Fair Catch

by Ruddick, Jessica

  I ran my fingers along the delicate fabric. “I don’t know. Neither of these is anything I’d pick out for myself.”

  My bestie sighed. “Rach, as long as your naked body is underneath, he won’t care if you’re wearing a paper bag. He might even prefer that because then he can just rip it off you without worry of damaging your clothes.” She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

  I could totally get on board with Jake ripping off whatever I was wearing, but only if I could do the same to him. As thrilling as that scenario was, it didn’t seem appropriate.

  “He’s going through a lot of trouble to make this special. I feel like I should do the same.”

  “Will… you… be… naked?”

  I averted my eyes. I wasn’t a prude, and I had been the first to grill Katie for details when she’d hooked up with Wyatt. Also, I’d never felt weird about sharing about my past exploits, but this felt different. Cheese and rice. Nothing had even happened yet, and I was already being neurotic.

  “Most likely,” I said finally. What I meant was God willing.

  Katie rocked back on her haunches. “Then you’re good. Trust me.”

  I spent the next two hours packing and unpacking my bag and vacillating between wanting and not wanting to make a big deal of this. But it was a big deal. Jake meant more to me than just a good time, which was all anyone else I’d ever dated had been. So while I wanted to move forward with Jake, it also scared the hell out of me because it could never be casual.

  Jake knocked on my front door, and when I opened it, he leaned his forearm on the doorframe. “Are you ready?”

  What a loaded question. Would I ever be ready? The pressure in my chest was so great, I had to pause to steady myself.

  Jake was everything I could hope for in a man—he was fun, charming, and dedicated to his siblings. Not to mention that when he focused his whiskey-colored eyes on me, I forgot to breathe. How could I not be ready to give my all to someone like him?

  He frowned. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” My voice was scratchy. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Yes, I’m okay, and I’m ready.”

  ***

  Jake

  RACHEL HAD ME worried for a second. She’d been paler than normal, which was saying something for her. I loved her creamy, pale skin, though. I was looking forward to seeing more of it.

  I entered the apartment and shut the door behind me.

  Rachel went to the living room closet and pulled out a bag of cat food. “Just let me feed Princess Buttercup.” She poured food into the cat’s bowl until it overflowed onto the place mat.

  The cat narrowed her yellow eyes at Rachel, and I felt the irrational need to stand between them, like I was preventing a high school lunchroom brawl. I liked animals, but that cat freaked me out.

  “You’d better hope this cat isn’t some witch’s familiar or something,” I muttered, hoping I wasn’t unknowingly starring in some real-life horror movie scenario.

  “What?” Rachel looked at me like I was crazy. To be fair, I felt a little crazy at the moment.

  “Look at her.” Standing a healthy distance away from the cat, I gestured to her. “If she could talk, she’d be cursing you.”

  “She’s just unhappy because she normally gets canned food in the evening.”

  “Maybe you should give it to her now. I don’t want her hexing you or something.”

  Rachel laughed. “She also doesn’t like it when her feeding schedule is disrupted, so I’m screwed either way. She’s pretty high maintenance.”

  “Well, she’ll have to get over it.” I snagged Rachel’s hand and pulled her against me. “Because you are unavailable tonight.” I could feel her heart hammering in her chest as I sucked her lower lip into my mouth then stroked my tongue along the delicate skin on her throat.

  She sucked in a breath. “Are you sure you don’t want to just stay here?”

  Hell yes. Wait… that should be a hell no. It had taken a lot of finagling to make arrangements for tonight. I wouldn’t ruin it for her by being impatient.

  Hell, I didn’t want to ruin it for me either. Maybe my newfound role as the head of my family had turned me into a sap, but I was all about making memories. And I wanted the memory I was about to make with Rachel to be perfect.

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  I ushered her to my truck before I could change my mind. An hour later, I pulled up to Hotel Roanoke, a historic and gorgeous hotel.

