Marissa stretched up onto her tiptoes and kissed Terry on the cheek. “You’re a good friend. I hope you’re right. Thank you.”
Marissa’s economics class was a bust. She couldn’t focus on supply and demand to save her life. Skimming her fingertips over her lips, she recalled the pleasure-filled hours she spent kissing Dylan. She could have kissed him until the cows came home if her dang body didn’t require sleep. For the longest time she continued to kiss him with all she had, tempting him, hoping to draw more than kisses from him. But not wholesome Dylan. He would never dream of rushing things or not planning out every last move and analyzing them to death before deciding the correct move to make. But during one weak moment, his hand had actually slipped under her sweatshirt and he splayed his fingers across her lower back before he inched them around her side and skimmed his fingertips across her stomach. Desire ripped through her and she willed him to move his hand up. She wanted his warm touch on her breast. But he caught himself and pulled his hand out from under her shirt.
Students began filing out of the lecture hall. Honestly, she couldn’t recall one thing the instructor had said during the entire class period. As she rose from her seat, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and tapped Cole’s contact number. She needed his help to figure out what to do about her lies to Dylan.
“I’m guessing you have some news to share,” he answered, bypassing the customary hello.
“What do you mean?”
“Nice try, but I’ve got a brother walking around on cloud nine right now, and he tells me he had a visitor last night.”
“He did?” It seemed unusual for Dylan to readily share that information with Cole, or anyone for that matter.
“Well, I may have had to pry it from him, but the point is he was so unusually cheery, especially for the way he’s been acting lately, I knew something was up.”
Marissa couldn’t help but smile. Finally. Her smile quickly faded as she recalled the lying, her lying. The reason she called Cole in the first place. The air drained from her lungs.
“Marissa, are you still there.”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“Yes, and no.”
“I’m not following.”
“I lied to him this morning.”
“About what?”
“Terry.”
“Terry?” The confusion in Cole’s voice was unmistakable.
“Yes. I borrowed Terry’s car last night to go home, and Dylan asked about me and Terry. I freaked out and lied. I told him we broke up but are still friends.”
Cole chuckled. “That’s it?”
“This isn’t funny. This is serious.”
“But this was the plan all along, and it worked.”
“I know, and I felt guilty enough before when we led Dylan on. But now… God, I feel even worse, and when he finds out."
“You’re not planning on telling him, are you?” Cole interrupted.
“I have to, I have to come clean. I can’t take it. That’s why I called you. I was hoping you could help me figure out how to tell him.”
She knew by the silence filling the air Cole was debating whether or not she should. The right thing to do was tell the truth, but she guessed, just like her, he didn’t want to have to suffer the consequences. They evidently hadn’t thought their plan all the way through.
“Are you sure you want to do that? Really, there’s no harm in just letting it go.”
“I lured him in under false pretenses.”
“No, you didn’t. Jealously isn’t a false pretense. And when you think about it, we all know how he feels about you. He just needed a little push. We just helped him along for the sake of time.”
“Well, what about the part where I promised him I’d live my college life, which you and I both know he meant included dating? You know, specifically the part that I test the waters with others before I come home and decide what I really want. He’s going to figure out I haven’t done anything but study here. Then what?”
“Tell ya what, why don’t you just hold off a bit before you say anything. Take some time to think about it. When are you planning on seeing him next?”
“I don’t know. He said he’d call me tonight.”
“He’ll be busy with the boys during the week and probably not have a chance to come up for air until at least Friday night, so that will buy you some time to think before you see him face to face again. Just try not to sound too guilty when you’re on the phone with him, like you do now.”
“Easy for you.”
“Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
“Okay.”
She disconnected her call with Cole. His words echoed in her head. Try not to sound too guilty. He should have known better than to even say something like that, he knew her too well. Guilt took up residence in every cell of her body.
Chapter Fourteen
Dylan paced his bedroom. Why on earth was he so nervous? He was just going to see Marissa, a woman he’d already spent countless hours with. But this time was different. It was kind of like a first date, and he hadn’t seen her since Monday, the morning following their near-all-night kissing session. If it hadn’t been for his brothers’ busy after school schedules this week he would have met up with her sooner, but time just didn’t permit it. Thank goodness it was Friday.
He pulled the jewelry box from the bag and took another peek at the ruby earrings he was going to give her tonight, his Valentine’s Day gift to her though it was several days late. They would be a nice match to the necklace he gave her for Christmas, and she really seemed to like that so hopefully she’d like these as well.
After closing the case, he slipped it back into the red gift bag, smoothed out his shirt with the palm of his hands and headed into the kitchen where the boys were in the midst of their early dinner. He wanted them fed before he left to take Marissa to dinner at an Italian restaurant he’d heard about that was near her school.
Aric was throwing on his jacket when Dylan stepped into the kitchen.
“I’m outta here. They’re already in the driveway waiting for me.”
“Okay, have fun, and be home before midnight.”
Aric nodded and bolted out the door.
Dylan glanced at his watch. It was 5:30. He needed to get going if he was going to pick Marissa up and make their seven o’clock dinner reservation. He looked at Braden. “You’re in charge until Cole gets here, which should be in an hour or so. Watch your brothers and don’t fight.”
