by Aimee Duffy
“You did this to me. It’s been like this all day.” He groaned against her skin, and she smiled at his words. He wanted her. The evidence was right there pressed against her stomach like a hot brand. God, how she wanted him.
Jake had her off the floor again and placed her on the center of the bed. A chill went through Caitlyn when he left her there, but before she could ask what he was doing, he pulled a foil packet out of a drawer and returned. The throb at her center grew uncomfortable, exactly like it had this afternoon and she reveled in the thought that soon she’d know what would follow the intense pressure.
After joining her on the bed, he slid down her body, trailing kisses across her stomach, and again her fingers flew to his hair. She couldn’t believe how aware she was of him, every inch of him, the spicy clean smell of him. It had never been like this with Archie. Or anyone.
Jake slipped further down her body and pried her thighs apart. His warm breath brushed the curls at the apex between her thighs and ice trickled through her veins. This was too much, her chest felt tight. She was too exposed. Too vulnerable.
“Jake, stop.” Caitlyn didn’t even care that her voice sounded tiny. His head rose and she clamped her thighs shut.
Concern was evident in his hungry eyes and she almost wished she hadn’t spoken. But lying there, naked on the bed, more exposed than she’d even been in her life, terrified her. She couldn’t do this.
Chapter 6
An array of creative curse words played through Jake’s mind, each one directed at himself. It had been seventeen years since he’d made love to a virgin, and at the time had been one himself. His vow to take things slow and make sure Caitlyn would be comfortable was a test of his shaky self-control.
From the moment the word ‘sex’ had poured from her lips he’d wanted to rip her clothes off and take her against the wall like an untamed animal. Seeing her huddle the top sheet against her body, with eyes wide and pale skin, he used the last ounce of strength he possessed and moved to lie beside her with one arm around her torso.
“What’s wrong, Caitlyn?”
“I…it felt…I don’t know.” Her gaze, though still fogged with lust, pleaded with him.
“Shhh. We don’t have to do that yet. Is this okay?” With one hand twined in her hair, Jake pulled her head toward him and kissed her as soft as a whisper. He pulled back after a second and his whole body throbbed in bitter protest.
“Yes.” She sighed and leaned closer.
He tried to chuckle, but it sounded strangled. “Then let’s try that for a while.”
Again, his body violently rejected the idea, but he didn’t want to scare her off. This fiery siren who’d been so brave when she’d come storming into his villa over a week ago, calling him an inconsiderate ass, was so damn sexy, and he didn’t know how to not want her. If slow was what she needed, he’d try his hardest to make sure his body stayed in check.
Caitlyn moaned against his lips and opened up to him. He explored her sweet heat with sensual sweeps of his tongue when all he wanted was to gobble her up. The smell of strawberries and kiwi from her hair filled his senses and kicked his arousal to the breaking point.
With a tenderness he didn’t know he had in him, Jake stroked the silky skin on her back and Caitlyn trembled. Not from the cold, no, her skin was as hot as his. Caitlyn’s arms slid around his neck and he released her lips, trailing kisses down the slim column of her throat. He nibbled the pulse point, dragging another moan from her lips.
His hands slid around to her stomach. Barely skimming her skin, he slid one between her legs, and then trailed circles on the insides of her thighs. “Is this okay?” he whispered against her throat.
“Yes.” Caitlyn’s hands fisted in his hair and he moved lower, sucking a rosy tipped peak into his mouth.
She arched into him, the movement brushing her thigh against his erection, and he thought he might explode right there. Putting a stranglehold on his body’s response, he inched his hand higher and trailed his fingers through the damp curls between her thighs. Her hips arched into him which he took as an invitation for more.
His thumb delved into the damp, flaming curls at her core, and she tensed all over. Jake should have stopped, should have backed off, but the need to see her writhing in undisguised pleasure again was too strong. He stroked the hard nub at the heart of her and relished in her gasp. As he continued stroking his thumb across the sensitive flesh in swirling motions, he looked up into her face.
