Two Minutes for Hooking

Chapter 17

James
Keeping my hands to myself while climbing with Jocelyn was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. I had to resort to climbing on the easiest paths because I couldn't keep my mind and eyes focused on the path ahead rather than the ass to my left. A mistake that had caused me to lose my grip and fall flat on my butt more times than I cared to count. Jocelyn handled it with the grace of an angel, laughing and teasing me each and every time.Before showering, I shot off a text to Ryan, making sure he had the apartment all set up and ready for the second half of the date. I didn't have anything too extravagant planned. Just a simple lunch and some Netflix. Ryan's suggestion had been to make Jocelyn a nice lunch and then "pamper her" his words, not mine. I wasn't the worlds greatest cook, however my mom had taught me the art of the Crockpot dump meal before I left for my first year in the juniors. So I could put together a decent dump meal, in this case I had started some Cuban pulled pork early this morning that should be done by the time we got back. It was a simple recipe but it was one of the most flavorful.
"What do you think about some lunch and then maybe hang out and watch a few movies?" My knuckles whitening on the gear shift with nerves. I knew how it sounded.I Jocelyn quirked her eyebrow at me, her lips pinched to hold in her laughter.
I relaxed my grip on the gear shift, "whats so funny" I asked her,biting back a smile of my own.
"Netflix and chill huh?" she asked. Lifting both eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
I pulled in to my normal parking spot and shut off the truck. Hanging my head with a laugh.
"While I'll admit, it's an intriguing thought that I really think we should revisit in the near future, my plans for us are slightly more noble."
"Only slightly huh?" I heard her ask as I climbed out of the truck to come around to her side.
"Don't move," I said over my shoulder.
I walked around the truck, opened her door and pulled her laughing form into me, shutting her up with a scorching kiss. She opened to me willingly and sighed a moan into my lips. I gently pulled away, giving her a couple light pecks before pulling back far enough to answer her question. "Like I said, only slightly." And with a grin, I stepped back and held out my hand to help her down from the truck.

