“What is this, Vegas?”
She poked him in the chest.
“Ow! Fine, whatever. Jesus. You must need coffee.”
“Clothes, Jake. I need clothes!” She tried to yank the blanket out from under him, and he swept an arm around her, pulling her on top of him. Holy moly did he feel good. “Jake.” She went for a warning, but it came out with a soft laugh, because she’d expected him to be totally on board with the one-night-and-done thing, and this playful side of him was almost too attractive to resist.
His rough hands slid down her back to her butt, and he rocked his formidable erection against her. “Let’s negotiate.”
“You are such a man.” A very delicious, enticing man.
“You were into my manliness last night. In fact, if I remember correctly, which there’s no way in hell I’m not, because the images are burned into my brain, you liked my manliness between your legs, in your mouth—”
She clamped her hand over his mouth and glared at him. He pushed her hand away and flashed the cocky grin that had gotten her into trouble last night, pushing all her sensual buttons again and sending warning signals blaring through her mind.
“No negotiating,” she said firmly. She needed space to figure out why he made her stomach dip and her heart skip. Space to get last night out of her mind. She needed space to breathe like a regular person instead of a girl whose body was totally on board with Jake being tucked deep inside her, making her forget why breathing was important at all.
“You promised me things wouldn’t be awkward,” she reminded him. “And if I have to go over there naked and get my clothes, things are going to get more than awkward real fast.”
“I think I liked you better when you were flirting with me.” He flashed another devilish grin, and her stomach somersaulted.
In his next breath he rolled them both over and she was beneath him, his big body pressing down on her, his hips cradled between her thighs, and her hands trapped above her head. And oh my, did he feel good. Maybe he could just slip it in for a quickie. Nothing more.
He touched his cheek to hers, and in a husky voice that made her skin catch fire, he said, “Nothing beats morning sex, Addy.”
Her pulse went crazy, and his hands drifted down her sides, which felt really, really nice. She closed her eyes, willing herself to be strong.
“You know you want me, sexy girl,” he whispered, brushing his scruff against her cheek and sending shivers down her spine. “No one will ever know. Just you and me.” He angled his hips back, pressing the head of his cock against her entrance.
“Jake,” she said halfheartedly, already wet and ready.
“Tell me no. One word. Two letters. And I won’t ask again.”
No, no, no, no, no. I don’t want to tell you no. She shook off the ridiculous faltering and said, “I already did, and they’ll see us.”
“They went inside. And no, you didn’t. You said ‘no negotiating,’ and admittedly, I pushed that envelope.” He kissed the corner of her mouth and dragged his tongue along her lower lip, reminding her of all the pleasure he’d given her with that tongue last night. “But if you look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me, I promise not to ask again.”
She could barely think as more memories of their incredible night rushed in. Her body hummed with desire, her hands pressed into his skin, urging him to make the decision for the two of them so she would not be to blame if she didn’t stick to her guns about one single night. She could still taste his addicting kisses, and now he was looking at her differently than he always had. The predatory look was still there, but there was more than just wanton desire. He wasn’t just looking at her. He was looking through her, inside her body, viewing the darkest crevices of her mind, invading every ounce of her, like she was the only thing that existed.
The words kiss me, Jake were on the tip of her tongue, and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate, because he’d been right about one thing last night. Every single thought led back to him. To their sinful night. To that look in his eyes.
“Be mine one last time, sexy girl.”
Sighing inwardly, she dug deep, forcing herself to think of her bestie. That almost gave her the kick in the butt she needed to refuse him, but gazing into Jake’s eyes, his seductive words, Be mine, still lingering in her ears were tough to dismiss. And the idea that this would be their last time also made her long for more. She’d been worried about him being jealous, but already his words were wreaking havoc with her impulses—making them stronger than she’d ever experienced before. How would she skate through the minefield of seeing him flirt with other girls after the night they’d shared? How could she have thought she could ever look at him after that and not want him? Why, oh why, did she let herself fall asleep with him? Now she couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than being wrapped up in him for a few more hours, despite the group of relatives who had almost discovered them.
