…
The park bustled with the happy crowd of late summer patrons, couples holding hands, kids eating funnel cake and Italian ice, teenagers making out under the colorful lights of the B&B Carousell. Jake linked his fingers through hers, and gave them a squeeze, feeling like a kid himself.
As they meandered toward the exit, he bent to give her a quick kiss, savoring the taste of her lips mixed with her mint chocolate chip ice cream. Sweet. But not as sweet as the woman. Smiling up at him, she licked the cone. Sexy, too. He smiled back at her, feeling at home in a way he hadn’t for a long time. Maybe, ever.
“Game for another bit of research?”
“Does it involve more kissing?”
“Possibly.”
Still smiling, she said, “Then I’m game.”
With her hand in his, they criss-crossed toward the front of the park through the graffiti-laden tunnels and under the Coney Island archway, the exit ablaze in shining red and gold lights. Passed the gate, they continued down the boardwalk. The sky was a deep shade of navy, lit by the stars, the glowing carnival lights of the park, and the arcades along the boardwalk.
“Do you like baseball?” he asked.
She gave him a sidelong glance. “Don’t tell me your lesson plan involves me throwing a strikeout.”
“Baseball is plenty romantic,” he said, continuing before she could argue the point, “but no, you won’t be tossing any pitches tonight.” He smiled and looked over at the old site of Steeplechase Park, one of Brooklyn’s original amusement parks, now occupied by MCU Park, a Minor league baseball stadium, home to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets minor league team. When he was a kid, he’d sneak down here to listen to the games from outside the place. “Maybe I’ll take you to a game sometime.”
She nodded, a quizzical expression on her face as she dove back into her mint chocolate chip. “I’d like that.”
Jake understood the look. But just because their relationship was meant to be short-term didn’t mean he couldn’t take her to a ball game when he was in the city. Or was that exactly what it meant? Next time he showed up, would she be with someone else? He gave her hand another squeeze, tucked her close against his body, and cut down the planked boardwalk toward Brighton Beach.
Tucked away near the ocean was a small playground, a slide, a few swings, the red paint chipping in places. Not much. But he’d spent a lot of afternoons here throwing a ball against the slide, looking at the park rides, breathing in the ocean air. He’d felt safe here. Safer than at home, and he wanted to share this place and this moment with her.
“Here we are,” he said, gesturing toward the park.
She finished her cone, tossed her napkin into a nearby metal trashcan, and wandered toward the play set. A smile lit up her face as she touched the silver links of the swing’s chain. “I never knew this was here. This is amazing.”
The edge of his mouth lifted in wry agreement, knowing the chain was beat up and bound to be worn rusted in places, and charmed by her obvious enjoyment of the place. “Not as swanky as the bigger park farther down the boardwalk. But I spent a lot of time here as a kid.”
She slipped onto one of the swings. “I can see you here, sporting a pair of red-hot swimming trunks, racing your friends up from the beach.”
Jake dug his hands into his pockets. “Definitely no red-hot swim trunks. Mostly, I was on my own. A bit of a loner. Not many friends.” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Life as a kid was okay. Most of our neighbors supported my mom. Watched out for us, tried to make sure we stayed out of trouble, which in the case of my brother…”
“Pretty tough.”
He smiled. He’d forgotten she knew Nick. “Yes, pretty tough.” He stepped behind the swing and gave her a gentle push. “But good as the neighbors were…no one wanted their kids around my dad, so…”
“No friends hanging out watching baseball.”
“Not unless the kid was the bookie’s kid.” He gave the swing another push. “I spent a lot of time on my own. Jane worked at the pizza shop, Nick was busy chasing girls, and I was here, throwing the baseball against the slide, fielding it like I was a shortstop for the Yankees.”
She arched back to look at him, a smile on her face. “Sounds pretty lonely.”
“Maybe.” Truth was it had been bitterly lonely. “Worked out. I spent a lot of time getting real good at baseball. Earned a scholarship, studied, got a break with the book.” He sat on the swing next to her.
