by Aliyah Burke
Slowly he drew back from her luscious mouth and sent her a bone-melting grin. “Sorry I’m late, baby,” he said in a deep seductive voice. “I didn’t think work would run that long.” One arm slid around her waist tucking her securely into his side. He turned his attention to the couple before him. “You must be the sister I’ve heard so much about.”
Dark brown eyes narrowed as they looked upon him. “You can’t be serious. Are you trying to tell me you are the handsome man she is dating?” Topaz’s voice was full of skepticism. “He’s white!”
Jake laughed. His rich timbre, music to Tahnee’s ears. “I don’t know about the handsome bit, but I am the man lucky enough to be part of her life. And yes, I am white, glad we got that bit out of the way.” His lips brushed against Tahnee’s forehead, immediately calming her.
Topaz frowned. “And what is your name?” she purred reaching for his hand.
“I’m Jake. Jake Hutton.” He shook her hand and immediately dropped it to reach for the man who stood next to her. “Nice to meet you.”
“Name’s Javon. How long have you and Tahnee been together?” His dark eyes narrowed as they raked over the sight of this man standing next to Tahnee.
Jake shrugged. “That’s not really any of your business. Excuse me, I need a private word with my woman here.” Gently, yet firmly, he guided Tahnee into the back of the establishment.
Once the door shut behind him, all thoughts of talk fled as he pulled her back into his arms, and she went willingly, desperately craving his taste again. This time, his hands slid into her hair and pulled her in even closer. They both groaned and leaned into one another diminishing the distance that separated them.
Jake trailed his hands over her. He nibbled Tahnee’s lips as his hands caressed her derriere.
He slid his tongue deep into the recesses of her mouth. She would have been blind not to feel the blatant, long and thick length of his erection digging into her.
What have I done?
Chapter Three
This is insane. I don’t even know this man.
Regardless, Tahnee didn’t pull away from his intoxicating caress. Her body arched against him, telling him without words just what she was craving.
He slipped his hands beneath the hem of her satin shirt and settled them against her heated skin. Callused hands ran over her sides as they inched higher and higher up her body.
Drawing heavily on his lower lip, Tahnee poured everything she had into the kiss they were sharing. She wanted to feel his naked skin against her body. Wanted his hands to touch and caress her all over. Wanted that thick cock she felt against her slipping between her thighs and taking her to plains of pleasure she knew she had never been to before.
The sound of a voice clearing jolted them both back to reality. Topaz and Javon stood there in the back staring at them like they were insane. Jake released her lips reluctantly and tugged her back to his body so she hid his erection.
“What?” Tahnee rasped as her wobbly hands tightened on the material of his coat.
“We were wondering what you two were talking about back here,” Javon said as he watched them.
Jake brushed his hard shaft against her and she couldn’t help but shiver. In her periphery, she watched his lips quirk up, as if he had every idea of what he did to her and was proud. “We got carried away, but then I seem to do that around her. Sorry. We will be out in a moment.” He sent them a look expressing ‘leave.’
When they were finally alone again, Jake gazed down at her. His eyes still smoldered with desire. After a few charged moments between them, she licked her bottom lip and swallowed.
“I remember you from earlier today, but I still don’t know you. Who are you?” She removed his hands from her sides.
“Your fiancé…Jake. I overheard your predicament today and figured I could help you out.” He refused to let go of her hands, opting instead to put them on his chest and covering them with his own.
Her mouth moved but nothing came out. I must be going crazy. Finally she found her voice. “What are you talking about?” Tahnee cut her eyes over to the door, expecting to see her sister there gloating. “Is this some trick my sister cooked up?”
Grabbing one of her hands, he placed it over his rock-solid erection. “Does this feel like a trick to you? For all intents and purposes, I am your fiancé and while I would love to lay you across that counter behind us and drink of the nectar of your body, we have to go out and mingle with the guests. I will however, be deep within your body by the time this evening is over.”
Tahnee closed her hand slightly over the thick rod in his pants. Her mouth watered, she wanted to taste him so bad. “I don’t know you,” she whispered.
“I’m here to help you. And I’m pretty sure that there is more than enough heat between us to make everyone believe we have been together for a while now.” He flexed his hips, driving his erection further into her touch. “I want to be buried deep within you.”
A devilish smile crossed her face. Her nails slid enticingly along the ridge in his pants. “And I want you deep within me. But we have a party to attend. We need to get going, our dinner reservations are at eight.” One hand reached around his neck, drawing him down for a quick but molten kiss. I can’t believe I am acting like this.
She let him go and walked ahead of him to the door.
As they approached the rest of the people out there, Jake positioned himself beside Tahnee. She introduced him to her brother. “Tyrell, this is Jake.” She looked at him, almost hesitatingly. “Jake, meet my older brother.”
Jake flashed a disarming grin and offered his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Her brother took the hand and shook it as he sized up the man. “I didn’t know you were dating anyone, sis. Much less that you were engaged. What does he do?” Tyrell demanded.
“I’m a welder.”
Tyrell nodded once and let it go.