Caitlyn’s eyes were glazed and her skin flushed with arousal. Short pants broke through her parted lips and his erection jerked in response. Hell, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her body tensed again. She cried out, never taking her eyes off his, and her body pulsed and shuddered beneath his caress. Jake loved the way she responded to his touch, it was wild yet seemed natural, innocent, and instinctive, and sexy as hell. Caitlyn’s hold on his neck loosened as she sunk back into the pillows with a cat-got-the-milk smile on her face.
* * * *
“Wow.” That wasn’t a word Caitlyn ever used, but it seemed appropriate now.
Jake was propped on one elbow beside her, the hand he’d used to give her pleasure she couldn’t put into words in her own head, now drew circles on her stomach. Her body still trembled with heated aftershocks, and the skimming touch of his fingers only ignited the inner fire raging inside her. His eyes, swirling black storms beneath hooded lids, focused on her mouth. Caitlyn felt her earlier hunger grow unbearable. He leaned toward her and brushed kisses along her jaw.
“Ready for round two?” The husky question made her core throb with undiluted desire.
Damp heat arrowed between her legs and her nipples tightened. If sex was anywhere near as good as that, she was in. “Yes.”
His erection bobbed hard and proud against her thigh. She swallowed. He was so huge. How was that going to fit inside her? She eyed the raging length of him. A tiny prickle of fear skittered down her spine.
“I’ll be gentle. I promise,” he whispered, moving his hand to cup her cheek.
“Will it hurt?” The question popped out before she could think better of it, and his expression turned serious. Immediately, she regretted asking.
“I’ll be very gentle, but yes. It’s your first time. It will hurt.”
His face was filled with concern and indecision. She didn’t want to stop, she had heard the first time was painful and his erection looked like it could effortlessly split her in two, but the time had come that she actually felt she was going to burst into flames if she didn’t have this. Didn’t have him. There was no way Caitlyn would let this opportunity pass her by. She lay back against the fluffy pillows at the head of the bed and parted her thighs in silent invitation.
A wary expression crossed Jake’s features, but he moved his large, solid body so it loomed above hers.
“I’m ready,” she said, willing him to be the cocky, self-assured Jake she knew him to be.
He nodded and pulled back slightly to sheath himself. When he returned, he leaned on his elbows and kissed her. It was sweet and reassuring and she didn’t want it to end.
“If it hurts too much, tell me and I’ll stop. I promise.” His tone was gentle. Tears pricked her eyes.
“Okay.” Caitlyn pulled his head back down for another kiss, letting him feel her hunger.
The tip of his erection prodded at the slick folds of her sex and, with a gentle thrust, he filled her completely. A sharp pain at his entry caused her to release an unwilling sob.
Jake froze. “Caitlyn? Did I hurt you?”
She opened her eyes and saw his jaw was tense while he battled to hold on to his restraint. The pain had gone now. All that was left was a building tension which she knew from the last round would lead to glorious release.
“No. Please don’t stop.”
His throaty chuckle filled her ears and he took her mouth in a gentle, sweet kiss which made her writ
he with need.
“Your wish…” He trailed off as he pulled out and then entered her again, slower.
Her hips rose to meet his thrust of their own accord and the pleasure built achingly higher. She needed release, she needed him to move quicker. She encircled his waist with her legs and pulled him in deeper. His jaw was taut and he ignored her efforts to move him faster. Jake continued his slow, almost lethargic thrusts, building the pleasure-pain tension at her core to torturous levels.
She was in both heaven and hell at the same time. The pressure of the heat building was glorious and yet too much to bear. For a fleeting second, she wondered if he really was trying to torture her, but the thought was dismissed when Jake lifted her hips. He nudged a place deep inside her and a jolt of heat waved through her entire body. She clawed at his shoulders and her breathing came in sharp gasps.
“Please…oh, Jake…please,” she panted.
