Starting With You

26. The girls are extra spicy tonight.

Jensen

THE RAIN SOAKS THE WINDSHIELD FASTER THAN the wipers can clear the glass as I park my truck alongside the front entrance of Roxy's. The saturated colors caught in the glare of the headlights blur and then smear as the wipers swipe with fervor across the windshield.

When Teddy doesn't move to exit the vehicle, I prod, "Go, baby. I'll meet you in there."

"Aren't you the gentleman?" She grins at me before climbing out of the truck.

I circle the full lot a few times trying to find a closer spot, but apparently the residents of Lake Hope all decided a rainy night is best spent congregating at the bar. Finally, I relent, parking in the next available spot, and I pull up the hood of my sweatshirt before hopping out of my truck and darting through the parking lot. I'm drenched in seconds, the legs of my jeans sopping up water from the puddles.

When I spot Teddy huddling under the awning of the building, shivering and bouncing from foot to foot, I stop abruptly in front of her. The awning barely protected her from the rain coming in sideways from the gusts of wind, and I can feel the dampness on her clothes as I grasp her upper arms.

I'm about to scold her for not going inside, but she interrupts me with a sly smile. "That was hot watching you run through the parking lot. My boyfriend is hot." She tugs down my hood and runs her hand through my damp hair.

I pull her into my arms. "You should have gone in, Teddy. You're all wet now."

I silence her rebuttal with my mouth, kissing her hungrily, my hands falling to her ass and squeezing.

"You know, I really should have gone in. I wasted all that time doing my hair since you said you like my hair down and now it's ruined," she says after breaking away from the kiss.

"You wore it down for me?"

"Yeah, baby," she answers, pressing a light kiss on my lips. "You said you like it down."

I squeeze her ass again, pulling her body flush to mine. "Maybe we should just go home and get out of these wet clothes, and I can get my mouth on your tits again." I palm a boob over her damp sweater in demonstration.

Her head falls back in a laugh. "You're obsessed, J. You probably like my boobs more than you like me."

"Nah," I disagree, "they're just one of the many things I like about you." I gently squeeze her throat bringing her mouth to mine for another hungry kiss. Just as I take her bottom lip between my teeth, someone gags behind us. I turn to see my little sister sticking a finger down her throat, pretending to puke.

"Ew, gross, you guys," Sutton says, holding an umbrella over her head. "If you're done with the sickening PDA, we should go in. Yeah?"

She folds the umbrella up, shaking off the excess water, before walking through the door I hold open for the women.

Roxy's is especially lively tonight, the roar of the voices shouting over the music immediately assaulting my ears. I have the urge to pull my girl back out into the quiet night, tuck her under my arm and escape home to my empty apartment to snuggle under a warm blanket together and watch a movie with our dog. Instead, I allow her to lead us through the crowds of people, her small hand enclosed in mind.

Our usual spot in the back corner of the bar is buzzing. A few high-top tables have been shoved together to accommodate the big group. It looks like just about everyone showed up tonight.

Before Teddy can find a seat, I spin her around to face me, collecting both her cold hands in mine. I rub them together and blow on them to warm them up. "You're freezing, baby," I whisper into her ear above the noise. Her body is tense with shivers. I run my hands along her arms, trying to coax her body to relax. "The offer stands. We can still sneak away."