Braden nodded.
Apprehension coiled in his chest. This was the first time he was leaving Braden in charge of his two younger brothers where he was further away than the barn. He hoped Braden and Nate didn’t kill each other while he was gone. With any luck, Cole would get home sooner than expected.
“Are you leaving or what? I got this,” Braden said, knocking him out of his reverie.
Dylan climbed into his truck, cranked the engine and took off. In less than an hour, he was knocking on Marissa’s door. She pulled the door open and greeted him with a warm smile. The very smile he’d dreamed of more times than he could count. Her bright red lips matched the red shirt she wore that crisscrossed over her breasts making them look larger than he remembered. Good Lord, they hadn’t even gone to dinner yet and he was focused on her breasts. But he couldn’t help himself, he had just a slight feel of them the other night when he held her tightly to him, and since then he couldn’t stop thinking about them. He debated kissing her, he wanted to but decided to keep it light before dinner, or he probably wouldn’t make it to dinner.
“I just need to grab my jacket,” she said as she turned away from him.
He eyed her thin legs covered with black tights and tall, sexy black boots. The length of her black skirt fell to just above the top of her boots. The entire outfit was sexy as hell on her, every piece of material hugging her tiny, shapely body in all the right places.
He took her coat from her hand, held
it as she slid into it, and when she spun to face him he instinctively reached for the buttons. He had the first button fastened before he realized what he was doing. “Sorry, it’s a habit with Luke.”
They shared a nervous laugh.
They drove to the restaurant only a few miles away, and though it was busy, they were seated right away. He glanced at her over the top of his menu. Her shiny blonde hair fell over her shoulders and framed her milky white face. Long black lashes outlined her bright blue gaze. She had the most beautiful blue eyes. He’d found himself lost in her gaze on more than one occasion since she’d come into his life.
Sometime between the salad and main course, the tension in the air eased and conversation resumed normally, like they held in the old days before they kissed, and even before Terry came into her life. Most of their conversation revolved around the boys and their activities. It warmed his heart to know how much she cared for his brothers and missed them when she was away. And like he’d discovered months ago, she still talked to them all regularly on the phone, even Aric.
A tinge of fear swept through him at the thought of his brothers losing her someday. He knew in his heart he’d never voluntarily let her go, but what if she and he didn’t work out? What if she decided this whole ready-made family was too much to bear? How would his poor brothers handle such a loss, another loss of this magnitude in their young lives? Was he making a mistake, pursuing her romantically? Would leaving their relationship at friendship carry less risk of his family losing her? A blast of adrenaline coursed through him, he needed to stop dwelling on this, as these questions were moot anyway. He was already all in.
He watched Marissa as she finished up the last of her tiramisu. His had disappeared in the customary four bites but she took her time with hers. Judging from the satisfied look on her face, she savored every morsel. When she was finished, Dylan rose from the table, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and glanced at the screen. No messages or missed calls. This had to be a first. Normally he didn’t go an hour without a call from one of his brothers, urgently needing something.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Marissa assured with a soft smile.
She knew him too well. “Yeah, I know.” He stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
He drove her back to her dorm, parked the truck, slid out and hurried to her door to open it for her, then he snatched the small gift bag out from the center console.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I got you a little something.”
Her eyes sparkled and her smile widened.
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out in a minute. Let’s get inside, out of this cold air.” Yep, he was going to use this to his advantage to get into her room and spend more time with her. But how was he going to deal with the roommate issue, he wanted alone time with Marissa.
They slipped inside her dorm room. No roommate. “Where’s Ashley?”
A bit of wickedness flashed in Marissa’s eyes. “She doesn’t spend much time here now that she's got a boyfriend with his own apartment.”
Her magnetizing gaze captured and held his.
* * * *
Marissa stared into Dylan’s dark mesmerizing gaze. The second she mentioned her roommate was likely not to return, the desire intensifying his gaze caused her stomach to swirl. Her heart thudded in her chest as he stepped toward her and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Though his tender lips touched softly, and only briefly, to hers, the jolt of electricity that ripped through her body was nearly enough to knock her over.
He inched back but still held her face. “I missed you. I miss you whenever you’re gone.”
“I miss you too.”
His lips touched hers again, softly and sweetly, just like a moment ago, but she wanted more from him and didn’t want to wait any longer. As she stretched her arms up to pull him closer to her, her left hand caught in the strap of the gift back dangling from his arm. She’d been so preoccupied with him she’d forgotten about her present.
He pulled back from her and slid the bag off his arm before handing it to her, then he slid out of his coat, and draped it on the chair by her desk. She rid herself of her coat as well and took a seat on the futon with her present on her lap. He sat next to her.
She pulled the box from the bag and opened the lid to find a beautiful pair of ruby studs that matched perfectly to the ruby teardrop necklace he’d given her for Christmas, the very necklace she wore tonight. She ran her fingertips over the earrings and then her necklace as she returned her gaze to him. “They’re lovely, Dylan, absolutely lovely. Thank you.”
“I’m so glad you like them.”
