Page 39 of Maxwell

“You should put this on,” he said, holding up his leather jacket. “It’s gonna be colder out there than when we came in.”

“But then you’ll be cold,” Jasmine said.

“I’ll be fine.” He stepped behind her and helped her into the jacket. He was being chivalrous again.

The jacket swallowed her, the sleeves coming down over her fingers, and she was enveloped in his scent. Something clean with a distinctly citrus edge. Bergamot.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Maxwell said, his voice unusually deep and heavy.

Bitter cold hit them when they walked out the door, and Jasmine pulled his jacket tighter around her. They quickly crossed the lot to his Range Rover, and he helped her in before going around to the other side and climbing behind the wheel.

Maxwell drove for several minutes, the city flashing by the windows, a hip-hop song playing low on the radio as they cruised down the highway, before Jasmine spoke.

“I haven’t done that in a long time,” she said, not looking at him. She spoke the words to the window beside her.

“Done what?” Maxwell asked.

She turned her head. In the quiet darkness of the SUV, he looked achingly handsome. Her eyes traveled over his curly hair and the neat beard that emphasized his sharp jawline.

“Gone somewhere without a plan and just had fun, you know?”

“I know what you mean. Seems like there always has to be a reason for going out. When it’s with the opposite sex, anyway.”

She nodded, appreciative he’d understood. “Takes the pressure off when you can just... be.”

He took his eyes from the road for a brief moment to look at her. “Yeah.”

A few more minutes passed. “I had a really good time tonight,” Maxwell said.

Jasmine felt her chest tighten. “Me too.” She turned her head to the window again. “You’re different than I thought you were.”

“Is that good or bad?”

She twisted her head to look at him before looking away again. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Chapter Fifteen

When Maxwell pulled into a space in the parking lot outside Jasmine’s building, she felt a sense of loss because the night was coming to an end. Spending time with him outside of work further shifted her opinion of him, which had already been changing.

She felt conflicted. While she didn’t necessarily consider him a nice guy, he was certainly a decent human being with a personality she enjoyed. He was fun, they both had a competitive streak, he challenged her, and she liked that he was open to spontaneity. But could he be trusted? That was the bigger question. She wasn’t so sure.

“Thanks again for going out with me. I guess I’ll see you on Monday,” Jasmine said.

“Hold on, I’ll walk you up to your apartment.”

His response jolted her. No. Absolutely not. “That’s OK. The door is right there, and I’m perfectly safe once I get inside the building.”

Jasmine pushed open the door, but Maxwell climbed out too and moved swiftly to her side of the vehicle.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“If you don’t want me to walk you upstairs, at least I can walk you to the door.”

“Not necessary, and before I forget.” She shrugged out of his warm leather jacket, which smelled like him—the earthy scent of his skin mingled with the scent of Bergamot. The combination reminded her of the two of them in her bed, her curling her fingers into the skin of his back as he rhythmically thrust between her legs and had her moaning and damn near sobbing with pleasure.

She shoved the jacket into his chest, fighting her erotic thoughts. “I don’t mean to rush you, but I’m going to head upstairs.”