Jocelyn
I don't know how I expected today to go, but as I followed James into his house i realized I was completely at ease and ready to let things go as far as he was willing. I had never met anyone who made me feel as comfortable and confident as James did. He made me feel like it was okay to be completely myself, something I rarely felt with anyone other than Ellena. I knew that with most guys, going to their house on the second date was like saying
"hey! Look at me,, I'm easy!" but with James, I knew he wouldn't pressure me into anything I wasn't comfortable with. We had spent so much of our time talking and getting to know each other. He knew things about me that no one but El knew. Of course in the back of my mind I kept reminding myself that he didn't know everything, not really. I still hadn't told him about my career aspirations. In all likelihood we would end up on teams across the country from one another if not in separate countries entirely.
James unlocked the front door and gestured for me to go first. When I had been in his apartment last night I hadn't really paid too much attention to my surroundings. It was very similar to the townhouse El and I shared but where ours was a three bedroom and painted bright happy colors, (Thanks to Ellena's family owning the duplex we lived in).
James and Ryan's apartment was smaller and sparsely decorated. The main room was an pen concept living and dining area and the kitchen was separated by a small breakfast bar that they used as their dining area. In the living room was dominated by a giant CRT television.
"How in the world did you get that thing up here?" gesturing to the television that had to have taken several people to lift.
James grinned, "Rookie initiation. We scored it from an estate sale and then made the rookies get it up here. We weren't really allowed to do too much for initiation if we wanted to keep our spots on the roster so they moved that monster and then they helped us move in," opening the fridge, James pulled out two bottles of water and handed one to me.
"Are you hungry?"That was when I noticed the amazing smell in the apartment, I must have been too focused on thinking about James to notice it before.
Nodding, I asked"What smells so good?"
James was setting ingredients he had just pulled out of the fridge onto the counter. "Cuban pulled pork, I should probably check and see if Ryan left us any," lifting the lid he used a pair of tongs to pull apart the roast.
"Perfect, he left us plenty. I thought we'd do pulled pork sandwiches if that sounds good. I have buns, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and lettuce over here as well as plates if you want to come help yourself."
I came over and grabbed a plate and bun and then waited for James to do the same. Instead, he took a piece of the pork between his fingers, holding it over his other hand.
"Open," he commanded before gently placing the meat on my tongue. I closed my eyes and moaned at the taste, it was so tender and juicy it nearly melted in my mouth. Rather than the barbecue taste I normally asociated with pulled pork, I tasted cumin, garlic and onion and something citrus like orange or lemon juice. When I opened my eyes I bit back a smile when I caught James adjusting himself in his shorts.
Clearing his throat he said, "sorry, that was hot." And I could have sworn he blushed.I decided to let him off the hook, more for my benefit than for his own.
"So, show me how it's done," gesturing to the food. "I can't say I've ever had Cuban pulled pork before but if it's half as delicious as what you just fed me, I am here for it."
"It's nothing formal I just like to make it into a sandwich and I like sour cream on just about everything."
I watched him put together his sandwich and mimicked what he did and then followed him to sit at the bar.He took hold of his sandwich but I could tell he was waiting for me to take the first bite, when I did I tried hard to bite back the moan that automatically came out.
"Oh my god, that is amazing. Did you really make this?"
"It's really nothing special. Just a dump meal my mom showed me how to make. Ryan is a much better cook than I am."
"You're modest, this is fantastic. El and I can't cook to save our lives."He raised his eyebrows and met my gaze, "really? I find that surprising."
"Really, I mean we do alright with those meal delivery services where they send you ingredients and you follow their directions but that's about the extent of our culinary skills."
"Hey, it's better than dining hall food, right?"
"Generally and it's definitely healthier, but if it wasn't for hockey I would probably eat out all the time and weigh about 400 pounds."
"Ah but can you imagine your life without hockey?"I laughed, "not at all, you?"
"No chance. If I don't get drafted, I think I want to be a coach. I've worked in some summer developmental camps and it's always been so rewarding working with those kids."
"I could see you as a coach but I think you'll be fine, the first draft analysis comes out in a couple months, right? You're the top defenseman in a league with a high draft rate. Anyway you said something about watching movies, got anything in mind?" I changed the subject, I didn't really want it to circle around to my career path.
"That is a really good question." Dropping his napkin on his plate, James reached for mine and when I tried to tell him I could help he waved me off and told me to go make myself comfortable in the living area.
Moments later he came to join me on the couch, sitting close enough that our legs brushed but leaving me room if I wanted space. "So, what are you in the mood to watch?" he asked, settling back and turning on the TV and navigating to the Netflix app.
"Want to watch a movie or something else?"
"I have no idea, what's even on netflix these days?" James looked at me like I was insane.
"Everything."
"Oh, well excuse me," I joked. "I'm usually at practice or private training or doing school work so I don't really watch TV much."
"So what do you usually do when you have free time?" he continued scrolling through movies and TV shows and then my eyes caught on something and I squealed making him jump.
"Is that The Witcher?" I widened my eyes like a crazy person.
"Yeah, you haven't watched it?"
"Again you're looking at me like I'm crazy. The Witcher is one of my favorite book series. I've read them about a thousand times. Can we watch that?"
James laughed and startled me by pulling me into him to kiss me. I jumped a little bit and was just melting into the kiss when he pulled back.
"You're adorable. Yes, we can watch it, on one condition." He gave me a stern look.
"That depends, what's the condition?" He turned me to look at him, his minty green eyes boring into mine with a humorous glint,and then he captured my mouth with his and gave me a breath stealing kiss. He pulled away all too quickly and left me reeling.
"No comparing me against Henry Cavill. That's a comparison that no real man could ever live up to."
Laughing, I agreed, I was vaguely aware of who Henry Cavill was but he was someone I considered too pretty to really lust after.We settled back into the couch and James hit play. It took me all of about five minutes to change my tune on Henry Cavill.
"Wow," I said. "Ok, now I understand why you made me agree. He is a perfect Geralt. And I always had a thing for Geralt when I read the books. He and Aragorn from Lord of the Rings are two of my favorite literary heroes ever." I said, never taking my eyes off of the wonderful actor who had so wholly turned into Geralt of Riveria that I would never be able to picture the character as anyone else ever again.
James stood up, his hand over his heart, "I can take a hint, I'll leave the two of you alone. Alas, I knew I could never hold a candle to that behemoth."
Grabbing his hand and pulling him off balance, I toppled James onto the couch. We were both laughing like fools until all of a sudden we weren't. Suddenly we became very aware of the position we were in. When he had fallen, he had fallen over me, our hands still entwined and his legs on either side of mine.His green eyes moved between mine, searching and finding a shared heat.
"Joss," he breathed, his eyelids heavy. I couldn't respond, I needed him closer, I needed more. I pulled him closer until our lips were a breath apart and then I hooked my legs around his waist and pulled him against me. Our lips in a furious kiss and I anchored my lower body against his, searching for friction to satisfy the burning heat that was consuming me."Joss," he groaned against my lips.