by Kira Archer
He laughed and came to stand beside her. “Basically. I’m creating a brochure and other marketing materials for them, to advertise the exhibit. Sometimes I’ll take the pictures also, and even write the copy, although I’m a much better artist than writer. I’m doing brochures for several of their new exhibits, including this one. Being able to walk around, see the items for myself, experience the exhibit, gives me a better idea for designs for the brochure and banners and other materials I’ll create.”
She nodded, impressed despite herself. “So do you do these kinds of jobs often?” She stopped in front of a sculpture of an owl, its feathers and features so artfully carved she could almost believe it was a real bird staring at her from beneath the glass.
Jared stood beside her, close enough their shoulders touched. “This is one of my bigger jobs, and I don’t always get the privilege of experiencing the things I am creating art for. But in general, yes.”
“I still don’t get why you don’t expand. Hire some employees and take on more clients. I mean if places like this are hiring you, you could really have an amazing business going.”
He shrugged. “Why? I make enough. And I do subcontract out every now and then. But I don’t want things to get too big. I like to have time for more recreational pursuits.”
He wasn’t looking at the displays anymore, but had his attention completely focused on her. It unnerved her. But she liked it. Too much. She swallowed and tried to keep her voice steady. It had been far too long, if being within touching distance of this guy affected her this way.
Or maybe it was him.
If she were smart, she’d walk away. But she’d kept her nose clean, aced her classes, planned on continuing to do that so she could graduate top of her class, and had kept the partying and dating to a minimum. She had her future lined up nicely. She wanted to have a little fun, desperately, and so far, Jared was a lot of fun.
She kept her attention firmly on the sculpture in front of her. “He’s got such beautiful eyes.”
He turned so he was facing her, drawing her attention from the owl sculpture. “That bird has nothing on you. Your eyes have him beat, hands down.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “Do lines like that actually work for you?”
The smile he gave her was slow, sexy, and smug. And it rocked her to her core. “Yeah,” he said, reaching out to turn her toward him. “Usually.”
He drew a finger along her jaw, and her mouth opened with a little sigh. He cupped her face, drawing her to him slowly enough that she could pull away at any time. Instead, she leaned into him until their lips were barely an inch apart.
“This is a really bad idea,” she said.
“I know.”
Then he closed the distance between them, covering her lips with his, and she was a goner. She swayed toward him, rising on her toes to press closer. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in, his mouth exploring hers until she was trembling against him.
He pulled away and she bit back a groan. That little taste was nowhere near enough.
“Come on. I’ve got one more thing to show you,” he said, taking her hand.
He led her to another exhibit. A tunnel that you crawled through in the pitch black, feeling your way by touch only. Her stomach tightened at the sight of that square of inky darkness and whatever lay inside it.
“Scared?” he asked.
She hated to admit any weakness to him, but it was better than crawling through that thing alone. “Yeah, actually. I’m a little claustrophobic.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close. “I’ll do it with you.”
Her frown deepened. “How is adding an extra body in there going to make it less scary? All we’ll be doing is making the space smaller, deplete the oxygen faster.”
“I don’t know,” he said, dipping his head to nuzzle at her ear. “Maybe I can distract you.”
Ooo, she liked the sound of that. And the feel of what he was doing to her neck. And it suddenly occurred to her exactly how much fun a touch tunnel could be.
Her breath hitched in her throat. “All right,” she managed to get out.
“Ladies first.” He gestured to the tunnel.
She took a deep breath, dropped to her knees, and crawled inside before she could change her mind. Ten feet in and she was ready to back out. But her way was blocked by Jared.
“Back up. I changed my mind.”
“Sorry, babe. Forward only.”
“Come on, Jared. Back out.”
“Going forward will be easier than trying to maneuver backward. Just keep going. You’re almost to the end.”
“I am? How much longer?”
“Oh…about seventy feet, give or take.”
“What? I’m going to kill you!”
His chuckle echoed throughout the tunnel, sank into her bones, and somehow, made her feel a little better.
“Stop thinking so hard,” he said, his voice quieter, deeper. “Listen to my voice.”
She shut her eyes. They weren’t helping, anyway. She kept crawling, her ears straining to catch every word from Jared’s mouth.
And then, he stopped talking.
“Jared?”
“I’m right here,” he said. His hand skimmed her ankle, the featherlight touch freezing her midcrawl.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice hardly more than a whisper.
“Using my other senses.”
His hand moved farther up her leg. And so did the rest of him. His body brushed against hers as he pulled himself parallel with her, his hand continuing its journey up her body until he cupped her face.
“Found you,” he said.
She waited, unable to see how close he was, if he was leaning in to kiss her or merely sitting there. She brought a hand up, hesitantly reached out until the tips of her fingers brushed his hair. She followed the lines of his face, traced his cheek, trailed her finger across his skin until she found his lips.
“Found you, too,” she said.
She leaned closer, slowly, afraid she’d bump into him if she moved too quickly. His own fingers reached out to stroke across her mouth until his lips took their place. She sucked in a breath through her nose, her heart ricocheting around in her chest.