“I’d have been your friend.”
Jake smiled back at her, prettier here in the moonlight than he’d ever seen her, not the kind of girl who would’ve looked twice at him in his ratty tennis shoes, carrying the secondhand baseball glove his brother had bought him at Goodwill.
“Hey.” She dragged her feet in the sand to bring her swing to a stop. “I definitely would have been your friend.”
But with a heart as sweet as her smile, he could almost believe it. He caught the edge of her swing and tugged her close. “And I definitely would’ve wanted to kiss you.”
She reached for the chain of his swing and inched closer. “So what are you waiting for? You did say there might be some kissing.”
“I did. I said there might…possibly…be kissing,” he said, brushing his lips against hers as he spoke.
“I really like kissing you,” she murmured as her swing bumped into his.
He sunk his hands into her hair, tugging her closer. “Enjoying every minute. Being spontaneous and playful is an important part of a healthy love life.”
“Brave. Spontaneous. Playful.” Their swings now entwined, she balanced her hands on his shoulders to deepen the kiss, pulling away to gaze into his eyes. “Got it.”
“And intimate.”
“Definitely intimate.”
Looking into her eyes, Jake felt awed by the fact that he was here, on this beat-up swing set in the shadow of the park’s golden lights, kissing this woman. A wave crashed behind them. Just a friends-with-benefits relationship. The thought kicked him in the stomach. Maybe he hadn’t worked it all through. She was a Relationship girl. But relationships were his thing, too. His expertise. Had he miscalculated? He wanted to tell her everything, but she pulled his mouth down to her in a mint-chocolate kiss that was sweeter than any he’d known. And all rational thought disappeared. They remained there in the moonlight, legs entwined, swings bumping up against one another, kissing until they were both breathless, until mere kissing simply wasn’t enough.
“Ready to get out of here?” She nodded, her cheek buried, warm against his neck. “Your place or mine?” he teased.
She lifted her chin, a smile pulling at the edge of her lips. “Mine’s closer.”
“Your place it is.”
Chapter Fourteen
Outside the park, Jake flagged down a cab, and they tumbled inside, lips locked in endless kisses, speeding through the city to her walk-up, where she was pretty sure they’d have some more guaranteed-to-be-great sex. When they spilled out of the cab onto the sidewalk in front of her building, she felt breathless and hopeful.
Hopeful.
Damn.
She couldn’t afford the emotions swirling inside her. Stick to the plan. Stop chasing love. Let love find her. Unless it already had? She kissed him again, slowly, softly, not daring to give in to hope. But did she feel love in his kiss? “Coming in?”
His gaze locked onto hers, he simply nodded, and as the taxi sped away from the curb, she took his hand and drew him up the steps outside her front door. As they stumbled up the flights of stairs leading to her apartment, they stopped to kiss, his hands at her waist, his body pressing her into the quiet corners of each landing. The summer air was warm. Their breathing soft and full of longing, a contrast to the bustling sounds of the Brooklyn street.
By the time they reached the top, Kate felt dizzy—from the breathless climb or the effect of his lips on her skin, she wasn’t sure. As she fumbled with the keys, he leaned in and planted his hands again
st the wall on either side of her, kissing her lips, drifting to her jaw, coasting down her neck. She twisted the doorknob, and together they stumbled into the apartment, the light of the full moon streaming into the window by the fire escape. With their mouths entwined, he pivoted and pressed her back against the door, closing it behind them.
As his lips moved across hers in a sweet, persuasive kiss that seemed to shift around the pieces of her heart, she let go a sigh, and when he pulled away, the loss of his kiss left her aching for another. They stood there for a moment, his fingertips against her hot cheeks, her breath shallow and soft, wanting more, wanting him. Unable to wait a second longer, she reached up and brought his lips crashing back down to hers, a move that seemed to be all the invitation he needed.
