All the Wrong Choices by C.A. Harms

Chapter Eight

Danielle

We stand near my car,the two men a few feet away and Addison leaning in to hug me goodbye. "You're not off the hook for this. I hope you know."

"I figured," she squeezes me and steps back, looking over her shoulder at the guys that are murmuring. "But he's hot, right."

"I'm not looking for anything, and you know this."

"So have fun in the meantime; no one said you had to fall in love." She glances back toward them, I'm sure to confirm we are still far enough away. "He's never been married, and he doesn't have any kids. Bonus for the body because, oh my God, will you look at him."

I don't look, knowing if I do, I'll feel flush all over again.

I spent the entire meal with my arm constantly rubbing against him or my leg pressing along the side of his. I smelled his cologne every single time he moved even an inch. I listened to his soothing voice, and the entire time I had to keep myself from drooling or panting or rubbing on him like a horny fiend. Addison is right; Jonah is beyond hot. I have no doubt he could fulfill my every fantasy, but the problem is I have no intentions of going down that road again.

Opening up to the opportunity, would only make my heart vulnerable to being destroyed all over again. It's a path I never want to travel again. The aftermath is entirely too complicated.

"Where's your car?"

"I'm going home with Tony tonight," she widens her eyes and smiles bigger. "I've made the poor man wait long enough. And if I'm being honest, if I wait any longer, I'm going to attack him and most likely break him. I feel like my skin is crawling with the need to pounce and grind."

I stifle a laugh as she steps back, and Anthony immediately reaches out to pull her closer. Walking back to his awaiting Audi, she offers me a little wave before he tucks her into the passenger side. Walking around the vehicle, he says a quick goodbye to both Jonah and me before leaving us alone with one another as he speeds off.

I hold on to my key, using it as a distraction from this yummy man before me. I'm dying here. Dirty thoughts roll around in my mind; desires I put to rest a long time ago are resurfacing with a vengeance.

"It was nice to meet you, Dani," he moves closer, and my heart rate speeds up. "I know you were a little blindsided by me being here tonight."

"It's okay, really." Is it? I'm still trying to decide if I'm mad at Addison for doing this to me. But looking at Jonah, the way he is smiling at me and those eyes, damn, they are striking. "It was nice meeting you too."

Tucking his hands in his front pockets, he holds my gaze, and suddenly my entire body feels flush. It's almost like he can hear the things rushing around in my mind.

"What would you say if I asked you to dinner sometime later this week? Just you and I this time."

Spending time with Jonah isn't a bad thing. He is appealing, and from what I've picked up on, he is also charming and sweet. But that's the thing, falling for a man like Jonah would be easy. Any woman could, and it's impossible not to fall down that rabbit hole. But I can't, and falling is something I never want to face again.

"I can't," I expect him to argue and to tell me all the reasons why I should give him a chance and blah blah, but he surprises me instead.

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he moves faster than I have time to prepare for, and suddenly I'm in his arms. His hands are on my hips, his body pressing firmly to my own. His lips are hovering only inches from my own. "I know the last thing you're looking for is a relationship, and I get it, I understand. So instead of falling for me, how about you take what you need."

I arch my brow, and he smirks. Had Addison prepped him?

"Are you pimping yourself out to me?" The way he holds me, the look in his eyes, makes it hard to relax and think straight. I feel my nipples harden, and the urge to rub my thighs together is overwhelming.

"You're beautiful, sexy, and any guy would be an idiot not to take what he can from you. I'm offering you what you need, without all the complications. I'm not losing here, Danielle," he brushes his lips against my own, and I whimper. "The way I see it, any amount of time with you makes me a lucky guy." The way my body is reacting to his, surprises me. It usually took me a while to get in the mood; it's never been an instant reaction.

"Have dinner with me on Friday," he kisses me again, this time a little more seductively, and I lean into his body more. Gently he sucks on the tip of my tongue, exploring my mouth with his tongue before pulling away much too soon. "Or I could make you dinner at my place instead."

He's playing a game, devouring my mouth in between each offer, making it difficult for me to say no. The promise of what could happen between us, the lust rising in my body is all making it impossible to resist him.

"No promises of anything more, no commitment of next week or even next month, just two people having dinner, and if something else takes place, well that's your decision."

His hand rests on my lower back just above the top of my ass, the other gripping my hip as he looks at me intensely. Can I be casual? I said I could, but can I? Could it be possible for me to do what he is asking, sex with no commitment? I've never ventured into that type of arrangement, never focused on the physical, and left feelings aside.

"I'll think about it," I hold his stare, his lips still so close if I move just a tiny fraction, they would once again touch. He nods, just slightly, but still doesn't release me. "I'm sure you have plenty of women waiting in line to do the exact thing you're offering me." Or begging to be more than that, why wouldn't they? Jonah is amazing. Or at least from what I can tell by the little time I've had with him, he's a catch.

"It's you I'm offering this to," lifting his hand, he glides his thumb over my bottom lip. Something about the gesture seems so intimate, he focuses on the movements as if memorizing how it feels and looks to touch me. "Think about it, Dani. I know the attraction is here; it's been there since I looked up to see you standing at the side of the booth." Before that, but I keep my mouth shut. Somehow telling him I'd already imagined what his bare ass would look like as he was thrusting his hips forward was a bit much.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"I'm not asking for anything more than two adults deciding to spend a little time together." He presses one last kiss to my lips, and as he starts to back away, I fight the urge to grab him and pull him back to me. Reluctantly I let him back away. "It was nice spending time with you tonight, Dani."

My lips still feel tingly from his kisses, the tickle of his stubble along his upper lip and chin making my face feel raw. I've never had someone kiss me the way Jonah did. It was almost like he was making love to my mouth, memorizing everything about it, and committing my taste to memory. A kiss I felt throughout every single inch of my body.

Kissing has never been something I've greatly enjoyed. It was always something I rushed through to get to the good stuff. But the good stuff was never all that good, so if I'm being honest, it was nothing more than a means to get things moving. Long after Matthew fell asleep, I would finish myself off without him knowing, biting the pillow, trying not to shift around too much, and have him notice as my body stiffened in orgasm.

I've never had an earth-shattering sexual experience, never felt completely satisfied after my partner and I had finished.

After a while, I stopped expecting it to ever be more.

Something tells me with Jonah; there is so much more.

I'd be lying to myself if I didn’t admit I'm intrigued. My body is most definitely interested. It's my mind that isn't sure.

Would I be capable of keeping my heart out of it?