“What are you talking about?” She didn’t remember seeing anything like that.
“When Jake came to the set this afternoon to see you. He looked pissed at Zane after their little powwow, but he was also eyeing Patch. Sizing him up.” She narrowed her eyes. “If you ask me, that whole thing he did this morning had less to do with getting women to stop coming onto him as it did to keep guys from coming onto you.”
“Pfft! You’re nuts.” Was she? Jake had mentioned Zane looking at her. “I’m nobody, and he’s…well, he’s somebody.”
“You can minimize it if you want, but for a guy who wouldn’t even talk to you a week ago, it seems like he’s publicly claimed you. And you’re hot and brilliant and sweet. He should be jealous.”
“He should? I think it’s the other way around, and I’m already growing green with envy. Jealousy is not a good thing, and this whole situation is much more difficult than I had imagined it would be.” Fiona rested her head back on the couch. “I think he did that thing this morning as much for his own head as he did for any other reason. He’s doing all the right things, you know?” She turned her head and met Trish’s comforting gaze. “When we kissed the other night, it was so much better than when we were younger, more intense, but it was also like all those years that we were apart never happened.”
Trish reached for her hand. “But they did, Fi.”
“Yeah. They did, and I think he’s having a hard time figuring out if he’s even capable of being faithful or something. He keeps telling me that he’s going to screw up. Like he’s preparing me for it.”
“Or preparing himself?” Trish leaned back beside Fiona. “Guys are hardheaded; you know that. Maybe he’s trying to keep himself from falling for you, just in case.”
“That’s not very reassuring.” Fiona closed her eyes. “I was hoping you’d tell me that I’m being paranoid.”
“I’m a realist, and guys are…guys. They try real hard sometimes, but then something happens and their brains deflate, or scramble, or God knows what. And they mess up. He probably knows himself well.” Trish sighed. “As much as I love you, I have to admit that I would never be able to do what you’re doing. I want things to work out for the two of you because you obviously love him more than life itself, and if today was any indication, I’d say that he also has strong feelings for you. What man would make such a public statement if he didn’t? But I could never deal with women climbing my man like a mountain.”
“A mountain?” Fiona laughed, but inside her heart was heavy with the reality of what Trish was saying and elated by her deeming Jake Fiona’s man. When they’d lived in Trusty, Jake’s exposure to women was limited to the small town. Now she’d seen firsthand what things would be like if she and Jake were together. As much as she hated to admit it, she’d also noticed how it had taken Jake’s full concentration to try to ward his past away from their present.
Chapter Twelve
FIONA WAITED FOR Jake inside his trailer Wednesday evening while he met with the producers. It was more like a mobile luxury home than a trailer. She wondered how often Jake had to sleep in it. Was this trailer where he lived when he was on location? Or did he stay in hotel rooms? Or rent apartments? She tried to imagine what it would be like if she and Jake stayed together. Would she go on location with him? Would she want to? It was way too soon to think about any of that, but she couldn’t help it. They might have only just found each other again, but she’d known Jake her whole life. Even though he’d changed in many ways, he still felt like her Jake. At least she’d seen parts of her Jake reappear over the last few days, and she had a feeling that more of that guy was inside him somewhere.
She was reading through the latest online edition of Geology magazine when her cell vibrated. She picked up her phone, hoping it was Jake, but her hope deflated when she saw Shea’s name.
“Hey, Shea.”
“Hi. Sorry it took me so long to call you, but I’ve been swamped. I just saw the pics from this morning. Have you seen them?”
“No. I don’t want to. I know I’ll look horrible.” She pushed her computer across the table. “You know Reggie, Brent, and Jesse all texted me already, wanting to know what the real scoop was with me and Jake.”
“Finn called me. He said he didn’t want to hear you get all sappy over any guy, so I filled him in. They love you, Fi. They care. That’s what brothers are supposed to do,” Shea said.