Like them, she loved them. It wouldn’t have mattered what he gave her, she would have loved it.
She reached up and ran her hand over the sharp angles of his face. Not only was he the most handsome man, he was also the most kind and generous man she’d ever met. In her limited experiences with men, mainly her father and uncle, she’d found them to be rather unfeeling. But not Dylan, or any of the Jacobs men for that matter. Their parents had done a lovely job raising them to be kind and caring individuals, and Dylan was doing a wonderful job picking up where his parents left off. It saddened her to know she would never get the opportunity to meet Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, but she felt kindred to them through their children.
He leaned toward her and kissed her softly and sweetly. So like she expected of him, patient and careful, not to rush into anything. Knowing she’d have to set the tone for where she wanted this night to go, she parted her lips. His tongue dipped into her mouth, moving delicately, probing gently. Her heart fluttered. She wanted—no needed—more from him. Gripping his shoulders, she pulled him tighter to her and opened her mouth wider. He met her request, kissing her deeper, wetter, hotter.
Unsure as to when it happened, she found herself on Dylan’s lap, straddling him as she lifted her arms so he could pull her shirt over her head. Lightly, he ran his finger over the lace trim of her bra, sending a shiver of excitement racing through her. His thumb and forefinger landed on the clasp between her breasts and in a flash the material parted, fully exposing her breasts to him. He eyed them inquisitively before he reached up and pulled the straps over her shoulders. The bra floated to the floor, and his palms cupped her breasts. Her nipples tightened. Still cupping her, he leaned forward and touched his lips to the top of her right breast before skimming feathery light kisses across her skin into the valley between, and then up and across the top of her left breast. His heated breath washed over her, warming her already flaming body. When his mouth replaced his hand and he suckled her nipple, the intensifying heated sensations ripping through her knocked her breathless. His tongue flicked over her bud sending a jolt between her thighs. Greedy for more, she wove her fingers through his hair and dragged him over to her other breast. The same jolting reaction occurred.
Reaching down, Marissa tugged at Dylan’s shirt. She needed to see that broad bare chest she’d seen on rare occasions in the past. Only this time she knew she’d get to touch it, taste it, claim it. With urgency, she yanked his shirt over his head, and then skimmed her fingertips across his chest and down over his rippled abs. It amazed her how hard his muscles were, yet his skin was soft. His smoldering gaze caught hold of hers and held it as she splayed her hands and glided them back up and over his abdomen and chest.
His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her tightly to him. Bare chest against chest, skin against skin. It was the most amazing feeling. His ravenous mouth captured hers in a mindboggling needy kiss. Thrill snapped through her, she had finally managed to awaken him.
Without losing contact with her lips, he stood with her in his arms and lowered her until her feet planted on the floor. He stepped back and skimmed his hands down her sides and over her hips as he kneeled at her feet. His hands stilled at the top of her right boot, he gripped the zipper and lowered it, then pulled the boot from her foot when she lifted it. They did the same with her other boot.
His hands glided up the sides of her legs and under her skirt. He hooked his fingers under the band of her tights and slowly peeled them off her, his intense dark gaze never once leaving hers. As he reached back up, she undid the button and zipper on the back of her skirt and it fell to the floor. All that remained was the black thong panties she chose specifically for tonight. He swung his gaze between her eyes and her panties, then met hers again before he hooked his fingers over the thin strap of material that held her panties in place. His hands were gentle and his movements were painstakingly slow, as if he were savoring every touch of her skin. The throbbing between her thighs urged her to hurry him along, but the contented pleasure in her heart wanted to milk every moment for all it was worth.
Dylan rose to his feet, kicking off his shoes along the way, then stepped toward her and recaptured her lips as he edged her backward. During the few short steps they’d taken, she managed to undo the button and zipper to his pants. When the back of her legs pressed to her bed, she pulled her lips from him, reached over and yanked the covers back before she crawled in and slid over, making room for him.
After pulling a foiled packet from his pocket, he pushed down his pants and underwear at the same time. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his erection. It was everything she imagined it would be. Nervous anticipation skittered through her at the thought of her inexperience. She hoped she’d be able to please him. She sucked in a calming breath and blew it out as she watched him sheath himself. It crossed her mind to reach over and do it for him but she didn’t want him to see her shaky hands. Why was she so nervous? She was finally getting exactly what she had wanted for so long.
He slid in beside her, propping himself on his elbow, and she flung the covers over the both of them. His gentle fingers stroked her cheek and skimmed over her jaw and onto her neck before his lips met hers in a gentle, loving manner. Not rushed or hard, like a few minutes earlier. His hand delicately cupped her breast, and fingertips brushed over her nipple before working their way over to her other breast. The stimulation shot another slight jolt of pleasure between her thighs. His lips pressed a little more firmly to hers and his tongue dove deeper into the depths of her mouth as his hand lowered and splayed across her stomach, and continued to move lower. When he pressed his palm to her mound, a flash of heat nearly lit her on fire. He dipped a finger into her wetness and probed for a moment before pulling out and circling her swollen clit. Desire cracked through her like a whip and she arched toward him.
Family Forever Page 16