He’d just have to save all of Amanda’s kisses for later.
He hoped her lips were well rested.
Chapter Ten
They stopped for dinner on the way home, so by the time they reached Jacob’s house, the sun was already setting, casting an orange glow on the world. Amanda couldn’t remember a day she’d enjoyed so much. She always loved spending time with her sweet niece, and the kid’s father wasn’t half bad either. As she retrieved Julie’s bag, and—after only a second of consideration—her own, she watched the two walk hand in hand to the front door.
“Daddy, can we have a tea party now?” Julie asked.
“I’m tired, baby,” he said as he released Julie’s hand and fit his key into the lock. “Can I take a rain check?”
Julie glanced up at the sky. “Okay, I’m checking, and I don’t see no rain clouds.”
Amanda chuckled at Julie’s literal rain check.
“Can we do a tea party tomorrow?” Jacob rubbed at one eye beneath his sunglasses.
Julie had her new stuffed monkey under one arm and her new stuffed elephant under the other. “Jojo and Lucky need to meet their new friends before bed. So we need to have a tea party tonight. Would you like it if you had to sleep with strangers?”
Jacob laughed, and Amanda wondered just how many strangers the man had slept with. “I guess I can’t argue with that logic.”
He opened the door and turned off the alarm. “You go set it up and come get me when you’re ready.”
Julie hopped through the foyer and down the hall singing, “I’m a little roo. I’m a little roo.”
Jacob turned to Amanda, who’d entered the house behind them with a bag slung over each shoulder.
“I could have helped you with that,” he said, reaching for one of the bags.
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “They’re not heavy.” Not after they’d devoured every smidge of food that had been packed in Julie’s bag. “Should I put my bag in your bedroom?”
“You’re staying the night?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.
She couldn’t tell if he was teasing, because he was still wearing his damned sunglasses.
“If you’d rather I go—”
His arms were around her and his mouth against hers before she could complete the thought. She dropped both bags to the ground with successive thuds before lifting her arms to draw him closer. His strength, his heat, and his heady scent engulfed her, pulling her under. She was drowning in him and didn’t want to be rescued.
“God, I want you,” he growled, his fervent kisses moving to her jaw and throat. His fingers tangled in her hair, tugging her head back as he nibbled his way to her collarbone. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to behave myself when I’m around you all day?”
“Yes,” she whispered, tilting her head to give him better access to the flesh he was already igniting with lips and tongue and teeth.
Small footsteps echoed off the tiles in the hallway. Jacob tensed. “Fuck,” he murmured against her throat before slowly pulling away.
“Do you have something in your eye again, Aunt Mander?” Julie asked.
Yeah, tears of frustration.
“All better now,” Amanda said tersely. “Thanks to your daddy.”
“The tea party is ready,” Julie said.
“I’ll be right there,” Jacob said, still facing Amanda. “I need to go to the bathroom first.”
Amanda offered him a puzzled look, but he was too busy taking deep breaths to sate her curiosity.
“Are you coming to the tea party, Aunt Mander?”
Amanda realized Jacob’s predicament was located in his shorts, and while she was still as hot for him as he obviously was for her, at least her excitement wasn’t so blatantly obvious.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Amanda said, stepping around Jacob and taking Julie’s hand to lead her back to her room while Jacob regained control. They were going to have to keep a more appropriate distance from each other until they could be alone.
Julie showed Amanda where to sit on the floor next to a child-sized wooden table. The small chairs were overflowing with various stuffed animals and dolls. In the seat of honor—Julie’s small white rocking chair—sat her two newest friends, Jojo and Lucky.
“They’re already best friends,” Julie explained.
“I can see that. What kind of tea are we having?” Amanda reached for a tiny porcelain cup decorated with pink rose buds.
“The good kind,” Julie said.
“Ah,” Amanda said. “My favorite.”