  “I hope this is okay,” I said tentatively. Rachel had been quiet for most of the drive. She was normally talkative. I couldn’t get a read on her, making me wonder if I’d totally mismanaged the situation. Maybe I was a player or an asshole, but I’d never cared about a girl enough to put together something like this for her. I was out of my element.

  “This is wonderful,” Rachel said quietly.

  Shit. I hoped this wasn’t one of those times where a girl said something and meant the opposite. I’d never known Rachel to pull that kind of crazy chick move, but not being able to read her was throwing me for a loop.

  We quickly checked in and went to the room. Rachel was still being weird… maybe. Or maybe it was all in my head, and I was the one being weird. Christ. Either way, I was glad I’d foregone the romance package the hotel offered. Having rose petals littering the room would only make things more awkward.

  Fuck. Why is it awkward? Is it me? Is it her? Is it this place? Hell if I knew. All I knew was that things didn’t feel easy and comfortable between us like they normally did.

  Rachel strode to the window and yanked open the curtains. “This view is amazing. I’ve never seen the city from this angle before.”

  I moved behind her and wrapped my arms around her. She leaned back against my chest.

  I exhaled. Yes. This was how it should be. “I have another view I want to show you. Come on.”

  I took her back to the truck and drove to the Roanoke Star, which Katie had told me that Rachel hadn’t seen before. It was exactly what it sounded like—a big-ass star that originated as a Christmas decoration but was now a tourist destination. I’d seen it several times, so it didn’t excite me anymore, but it had been cool the first time I’d gone up there.

  What couldn’t be beaten was the view. Roanoke wasn’t a bustling city by any means, but it was big enough that the contrast of the buildings against the mountain backdrop was awesome. If nothing else, it reminded me of my place in the world—that I was just one small person.

  Christ. I really was a sap.

  Rachel seemed to like the view, too, which pleased me. She took pictures on her phone and even made me pose with her in a few selfies. Whatever awkwardness I’d imagined earlier was gone.

  “I couldn’t believe it when Katie told me you’d never been up here.”

  She poked my stomach. “And I couldn’t believe it when Katie told me you’d schemed with her to make this happen. How did I not notice?”

  “I can be sneaky.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “You know, that’s not the most endearing trait in a guy I’m dating.”

  “Not even when it’s for your own good?”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Let’s get this straight. Surprises are good. Sneakiness, not so much.”

  “Then this was definitely a surprise, which makes it good, right?”

  She grinned. “Oh yeah. Definitely good.” She pressed her lips to mine. Supporting her lower back with my arms, I dipped her like we were in an old movie, giving all of the tourists a show.

  ***

  Rachel

  ONCE BACK IN the truck, Jake looked over at me. “Are you hungry?”

  I wasn’t, at least not in the traditional sense. I wanted to tell him what I was really hungry for was him. We’d been dancing around one another and issuing rain checks for far too long. Though I’d had anxiety when I was packing, I was now revved up and ready to go. I opened my mouth to tell him so but suddenly grew shy.

  “For food?” I asked ins
tead, snaking my hand to the inside of his knee and trailing it up his thigh. His legs were lean and toned. Guys’ legs had never been on my list of turn-ons, but there wasn’t much about Jake that didn’t turn me on.

  He sucked in a breath, keeping his eyes trained on the road. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and for some reason, I found it incredibly sexy. “Or we could go back to the room,” he managed.

  “Let’s do that.” My voice was lower than usual and husky. I almost didn’t recognize it.

  Jake might have broken more than one traffic law getting us back to the hotel, but I didn’t care. No harm, no foul.

  I could barely keep my hands to myself on the elevator ride up to our room, and if we hadn’t been sharing the small space with an elderly couple, I wouldn’t have. As soon as the elevator doors closed behind us and we were alone in the hall, I yanked up his shirt and splayed my hands on his belly. His abs tightened under my touch.

  My mouth somehow found his, and we stumbled down the hall to our room. It took him three tries to get the door open. It might have been easier if we’d stopped kissing, but neither of us was willing to do that.