All of it—the unfamiliar emotions, the memories, that heated stare, the feel of him nestled so intimately against her—picked at her nerves, making her edgy and nervous. Addy was big on talk and equally big on research, which was how she knew exactly what to say to a man, how to touch and take and tease. She had perfected her verbal sparring and seduction techniques, and it had been easy, because she was never in danger of feeling a damn thing beyond physical excitement. But being with Jake was different, and no matter how many times she tried to write it off as something else, her heart had taken notice. And now, being naked with him in the light of day without tequila on board, after all the dirty things they’d done last night, she struggled to find her voice. She had to escape before she got in deeper with a guy who probably couldn’t spell the word faithful—Holy cow. Since when do I worry about that? She wiggled out from beneath him.
She met his disappointed gaze, trying to hide her own faltering resolve, and said, “Clothes, Jake. Now.”
LATER THAT MORNING Jake worked alongside Blue and Gage fixing the leg of the table inside the big house on the bluff. Actually, he was talking shit and trying not to dwell on thoughts of Addy, pacing while Blue fixed the table and Gage ate breakfast. Jake couldn’t eat a damn thing. His stomach had been squirrelly since earlier that morning, when, after sprinting naked to retrieve his and Addy’s clothes, she’d argued all the way to her door about not needing a bodyguard. She was as stubborn as a mule, and just to prove her point, she’d been pointedly looking away every time he caught sight of her since she’d arrived for breakfast.
“You’re helping us set up the beach for Trish’s wedding tomorrow morning, right?” Gage asked Jake.
“Sure. Whatever she needs.” They were in the kitchen, which opened up to the grounds, giving him a clear view of Addy sitting with the girls, pushing food around on her plate. He wondered if she had the same weird shit going on in her head as he did, or if she was blowing him off because she really was done with him.
“Did Boone tell you his family is arriving a day early?” Blue asked.
Jake stopped pacing and glanced at Gage, who looked as clueless as he was.
“I forgot you were both late for breakfast this morning. They rearranged their schedules to arrive a day early,” Blue explained. “We’re all meeting up at Niko and Dimitri’s tavern tonight for his bachelor party.”
He’d rather meet up with Addy. Maybe another night with her could fix the crap going on in his head.
The sound of laughter drew his attention outside, just in time to see Niko twirling Addy, as if they were dancing. Every muscle in Jake’s body tensed as the green-eyed monster clawed at his gut. She looked sexier than sin in a pair of cutoffs barely long enough to cover her fine ass and a T-shirt the color of red clay. How she managed to make a loose-fitting shirt look hotter than hell was beyond him. Several sparkly bracelets slid up her arm as she spun back into Niko’s arms. Jake’s fingers curled into fists as he fought the urge to storm outside and claim the woman who didn’t want to be claimed.
“Jake?” Blue cal
led out sharply, as if he’d already said it a few times. “You in for the bachelor party?”
“What?” He turned his attention back to his brothers. “Tonight? Yeah, sure.”
“Sounds good,” Gage agreed.
“Good,” Blue said. “The girls are having their bachelorette party at the beach.”
When Jake thought of bachelorette parties, male strippers came to mind. Not that they’d find any of those here on the island.
That he knew of.
He glanced out the doors again, seeking the woman he had finally connected with, and was relieved to see her sitting with Gabriella again. She lifted her eyes, meeting his gaze for only half of a second before looking away, but in that short moment, heat blazed between them. He really needed to pull his shit together. It was only one night. One incredible, intense night. One of the best fucking nights of his life, and it had left him wanting more. Not just sexually, although he wanted so much more his cock was at half-mast just thinking about her. But the other things he wanted made him feel like a pussy, because they had nothing to do with sex. He wanted to talk to her, alone and stone-cold sober. She was so tough, so bold and challenging, and yet devastatingly feminine at the same time. Had she always been that way? She never talked about her family, and he was so close to his, it made him curious about what hers was like. Had she always been full of rebellion, or was stubbornness a family trait? And why was she taking that damn hiking trip alone? Other questions peppered his mind, too. Annoying shit, like why the hell did it take her so long to hook up with him?