His hands found the hem of her dress, lifting it over her hips to press his palm against her hot, wet core. Another sigh escaped her parted lips as his fingers slipped beneath the lace of her panties to find her clit. She let go a quiet moan as the thrill of his caress moved through her body, setting her on fire. Her body arched toward him, practically begging for more. And he seemed more than willing to please her. His lips traveled over the vulnerable cove of her throat while his free hand moved up to cup her ass to tilt her closer to his touch while his fingers worked their magic inside her. God, he was driving her crazy, circling her, drawing her close to a climax.
“I want you now, Jake,” she said, her voice filled with longing. “Tonight. Tomorrow.”
“Kate…” Her name fell from his lips like a promise as he tugged the provocative lace over her thighs and calves. “God…Kate…”
Her hips angled closer toward him, desperate for a moment of release. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as he coaxed her body to the brink only to pull away. Her head fell back on a desperate sigh as his fingers pulled away, leaving her body trembling. On a wild groan, he grabbed her ass in his hands and lifted her against him. Her elbows locked around his broad shoulders, her legs wrapped around his hips.
“I want you, too.” His mouth slammed down on her lips, kissing her as he strode across the small living space toward her bedroom. She returned his kiss, angling closer, wanting him with a desperation she’d only ever felt with this man.
Cradling her against him, he let his tongue intertwine with hers as they fell back against the bed in a hot, needy tangle. Jake pressed her back against the bed, lifted the skirt back over her reaching hips. “You are beautiful.”
His palms ran along the tender curve of her thighs, inching them apart so he could caress her with his tongue. The first playful flick made her cry out. But it was only the beginning. Desire pooled low in her abdomen as he worked her over with his tongue. Her desperate body arched and bucked against him, but his hands locked her hips in place, refusing to let her move even an inch. When she thought she could take no more, he raised his lips to her right breast and took her aching nipple into his mouth, his mouth warm against her heated skin, sucking on her flesh. Her core was wet and slick, her body trembling. He murmured his encouragement, letting his thumbs graze the tips of her breasts. Her eyes drifted shut.
“Look at me,” he said, his voice low and commanding.
Her gaze found his and held on as he continued to stroke and tease, her body aching with the need to feel him inside her. Unable to wait one crazy second longer, her hands tore at the button of his cargos, yanking down the zipper, tugging down the shorts and then the sexy boxer briefs with her toes to free the hard, delicious length of him.
A smile melted across her face as desperation played across his features. She took his cock in her hands, unable to fight her desire to touch him so intimately, to see his barriers fall away. She loved the feel of him in her hands, so hard and yet so vulnerable to her touch. His body trembled as her hand moved up and down his shaft, and she felt him harden further in her grasp. A deep growl rumbled up from his throat, and he reached for her hands, pinning them back against the bed with one hand while he positioned his rock-hard erection above her.
He pulled a condom from the pocket of his shorts with his free hand and tore it open with his teeth. “Don’t move,” he commanded. She didn’t dare. She only watched as he slid the protection over his cock. She was barely breathing, her body aching and desperate to feel him inside her. “I am going to make you feel the way you’ve never felt before.”
“Is that a guarantee?” she asked, breathless, still staring, not moving.
He held her wrists above her head with one hand while the other slowed below her hips. “That’s a promise.”
He bent to give her a slow, lingering kiss as his cock inched inside her. He rocked her gently, increasing the rhythm as her breath grew ragged. Small sounds of need fell from her lips as she bucked against him, her arms pinned to the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist.
“Come for me, Kate, don’t hold back. I want to hear you come for me.”
With both hands on her hips, he drove her harder, thrusting down as he rode her body toward climax. She threw her head back, crying out as she reached a shattering orgasm, colored waves of pleasure crashing through her.
He slowed his pace momentarily, sliding in and out of her, drawing out her climax until she sighed with pleasure. Her hips rose up to meet the now-quickening pace of his thrusts, until his strong body tensed, before falling against her in pleasure and release.
Their bodies still locked together, he kissed her breathless. Then once again his lips drifted down the lines and curves of her body, touching her, tasting her, making good on his promise to make her feel things she’d never felt before.