  Kicking the door closed, Jake raised my arms above my head and pressed me against the wall.

  Yes. It’s about time. Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply.

  “Fuck.” His voice was raw and full of emotion. “You are so worth the wait.”

  My eyes fluttered opened, and I smiled slowly. “Let’s hope so.”

  I barely got the last word out before his mouth was on mine again. Then my shirt was gone, and his mouth was on my left breast. I threaded my hands through his hair, holding his head against me. I arched my back, pressing my core against his thigh. Pressure built within me, and I rotated my hips, seeking relief.

  In one swift motion, Jake swept his arm under my knees and lifted me. Throwing my head back and laughing, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He carried me to the bed and laid me down, but when he tried to join me, I put a hand on his chest.

  I grinned wickedly. “Strip.”

  He stilled then chuckled. But I didn’t move my hand. His eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

  “What did we say that one time?” I tapped a finger thoughtfully on my chin. “Assume I’m serious.”

  He straightened and hooked a thumb in his waistband, obviously unsure of himself. I was about to take pity on him when he slowly inched his shirt up. Propping myself up on my elbows, I ran my tongue along my lips.

  He groaned. “You’re killing me.”

  “I could say the same thing.”

  Jake pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. Then he ran his hands over his hair to fix whatever damage he thought had happened when the shirt went over it, except his hair was still perfect as always.

  But the sight of him shirtless, with his muscles flexing as he raised his arms… Holy shitballs. If my panties weren’t already wet, they certainly were now. And damn, I was still wearing my practical cotton panties instead of the lacy stuff I’d scrounged from Kassidy’s reject box.

  But as Jake looked at me with heat in his eyes, I knew Katie’s words were true—Jake would still look at me like that if I was wearing a paper sack. I kind of wished I was wearing a paper sack. It would certainly make getting undressed much quicker.

  I rose to my knees and moved to the edge of the bed. Reaching out for Jake, I motioned for him to come closer.

  He grinned and dipped his chin, his hair flipping onto his forehead. “Do you like what you see?” He’d obviously gotten over his discomfort in a hurry.

  Nodding, I ran my hands down my neck, over my breasts, and down my hips. “What about you?”

  His response was to close the distance between us, rake his hands up my sides, and unhook my bra quicker than I could blink. Then his mouth was on my nipple. I ran my fingers down his back to his ass and gripped a cheek in each hand.

  He chuckled. “That’s new.”

  “I have to admit I’ve been dying to squeeze your ass for the longest time.”

  “Really?” His tone was dry.

  I nodded solemnly. “It’s a luscious ass.”

  His expression was perplexed for a moment, like he wasn’t sure if he should take that as a compliment. Then he shrugged and grinned. “You have my permission to squeeze it anytime you want.”

  I smirked. “You might regret that.”

  He put his thumb under my chin and tilted my face so I was staring into his eyes. “I will never regret you putting your hands on me.”

  Cupping my face, he kissed me gently, taking his time. The kiss was sweet, and I sighed with pleasure. I loved how we could shift from playful to tender without missing a beat. He slowly worked his way down my throat, to both breasts, then knelt as he lazily dragged his tongue across my stomach. His fingers undid the button on my shorts and slid them down my hips.

  Standing, he hooked his arm under my butt and shifted me so that I was lying on my back. Before he could join me on the bed, I stripped him of his shorts, leaving him in his boxers.

  He nudged my knees open and positioned himself between my thighs, propping himself up on his elbows. Glorious, never-ending kisses—please, God, don’t let them end—ignited my need to a feverish degree. I’d wanted for so long to be skin-to-skin with Jake, and now I was. The only thing separating us were his boxers and my stupid plain white underwear. I wanted those pesky panties off.

  Jake shifted, and I felt his hardness against me. Gripping his hips, I grinded against him, showing him what I wanted. I shoved down the waistband of his boxers.