“Yeah, but you know Reggie. He said he was going to run checks on Jake, so the private investigator in him probably ran a hundred different types of checks.” Fiona laughed. Reggie was a little overprotective of her and Shea.
“Well, you have to admit, it’s better than having brothers who don’t care,” Shea insisted.
“True. And they all like the Bradens, so it’s not like they were upset or anything.” Now that she’d had a little time to breathe, she was actually glad they’d even noticed. She knew how busy they were.
“Well, now that everyone’s seen the pictures…take a look,” Shea urged.
“No. I don’t want to see them.” She pushed the laptop farther away. She was dying to see the pictures and had been fighting the urge to take a peek at them for the past hour.
“Fi, you have to see them. Trust me. I promise you won’t be upset. Please?”
Fiona eyed the laptop. “No, Shea.”
“Fiona, trust me. Please? I know how much Jake means to you, and I know how hard that must have been for you this morning. But you have got to see the pictures. Everyone is talking about them.”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “I know. I’ve been dodging remarks all day. Apparently, Perez Hilton picked them up, and they were streamed to the Huffington Post and People magazine’s website.”
“All the more reason for you to see them.”
“Ugh. Fine. I guess if people are gawking at me, I should know how bad I look.” She pulled her computer back toward her and typed People.com. She navigated to their photos under the heading Stuntman Jake Braden’s Off the Market!
“Holy crap. Did you see the headlines on People?”
Shea laughed. “Yes. It’s funny how quickly they pull these things together. But focus, Fi. Look at those pictures. You’re gorgeous, right? Tell me what you see.”
Fiona groaned. “Me, scared shitless.”
“Look again.”
Her eyes settled on Jake’s sincere smile and traveled to his intense gaze, so full of emotion that she lost her voice in a rush of air. “He looks like he—” She’d dreamed of seeing that look in his eyes for so many years that she could barely think.
“Exactly, Fi. That’s what the world saw, too,” Shea said. “Jake’s looking at you exactly like he used to. I was only a kid when you guys were dating, but as soon as I saw these pictures, I remembered. Fi, you know what this means?”
“Uh-uh.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the photo. Jake had one arm around her shoulder, and he was leaning in close. He looked happy. Truly happy. Not like the feigned smile she’d seen in magazines over recent years.
“It means you were right to take a chance, Fi. I think he still loves you, even if he doesn’t know it yet.”
The trailer door opened and Jake walked in. His eyes swept to the left, then moved in her direction. When they came to rest on her, the smile she saw in the pictures appeared on his handsome face. Fiona reached out and closed the laptop.
“I gotta go, Shea. Love you.” She ended the call without waiting for Shea to respond. She was riveted by Jake as he walked toward her in his tight T-shirt and jeans that hugged his massive thighs and left little to the imagination. She rose to greet him, and he pulled her into his arms and took her in a greedy kiss.
She loved being in his arms again, and she didn’t care if he’d ambushed her with the press or had lived a thousand lives while they were apart. She loved him now—this second—and his feelings for her were as palpable as his strong embrace. When their lips parted, she missed the feel of them, and she reached up to touch her u
pper lip, where his scruff had scratched her. She wanted to feel it again—everywhere.
“That was too many hours to go in between kissing you.”
“Yeah,” was all she could manage as she clung to his arms, aching to kiss him again.
“I thought about you every minute of the day. Screwed up two stunts because I kept thinking about holding you.” He lowered his lips to hers. “Kissing you.” His hands roamed up her back, pressing their chests together.
“Should I be sorry?”
He smiled and sealed his lips over hers again, kissing her like he never wanted to let her go, which seemed like a perfect plan to her.
“Never be sorry. I had something really fun planned for tonight.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, then ran his tongue along her lower lip.
“Fun?” she whispered, having no idea how she managed the word when her entire body was on fire.
“A date.” He nipped at her jaw, causing her breathing to quicken. “Like a real couple.”