Now that their lips were fused, his hands explored the rest of her body. Her head swam, the sensations he wrought so intense her toes literally curled while she frantically grasped at him, her body desperate for relief. Trying to keep her heated moans quiet was pointless, so she didn’t even bother. She’d never noticed before how much she relied on her sight. Even in situations where her eyes would typically be closed. A quick peek here and there. The faint light that shone through her lids. All of that was gone. All she could do was hold on to him and feel.
He rolled her under him, pressing the length of her body to his, and she could tell exactly how much of him there was to feel. She wrapped a leg around his waist and he rocked against her, drawing a strangled gasp from her lips.
His lips trailed up to her ear. “Still scared?” he murmured.
“Yes,” she lied. “Maybe you need to try harder to distract me.”
His deep, husky laugh had her sucking in another breath. “My pleasure.”
His hand skimmed down her side, his thumb skirting the edge of her bra. She almost sobbed when he kept going. Her nipples strained toward him, begging for attention. She shouldn’t have worried. His fingers reached the hem of her shirt and slipped beneath it, sliding up her stomach until he cupped her, massaging her as she arched against him.
She reached up, tangling her hand in his hair so she could drag him down to meet her lips. Their mouths moved feverishly together, sending her head spinning. He pulled away from her. Before she could protest his mouth closed over her breast, nibbling at her through her shirt.
She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding so furiously she was sure it echoed in the enclosed space.
“Still scared?” he murmured, before his mouth went
back to work.
It took her a second to formulate an answer. “Yes,” she said, the word ending on a strangled gasp when he turned his attention to the other breast.
“Hmm,” he said, and the vibrations from his lips made her squirm beneath him even more. “What can we do about that?”
His hand left her breast and traveled south, taking its time to touch every inch of skin possible until it hit the waistband of her jeans…and kept going. He played at the edge of her panties for a moment, sweetly teasing, until she was ready to beg him to touch her.
“How about now?” he whispered, his lips moving over her neck.
“Please,” she said, unable to say anything else.
His fingers dipped beneath the silky material. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes!” she said, twisting under him as his featherlight touch tantalized her.
He didn’t make her ask again. He slipped a finger inside her and she nearly came off the floor. She clutched him to her, finding his mouth in the dark to kiss him, delve inside his mouth so their tongues could mimic the movements of his fingers.
Another finger joined the first and she whimpered, pressing as close to him as she could, trying to draw him deeper. He stroked her as she rocked against his hand, her whimpers becoming moans. His thumb found the sensitive spot at her entrance, and the pressure that had been building crashed and rolled over her. Her cries were lost in his kiss. She clung to him, her heart pounding, while her body rippled around the fingers that still moved inside her.
He finally withdrew and she lay against him, boneless and quivering with residual pleasure.
And she wanted more. Oh so very much more.
Her brain knew it would be a bad idea. Her body told her brain to shut the hell up and live a little. At least for one night.
She gently bit his bottom lip. “Want to get out of here?”
His quick intake of breath told her everything she needed to know. He was totally on board.
“Yeah. I do. Did you drive?”
She shook her head. “Took the light rail.”
“I’ve got my car.”
“Good,” she said, dragging him back for another kiss. “I hope you drive fast.”
Chapter Ten
Jared thought the drive back to his apartment might be the death of him. By the time they got there, he was going to be so revved up he wasn’t sure he’d be able to walk from his car to his door. All Jenny had done since they’d gotten in the car was subtly draw her finger in small circles on his leg while he’d held her hand. And somehow that small touch had been enough to take him back to his teenage days. He’d never been affected by a woman like this. He didn’t know what it was about her. Her playfulness? Or maybe the fact that she should be on his forbidden-for-life list? He’d like to think he had a little more depth than that.
Maybe it was the sheer beauty of her. Most of the women he’d dated were beautiful, stunning even. Anna Lopez was the perfect example of that. She was talented, gorgeous, and aloof enough that she’d sparked an interest.
But next to Jenny, Anna seemed…fake. His dream woman, once upon a time, maybe. But what good was a dream woman? They weren’t real. Jenny, on the other hand, was as real as they came. Honest, open, funny, smart, full of life, and so beautiful it made his chest hurt to look at her.
And she was Rick’s baby sister. A fact that could very well get him killed. Or maybe severely maimed. Or, at the very least, hounded by every cop in the city for any infraction he’d ever commit for the rest of his life. He couldn’t deny that added a little extra spark to their already-smoldering connection. He loved a challenge. But…for the first time, he actually considered the possibility that he should walk away.
He was a one-night-stand kind of guy. He’d always been open about it. Never misled anyone or misrepresented himself. And he made sure his feelings on the matter were crystal clear before he ever made the first move. Jenny seemed to be on the same page. In fact, he’d heard a few wild stories about her as well, including one involving the cupcake truck, Gina’s ex, chocolate frosting…and sprinkles. There shouldn’t be a problem. So why did the thought of spending only one night with her and then walking away feel so…wrong?
