Free Tempt Me by Melissa Schroeder Page A

have let them know.
    “Oh, crap.”
    “Nice. I’m glad I bring that out in you in the morning. I mean, I thought maybe you would have a better response than that.”
    She jumped out of bed and went in search of her clothes. “I didn’t call the Santinis.”
    “Don’t worry.”
    “Fine thing for you to say.
    “No, I called last night and let Joey know.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.  “So, say ‘Good morning, Jesse.’” 
    She smiled. “Good Morning, Jesse.”
    “Now, would you like something to eat?”
    She thought about it. “Yeah, I would. I kind of worked up an appetite last night.”
    He smiled. “Let’s go see what we can scare up.”
    “Uh, I need some clothes. I mean, I’m not a prude, but this goes beyond being free with my body.”
    He handed her the coffee and pulled her along behind him to the dresser. He opened a drawer. “Here. This should fit.”
    He let loose of her hand and pulled the shirt over her head. She set the cup on his dresser to work her arms through the sleeves. The t-shirt hit her mid-thigh.
    “I like that,” he said. She looked up at him and he had a strange expression on his face. 
    “What?”
    “You look good in my shirt.” He kissed her nose. “I’ll go see what I have in the fridge.”
    He left her standing there staring after him. The man was definitely getting under her skin. She was used to being romanced in big ways. She hung with artists, so they always seemed to do things over the top. One bought her twelve dozen roses and filled her apartment with them. Another had serenaded her from the street.  
    Jesse didn’t do things like that. He just did those little things, like give her his shirt or share his coffee.  Those things meant more to her than the biggest bunch of flowers. 
    “Hey, I have a new toothbrush I haven’t used yet. Left it on the counter.”
    She walked into the bathroom and found it. Just like that. She set the coffee cup down and picked up the toothbrush, when she saw her reflection smiling back.
    Lord, there was something wrong with her when she was getting giddy over a toothbrush.
    She finished freshening up and wandered out to the kitchen. Jesse had a carton of eggs out on the counter and some bacon.
    “So, please tell me you have no problem with bacon.”
    “The more, the better.”
    “Have a seat,” he said, waving to the table.
    She normally would get irritated with the orders, but the man was cooking for her again. There was one thing a Jones sister understood. Never argue with a man who cooks for you. After refreshing her coffee, she settled at the table. 
    “How do you like your eggs?”
    “Scrambled.”
    He smiled at her. “Good. My favorite too.”
    “I could get used to this, Jesse.”
    “Yeah? How about another day out in DC?”
    She leaned back in her chair. “I have no clothes.”
    “You have something to wear from last night.”
    If he didn’t care, she didn’t either. “Okay.”
    And just like that, she enjoyed the morning watching a Marine cook her bacon and eggs.

Chapter Eleven
     
    Three weeks later, Zoe found herself in Joey’s art studio working. Since getting her cast off, she had no problem jumping back into sculpting, but today…she was painting. The jolt of creativity had caught her off guard. She had expected it to hit, but it had sustained her for three weeks, and she was afraid of what it meant.
    Setting down her paintbrush, she looked out the window at the dogwoods now blooming in the Santinis’ back yard. Papa and Joey had gone off to see Vince for lunch and she had opted to stay behind. Her feelings over Jesse were starting to get to her and she needed to sort them out.
    Of course, she had started painting. She glanced at the painting. It was Jesse. He seemed to occupy all of her thoughts lately. It wasn’t like her to get this giddy over a man so fast.   
    She needed to talk to someone, but talking to Joey would be a mistake. She would go all gung ho on the getting