His lips covered hers and his tongue probed her mouth in time with his thrusts. She almost burst with the heat burning so furiously at her core, but it wasn’t enough. He lifted her hips higher and placed a pillow beneath without breaking his thrusts or kiss and started pumping hard and fast.
Tides of ecstasy flowed viscously through her body, shattering the building pressure that had been accumulating for what seemed like an eternity and sent euphoric tremors reverberating through her along with a scorching sense of release and relief.
Caitlyn screamed his name against his mouth while she clung onto him for dear life. She felt if she ever let go, she’d be carried away in the tide of sensations crashing through her. He continued to pump into her and shockingly, it happened all over again. She shot back into the euphoric abyss and vaguely heard Jake’s cry of release. He collapsed on top of her a second later, and she hugged him around the waist.
As she lay beneath him, sliding her hands up his back, Caitlyn closed her eyes and an odd feeling of warmth filled her heart. She thought he might be addictive the first time she’d kissed him. Now she knew for certain and eagerly awaited her next fix.
* * * *
Rays of sunlight beamed through the patio doors, warming Caitlyn’s naked back. Her mind still foggy, she rolled over and willed herself to fall asleep again so she could go back into the dream that had felt so gloriously real. An uncomfortable sensation between her thighs cleared the last of the haze. She jolted upright, bringing Jake’s sheets to her chin. It had not been a dream. She had really spent the night with Jake.
Caitlyn took in the empty room. Disappointment flared as she noticed he was gone. Had he bored of her already? Caitlyn knew she was no match for the array of women he publicly dated. They were all glamorous and beautiful. She was a far cry from either. Still, she couldn’t shake the fact that he’d seemed as into her as she was him.
But was it really her? Last night she’d practically acted like a wanton seductress. Something she’d never had the courage to do. Maybe what Jake had insinuated about the drink was right. Maybe she had been drunk. After all, how would she know?
Blood boiled in her cheeks. She had to get out of there before he came back. Sweeping a hand over her hair, she groaned. Perfect. Not only had she seduced Jake into having a one-night stand, she also had hair like an unkempt haystack!
She leapt from the bed, wrapping the sheet securely around her torso. Clothes. She needed clothes. Desperately, she paced to the foot of the bed and was relieved to see her leggings and shirt tangled amongst his towel. A vision of her unleashing the bare flesh beneath that towel made her face flare hotter and her heart race.
She really needed to get out of there.
Picking up her discarded clothes, she turned to the en-suite when she saw Jake. He stood in the doorway, dressed in nothing but his underwear, with a tray in his hands. She caught the scent of eggs and coffee and her stomach growled.
“Leaving so soon?” Jake’s eyes tightened, belying the casual tone.
“I’m just getting dressed.” Liar. Caitlyn felt more blood rush into her face.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Chicken.”
“I am not a chicken. I have places to be.” She fisted her hands around her clothes as she thought of a better lie. “Work.”
“It’s Saturday. We’re not filming today.”
Of course. She sighed. Might as well tell the truth, Cait. You’ve been busted. “I’m a chicken.”
He threw her his boyish grin and the tension inside her chest eased.
“Breakfast in bed?” she asked, eyeing the feast on the tray.
“Depends. You hanging around?”
Now that the morning-after embarrassment was gone, her body was back to reacting the way it always did near him. Her skin flushed and the throbbing place between her thighs burned with want. There was no way she’d slept with him because of the alcohol. She wanted him. Had since the first day she’d met him. This was about lust, not lowered inhibitions.
Caitlyn dropped her clothes at her feet and crawled back into bed. “I’m ready to be served, kind sir.”
Jake chuckled, but played along. “As you wish, my lady.” He brought the tray over, pulled out the stands, and then positioned it over her lap. After a small bow, he climbed in beside her.
“Oh my God! You made omelets?” she asked while she scooped up a fork.
“It’s my specialty.” Jake lifted the other and dug in.
It was a shame to destroy the perfectly rounded creation, but the smell of eggs and cheese was the worst kind of temptation. She broke off a chunk, skewered it, and then popped it into her mouth. “Mmm.”