Tahnee took a relaxing breath. Somehow, she knew this evening was going to be interesting and yet, she was going to be safe. I was right when I assumed a person would feel safe with him. “We need to get going to the restaurant,” she said as she hugged her brother’s fiancée, Kendall.
“He’s dreamy,” Kendall whispered in her ear as she returned the hug.
“I know.” The two women giggled like schoolgirls sharing a secret. Tahnee had always liked Kendall. The woman was smart, gracious and didn’t put on airs.
A smile teased the corners of Tahnee’s mouth as Jake settled his strong arm around her shoulders, enveloping her in a delightful mix of faint cologne and his own natural scent.
“Okay, everyone,” Tyrell announced. “We need to get going to the restaurant. Meet everyone there.”
Tahnee waited as the people began to file out, needing to be last out to lock up. Topaz stopped at the door and looked back. “Maybe I should stay with you, Tahnee, and ride with you and your boyfriend to dinner. We haven’t seen each other in a while and we could catch up.”
I don’t want you anywhere near him, bitch!
“That’s okay, Topaz. I just have to lock up and we’ll be on our way.” With a pointed look at Javon, she added, “Besides, you should be with your fiancé, not mine.”
Her eyes narrowed but Topaz did walk out the door, closing it with a decidedly loud slam. Since she was the last one out, Tahnee moved across the room and locked the door after her.
Now she was suddenly nervous. She hit the lights so the only ones left were behind the counter and in the back room. Turning around, Tahnee found herself flush against the body of the man who called himself Jake.
“Oh,” she grunted as she hit against a solid wall of muscle. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t ever apologize for pressing that luscious body of yours against mine.” His words were delivered in a silvery tone that flowed through her. He settled his hands against her shoulders.
“We need to be going. I’ll make your excuses for you. Thanks for helping me out.” Tah
nee stepped back and moved around him, heading into the back where she reached for her purse.
A strong, tanned hand touched upon her purse pushing it further away from her grasp. “I’m not expecting you to make my excuses for me. I will be there the whole time, by your side.”
Tahnee looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were such an amazing shade of green it took her breath away. “Why would you do this? You don’t know me.”
A mischievous glint appeared in the depths of his gaze. “You’re absolutely right. And I really should know my fiancée before we get to dinner.”
It didn’t take long and Jake had pulled her back into his arms.
“What are you doing?” Tahnee stuttered, even as she felt her immediate response to his touch. How was it possible for something to feel so familiar and right when you were just new to the sensation?
“Getting to know my fiancée,” he rumbled in a dangerously sexy voice as his lips covered hers. His tongue slid between her lush lips. Fingers dug into the flesh of her butt as he pressed them closer together.
Tahnee shuddered. Her hands slipped beneath his coat and began tugging up the light gray shirt covering his muscular torso. The second her hands found his heated skin she purred with contentment. Flames of passion licked at her skin, teasing her, encouraging her, enticing her to follow her emotions to a place she had never gone before.
Chapter Four
Jake lifted the gorgeous woman in his embrace. She felt so perfect in his arms he didn’t want to let her go. Instead he placed her on the steel countertop and raised her skirt as he stepped between her legs.
His hands dug into her hair holding her still as his mouth plundered hers. His cock pressed hard against the zipper in his pants. How he longed to uncover it and sheath it home in her wet heat.
Tahnee whimpered into his mouth, a sound he devoured with total arrogance. One hand left her silky hair and opened the buttons on her shirt, a move that exposed her peachy silk bra.
Pulling away from her tempting lips, he gazed at the scene before him. Her bra lifted her full breasts up as if offering them to him. Offering them for his pleasure, his taste, and his enjoyment. The color was stunning against her skin.
He moved his thumbs over the pebbled tips that poked through the material. His mouth turned up in a masculine grin as he caught sight of her, head leaning back, exposing herself even more to him. Her flesh rose and fell with each deep breath she ingested.
Taking two fingers, Jake trailed along the top edge of her bra, loving the contrasting difference in their colors. Her hands held onto his sides as she quivered. “I want to be inside you,” he murmured in her ear as he nipped the side of her neck. “I want to strip all your clothes off, lay you back and feast on you.”
Tahnee whimpered. “Please,” her one word was faint, but echoed through his body with the force of a hurricane.
“Tonight, baby. I promise. But right now, we have to get going.” He looked down at her and swore, “Damn, I want you!” Stepping back, he held his hands out in front of him and bit his lower lip. “I can’t touch you or I’m going to fuck you until we both can’t walk.”
She licked her lips the answering jolt to his dick had him nearly saying to hell with going to dinner.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said softly.
“I never do,” he vowed. He tucked his shirt back in and within moments was just as put together as he had been the moment he walked in the door.
It took Tahnee a bit longer to straighten up her appearance. When she was finally ready, he was waiting for her. In all actuality he had never taken his eyes off of her, just kept his distance while ogling her.
Tahnee followed Jake to his vehicle. She was silent as he held the door for her. “Where is the restaurant, baby?” he asked as he slid across the leather seat to settle behind the wheel of his Mazda M3.
“We’re eating at the Space Needle. In the one that revolves.” She made a rotation in the air with her index finger. He bet she knew the name but couldn’t pull it from her mind.
