Tempted by Love: Jack Jock Steele (The Steeles at Silver Island Book 1)

by Melissa Foster

  She could listen to Jock read for hours. He had a deep, soothing voice, and seeing her baby girl cuddled up to him did funny things to her. She thought it was easy to imagine dinners, but this was even more special. She was glad she’d never made finding a man a priority. She hadn’t had to swim in a sea of wrong just to find her very own Mr. Right.

  After he read, Daphne sang their good-night song, and by the time she finished, Hadley had fallen asleep. They quietly left her bedroom, and Jock drew Daphne into his arms. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. His hard body pressed deliciously against her, trapping her against the wall as his tongue swept through her mouth like he owned it. He tasted of lust and hope and sinful pleasures she’d been thinking about all day. She didn’t know how she’d earned such a glorious kiss, but she pressed her hands into his back, hoping it wouldn’t end. They were in sync, as they always seemed to be, and their kisses went on and on, turning her legs to jelly and her body to an oven of desire. When their lips eventually parted, he kept her close, one arm around her waist, his other hand flat against the wall, as if his legs had weakened, too.

  “Daphne,” he whispered against her neck. He lifted his head, his brows furrowed, his eyes dark and magnetic. “I’m so damn crazy about you and Hadley.”

  She could barely breathe as his words burrowed into her chest, freeing her own. “We’re crazy about you, too.”

  The air rushed from his lungs in one fast burst, his lips curving into a relieved smile. “Yeah?”

  “God, yes,” she said, pulling his mouth to hers again in another earth-shattering kiss that had her clinging to him just to remain standing. He’d worshipped her body every night, and she’d spent the last two days gathering her courage to seduce him. Foreplay had never been Tim’s favorite thing, and with him, it hadn’t been hers, either. She’d never wanted to give back the way she did with Jock. She’d never known what she’d been missing until Jock had shown her the power of her own body, the incredible sensations she was capable of feeling. She hoped to bring him the same overwhelming pleasures.

  Her cravings with Jock were so intense, she didn’t recognize the brazen, confident woman taking his hand and leading him into her bedroom. The desirous look in his eyes emboldened her as she closed and locked the door and turned on the baby monitor.

  Jock reached for her, but she wanted to take the lead, and in that moment, as heady anticipation met reality, her entire body trembled. She said, “It’s my turn to show you how much I want you.”

  Flames shimmered in his eyes, making her even more confident. She lifted his shirt, and he pulled it off, dropping it to the floor beside them. Her hands went to his chest like metal to magnet, touching his heated flesh. She’d gone over this so many times in her head, she tried to remember how she had planned to play it out. But she was already too lost in him to think straight. He put his hand on her hip, drawing her close again, and she remembered her plan.

  She stepped back, holding his gaze as she unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall to the floor, revealing her new black lace bra.

  “Gorgeous,” he said huskily, reaching for her.

  She shook her head and shimmied out of her shorts, standing before him in only her new black silk panties with lace trim and matching bra. His chest heaved as he tugged her into his arms, taking her in a rough kiss. It took all of her will to press her hand to his chest and break their connection.

  “I had a plan,” she panted out. “Just let me try.”

  “Try?” he said incredulously, touching her hand. “Woman, you do me in every time you smile. You don’t have to try.”

  There went her weak knees again…

  But his words also gave her an unexpected jolt of confidence. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, holding his gaze like she’d been practicing in the mirror—and she couldn’t believe she’d actually done it! She hoped she looked seductive and not as nervous as she felt and said, “Maybe I want to turn you inside out and not just do you in.”

  He uttered a curse.

