Danielle barely kept her jaw from dropping. “What?”
“I want you with me throughout the play-offs. I like having you at the games. I like hearing you cheer for me, and I really like seeing you after all the press stuff is over. I know you have work, and the Clear Water permit stuff going on, but I’m willing to cover the costs of airfare, hotel and whatever Debra needs to let you go with me.”
“I’m surprised you want me to go.”
Jacobe froze in the middle of taking a sip of the champagne. “Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know—maybe because at your press conference you said we were cool. What does that mean?”
“Oh, that.” He turned to put the champagne on the table.
Danielle scowled. “Yes, that.”
“I don’t talk about my personal life with the media. They already knew the answer, so asking was just to try and get more out of me. If I’d said anything else about us then it’s a new headline. There’s a new woman in Jacobe Jenkins’s life. Now everyone wants to know about you. The paparazzi come out, the bloggers start tearing you apart, and people start digging into your personal life.”
She slowly walked over to him at the table. “I guess I can understand that, but did you start to think about how that would sound to me?”
“No,” he said as if it were obvious that he wouldn’t. “You know where we stand.”
“Actually, I don’t.”
He took her hands in his and stared her in the eye. “I trust you, Danielle. More than I’ve trusted another woman in years. When you first mentioned wanting a relationship, my first thought was to step back and leave you alone. That’s what I’ve done for years. Except, I couldn’t.”
So much anticipation swelled up inside of her, and it mingled with a bit of hope that the declaration meant what she wanted it to. That his feelings were just as strong as hers. “Why?”
“Because I walked away from you years ago. I wasn’t going to do that again.”
Her heart beat so hard against her ribs she wondered if it would bruise. She took a step closer to Jacobe. The swell of emotions filling her threatened to explode like a shaken bottle of champagne.
“Jacobe, I—”
“Shhh,” he cut her off with a kiss.
Thank God he had. They were way too early in their relationship for her to blurt out what she was about to say. She was scared that the words had nearly bubbled out of her mouth without forethought simply because he wanted her with him during the play-offs. He pulled back just enough to trace soft kisses across her lips, over her chin and back.
Danielle accepted the distraction. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against the hard heat of his. Her breasts grew heavy and languid heat took over her bloodstream.
“You keep kissing me like this,” Jacobe said, between kisses, “and I’m going to forget about dinner.”
Danielle rose higher on her toes and pulled his lower lip between her teeth. “You kissed me first.”
Jacobe lifted his head. “Are you very hungry right now?”
Danielle shook her head. “I’m far from starving.”
He swept her up into his arms. “Good.”
He quickly took her back through the house and ultimately to his master bathroom. Candles were lit in there already. He set her on her feet, then moved away to turn on the water in his tub.
“You want to take a bath?”
“I want to make love to you in the tub. This was for after dinner.” He picked up a jar of oil and poured some into the rising water. “I’ve thought about you in the tub ever since that first night at your house.” Next he opened bubble bath and put a generous amount into the water.
Danielle’s body heated as she watched him. “The food will get cold.”
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the side on the floor. Her breath caught in her chest and her gaze slid over every wonderful inch of his chiseled perfection. “Then let’s eat.”
He moved to walk past her to the door. Danielle hooked her fingers in the belt loop of his pants and pulled him back to her.
“That’s what I thought.” His smile was cocky before he lifted her up for a kiss. Jacobe carried her over to his enormous tub.
He undressed her slowly. His warm lips and wicked tongue flicked over every inch of skin he revealed as he pulled off her cardigan, T-shirt, and knee-length skirt. By the time he removed her underwear, her hands were clutching his shoulders, her breaths shorts pants and her body nearly boneless with desire.
Jacobe held her in his arms again then lowered her into the tub. The tub was so large that the water barely covered her waist.
“It’s not ready yet,” she said.
He eased her backward until she rested against the warm ceramic of the tub. “Shh, just relax.”
He reached for a thick washcloth. After dipping it into the water, he picked up the soaking cloth and let the warm drops trickle over her body. Jacobe repeated the movement, his eyes dark and intense in the candlelight as he teased her. The warm rivulets flowed over her in slow, erotic streams.
“Let me take care of you,” he said in a low, seductive voice.
He used the cloth to gather the suds from the rising waters and grazed the soft material across her parted thighs, up her stomach and around her breasts. He bathed her with slow precision, each stroke increasing her desire. Her head fell back and her legs spread wide. His fingers replaced the cloth, tracing down her neck and chest, swirling around the hard tip of her breast and the sensitive skin of her midsection.
His hand brushed the curls between her legs. Pleasure zipped across her skin. Gasping, Danielle’s eyes opened to slits and she watched him. The smile on his face was all masculine pride. He gently ran his fingers across her core. Teasing and tormenting her. Danielle’s hands gripped the edges of the tub. Her eyes never left his.
