by Tess Summers
He’d assumed he’d have to grovel and woo her before getting into her bed again, show her that she could count on him—he wasn’t going anywhere. Holding her soft hand as they quietly took the stairs to the deck where their cabins were located, all that seemed out the window, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
When she’d first invited him to her cabin, he had been all for it, needing to feel her naked body against his; the sooner, the better—or so he’d thought. But as they walked the hallways, he was becoming less sure. It felt like they should talk first—hash things out before sleeping together again.
“How are you here, Jake? How is this even possible?” she quietly asked as they made their way down the long corridor.
Jake. No one but his mom and Taren were allowed to call him that. He’d missed hearing it from her.
“I heard you were going to be here.”
That caused her to stop dead in her tracks.
“You,” she hissed in accusation. “You bought me this cruise. How did you—” She paused as though at a loss for words, then shook her head, and tried again, unsuccessfully. “Why would you—”
She was obviously not happy with the realization that her ex-boyfriend was her vacation benefactor and tried to pull her hand away. Jacob tugged her against his chest instead, holding her tight so she had no choice but to listen as he pleaded his case.
“I needed to see you, Tink. Spend time with you,” he murmured against her earlobe.
Taren refused to look at him, instead kept her eyes glued on the two-tone wall in front of her.
“And you couldn’t have done that in Houston? How did you even know where I was?”
“I made some calls, did a little online digging. You weren’t hard to find, little one.”
She was scowling when she finally looked at him, obviously not a believer. She’d always known him better than anyone.
“And you just happened to be doing your research as I was getting divorced?”
Stepping back, Jacob released his hold and moved his hand to the small of her back, urging her forward. “Let’s go to your cabin, and I’ll explain…”
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest—not budging. There’s that sass he loved; it was good to see the fire back in her eyes, even if her ire was with him.
He bent his knees so he was eye level with her and gave her his best puppy dog look—his hand still at her back. “Tink, come on. Please?”
Her face softened and she uncrossed her arms as she started walking again.
“Damn you, Jake. You always knew how to play me like a fiddle.”
Jacob tugged on her arm so she would stop and face him.
“I never played you Taren—not then, and not now. I was out of my mind in love with you, and I still am. If you’ll just hear me out...”
She stared at him with her mouth open, but nothing was coming out, like she was at a loss for words.
“Let’s talk in your cabin, Tink,” he suggested again.
She nodded in answer and started walking once more; a sense of relief coming over him that she was letting him take her to her room.
Chapter Three
Jacob
“This is just sex, Jake. It doesn’t mean anything,” she said as she reached behind her back and pulled the zipper of her dress down.
“Maybe we should talk first…”
He watched from his seat on her couch, captivated, as she slipped her arms out and let the material drop to the floor.
“I don’t want to talk.”
She’d gotten curvier since they were last together—and sexier, if that were possible. Her tits were fuller, hips wider, but she still had the strawberry birthmark just above her bikini line. The one he had loved to kiss.
Wearing nothing now but her white lace bra and panties, she boldly stepped closer.
“I mean it. No expectations of getting back together.”
There was no way in hell he was agreeing to that. It was a hell of a lot more than sex, and he absolutely expected to get back together—it was all he’d thought about for the last seven months.
“God, you’re beautiful,” was his raspy reply as he stood and covered the remaining distance between them; the backs of his fingertips softly traced the exposed skin of her tits along the outline of her bra. A smile formed on his lips when her skin broke out in goosebumps, and she shivered at his touch. “So. Fucking. Beautiful. But, I really want to explain...”
She cut him off mid-sentence when she dropped her bra and pushed her bare tits against him. He bit back a groan. They needed to clear the air before they did this, but she was just too damn tempting.
She began to fondle his erection over his pants, and Jacob dipped his hand in her panties, watching her face for her reaction when he found her drenched and began to smear her juices around her clit.
“You’re already wet, Tink.”
She simply nodded, pulling her lower lip between her teeth as she closed her eyes and pushed against his hand.
He plunged one finger inside her and began to fuck her slowly, his thumb moving circles around her clit while never taking his eyes off her face.
“Do you need to be fucked, baby?” he growled as he pushed his middle finger deeper inside her.
Damn, she is tight. When was the last time she’d been fucked?