  She was shocked and proud of herself for coming up with something so clever and sexy on the fly, and his response sent thrills darting through her. He gritted his teeth as she fumbled with the button and zipper on his jeans and yanked them down to his ankles, freeing his erection. He stepped out of his jeans, looking like he wanted to tackle her to the bed and devour her. He reached for her again, but she bypassed his hands, putting both of hers on his chest, and pressed her lips to his warm flesh, kissing her way over and down his pecs. She’d stolen a few ideas from her erotic romance novels, and she licked his nipples, earning sharp inhalations with every slick of her tongue. She continued her exploration, enjoying every hard plane, every dip and curve of his chest and abs, until she was eye to eye with the object of her obsession.

  She lowered herself to her knees, wrapping her hand around his shaft. Her heart was beating so fast, she was shaking. He caressed her cheek, bringing her eyes to his as she licked around the broad head, and the devilish eyes blazing down at her sent her body into a frenzy of need. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on something other than the pulsing heat between her legs, and licked him from base to tip. He moaned and threaded his fingers into her hair, holding tight as she lowered her mouth over his cock.

  “Christ, Daphne,” he gritted out.

  The desire in his voice emboldened her. Silently cheering herself on, she focused on the feel of his thickness sliding through her lips, the taste of his salty skin, and the appreciative sounds he was making. She sucked harder, squeezed him tighter, loving the way his hips thrust as she dragged her tongue over the head, slowing them down between strokes.

  “God, your mouth,” he said, rough and breathy. “It’s fucking magic.”

  Her eyes flicked up to his. She’d never seen him look so predatory, and she freaking loved it! She stroked faster, earning a long, torturous groan.

  “Tighter,” he said.

  She tightened her fist, and he grabbed her head with his other hand, holding both sides as he fucked her mouth, but he let her set their pace.

  “That’s it,” he panted out. “Aw, fuck, baby. So, so good.”

  She wanted to taste his arousal, to feel him lose control, but she wasn’t done exploring this powerful feeling. She slowed her efforts, earning another long, agonizing moan. She dragged her tongue along the edge of the broad head. His chin fell to his chest with a hiss as she kissed her way up his body, nudging him backward until he was standing beside the bed, and then she pushed him down on his back, and a laugh tumbled from his lips.

  “You’re a fucking goddess, baby,” he said as she stripped off her panties. “Come here, gorgeous.”

  She kissed his thighs, the muscles flexing against her lips as she crawled up his body, kissing and licking. Every press of her lips made his cock twitch. She’d never been on top of a man before. She’d always been too embarrassed to let anyone see her in that position, but everything was different with Jock. He made her feel womanly and wanted, and as she straddled his hips, she reveled in the safety of him.

  He clutched her waist, visually devouring her as she took off her bra. “You’re absolutely stunning.” The adoration in his eyes underscored his praise. “Ride me, baby. Claim me as yours.”

  He made the act of claiming him sound visceral and raw, and that’s how she felt as she sank down, burying him to the root. Electricity arced through her as they began to move. His fingers dug into her hips, his jaw went rigid, and his eyes drilled into her. She reached behind her, using his thighs for leverage, riding him faster, harder, adjusting her angle until he stroked over that magical spot with his every thrust.

  “Touch me,” she panted out, guiding his hand between her legs. “Yesss.” Pleasures spread through her like wildfire, and she slowed her efforts.

  “Don’t slow down, baby. I want you wild and breathless.”

  Just hearing him say it made her feel wild and breathless. She moved quicker, losing herself in the sounds of his moans, the
feel of his cock filling her so completely. He did something with his fingers, setting off sparks beneath her skin. She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out, and he sat up and sealed his mouth over her breast, sucking so hard she felt him everywhere, turning those sparks into spirals of ecstasy. Her body clenched around him, his entire body flexed and then shuddered with his release. He clung to her, gritting out her name like a prayer.

  MOONLIGHT STREAMED IN through the balcony doors, shining across Jock’s and Daphne’s naked bodies as they lay in each other’s arms. Daphne buried her face in his chest, probably a little embarrassed after taking control. Jock kissed her forehead and said, “Hey, let me see those angel eyes.”

  She tilted her face up, and his chest constricted at her reddened cheeks.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded and hid her face again.