Jake smiled at her. It’s not like SkyCity was a hard name to remember. He loved how discombobulated she was around him. In the space of a day, he had totally intertwined his life with this woman who took his breath away.
With ease he pulled into the Space Needle and parked his vehicle. “Let’s go, baby. I want to get you home as soon as possible.”
Her body trembled again at his words. “Well, then, we should get it over with.”
Helping her out of the car, he asked, “Don’t you want to go to dinner with your family?”
A spurt of droll humor erupted from her. “Oh yeah. What a wonderful evening for me. Sit at a table and listen to my sister tell me how fat, useless, and totally unattractive I am. And then she will get on about that’s why Javon left me and picked her instead.” Her voice got shrill with sarcasm and pain.
Immediately his arm settled around her body as they walked into the Space Needle. “I am so sorry they’re like that to you. I won’t let them do that to you anymore.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m used to it. Besides, I’ve had many nights to figure out that I can face the fact that my fiancé left me for my model-like sister.” Her sigh was one of acceptance and resignation. “I’ll move on, it’s what I do.”
The sadness in her voice nearly took him to the knees. “Never again,” he pledged. “They won’t do that again.” He tucked her in closer to his side as they stepped into the elevator.
“I don’t need a protector, Jake, although the idea is very appealing.” Tahnee relaxed under his touch.
“I want to protect you,” he murmured in her ear as his tongue traced the edge. “I want to do a lot of things with and to you.”
“Stop it, Jake,” she moaned.
Walking into the restaurant he chuckled. “You won’t be saying that later on, baby. I promise you that.”
“Promises, promises.” Her voice was full of tension but at least she was trying to make a joke.
Everyone was already seated at the table when they approached. They were met with knowing and somewhat suspicious glances. “Sorry we’re late,” Tahnee began, only to halt at the slight caress of his hand across her ass.
“It was totally my fault,” Jake interrupted.
“Really?” Sixteen pairs of eyes focused on them as Topaz asked the question.
“Yes,” Jake answered.
“And what were you two doing?” Topaz asked snidely.
Jake winked in a manner that implied far more than had actually happened. “Well, I wanted to announce to everyone that we are engaged but Tahnee said it was her brother’s time and she didn’t want to impose, so we argued about that and then had to make up.” He flashed a brilliant grin. “So, like I said, it’s my fault we are late. And I’m very sorry about that. I wanted to make a good impression on the family.”
“Engaged?” The gasps were obvious as the couple sat down. “You two are engaged? I wasn’t even aware she was dating anyone, much less engaged.”
He settled his arm around her. “Yes, we are.” He paused for a moment, his green eyes meeting and holding each gaze. “Why?”
Tahnee’s parents remained silent but Topaz answered his question. “Well, we just assumed that after her first engagement went bust, that she wouldn’t even consider getting engaged again. And you, well you are a surprise.”
“Can we not do this please?” Tahnee questioned in a quiet voice.
Jake rumbled his displeasure at the flash of satisfaction in Topaz’s dark eyes. As his gaze landed on the woman beside him, he controlled his emotions. Her face was drawn and pinched with tension and sadness.
“I’m sorry, baby. I know you wanted to wait until later to announce the engagement. I just wanted to tell them why we were late.” He leaned over, tipped her face to his and gently brushed his lips over hers. Then he looked up and was direct in his question. “Why am I such a surprise? I was amazed too, that I would be lucky enough to land a wom
an as special and unique as Tahnee.”
“Well, no,” Topaz said. “It’s more because you are—”
“Topaz!” their mother snapped. “There will be none of that talk in this family. You weren’t raised to be so offensive.” Topaz sat down, but only after an intense glare at her younger sister.
Dinner was a strained affair. Topaz continually tried to draw Jake into conversations about his and Tahnee’s relationship. Every time they spoke, he noticed how Tahnee tried to draw into herself. As she kissed her brother goodbye, Jake saw Tahnee watching him standing with Topaz.
Jake noticed the sad yet resigned look that filled Tahnee’s face. He knew he and Topaz made an attractive couple, their heights fit well together and skin tones were complimentary to one another. However, she did nothing for him. Instantly, he left Topaz and whatever she was blabbing on about to stride across the room to haul Tahnee into his embrace. Before everyone there he bent her backwards and plundered the depths of her mouth, until they were both panting and breathless.
Chapter Five
One hand was on her leg the entire time he drove her home. Long, strong fingers drew tiny circles on the inside of her thigh. Simply touching Tahnee kept him in a state of arousal the whole car ride back to her place.
He pulled his white Mazda into a parking space and shut off the motor. He turned to face her in the darkened interior of his vehicle. One hand reached out and pushed back the loose hair from her face.
His left hand clenched as he tried to control his raging emotions. Climbing out of the vehicle, Jake walked around the car and opened the door for her. Letting his hand rest on the small of her back, he walked her to the door, unlocked, and opened it for her.
Pulling her lush body in close to him, Jake covered her mouth with his and allowed her to feel his hard physique against her soft one. “Invite me inside,” he commanded as his mouth moved back from hers a tiny bit.
“Please,” she murmured.