One thick finger pushed into her. Her mouth fell open with a silent gasp. His lips curved higher. With deliberateness, he drove her to the brink, holding her captive with his intense gaze. With each wondrous slide of his hand in and out, her thoughts fled and all she wanted was more. To have Jacobe touch her like this and never stop. The erotic pressure built. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Her body tightened more and more with pleasure. She exploded with a wave of delicious sensation. Her cry echoed around the bathroom. Her vision blurred and her heart beat frantically in her chest.
Jacobe stood slowly and stopped the water. She watched through half-lowered lids as he quickly peeled off his clothes. He slid on a condom then lowered himself into the tub. He took her into his arms and Danielle met his kiss with renewed passion. He flipped their positions until her legs straddled his waist.
Danielle dropped her hands between them, took him into her hands and lowered herself onto his erection. Her body was overly sensitive from his earlier attentions and she moaned in exquisite pleasure with each filling inch. Jacobe took her face in his hands and brought her forward for a kiss, his hips pushing up with each of her downward slides.
He leaned back and stared at her, his gaze possessive. “You’re so damn sexy, Danielle.” His hands slid over her shoulders and down her arms before resting on her waist. “So sexy and all mine.” His hips pushed up hard and deep. “Tell me you’re mine.”
Danielle gasped and clasped his arms. The pleasure was so intense she couldn’t stop a grin from curving her lips. “Yours, Jacobe. Only yours.”
* * *
Several minutes later, Danielle lay with her back against his chest in the tub. The water was still warm and silky, and her body felt just as fluid. She could stay there forever. In his arms, forever. Because she loved him.
“Will you come with me during the play-offs?” Jacobe asked.
The excitement that he wanted her with him was still there, b
ut the concern of giving up so much of her life to follow him made her hesitate. He’d already said he wouldn’t disrupt his life for her. Was she being unrealistic and foolish to consider doing it for him?
“That’s a lot of time away,” she answered.
“Which is why I want you to come.”
She took a deep breath. “Jacobe, I don’t know.”
“Forget it,” he said, and tried to sit up.
Danielle pushed back so he couldn’t get out. “Stop. You can’t get mad when I bring up a valid point.”
“I’m not mad. I’m surprised you don’t want to come.”
“I didn’t say I don’t want to come. I’m telling you that it’s a lot of time away from my job. A lot of time at a very important time.”
“I get it. You can’t leave right now.”
She shifted sideways in his tub to meet his eye. “That, and you’re asking me to disrupt my life, drop everything and follow you around the country. But you describe us as being cool.”
“What are you asking, Danielle? What do you want me to say?”
She wanted him to say he loved her. That he wanted her there not just as a lover but as part of his emotional support. Someone that he could lean on if they lost and who would celebrate any victory with the same enthusiasm and pride he would feel. But Jacobe wasn’t likely to lay out any of those emotions at her feet. Those were the wishes of a woman who wanted to be more to him than she probably was.
“Do you want a cheering section, or me?”
“You, Danielle.” His dark eyes were filled with an intensity that made her heart flutter. An intensity that promised her that one day he would say those words. “Only you. I haven’t had a woman in my life for years. Seeing you the night we made the play-offs. That did something to me.”
The words were a warm, happy squeeze around her chest. There was little else he could say to make her feel any better.
“I can’t make it to all the games, but I will come to as many as I can.”
The tension seeped from his body. The arm around her waist tightened. “Cool.”
Danielle laughed. “That’s all I get? Cool? After all that sulking and pouting.”
“Hey, I don’t sulk,” he said, and kissed her neck. Jacobe ran a hand up her arm and squeezed her shoulder. “Will you stay here tonight?”
It was the first time he’d brought up either of them spending the night. She wasn’t going to Malawi. Wasn’t even going to worry Jacobe with the idea of her going. She wasn’t sure when he’d be comfortable enough to say he loved her, but she felt his feelings for her. They were more than just the feelings a man had for a woman he only considered a lover.
She turned in his arms and straddled his hips. “I’d love to.” When she kissed him she did so with every ounce of love flowing through her.
Chapter 14
“Let’s hear it for the Eastern Conference Champions!”
A roar of cheers went up from the crowd in the Suite, a downtown club where the Gators were celebrating winning the semifinals. Danielle lifted her hand and cheered with them. Jacobe wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her in to kiss her cheek. They were at one of the tables in the VIP section. Kevin and Debra were also there. Jacobe had also suggested she invite the rest of the river rats, who were out on the dance floor enjoying the party.
“This party is amazing,” Danielle said over the music and cheering.
Jacobe lowered his head to speak directly into her ear. “If we make the finals, then the next party will be even better. The Gators haven’t made it to the semifinals in ten years. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
He squeezed her closer against his tall, hard body. The room full of people and the sounds of the music became a distant hum. Danielle snuggled back into him. She could barely hear his moan, but she felt the rumble of it through his body.
“You’re making me want to sneak you out of here,” he murmured against her ear.