  He moved off me and lay on his side. The sudden removal of his body heat caused my nipples to harden. He traced his finger across them. “Your body is so beautiful. I love your skin.”

  “The shade is called pasty,” I managed.

  “I think you mean perfection.”

  He dipped a finger under the top of my panties, then looked at me with a question in his eyes.

  Uh, hell yes! I gripped his arm and pushed it farther down.

  With his other hand, he tugged at my panties, and I lifted my hips so he could slide them down. When they got to my thighs, he sucked in a breath. “Now this is perfection.” He trailed kisses down my belly and moved to my inner thigh.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I bit my lip to keep from crying out. He is effing killing me. “Touch me,” I whispered, grasping his hand so nothing would be lost in translation.

  Instead of heeding my request, his mouth went to my clit and sucked. My body jerked, and I fisted the bedding in my hands, letting out a low moan. My reaction only made him suck harder. Then he moved lower, to my core.

  Holy fuck, holy Jake, holy fucking everything. I was going to melt and explode at the same time. My breath came in short pants, and I found myself chanting his name. Then I was coming undone, breaking into a million Rachel pieces.

  As my body shuddered from the aftereffects, he gathered me in his arms and held me close. “Are you okay?”

  Unable to speak, I nodded. But even as electricity was still zinging through my body, the pressure already started to build again. I hooked a leg around his hips and pressed against him.

  CHAPTER 19

  Jake

  WHEN RACHEL PRESSED her wet heat against me, I nearly lost my shit. Hell, I’d nearly lost it a moment ago when I’d felt her body quake under me. I loved how open she was. She didn’t hold anything back, both in life and in bed.

  I wanted nothing more than to drive into her, to feel her wet heat pulsing around my cock, but I cared more about her than my own satisfaction. “We can wait for you to recover.”

  “I’m ready.” Her response was breathy and sexy as hell. “I’m still throbbing.”

  Fuck yeah, she is.

  She pushed my boxers all the way down my thighs, and I kicked them the rest of the way off. I instinctively reached toward the nightstand then cursed. The damn condoms were in my bag, which was on the other side of the room. Epic fail.

  “Hold on,” I told her
and quickly jumped off the bed to retrieve them out of my bag.

  When I turned back around, she was lying on her side, using her elbows to prop herself up. She made a little swirling motion with her fingers.

  I stopped in my tracks. “You want me to spin for you?”

  “Hell yes. I want to see the whole package.”

  Feeling ridiculous, which was not ideal in that moment, I held my hands out and indulged her, slowly turning. When I faced her again, her face was flushed, and her eyes were heated. Suddenly, the ridiculous feeling left. Seeing her appreciate me like that was fucking hot.

  When I went back to the bed, it was like fire had been ignited inside of Rachel. She kissed me hungrily, her hands exploring every part of me that she could reach. When they circled around my cock and she stroked, I groaned. “You can’t… I mean, I can’t—” Fuck.

  She stopped, and I breathed a little easier. I wanted this to be good for her, too, but if she kept touching me like that, I couldn’t make any promises.

  Then she scooted down my body and licked the length of my cock. Fighting for control, I forced myself to be perfectly still. “God, Rachel, I want to be in you.”

  Gripping her arms, I gently pulled her upward then flipped our positions so that she was on her back. I turned away to deal with the condom. When I settled myself between her thighs, she hooked one leg behind my back and used it to pull me closer.

  She put her hands on my cheeks and kissed me. We continued to kiss as I entered her slowly. When I was in fully, I took a moment to gather myself. She feels so fucking good.

  Then I started moving. She arched her back, causing her nipples to graze my chest. I’d been so confident she would be screaming my name, but I wanted to scream hers. The girl undid me in every way I could be undone—physically and emotionally. I would never get enough of her.

  “Jake,” she whispered in my ear, and that was hotter than if she’d screamed it. Her muscles began to clench around me, so I went deeper, harder. She let out a moan and dug her fingers into my back.