“You and Sally were both late for breakfast,” Blue said to Gage, drawing Jake’s attention again. “Did you two finally get together?”
Gage rubbed the back of his neck with a pained expression. “What do you think?”
“Seriously? Dude, just make your move already.” Blue tightened a screw beneath the table.
Gage shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”
“Sure it is,” Jake said, thinking of Addy. “If you want her, tell her. If she doesn’t blow you off completely, then keep telling her until she either gives in or sends you packing.”
“That’s how you operate, Jake. That’s not my MO.” Gage set his coffee mug down and paced. All the Ryder men paced when they were faced with something they’d rather not talk about. “You’ve always moved from one woman to the next without ever looking back. I’ve never been that guy, and where Sally’s concerned, I never will be.”
I was that guy until Addy, apparently. “So…What? You’re just going to walk around with a hard-on for the woman you’ve been bat-shit crazy about since you moved to Colorado until some other guy gets through to her and takes the decision away from you?”
Gage’s jaw tightened. “What do you suggest? I mean, short of asking her to jump in my bed every night of the week. Because that hasn’t worked out so well for you with Addy, has it?”
If he’d said that yesterday, Jake would have wanted to slug him out of sheer frustration because it hadn’t worked for him. But after last night, Jake fought to keep the grin tugging at him from making its way across his face. And when memories of Addy in his arms came crashing in, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stifle the revealing emotion.
Blue rose to his feet and set the screwdriver on the table with a knowing look in his eyes. “You gonna clue us in or just flash that cocky-ass grin all day?”
Jake scrubbed a hand down his face to try to get a handle on his emotions, but for the first time in as long as he could remember, he wanted to talk about what it felt like to have a woman in his arms. More specifically, he needed to talk about what it felt like to be with Addy, because she was seriously messing with his head.
He stole a glance outside, catching Addy staring at him, and hell if his pulse didn’t ratchet up again. He lifted his chin and smiled, but she’d already turned away. That erased the frigging smile from his face.
“It paid off,” he said gruffly. “It paid off better than anything ever has, or at least I thought it did.”
His brothers exchanged a look he couldn’t read.
“You two finally hooked up?” Blue asked.
Jake nodded.
“So what’s the issue?” Gage asked. “Why do you look like a bug crawled up your ass?”
“Because she’s blown me off ever since.”
Blue chuckled. “Maybe you’re not as good in bed as you thought you were.”
Gage laughed, and Jake took a step toward him. Gage held up his hands in surrender. “Calm down. We’re kidding.”
Jake paced, even more frustrated having admitted to being with her, because he suddenly remembered she’d asked him not to brag. He wasn’t bragging, but it equated to the same thing. Chalk it up to being an accidental asshole.
“Was she on the same page?” Gage asked. “Or did you push so hard she had no choice?”
“Do you really think I’m that much of a douche?” The truth was, Jake had asked himself the same question a hundred times since they’d argued about him walking her to her room this morning. He’d come up with the same answer every damn time. No way. He’d given her plenty of chances to back out.
His brothers shared another annoying look.
“Christ,” Jake grumbled. “It wasn’t like that. We were totally in sync. One hundred percent.”
He wrung his hands together, shocking himself with the need to bare his soul. He trusted his brothers with his life, and if anyone would tell him he had his head up his ass or was barking up the wrong tree, it would be Gage or Blue. Duke would chastise him for hooking up with Gabriella’s best friend, and Trish would start planning their wedding. He had no fucking clue what Cash would say or do. Probably lecture him for not treating her like a lady. Cash was big on being a gentleman, whereas Jake was admittedly a player. He chewed on that thought for a minute, mulling over what it said about him and not liking the answer. He knew how to be a fucking gentleman. But if Addy wanted a gentleman, she sure as hell didn’t act like it. She was as much a one-night-stand person as he was.