She wanted him to sneak her out of there. In the weeks since he’d asked her to attend the games with him, things had been great. No more leaving in the middle of the night, or pretending like they were just “cool.” He still hadn’t said anything in the media about their relationship, which she was okay with, but everyone on the team knew she was Jacobe’s woman.
“Will you two stop,” Debra said, looking between Danielle and Jacobe. “I’d tell you to get a room, but I’m afraid that you’ll actually leave me here with this one.” She pointed to Kevin.
Kevin laughed and raised his glass to Debra. “You’d love to be alone with me.”
“Oh no, my mama taught me why I never should be alone with a guy like you,” Debra replied, waving a finger.
Danielle grinned at the exchange. Debra was a fan of Kevin, and he had flirted with her constantly since Danielle started hanging with the group, but Debra had told Danielle she wasn’t ready to be the next woman to have Kevin’s baby.
“Whatever,” Kevin said. His sly gaze slipped to Jacobe. “I guess you’ll be paying up pretty soon.”
Jacobe’s body stiffened. Danielle glanced at him. He shook his head at Kevin. “Not quite there yet.”
“What’s that about?” Danielle asked.
Jacobe smiled and kissed her forehead. “Nothing. Kevin just jumping to conclusions.”
She had a feeling it was more than that but dropped it. Kevin sipped his drink and winked at Danielle. She got the feeling she was missing something.
“Hey, look who just got here,” Isaiah interrupted.
Jacobe looked up and his arm around her tightened. She turned to face Isaiah and her stomach dropped.
“Luke?” she said with disbelief. Every time she saw him she was struck by how he seemed to always look like the nice boy next door. Bright smile, friendly gaze and stylish but conservative clothes.
Luke’s smile widened. “Danielle, I didn’t expect to see you here.” He glanced at Jacobe, then back at her. “How are things?”
Jacobe pulled Danielle tighter against him. “Things are great.”
Danielle’s lips pressed together. She could answer herself and didn’t need him to puff up just because Luke was there.
“Things are well. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to celebrate the Gators’ win. Isaiah and I are good friends. I tried to make it into town for the game, but the flight got delayed. I’ll be in town up to the finals, then it’ll be time for our trip to Malawi. I planned to get in touch with you while I was in town. You know we’re really looking forward to having you on board.”
Danielle broke into a cold sweat. She’d assumed Luke’s plans had changed when he didn’t email again. He must have assumed her silence was acquiescence.
Jacobe cleared his throat and shifted next to Danielle. “Going where?”
“Luke is working with Water for Kids on a trip to Malawi to dig wells and provide water filtration for remote villages. They’re taking a few environmental activists to provide guidance on protecting the limited water resources. He asked me to go.”
“That’s great,” Jacobe said. “You always wanted to go on a trip like that.”
“You want me to go?”
“I remember you said you always wanted to work with them. Well, now’s your chance. That’s cool.” He sounded like he was all for it, except he’d pulled away from her.
“It’s settled,” Luke said. “Danielle, I’ll call you on Monday to talk about the details.” He slapped Isaiah on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”
Isaiah threw an apologetic look at Jacobe. He didn’t look at Danielle before he followed Luke.
Jacobe slid out of the booth. “I’m going to get another drink, too.”
“I’ll join you,” Kevin said.
Debra turned wide eyes toward D
anielle when they walked away. “You didn’t tell him you were going?”
“I wasn’t going. I decided not to go the night he asked me to come to the play-off games. I didn’t think I needed to tell him about the invitation. How was I supposed to know Luke would out me?”
Debra took a deep breath. “What are you going to do?”
Danielle looked at Jacobe talking to Kevin at the end of the bar. He glanced back at her. She smiled. He turned away. A dull ache started in her chest. “I don’t know.”
* * *
Jacobe sipped from his beer and glanced toward the windows. Moonlight glistened off the river in the distance, but he didn’t see it. His mind was focused on Danielle’s lie. That she would plan to leave the country with her ex and not mention it to him at all. He saw her reflection in the glass as she walked up behind him.
“Are you mad at me for not mentioning the mission trip?
“I’m curious about why you kept the trip a secret.”
In the reflection, he noticed her lips pressed together. She looked uneasy, which made him uncomfortable. Had he finally trusted a woman only to be fooled again?
“I wasn’t keeping it a secret. I forgot to mention that he made the offer.”
“That’s a convenient excuse.”
“It’s not a convenient excuse. It’s what happened. Luke emailed me weeks ago about the trip. I wasn’t sure if I was going, but the night you asked me to come to the play-off games I knew I wasn’t going.”
He turned to face her. “You were considering it?”
“I was. I’ve always wanted to do something like this. Of course, I would consider going.”
“You’d go out of the country with your ex-boyfriend even though you’re dating me?”
“It’s a working trip. It’s not like I would be going on a vacation with Luke. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. Because you’re not going.”
Her brows drew together. “Are you forbidding me?”
“You said yourself you weren’t going, so that’s the end of it.”
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