. Where’s your hometown?” He changed the subject before she could ask him for details.
    “Lewisville. That’s in Arkansas, about thirty miles east. You’ve never heard of it.”
    “I haven’t,” he admitted.
    “It’s a tiny town, so small that we had to come here to find a restaurant big enough for the party.”
     “Do you have a lot of competition in the restaurant biz there?”
    “Well, it’s not like Starbucks has come to town, so that helps. But we also don’t have a morning rush hour. I’d love to have cars wrapped around the building, but it isn’t equipped with a drive-thru. No other place in town is open for breakfast or makes everything from scratch. I don’t stay open for dinner because I can’t compete with Burge’s Pit Bar-B-Q or Scooter’s Pizza Shack.”
    He nodded as they meandered closer to the band. “Wise business decision. I’ll bet your goodies are delicious. I’d love a taste.”
    His voice had gone low and husky, and Jesse wondered if she’d heard it.
    She raised her gaze to him, lashes fluttering flirtatiously. “Is that right? Well, my hot buns are fabulous.”
    “I have no doubt they are.” He winked. When she giggled, he wished he could stay around long enough to take a bite of whatever she offered.
    A few moments later, the collection of musicians grabbed their instruments and started playing a lively contemporary country love song with a three-four meter. It wasn’t like anything he played in his vault of songs.
    “Dance with me?” he asked, stopping at the edge of the floor and drawing her closer.
    “You waltz?”
    Not really. “Sure.”
    Mostly, he just wanted to hold her close.
    She bit her lip. “I’m not much of a dancer.”
    “I’m pretty decent. I’ll go easy on you. Say yes.” He skimmed a palm down her back.
    She exhaled, her breath shaky. Her stare never left his face. “Okay. They’re your toes.”
    “You’ll do great.”
    Jesse took her hand in his and brought her closer. Every one of her curves seemed to align perfectly with him, each contour fitting to his like pieces of a puzzle. That sounded cheesy, even in his own head, but he’d never been more aware of a woman’s every dip and swell, of his heart racing simply because she stood near and their palms touched. He wasn’t at the eighth grade formal, slow-dancing with a girl for the very first time. He’d long ago lost track of how many women he’d slept with. But she made everything seem new again.
    Were his palms actually sweating?
    They fell in time to the music together, Jesse mimicking the sort of waltz his grandparents used to dance. Bristol seemed a bit stiff at