by Maggie Cox
His glance never leaving her face, he shrugged off his leather jacket and threw it onto a chair. Her mouth went dry at the sight of the hard, lean biceps that defined his upper arms in his black short-sleeved T-shirt. Startled, she focused on the dimple right in the centre of his chin—as usual his firm jaw was fashionably unshaven—but the dark shadow of beard didn’t detract one jot from his heartbreakingly good looks. If anything, it simply added to the ‘bad boy’ persona he seemed to project without even trying.
‘Well, you should,’ she snapped. Turning on her heel, she unscrewed the top of the bottle of mineral water and took a swig. When she’d finished she turned back again and said, ‘Because I don’t want you here.’
Not commenting, Jake strolled across to the light switch and dimmed the overhead lights to a softly seductive glow.
Barely aware of what she was doing, Caitlin placed the water bottle back down on the tray. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I want you to come over here.’
‘No.’ But even as she answered in the negative she moved slowly towards him, as if she didn’t have a will of her own…
When she was almost there she stopped and stared at him with desperation in her eyes. Jake opened his arms. In less than a second she’d closed the space between them to bury her face in the warm, musky scent of his T-shirt, registering the strong, steady throb of his heartbeat beneath the steely hardness of his chest. His hands fisted into her hair and he pressed her even closer against his body. Her heart was racing harder than it had ever raced before.
‘Jake? Jake, I—’ Raising her head, Caitlin stared into his smouldering gaze, want and need clawing at her as she registered the pure raw desire in his eyes.
Planting his palms either side of her face, he slanted his mouth hotly across hers to steal a hungry kiss that left them both stunned. With a groan she invited another kiss, her tongue intimately dancing with his, savouring the seductive flavours of bourbon and coffee and the hot, drugging sensuality that was uniquely Jake. Her hands slid down his back and lifted his T-shirt eagerly to trace the hard ridge of his spine with her fingertips. She was weak with wanting him, and when he backed up against the wall and deftly turned her in his arms, so that she took over his position, she allowed him to do it without so much as a murmur of protest.
‘You know what I want to do?’
Her eyes widened in shock as well as anticipation as he expertly relieved her of her robe, then started to undo the buttons on her pyjama top.
‘What?’ Caitlin’s voice was a barely-there bedroom rasp, because what Jake was already doing to her with his strong, sure touch and his drugging, sexy voice was nothing less than X-rated.
So much for years of trying to convince herself that her sex drive was low! Right now she didn’t know how she wasn’t just ripping his clothes off and taking what she wanted without hesitation. With a soft whimper, she briefly closed her eyes as he divested her of her top and feasted his hungry glance on her bared caramel-tipped breasts.
‘I want to take you right here…and I want it to be hot and slow and deep…until we both go out of our minds with the pleasure.’
Even as Caitlin’s heart beat wildly in her chest Jake lowered his head to claim her breast, drawing it deeply into his mouth. Bucking against him, she drove her fingers into the silky strands of his hair, crying out as ravenous need spiralled from her breast to her womb. He suckled and laved, teasing her rigid nipple with his tongue, then took her deep into his mouth again, his unshaven jaw sliding roughly cross her more tender skin, abrading her, marking her with his brand, leaving the trail of his scent all over her. Then he applied the same treatment to her other breast.
She was still quivering when Jake released her throbbing wet nipple and moved back up her body, with the wickedest smile she had ever seen. His pupils darkened to black as he settled his hands on the waist of her pyjama bottoms. With a firm tug, the silky fall of material shimmied down to her ankles. Her cheeks flushing heatedly, Caitlin watched him retrieve the protection he’d brought from his back pocket.
Her gaze immediately gravitated to his belt. He opened it to let his trousers slide down over his thighs and reveal his boxers. He loosened them, then ripped open the foil packet that contained the protection. He sheathed himself and Caitlin released a long, slow breath. Sliding her slender arms round Jake’s neck, she pressed her body ardently against his. Immediately his hands moved to settle on the silky curve of her bottom, skimming her flesh and then pressing and kneading it until she was weak with want—until she thought she might die if he didn’t take her soon.
