Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons
Page 52

“Those are not just sandwiches. These are special—pita bread with turkey and provolone, and the ingredient that makes them more than just a turkey sandwich, my secret sauce, which has won blue ribbons in three counties.”
“You’re kiddin’ me. You entered your sauce in three county fairs?”
“Well…not me. Virginia. It’s her recipe.”
“Your housekeeper?”
He tugged on my wrist and pulled me into a hug. “No more talking.”
“I’m hungry. I had a bologna sandwich for lunch.” I stuck out my tongue and made an ugly face. “I sure hope your sandwiches are better than that.”
He raised an eyebrow with a cocky look. “Are you makin’ fun of my sandwiches? Just for that, you don’t get one.”
“And waste your special sauce? That won blue ribbons in three county fairs?”
“Fine. You get five minutes to eat.”
“I got longer than that in jail,” I grumbled as I pushed him into a chair and sat on his lap. Picking up a sandwich, I studied it to tease Joe, then took a bite. “Oh. My. Joe, this is so good.” I mumbled through a mouthful of food.
His hand skimmed down my back to my bottom. “I told you.”
“I do love a humble man.”
“For that, you now have four minutes.” He grabbed a sandwich from the plate and took a bite, watching me with a grin.
“What?”
He swallowed and shook his head, still smiling. “I just like lookin’ at you. Then I can remember you when I’m not with you. I miss you during the week.”
That was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. “I miss you too.”
I took another bite, tying to be sexy, but I laughed and the sandwiched tipped. Turkey fell out of the pita pocket and onto Joe’s dress shirt, his secret sauce smearing red across the pale blue cotton. I swiped the sauce off with my finger, licking it off, but I left a stain behind. “Oops.”
He lifted his eyebrow in his sexy look, the one that dared me to do it again.
I dipped my finger in my sandwich, dabbing at the sauce, and ran it down the bridge of his nose.
He set his food on the table and rubbed the sauce off his nose with his thumb, licking it off. “Mmm.” His eyes widened with a wicked gleam. “You want to play that way, do you?”
I tried to squirm off his lap, but his arm tightened around my waist, holding me in place.
“No, Joe! I just took a shower!”
“Well, then it’s lucky for you that you’re out of county lockup and get more than one shower a day.” He scooped a large dollop of sauce out of his sandwich.
“Joe!” I squealed. “It was an accident!”
“So is this.” He smeared cold sauce across my cheek.
I tried to reach up to my cheek to wipe it off but his hand at my side grabbed my wrist.
He rubbed some on the other cheek. “And so is this.”
“Joe!” I choked out through my laughter.
“And this is too.” His finger trailed over my lower lip but smeared on my chin with my thrashing. “You’re wearing blue ribbon sauce, I’ll have you know. I don’t think you’ve given it the proper respect it deserves.”
I tried to catch my breath through my giggles.
“We can’t let that sauce go to waste.” He lowered his head and licked my cheek.
Tingles filled my stomach. I sucked in a breath and stopped squirming.
He moved to the other side, his tongue lingering on my cheek and moving slowly to my mouth, licking the sauce from my lip and chin. His grip on my wrist loosened and I gathered my wits enough to take advantage of my freedom. I jumped out of his lap and grabbed another pita from the plate, dipping sauce out with two fingers.
Joe tried to grab my wrist, but I smeared the side of his face and down his neck, laughing so hard I could hardly see his reaction.
“Oh, Miss Gardner, you’re goin’ to regret that.”
I winked with a naughty smile. “I don’t think so.” I straddled his lap, my hands grabbing the wrists at his sides.
His voice lowered. “I thought you were hungry.”
I looked into his eyes and ran my tongue along my bottom lip. “I am.” Leaning close, I licked the sauce, starting at his jaw and moving to the top of his cheek.
His body stiffened, his hands flexing but not breaking free from my hold.
“You’re so tense, Detective Simmons. And you’re covered in prize-winning sauce.” My tongue slid over his jaw and to the pulse point on his neck. I sucked lightly.
His breath came in short bursts. “My girlfriend is a bit messy.”
I worked my way down his neck to the top of his collar, my tongue moving in circles, followed by kisses. “Oh, dear. You have sauce on your shirt. We better take this off.” I released his wrists, brought my fingers to the top button of his shirt and slid the disc through the hole.
I glanced up at his face. Unabashed desire filled his eyes, making me suck in a breath. I wasn’t used to the fact that I could do that to him.
My fingers meandered to the next button and then to the rest. I spread his shirt open, my hands skimming across his t-shirt. “I think you’re overdressed, Detective Simmons.”
His hands circled my waist and skimmed down to my hips. “So it seems.”
I pushed the shirt over his broad shoulders and down his arms, feeling his firm muscles underneath. After his dress shirt was off, I grabbed the bottom of his white t-shirt and tugged it over his head.