He took a step closer; her senses zinged in response. As he gazed into her eyes, she tilted her head up. He smelled of chocolate and beer.

He hesitated. The moment stretched out. Was he nervous? She was. She could see him swallow. He smiled slightly, and she moved towards him. That should make it easier.

He kissed her firmly on the lips as his hand moved back to cup her head and tangle in her hair, and he pulled her closer, his other hand curving around her waist. He tasted like chocolate and smelled like Jake. As his fingers teased patterns in her hair, she shivered with longing from his touch. She melted into the kiss and hugged him tightly. He gentled the kiss, but every part of her felt on fire. All sensibility was lost except for the consciousness of Jake and this kiss and his fingers. Her fingers caressed his cheek and pushed back his errant hair. The stubble on his cheek grounded her back in her room.

They parted for a breath.

In a low voice that set her body humming, he said, “I messed up last night, but going out with that guy was a low blow in return.”

She pulled back to look at him. “I wasn’t going out with him to get back at you. How would I know you were interested? It seemed last night you made a pretty decisive choice that nothing was happening here.”

“I was going to ask you if something could happen, but then Veronika foiled that.” He feathered kisses across her cheek. “Does this feel like nothing?”

“No, there’s definitely something; we may need more research to determine what, exactly,” she murmured teasingly.

Jake kissed her neck, and tingly feelings cascaded through her. As he trailed kisses up her neck, her eyes closed and she tilted her neck to give him more access.

“I’m up for more research,” he said. “But it’s definitely something good?” He put both hands in her hair, smoothing it away from her face and looking deep into her eyes. She soaked him in, his warm blue eyes, his face that was so familiar and dear to her. Her hand cupped his firm butt, delighting in the knowledge that she now had permission to touch him so intimately.

“Better than good,” she said.

He kissed her again, lightly at first, then more urgently. She ran her fingers through his hair. They couldn’t stop kissing each other. The air was sparking around them. Moving backward while still kissing, he hit the bed, and they tumbled onto it. She lay there for a moment in his arms.

“Well, that’s convenient,” he joked.

“Yes,” she said, rolling him around and pinning him under her. “I’ve got you right where I want you.”