Then he ravished her mouth again, before trailing hot damp kisses across her cheeks, her forehead, her eyelids, his clever hands stroking her body well past the point of no return, moving deftly to cup her in her most feminine place. Caitlin couldn’t help but whimper his name, her lips pressing into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, kissing the warm masculine flesh with growing desire, taking lascivious little nips with her teeth…
Her body was primed to accept him. She knew she could no more prevent this act from reaching its logical conclusion than deny herself breath. Jake might be wary of commitment and find it hard to trust, but right then she impatiently pushed the thought aside—because she was greedy for his loving and would take anything she could get…rightly or wrongly. She would enjoy this time with him and revel in it. Revel in the fact that she was a sensual, desirable woman and that Jake was the only man in the world she wanted as her lover.
‘Open your mouth,’ he instructed, gravel-voiced and when she did he kissed her hard, sliding his hand beneath her bottom and raising her hips to the level of his. As her long, slender legs easily straddled him he plunged inside her with one sure, firm thrust, sending her world spinning off into another galaxy.
‘Oh, Jake!’
Caitlin held on tight as he filled her again and again, each thrust more sure, more urgent, deeper than she could imagine, stealing kisses from her lips, her throat, her earlobe, until she thought she might die from the sheer dizzying pleasure of it.
‘This is what I’ve been fantasising about doing all day,’ he breathed against her neck, and at the same moment her world really did spin off its axis.
Jake quickly followed her. At the moment of climax he bucked hard against her, raggedly saying her name, the muscles in his toned hard body quivering like ropes of steel in the aftermath.
As his head fell forward onto her chest Caitlin drove her fingers through his tousled dark hair and had to bite her lip hard to stop herself from confessing that she loved him. More than that, she wanted to marry him and one day have his children.
Her certainty was so all-consuming that she thought surely Jake must sense it. But fear that all she would achieve by making such a confession might be to scare him away forever stopped her telling him. Jake had been a gypsy all his life, Rick had said, and probably always would be. What made her dare to hope for even a second that she could change his mind about that and help him see that they could still enjoy the pleasures of home and family?
* * *
‘All right, everybody, time out. Cait? I’d like a word.’
Vaulting nimbly onto the small raised stage, Rick couldn’t hide his exasperation as yet again Caitlin failed to come in at the right time on the intro.
Flushing a mortified pink, she turned round to shrug an apology to the rest of the band. To give them credit, they unanimously agreed that everyone was entitled to an off day now and then, and discreetly left the stage to her and Rick.
‘What’s going on with you this morning?’ Rick didn’t shy away from expressing his irritation. ‘Didn’t you get much sleep last night?’
She sighed. Sensing her cheeks burning at the accuracy of Rick’s innocent statement, she frantically thought of what she could say in answer.
To her surprise and delight Jake had spent the night. He had only returned to his room just as the sun came up—and then only reluctantly. Consequently neither of the
m had had much sleep…not when there had been far more exhilarating pleasures to occupy them. Caitlin knew she must have the dazed look of someone who’d burnt the candle at both ends. Her body still ached from Jake’s passionate attentions and her concentration was all but shot to pieces.
Arriving for rehearsals at the intimate jazz club where they were appearing this evening, Rick had announced that Jake wouldn’t be joining them until later and that until then he would be looking after things.
‘I never sleep well in a strange bed,’ she mumbled.
Rick’s hazel eyes narrowed. ‘You sure that’s the reason?’
Agitatedly spearing her fingers through her hair, Caitlin sensed them tremble. Then she winced as she accidentally yanked out the silver hoop in her earlobe.
‘What other reason would there be?’
‘I don’t know, babe…you tell me.’
She felt besieged—not to mention guilty…guilty as hell. Why couldn’t Jake be around when she needed him? He would have taken charge of the situation in a second. She wasn’t happy about lying to Rick about their relationship. With all her heart she wished they could be totally up-front about it, just as Jake had said he wanted to be.