“What’s taking Daddy so long?” When Julie headed for the door, Amanda caught her arm and drew her into her lap for a vigorous tickle.
“I think he needs some privacy,” Amanda said.
“Oh. I don’t want to start without him.”
“Did you have fun today?” Amanda asked, hoping to distract her from going in search of her father.
“Oh yes! When I grow up, can I work at the zoo and be a singer too?”
Lost in Julie’s wide blue eyes, Amanda stroked her silky hair and smiled at her. “You can be whatever you want to be.”
“And I want to be a princess,” Julie said.
“You’re already my princess,” Jacob said from the doorway.
Julie lit up like a Griswold Christmas light display and squirmed off Amanda’s lap. She soon had her father seated on the floor next to Amanda and introduced everyone at the table—real and imaginary—to the newest additions to her eclectic menagerie.
“I do think she needs a little brother,” Jacob whispered to Amanda.
Amanda’s head swiveled in his direction, and she choked on her imaginary tea. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“There’s only one way that’s going to happen,” he said.
She lifted inquisitive eyebrows at him.
“Stop being so terrific. You’re putting strange thoughts in my head.”
“Apparently,” she said.
Telling her he loved her that morning had progressed to hints of marriage and blatant requests for more children. He was obviously delirious. Hopefully once he got laid, he’d come back to his senses. Amanda wasn’t prepared to let her sister know she saw him even casually. If she started birthing Jacob’s babies, Amanda was pretty sure Tina would put two and two together.
But he did make beautiful babies and he was a spectacular father. He was also a rock star. She tended to forget about that part of his life when they were outside the arena. There was no way that her boring self would keep his attention for long. Still, she wasn’t going to let that knowledge stop her from enjoying her time with him while she had him.
Julie yawned sleepily and started to sway. Amanda snuck a peek at her cellphone, delighted to see it was the tyke’s bedtime.
“Which pajamas do you want to wear?” Jacob asked, groaning as he staggered to his feet from the hard floor.
Amanda felt a bit intrusive as she watched him prepare Julie for bed. He helped her into her nightgown—Julie didn’t even protest that she was a big girl and could do it herself—and combed her hair while she brushed her teeth. Once she was tucked into bed with her all of her tea party guests, Amanda leaned over her to kiss her goodnight.
“Are you going home now?” Julie asked with another sleepy yawn.
“I’m going to stay the night so I can go swimming with you tomorrow. I hope that’s okay.”
Julie scrunched up her brow as she considered that bit of news. “I think my bed is too small for you.”
Amanda chuckled. “That’s okay. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“My daddy has a big bed,” she said. “You can sleep with him.”
Gladly, Amanda thought. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a good place to sleep. Good night, Julie Bean.”
“Can you read me a story, Daddy?” Julie asked.
Jacob eyed the bookshelf near the bed as if it were swarming with cockroaches. “Um . . .” he murmured. “How about I sing to you instead?”
Amanda stepped outside the room but leaned against the wall just outside the door and closed her eyes, listening to Jacob’s smooth, soothing voice as he sang his little girl to sleep. The sound made her heart swell with love. What would her life be like if he became a permanent fixture in it?
Heaven. It would be heaven.
Yet she couldn’t let herself think that way. If she got too attached, she would be destroyed when they ultimately parted ways.
But maybe it was okay to imagine a future with Jacob in it. A little dreaming couldn’t hurt.
Jacob’s voice softened on the next chorus and softened yet again on the next. Amanda peeked into the room to find him sitting on the edge of Julie’s bed, stroking her hair gently as he sang to her. Julie’s eyes were closed and her face had gone slack. The tender smile on Jacob’s face and the love in his expression melted Amanda’s heart.
Amanda’s own father had always been a minor player in her life. He’d doted on Tina, as all men did. Amanda had a much closer relationship with her mother. Seeing Jacob with Julie made her ache for the kind of blind devotion a father had for his little girl. Julie would probably never realize how lucky she was to have this man’s heart in the palm of her tiny hand. Amanda hoped Julie didn’t mind sharing a bit of it.