  “Where’s all that confidence I just ate up like a starving puppy?”

  She looked at him again, smiling shyly.

  “Daphne, you are everything I could ever want in a woman and so much more. I’m as intrigued by your blushing as I am by your desire to take control. I don’t ever want you to feel embarrassed about the things we do.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’ve probably always been as confident as a lion. This is new for me. You’ve turned me into someone I don’t recognize—don’t get me wrong; I love it.” She kissed his chest and lowered her voice to say, “But it’s embarrassing after the fact, when that confidence is gone and all that’s left is knowing that you just saw me on my knees, unsure if I was even touching you right, and then on top of you with all my stark-white nakedness on display, making you touch me in certain places. I’ve never been like that with anyone.”

  “Baby, first of all, when you touch me, you light me on fire. There is no wrong way, because what we feel for each other makes it phenomenal. Sex without emotion is an act. It’s a game, a hookup. You and I are not that, and your body is the only body I have fantasized about since the day I met you. And I’m talking dirty, filthy fantasies.” He pressed his smiling lips to hers and said, “Don’t ever be embarrassed about being naked in front of me. You couldn’t be unattractive if you tried.” He kissed her again and said, “When I see you, naked, clothed, or in my fantasies, you’re my angel. You’re as gorgeous as gorgeous can be. You know I love seeing you blush, but not at the expense of you believing even for a second that you’re not the most beautiful creature on this planet.”

  She buried her face in his chest again and said, “Who are you?”

  He touched her chin, tipping her face up, and kissed her. “I’m your man, and when we’re intimate, the only thing I’m thinking about is how much I want you, how much I care about you, and how lucky I am that you choose to share your beautiful self with me. Okay?”

  She nodded and whispered, “Okay.”

  “Good. Now let me straighten you out about that other thing you mentioned. I’ve been embarrassed plenty of times.”

  She scoff-laughed. “Uh-huh.”

  He pushed up on one elbow and said, “You want examples? Here you go. In tenth grade Archer stole my clothes and every towel in the locker room after gym class. I had to walk down the hall with my boxing glove over my privates and a basketball covering my ass.”

  She laughed.

  “Oh, you like that? Here’s another classic example of embarrassment. The first time I had sex, I tore two condoms trying to put them on and snapped the third on my dick.”

  She snort-laughed and covered her face.

  “And then there was the time that Archer and Levi and I snuck out to go skinny-dipping in the pool at the Silver House. We thought we were so cool. But remember how I said that everyone knows everything on the island? We stripped naked, and then the spotlights turned on. We had an audience of my grandmother and all of her friends.”

  Tears streamed down Daphne’s face, she was laughing so hard. “Who turned on the lights?”

  “My grandmother.”

  She fell onto her back in hysterics. “I love her already!”

  Jock laughed and leaned over her, glad she was no longer embarrassed. “See? I’ve been embarrassed plenty of times.” His thoughts turned to more recent events, and he said, “Daph, those are nothing compared to how embarrassed I was every time I reacted poorly to Hadley, and that’s the honest-to-God truth.”

  Her laughter quieted, and she said, “I know.”

  “And this whole thing with Archer has me embarrassed, too.”

  She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

  “I want to fix things with him, but I’m not sure how.”

  “Have you ever really tried?” She wriggled out from under him and sat up, covering herself with the sheet.

  He sat up, too. “As I said, it’s complicated.”

  “Then maybe it’s time to uncomplicate it.” She said it as if it were easy to do. “Jules would obviously support you. Would your other brother and sisters?”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “Of course not. If it were easy, I doubt you would have gone to live with Harvey. Or maybe you would have, given everything you’d been through. But at least you would have probably tried to fix things with Archer.”

  “I blame myself,” he admitted. “I know you don’t want to hear that, but when Archer looks at me, he sees the guy who facilitated his best friend’s death. And that’s how I feel.”