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” she asked, leaning in close enough to plant a delicate kiss on his jaw.
Even that small touch had him sucking in his breath with a hiss. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Just that if your brother knew what we were doing, he’d probably find a way to kill me and make it look like an accident.”
Jenny laughed, a sweet, sexy little chuckle that was actually a bit deeper than her regular voice. He’d happily spend an entire day listening to it.
“Ah, I don’t think he’d kill you. He’s all talk.”
Jared snorted. “He’s convincing talk.” Her brother was more than six feet of solid, muscled, badass cop. Jared wasn’t one to be intimidated, and he wasn’t a slouch in the hard-body department, either, but that didn’t mean he wanted to get on Rick’s bad side. “Isn’t he going to wonder where you are if you don’t come home?”
She pulled her phone out and sent off a quick text. Moments later, she got one in reply.
“There. Taken care of.”
“You didn’t tell him you were going home with me, did you?”
“Scared?” she asked, echoing his words from the tunnel back at him.
“Hell yeah,” he said with a laugh.
“I told him I’m staying at Gretchen’s. Don’t worry about him,” she said, pressing a kiss to his neck. “I’m a big girl. I’m allowed to make my own decisions. And what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I know what I’m doing.”
“Oh?” Jared said, moving his head a bit to give her better access. “And what is it you’re doing?”
She sucked his earlobe into her mouth and gently bit down. “I’m about to have a mind-blowing night of casual sex with a consenting adult who better drive faster unless he wants me to climb onto his lap right here in the car.”
“Fuck,” he whispered. He didn’t realize he’d said it aloud until she laughed, low, deep, and smug as hell.
“That’s the idea.”
His hand tightened on hers, and she kissed him again, this time trailing her lips along his neck down to his collarbone. Her hand wandered farther south, brushing across areas that were better left alone when they were going seventy on the turnpike.
“You keep that up, I might wreck us,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth. He kissed her fingers, his teeth lightly scraping at her skin in a gentle nip.
“Then…drive…faster…” she said, each word punctuated by nipping kisses along his jaw.
He made it home in record time, and thankfully found a parking spot only a block from his apartment. He somehow managed to unlock the front door without fumbling the keys, a miracle, as he was so amped up he was almost trembling with it. He needed his hands on her. Now.
They got inside, he shut the door, and she was in his arms. All hands and lips and want and need.
His hands tangled in her hair while he delved into her mouth, exploring and tasting until she was writhing against him.
She broke away long enough to murmur, “Where’s the bedroom?”
Instead of answering, he took her hand and all but dragged her toward the stairs. She glanced around as they hurried up the flights. “Wow, this place is incredible. You live here alone?”
“No. This is Eric’s place.”
She didn’t stop, but there was an almost imperceptible tug on his hand as she processed that.
“You live with your best friend and his wife?”
“Well, I was here before she was.” They reached the top floor where his room was, and he pulled her inside. “I’d never find a place like this for what I pay Eric in rent. Everyone’s happy with it. Now, did you want to come up to my bedroom so we could talk about my living arrangements?”
She gave him a little half gri
n that sent his overheated blood rushing south. She crooked a finger at him and backed up until she stood before the bed. “I’d actually rather discuss your sleeping arrangements.”
“Well, I don’t know how much sleep I’m planning on getting tonight, but I’d be up for testing out the mattress with you.”
She reached down and rubbed her hand over the hard length that strained almost painfully against the seam of his jeans. “Hmm, yeah, I’d say you are definitely up for it.”
He caught her hand, pressing it hard against him for a moment before moving it away. “While I’d love to play a few more hand games with you,” he said, sliding his own hand into her waistband, “I want to be inside you when I make you come again.” He used his fingers to show her exactly what he meant, and she gasped and rocked against his hand.
“That sounds like a fabulous idea.”
She reached over and pulled his shirt off, barely waiting long enough for him to raise his arms. She dragged her nails lightly down his chest and leaned forward to flick her tongue against a hard-pebbled nipple. He captured her head, holding her there for a moment until he couldn’t stand it any longer.
“No fair,” he said. “My turn.”
He tugged her shirt off, and she reached behind her to unhook her bra. He stood back a bit so he could admire the whole picture as she slid the straps down her arms.
“God, you’re amazing,” he said, pulling her into his arms again, savoring the softness of her pressed against him.
They quickly divested each other of the rest of their clothing, keeping their mouths locked together, lips moving feverishly over each other. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing her wet heat so close to the most sensitive part of him he groaned. He walked them back to the bed and sat down. She shifted her legs so she straddled him and he crushed her to him, hands running down the silky softness of her back, kneading the mounds of her backside as she arched against him.
She felt so good against him, so unbelievably right. His senses were on overload. He couldn’t get enough of her. His mouth closed over her breast and she gasped, throwing her head back and pushing even closer. She moved on him, over him, and he almost forgot himself and plunged into her. He pulled back from the brink, just in time.