Her one-night stand was officially a double score, and as her body quivered under the delights of his tongue, she held his gaze and watched him work her body with the magic of his tongue, gripping the edge of the bed as her body began to tremble.
YES.
YES.
YES.
Chapter Fifteen
Kate woke up with the weight of Jake’s naked body pressed up against her back, his arm draped around her, all casually intimate and cozy. The Morning After, Take Two. Definitely better than the first, she thought, looking at his sleeping form, the sheet low on his hips. Better because he was still here, in the bed, looking delicious and cool.
“Morning.” The warm sound of his voice sent an impossible thrill of pleasure down her spine. A sexy-as-sin smile touched his mouth as he rolled onto his right hip, allowing the sheet to dip a little lower. More than anything, she wanted him to stay. Her confounded romantic heart wanted to see him in the morning. Feel the naked length of him next to her. Hear that voice. See that smile. Rise up to meet him as he buried himself inside her.
“Morning.” Even to her own ears, her voice echoed with longing.
Jake reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear. Dropped a kiss on her mouth. Smiled. “I have to go.”
Kate blinked. Of course, he did. Yes, she’d expected bagels and morning sex. Not in that order, but he needed to go. Panic took up residence in an open corner of her heart. What had she expected? For him to stay? Drop down on one knee? Cuddle?
“I’m meeting Nick to go over the contract for my next book, but dinner later?”
She nodded vaguely, knowing he was about to leave her bed, wanting him to stay.
“I thought dinner was too traditional,” she said, attempting a casual humor she didn’t feel.
He gave her his most wicked smile, his hands skimming the curve of her hips, dipping under the sheet to give her ass an affectionate squeeze. “Oh, we are way past traditional dates and conversation.”
Despite her brain knowing better, her body grew hot, scandalously ready to give it another go. But he was already climbing out of the bed. Beautifully, perfectly naked—and leaving. Again.
Been here. Seen it, she thought, pulling the sheet up to her shoulders.
Jake smiled dutifully as he pulled on his jeans and yanked the T-shirt over his head, but the distance was there again. Physical—check. Emotional�
�check.
As he bent to drop a kiss onto her mouth, she reached up to frame his face in her hands lingering in a kiss that was meant to be a token, not a guarantee.
But he held her gaze sweetly. “I’ll call you later.”
Kate nodded, an understanding smile plastered on her face. “Don’t you need a cab?”
“Nope. I’m going to take a walk over to the bridge, so I’ll just catch one there.”
And then, he was gone. As the door closed behind him, a sigh escaped from somewhere deep inside. She knotted the sheet between her fingers. Last night had been earth-shattering, easily the best sex of her life. Because sex with him just kept getting better. As if their bodies had been designed to work together. She’d known how to move with him, known what he needed, known exactly where to touch him to push him over the edge. Like their bodies had known each other for years. Connecting pieces of the same puzzle. Divided halves looking to come together, looking to be reunited. Like soul mates.
Her heart stopped. No, she shoved the sheet aside, not like soulmates. More like Three Days to Remember. That’s all he’d offered. He’d promised her three days and an exclusive, and now the end of their affair was approaching. Soon it would be over—like a sexual drive-by. He’d wrap up his business, go back to his peaceful island, and she’d be back at square one. Why did I think it would be any different? She’d signed on for an interview—not love, not a relationship.
Rather than lie in bed, stewing over her emotions, she slid out of bed, ready to organize her ideas for her spec piece. A shower would give her perspective. A seriously cold shower, she thought, grabbing her seersucker robe.
Walking toward the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of a sheaf of folded papers peeking out from beneath the bed. Recognizing the bold red SMART CUPID, Inc. across the top, she picked it up and unfolded what was obviously a contract. An unsigned contract for her exclusive on Jake’s new book—No Strings Attached. Her heart stuttered in her chest. No Strings Attached?
One Little Kiss (Smart Cupid) Page 14