His hands slid up her sides and she arched against him, wanting those big hands to wander all over her body. Now. Somewhere among the need coursing through her body she realized he’d referred to them as a real couple, and her heart soared. But her pulse was racing, and she wasn’t sure she could form a coherent sentence to respond. Actions spoke louder than words, so she threaded her hands in his hair and held on tight as he lifted her into his arms. Her legs circled his waist and their mouths crashed together. She ran her hands through his hair, grasping for purchase as their tongues collided, pulling her into a frenzied state of breathless need. He pressed his arousal against her center, and a moan of desire escaped her lips before she could stop it. His hands slid beneath her ass, holding her tightly against him, grinding his hips, creating luscious friction and making her so damn wet her body ached for relief.
“Bedroom.” The word came off her lips like a demand.
Jake pulled back and searched her eyes. “Fi?”
Her voice was tamped down by need she couldn’t contain. Her heart slammed against her ribs in anticipation. She took his prickly cheeks in her hands and sealed her mouth over his again with a kiss that left no room for misinterpretation. Jake carried her to the bedroom, hands searching, tongue stroking, as they tumbled down to the bed. Fiona hadn’t felt this much raw desire since she and Jake were together in high school, and she wasn’t about to slow down. She tugged at his jeans, craving his impressive manhood. Wanting all of him. He tore her shirt from her body and tossed it aside. He took off his shirt as he knelt between her legs, then made quick work of getting her naked save for her bra and came down again, kissing her as his hands explored every inch of her skin.
“Off,” he said as he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside.
His eyes went nearly black as he filled his palms with her breasts and brought his mouth to hers again, his tongue sliding over hers in rhythm to the slow torture his fingers were playing out with her nipples. Teasing her until she thought she might climb out of her skin. Her hips rose off the bed, pressing against his as she reached for his jeans again.
“Off,” she pleaded.
Jake’s lips quirked up in a devilish grin as he rolled to the side and swiftly divested himself of his remaining clothes. Good Lord. She’d forgotten just how big he was, how thick, and he seemed impossibly larger than she’d remembered. She licked her lips, wanting to taste him and knowing full well she shouldn’t because of how many women he’d been with. Hell, she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to bring him as much pleasure as she knew he’d bring her, and she reached between his legs. He gripped her wrist and pinned her to the mattress with a heated stare.
“No, Fi.”
Her heart sank. She hadn’t wanted to face the reality of the overzealous sex life she’d heard about, and here it was, literally staring her in the face.
“I haven’t had unprotected sex, but I want to get tested before…” He lay beside her and cupped her cheek. His eyes pooled with emotion. “I don’t want to take any chances, and if you’d rather not go any further, we can stop.”
“And if I want to?” She could wait to taste him, but she wanted to be close to him, to feel him inside her. To be his.
“I have protection.”
She nodded, and he reached into the nightstand and threw a handful of condoms on the bed with another coy grin.
“Confident, aren’t we?” she teased, but inside she felt a pang of worry about his condom supply. In the next breath she shoved it away. This wasn’t new information, and she wasn’t going to allow it to ruin their intimacy.
“You and I have been down this road before. You tell me.”
She yanked him back down on top of her, and this time when their lips met, it was in a slow, sensual kiss. Their naked bodies intertwined, his arousal pressed against her belly, her legs wrapped around his muscular thighs. Their skin heated as they explored each other’s bodies. His calloused hands sent shivers to her core. She reached between his legs and stroked him, pulling a throaty groan from his lungs.
“Fi,” he said urgently.
She stroked faster, and he gripped her wrist again.
“I’ve wanted you since I saw you in the bar. Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“I think touching you is the best idea I’ve ever had,” she shot back, and arched up to lick his chest. He tasted salty and hot, and so manly her body pulsed with need. It had been too long since she’d been with a real man. A man made of muscles and vigor. A man who knew how to love a woman.