  “I know you do, and maybe you always will, although I hope not.” She took his hand in hers, the forgotten sheet bunched around her waist. “Jock, I won’t judge you no matter what your answer is, but do you truly want to make up with Archer?”

  Emotions burned through him. “Yes. I miss him. I miss everyone. But I don’t even think he’ll talk to me. He does his best to avoid me when I’m there.”

  “Then I’ll go with you,” she offered. “I’ll ask my mom to keep Hadley, and we’ll go together. I’m great moral support.”

  “No way. The last thing you need is to be stressed out because of my shit.”

  “You just said you’re my man, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, but that has nothing to do with this. This only affects me.”

  She raised her brows and deepened her voice, mimicking his as she said, “‘You and Hadley are in my life, babe. That makes it your business.’”

  He laughed softly. “Smart-ass.”

  “You’re a writer, Jock. You create backstories and weave lives together out of thin air. You know how every little thing your characters go through bleeds into other aspects of their lives.”

  “I don’t want you seeing all this. It’s ugly.”

  “But that’s just it. I already see it. I see it in your eyes when you talk about the island and I hear it in your voice when you speak of your family.” She scooted a little closer and said, “Look how far you’ve come with Hadley in such a short period of time. You didn’t know you could overcome so much so fast until you opened that door and tried. And taking that chance enabled you to write again. You can’t know if this rift between you and Archer affects your relationships with me, Hadley, or anyone else. How do you know it’s not blocking your creativity and hindering your writing? You and I both saw how it’s affected Jules. You’ve lost more than ten years with your family. Isn’t that enough?”

  “Yes, it’s enough,” he said a little sharply. “But I don’t want my family caught in the middle of me and my brother. The island is Archer’s home.”

  “They’re already caught in the middle, Jock. How can they not be? And wasn’t the island your home, too?” she said softly.

  He knew she was right, despite how often he told himself it wasn’t true.

  “The way I see it,” she said with a sweet tilt of her head, “Archer lost his best friend and you lost the woman you cared about and your baby. And you lost each other. It’s all horrible. But this isn’t about just the two of you. You have family there, and every day you miss with them is another day you’ll never get back.�
� She sat up a little straighter, as if what she was about to say required courage. “I’d like to think you and I could really be something together, and I know I’m jumping way ahead, but with Hadley I have to think ahead. Let’s say we stay together. How would you explain that situation to her when she’s older and wants to know about your family?”

  “I’d figure it out.”

  “I’m sure you would. But it makes me sad to think you’d have this hanging over you for all that time. What if we stay together and have more children? I don’t want to scare you off. I’m not pushing or assuming, but these are the things a single mom thinks about. I don’t think you’d want to tell Hadley that you don’t speak to your brother, would you? What kind of example would you be setting? I know you. I watched you eat my daughter’s slobbery ice cream. I’ve seen you go from being a guy who ran at the first blow of anxiety to a man who explained that anxiety to my little girl in such a way that it helped you both. Your heart is huge, Jock. I don’t believe for a second that you’d want her, or if we have children together, then our kids, thinking that’s okay.”

  Just the thought of that scenario playing out was more than he could take. His throat thickened with emotions.

  She squeezed his hand and said, “Seeing Jules today really showed me what you’re missing out on. Think about your parents. Remember when we were talking about music and I said one of my favorite artists is Blue Foster?”

  “I remember.”

  “He sings this song, ‘Dog East West,’ and in it he says, We owe it to our parents to tell them what dreams we’ll be chasing and how long we’ll be gone. Think about that, Jock. You’re not chasing a dream, but the idea is the same. Our parents took care of us day in and day out. I know from being a mom that nothing is harder than when your child is hurting, and I also know that it won’t matter if Hadley is two, ten, thirty, or older. I’ll always hurt when she does. Don’t we owe our parents peace of mind? Your parents are probably still grieving for their sons’ broken hearts and broken relationship. I don’t think they can fully heal when you and Archer are still at odds.”