‘I don’t know what you’re getting at, Rick. I told you it would take me a while to get used to the change of lifestyle. It’s hardly a crime that I’m feeling tired, is it?’
‘No, it isn’t.’ Sighing heavily, Rick moved behind Caitlin and started kneading her shoulders. ‘You’re too tense. That’s the trouble. Relax, can’t you? Drop those shoulders. C’mon…listen to Uncle Rick.’
As jumpy as she was, she had to admit that what Rick was doing felt good…fantastically good. Right now her spine might have been made of concrete, she was so on edge, and anything to alleviate the tension had to be a step in the right direction. If she could only grab a couple of hours’ sleep before the gig tonight she would be back on track again.
Dropping her head, she groaned as Rick’s fingers applied some deeper pressure at a particularly tender spot between her shoulderblades. ‘You’re good at this, aren’t you?’ she murmured. ‘You could have a whole new career, you know.’
‘I must confess I’ve been told that before.’
Caitlin heard the smile in his voice.
‘By one or two very grateful ladies who’ve succumbed to the pleasures of these hands.’
‘You’re quite the Casanova, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, well…if the cap fits.’
Her masseur halted his ministrations to drop a brief teasing kiss at the side of her neck… Unfortunately at the very same moment that Jake walked into the room.
The band’s charismatic manager stopped dead in his tracks.
‘Is this how you rehearse the band, Rick? Because if it is then we’ve got a serious problem on our hands…wouldn’t you say?’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
WITHOUT REALISING IT Jake had clenched his hands into fists down by his sides. As he fought to corral his steadily growing temper his blazing blue eyes burned back at them both, his gut swirling with jealousy. What the hell did Caitlin think she was playing at, allowing his best friend to fool around with her like that?
Pink-cheeked and embarrassed, she stepped towards the edge of the stage. He wasn’t surprised she was defensive.
‘We were rehearsing, Jake. I just had a couple of problems Rick was helping me with.’
‘Oh?’ Jake’s lip curled scathingly. ‘Since when did I employ Rick as the group’s masseur? Clearly I missed that.’
‘For goodness’ sake—the girl is tired! Tired and tense… I was just helping her iron out some of the kinks so that we could get on. The guys have gone outside for a break. I think I’ll go call them back in.’
‘No. Stay right where you are.’
His boot heels ringing ominously on the wooden floor, Jake strode towards the stage.
‘We don’t do anything else until I get to the bottom of this.’
With a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Caitlin jammed her hands into her jeans pockets and took a deep breath in. Was he jealous? Was that why he was so angry?
Her heart beat double-time, because she couldn’t help noticing how gorgeous he looked. Dressed in fitted black jeans, a maroon shirt and a dark pin-striped suit jacket that flowed over his lean hard body as if it was tailor-made, he resembled one of those seriously unapproachable Italian models that featured in glossy magazines. His dark tousled hair and glittering blue eyes gave him a dangerous sexy edge and ensured there was nowhere else she’d rather look than at him.
‘What are you talking about, Jake?’ Rick jumped off the stage to confront the other man. ‘You’d better explain.’
‘I’m talking about you kissing her!’ Jake glared at his friend.
Rick was bemused. ‘I was just fooling around. You know me…I never could resist a pretty face.’
‘That’s a poor excuse for fondling my—’
‘Go on… Your what, Jake?’
He’d been about to say my woman.
The realisation hit him hard—like a brick dropped on his head from a great height. As statements of ownership went, he couldn’t have put it much more clearly. Here he was, standing head to head with his best friend and long-time associate, the pair of them like a couple of prize-fighters about to go into the ring. Jake cursed under his breath. He couldn’t keep a lid on his temper, could he? He’d just had to let it out. Now he’d blown the whole situation wide open.
Rick’s hazel eyes narrowed. ‘You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you?’
