In the mirror, he watched an out-of-breath Jasmine push up on her toes to get closer, calf muscles and thighs flexing. “God, it’s like I want you to. Even though I know it’s a bad idea.”

His growing cock stretched the material of his boxer briefs with such a swift rush of sensation, Sarge had to strangle a groan. The hand beneath Jasmine’s dress moved higher to knead her full breasts. “The cops would understand, right? Once they showed up and saw you in that—” He broke off, jealousy coating his vision in green as their gazes locked in the mirror. “Forget I said that. This is only for me.”

Jasmine nodded, mouth falling open on a gasp when he thumbed her pointed nipples, back and forth. Her legs were squeezing together, obviously trying to ease an ache between her thighs, a predicament he understood all too well. Her dark hair was spread out on his chest, those brown eyes shining, her skin glowing.

“Dammit, Jasmine. Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” Sarge turned her around for a kiss he needed to avoid certain death. “I thought I knew. But now you’re actually seeing me and I didn’t…I had no idea. Your eyes…”

When she clung to his shoulders and not only allowed his tongue to plunder her mouth, but responded with hot, equal measure, Sarge knew he had to break away. Or as sure as they were standing there, he’d be thrusting inside her tight body in under a minute, covering her mouth as she bounced up and down against the dressing room wall. Already his need seeped from the head of his dick, a demand for pleasure. A demand for Jasmine.

He had to close his eyes while catching his breath, forehead lodged in the hollow of Jasmine’s neck. Couldn’t look. If he saw even a hint of invitation on her face, there would be hell to pay. “I’m buying the dress. For later.”

“Fineyesokay.”

There was a wealth of pain in his laughter, but somehow it still felt real and incredible. “I’m going to back out of here slowly and stay out. While you get dressed. In regular clothes. So I can take you somewhere private and rip them off.”

She nodded, bumping into his jaw. “Sarge?”

“Yeah.”

“When were you going to tell me about the crowd of people following us?”

That’s when Sarge knew. He was out-of-his-mind, flat-on-his-ass in love with Jasmine. Not like it had been before. Not just an attraction or an overdeveloped crush that bred more frustration than satisfaction. No, this…this feeling burned inside his stomach like a bonfire being fed with kerosene. His impulse was to hide out in the dressing room forever, snarling at anyone who came within ten feet of her. And at the same time, he wanted to stick her up on his shoulders and walk the streets, shouting at anyone who would listen how fucking incredible she was.

“I…” He swallowed and pulled away, unable to resist smoothing Jasmine’s hair back. Their respite from Hook was coming to an end too damn quickly. “I thought you didn’t see them.”

Her shoulders lifted and fell as she stepped away, already retrieving her clothes. “It’s okay. I don’t recognize any of them from Hook. If anyone in town sees the pictures….” He mourned the loss of her legs as denim hid them from view. “They know we’re just friends.”

The bonfire in Sarge’s stomach hissed. “Yeah. Just two friends shopping together, right?” Jasmine’s head lifted at his tone, her sweet mouth already opening to remind him they were a secret. But if she said the words now, minutes after she’d trapped his heart in a cage, he wouldn’t handle it well. His counterargument would be the furthest thing from reasonable, and this free afternoon she’d given him would be a waste. The alternative was to stay on his game and not ruin the moment by pushing.

Easier said than done, but he’d swallow the irritation knowing it would keep something real with Jasmine within reach.

“I’ll wait outside,” Sarge said before she could speak. As he grabbed up the discarded 69 dress from the floor with the clear intention to purchase it, he winked up at her. “We’ll call the contest a tie.”

Chapter Twelve

You’re not getting rid of me that easily.

Had it only been this morning Sarge had issued that warning in her kitchen? Apparently he’d been serious as a heart attack, because he wouldn’t budge. Worse, despite her attempt to create distance, the idea of Sarge budging made her stomach plummet. But just look at what his attention was doing to her.

As they walked side by side through the mall, toward their final stop to buy a toy, Jasmine felt a confidence that had been absent for years. Instead of her usual impulse to twist her hair up into a bun, it was hanging loose around her shoulders in messy waves. She’d applied lipstick before leaving the dressing room and couldn’t remember ever having been so aware of her mouth because of the way Sarge continued to stare down at it, as if imagining its various erotic uses. There was a new lightness twisting and turning through her limbs, making her want to dance. Or climb Sarge’s body, knowing—knowing—his reaction would be fuck yes, no matter where they were or who was watching.

So. Deep breath. It wasn’t just confidence in herself. It was confidence in Sarge. That’s what had spooked her back in the clothing store. That’s what allowed the doubt bubble to inflate and pop in the form of verbal sabotage. This experience with Sarge had started as physical but in a short space of time had turned…serious. There had been no formal discussion—hell, she’d just reminded him they were only “friends”—but lip service didn’t stop the pull between them from strengthening.

If he left tomorrow, there would be a gap. A big, funny, sweet, dirty gap where Sarge had made his presence known. She would turn thirty the day after Christmas and he would be back in Los Angeles, surrounded by better, more successful…younger options. So this was where Jasmine had to make a decision. And really, there was only one decision to make, because Sarge would leave. Little by little, she needed to insert tiny air pockets between them until he stopped being so reachable. So Sarge.

As if he knew her exact thoughts, Sarge sighed and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her into the toy store. Pop stars shrieked from the speakers, putting their own spin on classic Christmas songs. Unlike the rest of the mall, this store was packed full of parents making purchases for the big day. They were putting the Santa hat–clad employees through their paces, sending them into the back room looking for toys that couldn’t be found on the floor.

Sarge tugged Jasmine into the warmth of his body to avoid robots demonstrating their skills in front of a colorful display. It was on the tip of her tongue to remind him of the cell phone cameras documenting their every move from just outside the store, but Sarge released her before she got the chance.

“All right.” He circled the robot display. “Marcy was disappointed I wasn’t small enough to hold in a blanket. Think maybe she’d like baby dolls?”

“Dolls…plural? How many were you planning on buying her?”

Sarge propped both hands on his hips to survey the store and nodded once. “All of them.”

It took Jasmine a moment to speak around the insistent tug in her chest. “Let’s look a little more. Marcy has quite a few dolls.” Jasmine could feel Sarge following close behind her as they wound through a busy aisle. She missed his arm around her shoulders so much, she felt chilled. “Um. Marcy loves dinosaurs.” Jasmine picked up a Jurassic World figurine set, complete with buildings to destroy. “This could be fun. It even has the T. rex—that’s her favorite.”

Sarge rubbed his chin. “You sure it won’t scare her?”

Jasmine thought of the spunky three-year-old hurling herself off River’s couch onto a pillow fort. “She doesn’t scare easily.”