She noticed Jake was looking at her funny and she cocked a brow. “Don’t do that again or you won’t get the chance to finish your breakfast, my lady.” He grinned and Caitlyn’s blood sizzled. His golden brown eyes had darkened to a tempting shade of dark chocolate.
She shifted on the bed and an uncomfortable sensation throbbed between her thighs. “Ow.”
“Caitlyn?” Jake dropped his fork, and one of his hands cupped her cheek.
She pulled her lips into a wry smile. “I’m a little bit sore.”
His eyes widened and he cursed. Jake raked a hand through his messy blond locks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She reached up and linked her fingers through his. “You didn’t. I’m just…I don’t know. Tender.”
His forehead creased with concern and her heart warmed. It was sweet he cared enough to worry. Who would have thought that the infuriating ass she’d met less than a week ago could make her feel…
Stop that now. This is a fling, remember? No feelings. Sometimes Caitlyn wished the voice of logic would take a hike.
* * * *
Jake cleared the plates from the bed and insisted on running her a bath. Hell, he was a complete clod. Her body had been tight around him. It had taken more self-control than anyone should possess to take it slow. But when she came apart in his arms, screamed his name, and her tiny, sexy body shuddered around him, his control had snapped.
Jake left Caitlyn as she slid into the tub. The image of smooth, creamy skin sliding into bubbles burned into his mind. The dimmed arousal simmering through him all morning flared back to life. It was bad enough he’d barely slept a wink with Caitlyn’s pliant body curled against his, igniting his lust into an inferno. There was no need to torture his libido further by watching her bathe. After all, he’d hurt her last night and he imagined she’d be tender for the next day or two.
Jake switched on the shower in the main bathroom and turned the tap to cold—not that it had helped any last night. What bugged him the most was how much he still wanted her. After sleeping with a woman, he usually left and returned to his house. Spending the night together was pushing boundaries past the definition of fling in his book. Last night, however, he couldn’t find the will to ask her to leave. Hell, he hadn’t wanted her to.
And that bugged him even more. When had he ever wanted to spend the night with a woman sleeping in his arms? Jake shook his head and switched
off the freezing cold water. Desire for Caitlyn pulsed through his veins, waiting for the moment he laid eyes on her again before it boiled over.
As he dried off, he tried to figure out what was so special about her. Was it her innocence that drew him to her like a moth to a flame? That would make sense, especially when he factored in the heart bump the other day, not to mention his wayward emotions last night as they made love. When he’d entered Caitlyn for the first time and she’d gasped in pain, he’d swear some of the ice melted around his scarred heart. It terrified him almost as much as hurting her had. Then she’d asked him not to stop and he couldn’t refuse, even if he’d wanted to. Jake’s chest tightened with unease.
It had to be the fact he was her first lover. He’d tried to be gentle and caring so he could make it special for her. The way he felt last night was only natural when he was forcing himself to take it easy and make sure he didn’t hurt her. The fact he did rattled him more than he’d thought.
The tightness deflated as he realized that must have been what it was. After all, he hadn’t really cared about a woman in years and he liked it that way. If he didn’t care, if he kept his heart to himself, there was no way it would ever have to experience the same agonizing pain he’d endured when he learned Sarah aborted his child all those years ago.
Jake fisted his hands and ground his teeth together as he made his way back to his bedroom. The shadow of pain threatening around the edges of the scarred organ made his blood run hot with anger. At least anger he could deal with, but that ever present pain which had clung to him for months? No, he couldn’t go through that again. Ever.
Caitlyn’s voice hummed out a tune from the bathroom and his temper receded. Without meaning to, he hitched the corners of his lips up in a grin. Jake could now add tone deaf to the measly list of things he knew about her. He pulled a pair of beige shorts from one of the chrome wardrobes, slipped them on, and then reached for a white cotton shirt. The humidity from yesterday’s rainfall made the air thick and stuffy. There was no way he was wearing denim in weather like this.