Jacob finished the song on a whisper, and his hand went still. He waited for a moment, watching Julie for signs of wakefulness. He carefully stood, disturbing her mattress as little as possible as he moved away. He shut off her lamp, which looked a lot like the castle at Disneyland, and tiptoed out of her room.
Amanda smiled at him and said, “I think—” But Jacob’s finger against her lips silenced her.
He took her arm and led her to his room, not releasing her until the latch clicked shut behind them and he’d locked the door.
“Whatever you do, don’t wake her up,” Jacob said.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“I’m in desperate need of some adult time.”
Amanda released a breathless laugh. “I’m with you on that.”
He tugged off her clothes while she pulled his off. They were mostly naked when his patience reached its end and he lifted her off the floor to carry her to the bed. They collapsed on the mattress, a tangle of arms and legs. He shattered her with deep passionate kisses while he used hurried motions to cover his length with latex. Amanda cried out in bliss when he filled her. He took her hard and fast, his breaths excited and ragged against her ear. She dug her nails into his shoulders and hung on as he brought her closer and closer to the brink of release. Unexpectedly, he called out, clinging to her hips with strong fingers as he buried himself so deeply, it stole her breath. And then he shuddered against her as he let go.
She couldn’t believe he’d finished so fast. He usually outlasted her several times over.
“Sorry,” he murmured against her jaw, his sweat-slick belly bumping against hers with each of his labored breaths. “I probably should have rubbed that one out in the shower.”
She hugged him close and snuggled into his neck. “I’m glad you rubbed it out in me.”
He chuckled and went slack in her arms, pressing her into the mattress. “Just let me catch my breath and I’ll make it up to you.”
She had absolutely no doubt that he would, but lying beneath him, with his breath in her ear and his heart thudding so hard in his chest she could feel it in her breast, meant more to her than she could express. She was pretty sure what she felt for Jacob was love, but she was in no way prepared to tell him she felt so strongly. He was already much too close to her, and he didn’t realize that loving her could destroy an important part of his life.
But she had no time to fret. His touch soon chased every troubled thought from her head until nothing mattered but the two of them, their bodies connecting in a way she wished was someday possible for every facet of their lives.
Chapter Eleven
Jacob smeared extra waterproof sunscreen on the bridge of Julie’s nose. He couldn’t help but smile when she scowled at him and wiped at the goop dripping from the tip.
“Don’t want you to get burned,” he said, splattering another glob on her nose.
“Can I get in the water now?” Julie asked, peering out through the sliding patio door at the inviting blue pool in the backyard.
“Wait for your aunt. She’s putting on her swimsuit.” Thank you, God.
“I can swim,” she said, rubbing the excess sunscreen off her nose again. “I take lessons and everything.”
“I know you can. Amanda should be out any minute.”
Jacob heard a throat clearing and turned his head to smile at Amanda. The smile dropped along with his jaw as his gaze traveled up her legs. The well-muscled curves seemed to go on for miles, accentuated by the high cut of her tiny orange bikini bottoms. He sucked drool back into his mouth as his stare moved up her flat belly to the beguiling cleavage spilling from the cups of her bikini top. His heart was thudding so hard by the time his eyes met hers that he feared it might burst.
He patted Julie on the back. “Go sit by the pool,” he said, rising from his crouched position to his full height. “I need to ask your aunt something.”
“Can I jump in?”
“Not until we’re out there with you. Go sit and don’t move.”
“But I’m a big girl.”
“Julie,” he said sharply.
“Fine,” she grumbled, and her bare feet slapped against the decking as she headed out the door and toward the water.
Jacob watched to make sure Julie sat outside the pool and then took the two steps that separated him from Amanda and pulled her against him. His mouth claimed hers as he filled his hands with her scrumptious ass and lifted her slightly so he could press his suddenly attentive cock into the beckoning crevice between her thighs. How long had it been since he’d been buried inside her? An hour? Two? Jesus, this woman had him out of his head.
