“Thanks, Sandy.” He reeled in his lust. Later. He’d have Selina under him, moaning and screaming his name later. At the moment, he needed to think of something else. “So, how did you find me if you weren’t stalking or tailing?”
“I don’t know.” She took a swig of her coffee. “I was just driving around. It helps me think sometimes.”
“You were just driving around and randomly said, hey, that place looks tasty.” He couldn’t keep the disbelief from his voice. “You didn’t see my car outside, maybe?”
“No, I didn’t.” Another sip of the coffee and she seemed to have finished the cup. Shrugging, she stared into the bottom of the empty mug. “I had a feeling this place would have something good inside. I get feelings sometimes. I just know things.”
It warmed him that deep down, she considered him “something good.” He decided not to point it out to her. If she hadn’t noticed, it said a lot. If she had noticed, she wouldn’t be pleased he rubbed her nose in it. Nope, better to let it ride.
“So, you have claircognizance?” He pitched his voice low enough that she had to lean toward him to listen.
Only a werewolf or vampire would be able to overhear them, and if one of them were in here, it wouldn’t really matter if they overheard magic talk, since they already knew the big secret.
“Yeah. I was driving around and saw this place and had a good feeling about stopping in for dinner. That’s all. I wasn’t looking for you. I would have just called your cell if I wanted to know where you were.” The bite to her tone almost made him laugh. Almost. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Besides, if I were looking for you, I’d have done better just casting a seeking spell. My precognition is pretty weak. Everyone has their strengths, and that’s never been one of mine. Seeing how bad it can get for Merek, I’m okay with that.”
“Yeah.” He’d been working with Merek for less than a year and he could see how a strong vision affected the man. Considering the big warlock looked like he chewed nails for breakfast, anything that left him sweaty and shaking was enough to make Jack glad it wasn’t him dealing with it. “There always seems to be drawbacks to these gifts you guys have.”
“Definitely.”
Sandy came back with dinner and more coffee. The next half hour passed in pleasant silence, neither of them willing or able to talk about their case or their relationship, but there wasn’t a lot of tension either. It was nice, and Jack found himself unwinding under the influence of good food and undemanding company. Most of the women he dated tended to chatter about themselves and their opinions, but Selina seemed to be comfortable with quiet. He thought she might be a bit too used to being alone, but he liked that she didn’t natter on.
When they finished and sat back with replete sighs, Jack reached for his wallet. Selina shook her head. “You paid for lunch earlier. My turn.”
“Afraid I might see it as dating if I keep paying?” He said it to tease her, but her brows snapped together in a dark scowl.
“We’re not dating, we’re having an affair,” she retorted, her voice sharp. Her hand sliced through the air, and her gaze drilled into him. “Look, I ... I can’t get involved with anyone right now. Not really. I’m not in a good place in my life for that.”
Now that just pissed him off. Really? That was the line she was going with? He hated to break it to her because he was fighting it hard himself, but they were already involved on a certain level, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Instead of arguing with her, he decided to keep her on the defensive. “What’s wrong with the place in your life right now?”
“Because I—” She broke off, shook her head. “My reasons are only important to me. Just know I mean it, and this isn’t some way to jerk you around, lead you on, or play the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ game. I hate women who pull that bullshit.”
“Me too.” He hated even more that she was keeping secrets from him, hated that she offered so much and so little of herself at the same time. But he was glad she was honest with him. Damn. He hated being fair. “I appreciate that you’re not that type.”
“Good.” She nodded.
“Are you trying to break off the affair?” He didn’t want to ask it, but he wanted to know what level of resistance he was dealing with now. Selina Grayson was a moving target.
She took in a breath. “I’m still in if you are.”
“I’m all in, Grayson.” He gave her a lecherous grin to take any deeper meaning out of the words.
A flush rose to her cheeks, desire reflecting in her gaze. “I like it when you’re all in. I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.”
His gaze dropped to her lips, then moved back up to her eyes. “I’m going home now. Care to join me?”
“I’d rather you joined me. Leaving Grim alone too often isn’t a good idea.” She grimaced as she tossed enough cash on the table to cover their meal and a tip for Sandy. “He gets creative when he’s bored.”
Jack tried to imagine what her ferocious familiar would do when pissed off about being left to his own devices. None of the options were pretty. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
She laughed. “You don’t. Trust me.”
“I’ll follow you home then.” He slid from the booth and held out a hand to help her stand. When she took it and rose to her feet, slinging her bag over one shoulder, he didn’t relinquish his grip. “I’ll walk you to your car. Where are you parked?”
“Around back.”
She tugged at her hand, but he held on tight enough that she’d have to use magic or get into a wrestling match with him to get free. “Okay, then.”
Twisting her fingers against his hold, she kept stride with him as they exited the restaurant and went around to the rear of the building. “You know, I’m not really the hand-holding type.”
He stopped dead and turned to stare at her. “What’s the problem, Selina? I like you, you like me. We’re not at work, no one’s watching us, and even if they were, no one gives a shit what we’re doing. So just hold my damn hand.”
“It implies a certain intimacy,” she blurted out, then looked as if she wanted to smack herself for the asinine comment.
Arching an eyebrow, he moved in close, crowding her up against the side of the restaurant, into the deep shadows that lent them the illusion of privacy. He lowered his head until he could breathe in the scent of her, until he could brush his lips over her sensitive little ear. “We have been intimate. Repeatedly. And we will be intimate again. Repeatedly. Tonight, if I have anything to say about it.”
He turned his head and feathered kisses over her jaw and down to the point of her chin. She sighed, arching her soft body into his harder angles, and the semi he’d been fighting throughout dinner turned into a full-blown erection.
Catching her mouth with his, he thrust his tongue between her lips, the way he wanted to thrust his cock into her hot pussy. That would have to wait, but right now, he wanted to kiss her until she was as insane as he was, until she was fighting herself as hard as he was fighting himself. This thing with them was crazy, and he couldn’t seem to get enough.
She twined her tongue with his, fighting him for control of the kiss. He bit her tongue and released her hand to run his palms down her sides, around to cup her ass, and down between her thighs to stroke her from behind. Whimpering into his mouth, she rocked her pelvis upward to cradle his cock through their pants. Fire fisted in his belly, burning like the kick of good whiskey. She was just as intoxicating.
With a groan, he moved his hand around to jerk at the fastenings on her pants. He wanted to touch her, slide his fingers into the hot, wet center of her and feel those sleek inner muscles tighten. The zipper gave way, and he slipped into her slacks. The silk and lace of her panties teased him, but he dipped under the edge and slid his hand down to cup her mound. Her pussy was slick with juices, and he drew his fingers up and down her slit, tweaking her hard clit.