Jake Braden knew how to love a woman, and he was about to prove just that, as he slithered down her body, his hands caressing, his mouth loving, kissing, teasing a path down the center of her body.
He touched his forehead to her stomach and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her to him. Fiona felt herself tearing up. This was the Jake she knew. The sensual, tender man whose heart hungered to be loved. When he whispered, “God, I’ve missed you,” she felt a tear break free.
He lay there for a long while, and Fiona soaked him in. She could hardly believe this was finally happening. They were finally together, and his walls were coming down. The feel of being in his arms again was better than she’d remembered, better than she’d hoped, but when he lifted his gaze and met hers, the love in his eyes sent her heart out of her mouth.
“Love me, Jake.”
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips before moving lower. He gripped her thighs, spreading them farther apart, all the while holding her gaze. Then his mouth was upon her. Her head fell back with the first luxurious stroke of his tongue. She dug her fingers into his hand as he teased her. Her nerves felt exposed and electrified. She tried to remember how to breathe—and when he slid his fingers into her, she lost all sense of the here and now. Lost in pleasure, she writhed against his talented mouth, feeling the swell of an orgasm low in her belly.
“Come for me, baby.”
His lustful voice vibrated through her and sent her spiraling over the edge, stroking her into the longest, most intense orgasm she’d ever had.
IN ALL THE years since Jake and Fiona had been together, he had never forgotten how sweet she tasted or the sexy sounds she made when she came apart. He rested his cheek on her inner thigh, taking a moment to try to regain control of his desires. Being intimate with her again brought a rush of emotions, and he’d nearly come from the intensity of it all. Jake had never needed safety in his life, but regardless of what he needed, when he was with Fiona, he felt safe, and it blew him away. She was anything but safe. She’d left him once. She should make him wary, if anything, but when he’d entered the trailer tonight, the love in her eyes wiped that slate clean.
He kissed his way up her body, inhaling her scent and tasting her heated flesh. She was as new to him as she was familiar. Her curves were feminine and sexy as hell. Her breasts filled his hands, and as he brought his tongue to her taut nipple, she sucked in a breath and tightened her hold on his back. He loved the way s
he clawed at him, the way her body and heart responded to him on all levels. She was strong and tough, sensitive and caring. She was still all the things she was years ago, only more intense and wiser, and it endeared her to him even more. He looked into her love-filled eyes, and in that moment he knew he didn’t want to just protect her; he wanted to love her again.
Wanted to.
He was already there. Even if clouded by memories of their past and what his life had become, beneath it all, his love for her had remained steady and true.
He folded her into his arms and held her tight. Too tight, he was sure, but he didn’t want to let her go. Not again. Not ever. He felt her heart beating against his, and when he drew back, she touched his cheek.
“You feel it, too.” It wasn’t a question.
Oh yeah, he felt it.
“Fi…” He wanted to warn her again that he’d fuck up. He’d become too selfish to make this work, hadn’t he? He’d become the type of man he’d loathed when he’d first come to Los Angeles. The type of guy who was only out for his own pleasure and didn’t know how to feel.
She stroked his cheek again, smiled up at him with trusting eyes.
But he was feeling. She was helping him feel, making him realize he wasn’t too broken to ever feel again.
“You look sad,” she whispered.
“No, babe. I’m happy.” He kissed her softly. “I haven’t felt this much in forever.”
“That was my fault.” She shifted her eyes away.
“I’ve decided to blame it on your life instead. You couldn’t weed through your family’s upheaval back then. This is better.” He kissed her again, then kissed each of her cheeks and her forehead, his feelings growing with every passing second. “Now we both know what’s out there. We both know what we want, and we’re learning who we really are. It’ll take time to figure it all out, but I think maybe all that hurt had to happen.”
She wrinkled her brow. “Hurt never needs to happen. I’m sorry, Jake.”
Crashing Into Love Page 13