If his mixed-up head was any indication, she was more of a one-night-stand person than he was. It’s the day after our one-night stand. We’re done. He was playing by her rules. Jake didn’t play by anyone’s rules. And based on his current state of mind, not even his own.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Blue asked.
He cleared his throat to try to bring his mind back to their conversation, but he no longer wanted to talk to his brothers about this. Not only because Addy had asked him not to—although that was enough to stop him from divulging anything more—but also because they weren’t the ones he needed to talk this out with. There was only one person who could help him get his head on straight. He needed to clear the air with Addy and find out why she was treating him like…like…
A freaking one-night stand.
“Hell no,” he snapped.
Gage patted him on the back. “She’s been all you could think about for months. It’s not surprising that she’s got you tied in knots. But you should be used to moving on, Jake. As I said, it’s how you operate.”
Jake scoffed to cover up the truth he wasn’t ready to admit. It was how he operated. Was being the key word. “Don’t go blabbing this to anyone. Especially not Sally or Lizzie. The last thing I need is Addy giving me hell because I told you two.”
He headed for the yard, intent on playing by his own rules and mentally preparing as if he were going on a search and rescue mission. Assessing his time in the field, or in this case, how long it would take to clear up this misperception of hers, that they were going to play by her rules. He gave it half an hour. But this was Addy. Stubborn, sexy, out-to-prove-something Addy. Okay, maybe it would take days, but he didn’t have days. He looked up at the sky, thinking about his next assessment, weather and resources. There was a storm brewing inside his gut, and a quick glance to his left placed his eyes on the bar. Plenty of resources.
Jake had yet to fail a mission. He had this.
As he scanned the grounds, he began putting together a game plan for getting Addy on board with playing by his rules, the first of which was that she was going to talk to him, like it or not.
But first he’d have to find her.
Chapter Five
ADDY AND GABRIELLA followed Lizzie, Siena, and a mob of Gabriella’s female relatives down the dirt road toward the dress shop in the center of town for Trish’s wedding dress fitting. Trish and her mother led the chatty procession. Prewedding excitement electrified the air. Addy felt like she was in a scene from Mamma Mia!, where the entire town fell into step as women joined the group along the way. Addy was glad to be invited. If she had to sit around on the bluff trying not to look at Jake for another minute, her mind would have exploded. She’d thought he was going to rip Niko’s head off when they were goofing around. As much as she liked and respected Niko and would never want anything to happen to him, she’d been unexpectedly flattered to know Jake was jealous. A little thrill ran through her with the realization that Jake was still thinking about her just as much as she was thinking about him. One night together was supposed to get him out of her head, not embed him in her every thought.
When they reached Main Street, Addy realized Gabriella’s relatives hadn’t said two words to her all morning. Usually they pestered her nonstop about meeting Mr. Right. Maybe she was just being paranoid…or maybe they’d seen her and Jake on the bluff this morning after all.
Her stomach sank, and she tried to concentrate on her surroundings to settle her nerves. She’d always loved the unique mix of Greek and Southern cultures the island was known for, as evident in the diverse architecture in town. Niko and Dimitri’s tavern was built in richly Mediterranean style with a tile roof and stucco walls, while the enormous white bank was true four-columned Georgian-style. A market boasting a typical small-town brick storefront was situated between an old-fashioned pharmacy, complete with a green awning, and an empty villa-style building that looked like it had been plunked down from the streets of Greece. Duke’s company had begun making strides toward beautifying the area, as evidenced by the scaffolding in front of the shops and the telltale noises of men working. But even that wasn’t enough to distract Addy from her worries. Looking for a better distraction, she turned her thoughts to Gabriella, who was emitting I-found-my-happily-ever-after vibes from her sparkling dark eyes to the gleaming diamonds on her finger.
Rescued by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Jake Ryder Page 5