“I think I’ll pass on the hard-core bondage. I’m not exactly submissive,” Gemma shot back.
And she was wrong about that. “Submissive doesn’t have to be a lifestyle choice, Gemma. It can be something you indulge in, like that ice cream the other day. It can be a way to relax, to unwind, to enjoy yourself.”
She gave him a bright smile. “I think I’ll decide that for myself. Unless there’s something you need to tell me. Are you playing a part? Are you playing the reasonable guy until we get involved and then you’ll turn into an asshole?”
Cade piped up. “I’m easy. I’m exactly what I show myself to be. I’m a mechanic. I like beer and burgers and the occasional action film.”
She snorted a little. “Well, then, we’re not going to do well, are we? I like good vodka and romances. And I like to read. Guess we’re not compatible.”
Jesse sort of wanted to punch them both. “Only if you’re both completely unwavering. Gemma, do you require a man who drinks vodka?”
She sputtered a little. “Well, no.”
One down. “Cade, if the woman you’re interested in wants to see a romance film, what do you do?”
Pure stubbornness came over Cade, his whole body setting in hard lines. But at least his damn mouth didn’t lie. “I go see the film.”
Gemma stared straight ahead. “And he probably complains the whole time. He would ruin it for me.”
Poor baby. Was that how she’d been treated? “He wouldn’t.”
Cade softened immediately. “Hell, no, I wouldn’t. If I liked her, and she liked some dumb romance movie, then I would like it, too, because it brought her pleasure. And if she didn’t want me to tie her up, then I wouldn’t. I can be vanilla if I have to be.”
She shrugged a little. “And I might be more open than I let on.”
The tension in the air seemed to deflate a little. Jesse leaned in. She was still on the edge, but Cade’s words had an effect. She’d been hurt. That was obvious. Maybe she needed a dual approach. Not good cop, bad cop exactly, but more like soft lover, take-charge lover. Damn, but she needed both.
Jesse let his hand slide over hers again. “I like beer, too, but I would always get you what you want. This doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing thing. You see that, right? We can have a nice time. We can take care of you and still get what we need.”
She took a long breath, shaking her head and pulling back her hand. “I don’t know. I just want to have some fun. Cade said it didn’t have to be serious.”
But that wasn’t what she needed. She needed so damn much more. “Gemma, we don’t have to start picking out rings, but it’s also not just a good time. I want to see you on a regular basis. I want to give this a shot.”
“I want to try, too, but I can’t promise anything.” It was more than he’d gotten out of her in a whole week of careful courting.
He looked at Cade, whose eyes had grown heavy. The minute Jesse started mentioning anything permanent, Cade’s eyes darkened and his mouth turned down. Had he really expected that they would never settle down? Damn it.
Cade nodded her way. “I’m going to head home. I don’t think I should be involved. The two of you have something going, and that’s fine. I don’t think I’m a relationship kind of guy. You two have a good time.”
He slid from his barstool and walked back toward Ty.
Fucking, fuck, fuck, goddamn fuck. Jesse took a long breath. What the hell had Cade thought would happen? He’d made himself plain. He wanted Gemma, and he didn’t want a one-night stand. Had Cade thought they would spend the rest of their lives on the road, screwing women and partying because he didn’t want to face the past? Jesse set his drink down. Cade had been his friend for too long. “I need to talk to him. He’s got a lot on his mind. Will you be okay here?”
She turned to him, her face a mask of indifference. “I’ll be fine. Go talk to Cade. I need to head home anyway. I’ll talk to you later.”
She wouldn’t call. She wouldn’t talk to him again. He started walking away, utterly sure that she would dismiss him entirely. And she wouldn’t try again. She’d taken a chance and goddamn Cade had let her lead the way. Her fears were leading them all down a path because Cade couldn’t let it be.
Did he really have to make a choice? Or should he take a chance that might lead them to something good?
Cade had walked away. Cade had thrown down a line in the sand. That didn’t mean Jesse had to follow it. Gemma was special. He felt it deep in his bones. He’d connected to her the moment she’d walked in their goddamn door. For the first time in years, he had to make a decision.
If Cade was out, then he was out. Damn it, Cade was his friend, but he couldn’t give up his whole future for him.
He turned around. He marched back to Gemma. “Dance with me. I’m a spectacularly shitty dancer, but I want to dance with you.”
Her face was suspiciously red as she turned to him. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
“It’s a great idea.” He held his hand out. “It’s the best idea I’ve had in years. Maybe you’ve had better, but as for me, this is it. I know one thing, Gemma Wells. I want to dance with you.”
“I’m not a good dancer.” She sniffled, just a little.
He gave her his surest smile. “Then we’re well matched, baby, because I’ve got two left feet.” She put her hand in his, but didn’t move off her barstool. “Gemma, baby, he’s just as scared as you are.” She started to turn right back to her vodka tonic, but Jesse reached out and put a hand to her chin, pulling her eyes back to his. “You be braver than that. You look at me. You tell me what you’re feeling.”
Big fat tears pooled in those eyes, nearly breaking Jesse’s heart. “I don’t understand you two.”
He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “You don’t have to right now. It takes time to understand, especially two men. But, Gemma, neither one of us really wants easy sex. If that’s all you’re looking for, then I need to walk away, too.”
“I don’t know what I want. Do I have to know what I want tonight?” She wiped away the tears on her cheeks. “Damn it. I was supposed to get married tomorrow. I didn’t love him, but I planned a whole life around him. It fell apart and I lost my job and my fiancé and my life in one day. I thought I could just not think about it tonight, but in typical Gemma fashion, I fucked up and picked the man who doesn’t want easy sex, and the one who might have wanted it walked away. So just go. I’ll drink my way out of it.”
He wanted to groan. He fucking attracted difficult people. He was a magnet. And he couldn’t stand the sight of her crying. “Gemma, can we compromise?”
She turned back awfully quick. “How?”
He moved in, letting her feel the heat of his body, his lips close to hers. She was curious. He would place a big-ass bet that her fiancé hadn’t satisfied her on any level. “I don’t want a one-night stand.”
“And I don’t want a commitment.”
A standoff, yes, but one he could deal with. He let his hand cover hers again. “Open-ended affair. I want you. I wanted you the minute I saw you. I’ve been hard as a rock since you walked into the shop. It’s more than your curvy, gorgeous, fuck-me body. I like how smart you are. A woman like you can make a man better. I want that, Gemma. Cade wants it, too.”
She didn’t pull her hand away. “You don’t know me at all, Jesse. And I don’t think Cade feels the same way. He walked away.”
He tangled their fingers together, enjoying the feel of her soft skin against his. “So did you. The only reason we’re having this conversation is that I’m the reasonable one.”
Her lips tilted up. “The sweet one.”