Caitlin bristled indignantly. She most definitely didn’t appreciate being discussed as if she wasn’t there…as if she was some inconsequential possession rather than a human being. But as Jake glanced up and his heated glance locked onto hers it was as though he’d reached out and touched her. For a few debilitating seconds, her head swam.
‘You just couldn’t keep your hands off her, could you?’ Rick’s tone was scathing.
‘Isn’t that supposed to be my line?’
‘Don’t get cute with me, Jake! Just answer the damn question.’
With a terse shrug, the other man folded his arms. ‘Yes. Caitlin and I are having a relationship. But don’t start jumping to conclusions. It doesn’t mean it’s going to impact negatively on the band.’
‘Is that right? Then how come we’re at loggerheads? Answer me that. How long have we worked together? It’s been a long time, Jake. In all that time we’ve barely had an angry word—and that’s something in this business. Damn shame it has to happen now…and all because of a woman!’
‘And just what’s that supposed to mean?’ Stooping down to climb off the stage, Caitlin dusted her hands and wiped them shakily on her jeans. ‘In case you hadn’t noticed I’m a person—just like you are. What is it with you and women, Rick? You like us well enough when it suits you, but something tells me you’re deeply suspicious of our motives. Just to reassure you—I have no hidden agenda, and neither have I any intention of leaving the band. That being the case, you have no reason to doubt me. When I give my word, I keep it.’
‘Right now, honey, it’s not your word that I’m concerned about.’
‘Okay, Rick… If you want to discuss this any further then you’d better meet me back at the hotel when we’re finished here. I’m not prepared to stand around and lock horns with you when we’re already eating into valuable rehearsal time. The band has a performance to give tonight and that’s priority number one.’
With a brief glance down at his watch, Jake turned his attention to Caitlin.
‘I want you to pull out all the stops tonight,’ he told her. ‘I didn’t tell you before, because I didn’t want to make you nervous, but there’s going to be an A&R man from one of the big labels watching the show tonight. I can’t make any promises, but if you and the band impress him enough there’s a real possibility of getting a record deal. Kenny Swan knows that I don’t back losers, and his interest has been snared by f
ootage of you and the guys on social media over the past few nights. I’m counting on you—so don’t let me down.’
Dumbly, Caitlin nodded. The possibility of the band gaining a recording contract so soon into their tour was nothing short of amazing. Yet right at that moment it paled into insignificance next to her unquenchable longing to be in Jake’s arms.
She was relieved that he’d openly admitted to Rick that they were intimate, and she wanted the chance to show him that what they felt for each other could indeed flourish into something meaningful and lasting if they trusted their feelings and gave it a chance. At least now there would be no need to hide the fact that they wanted to be together, and she could really put her heart and soul into her singing.
Jake smiled. ‘Work hard and I’ll see you both later. I have a couple of important calls to make.’
‘Jake?’
Suddenly finding her voice again, Caitlin stopped him in his tracks as he strode towards the back of the venue. Her anxious glance encompassed a scowling Rick as he leant back against the edge of the stage.
‘I don’t want you and Rick to fall out over this. My commitment is first and foremost to the band. I know you know that, but I just wanted to reiterate it.’
Jake’s expression was as implacable as ever. ‘I’m glad to hear it. Just concentrate on giving your best performance tonight and we might all come out on top.’
And with that he walked away.
* * *
He had the worst headache in living memory. The pain was so intense it had sent him hurrying down the narrow streets at half past five in the afternoon in search of a chemist.
Holding the packet of painkillers just a few minutes later, Jake ripped out two white tablets from the foil strip and swallowed them down with a warm can of cola. Grimacing, he threw the barely touched drink into a nearby wastebin and, biting his lip against the merciless throb in his temple, returned to his hotel.
Bolting his room door, he drew the curtains shut tight to blot out what was left of the daylight, then threw himself down on the bed and stared contemptuously up at the ceiling. One thing was certain…he couldn’t go on like this. He only suffered migraines this bad when he was pushed into a corner, and his head was letting him know that right now he was probably jammed into the tightest corner he’d ever encountered.