Would he ever get enough of her? He hoped not.
“After Julie goes home,” Amanda whispered in his ear, “I want to go swimming with you alone and mysteriously lose my swimsuit bottoms.”
“And I mysteriously want my—”
A loud splash made his heart skip a beat. He pulled away from Amanda and rushed around the corner to the tiled decking around the pool. Julie was not where he’d left her. Ripples marred the surface of the water at the deep end of the pool.
“Julie!” he yelled before diving into the water and swimming to the bottom. Chlorine stung his eyes as he searched the pool. He located Julie sitting calmly on the bottom of the pool, bubbles blossoming from her nose and an impish smile on her face. He didn’t know whether to be terrified or angry. Admittedly, he was both. He grabbed Julie by the upper arms and kicked off the bottom of the pool, launching them upward until their heads surfaced.
“Oh, thank God,” Amanda said from beside the pool.
“I can hold my breath for a really long time,” Julie said, beaming with pride.
“Don’t you ever, ever jump into the pool when I’m not with you!” Jacob shouted, his heart thundering so hard in his chest that his ears were ringing.
“It’s okay, Daddy. I’m a big girl.”
“It’s not okay, Julie,” he said, his voice still booming. He didn’t know the best way to get his point across. He’d never yelled at her before, and he refused to spank her. He knew how much she hated time out, but this lesson needed to stick. “You could have drowned.” He hauled her to the side of the pool and sat her on the edge. “If you can’t do what I say and stay out of the water until I tell you it’s okay to get in, then you can’t go swimming.”
“But, Daddy . . .” Her tiny lips pursed, and her eyes filled with tears. His thudding heart twisted at the look of devastation on her face.
“Do you understand why I’m mad at you?”
Her tears began to fall, and he could see how much his words affected her by the way her face twisted.
“You’re mad at me?” she asked brokenly.
And boy was it hard to cling to that anger when all he wanted to do was hug her and tell her everything was all right. She looked like her entire world was crumbling at her tiny feet.
“I’m very mad at you, Julie. You scared me. I thought you were hurt.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” She held out her arms for a hug, but he wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily, no matter how much he wanted to.
“You’re in time out.”
Her face fell. “I don’t want to be in time out,” she yelled at him.
“Go sit on that chair,” he said, pointing at a nearby lounge chair that sat low to the ground. She should be able to climb into it without his assistance. He really hoped he didn’t have to bodily drag her to the chair and make her sit in it.
“But, Daddy, I won’t do it no more. I promise.” She touched his shoulder, the look on her face so sincere that he almost laughed.
“You won’t do what anymore?” he asked.
“Go swimming by myself.”
“I’m glad. Now go sit in time out so you don’t forget.”
She wailed a protest as she climbed to her feet and ran to the chair, flopping herself into it with dramatic flair. “I hate time out!” she screamed.
“Four minutes,” Amanda said, handing Julie a kitchen timer.
“Four minutes?” Julie shouted. “I only have to do it for three minutes!”
“You had a birthday, remember?” Amanda said. “You’re four—a big girl—so that means time out is now four minutes.”
Julie frowned at her aunt, but didn’t argue. The timer beeped as Julie started the countdown and sniffled miserably. Apparently, this was not a new punishment to her even if it was the first time Jacob had been forced to use it. And why did he feel so bad for yelling at her and putting her in time out? She needed to be punished so she learned an important lesson.
Amanda slid into the water beside Jacob and patted his shoulder. “You handled that well,” she said quietly.
He flashed her a brief smile for the vote of confidence. “I shouldn’t have yelled.”
“She needed to see how upset her actions made you. You don’t get cross with her often, so when you do, it has a big impact on her.”
Treat Me (One Night with Sole Regret #8) Page 14