The material from her panties was impeding his movement, and he tugged on the lacy sides with his free hand until they were at her ankles, where she dutifully stepped out of them.
“Get on the bed.”
She did exactly as he instructed, and he stood at the foot of the bed admiring her.
“Spread your legs for me. Let me see your pussy.”
Again, she did as she was told. He had always loved her submission, in addition to her fire. It felt like a gift that she gave only to him. Considering he’d taken her virginity, at the time, it was. But even now, as she obeyed his commands, it felt special. He needed to remind her of what they once had.
“Jake…” She sat up and reached for his waistband, and he promptly pressed on her shoulder before tapping her inner thigh authoritatively.
“Keep your legs spread.”
“It’s just sex,” she whispered—almost as if to remind herself, while she complied with his demands.
He swiped his tongue straight up her slit, causing her to jump, then swirled it around her clit. She tasted exactly like he’d remembered.
When she let out a whimper, it made him feel just cocky enough to disagree with her.
“No, Tink. It’s so much more than that.” He slid a finger back inside her pussy to fuck her while his tongue continued exploring her folds.
She didn’t argue, which emboldened him.
“You’re mine, little one.”
“Hmph.”
Jacob felt her response as she heaved the syllable from her chest more than he heard it. He needed her to agree with him. Fortunately, he had known how to play her body like an upright bass from the beginning. The way she was responding to him proved he hadn’t forgotten. Maybe this was how he got through to her.
He switched his tongue and fingers so he was now polishing her clit with his hand and fucking her with his mouth.
When he felt her body begin to clench, he murmured against her pussy, “That’s it, baby. Come on my tongue.”
Taren shuddered underneath him, and he gently pressed on her stomach to keep her from writhing out of his control as he continued his attention to her pussy while she rode out her orgasm.
“Jake, please…” she gasped and pushed his head away from in between her legs.
He lifted his head with a smile, knowing her juices were smeared all over his face, and crawled up her body—still fully clothed with his cock pressing against his zipper. His intention had been to kiss her neck, but he got sidetracked by her luscious tits along the way.
His left hand gently squeezed the flesh on her right boob while his tongue and teeth became
reacquainted with her left nipple. Her pert pebbled tips were at full attention for him.
“Mmm, good girl. So responsive,” he moaned against her skin. In turn, she raised her hips to grind against his cock.
“Please fuck me,” she whispered. “I need to feel you inside me.”
Shit. He hadn’t been expecting this when he left his cabin. This might be the perfect opportunity to slow things down.
“I don’t have anything with me.”
“I’m on the pill—and I’m clean. I promise. I got tested when I found out my husband was cheating on me.”
“Ex-husband,” he corrected. The way she was looking at him made him powerless. He needed to be inside her just as much. So, he added, “I’m clean, too, baby.” He’d gotten tested last year when being with her again became a real possibility.
Jacob stripped out of his clothes in record time and resumed his attention to her tits, all the while she tried to maneuver her hips so his cock was between her legs.
He raised his head and smiled at her.
“Impatient, are we?”
As badly as he wanted to fuck her, he also wanted to savor this moment. It’d been too long since he had this woman underneath him. When he did fuck her, he wasn’t going to last long, and he knew it.
She put her hands around his face and drew his mouth to hers, which surprised him. She never used to want to kiss him after he ate her pussy.
As their tongues tangled, he thought back to the hours they would spend just making out and realized he hadn’t really kissed another woman since her. It was too intimate. Sure, he’d fucked plenty, but not since Tink had it meant something other than a way to carnal gratification. He wasn’t a selfish lover—he always made sure his partners left satisfied. But, he also always made sure she—or they—left. He was looking forward to holding his little sprite in his arms all night long, and making love to her over and over again.
Because, it was going to be making love—whether she wanted to admit it or not.
He could feel the heat from her arousal, and putting his weight on his forearms, looked into her eyes as he entered her, letting her get used to his size before pressing all the way inside. When he was fully seated, they moaned in unison.
It was like coming home. This is what sex was supposed to be like, and he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the intimacy until just then.
“I love you so goddamn much,” he growled as he began making rhythmic thrusts.
Again, she hmphed in response.
Jacob paused and looked down at her.
“What? I do. And you know it. And I also think, deep down, you still love me, too.”
“I don’t want to have this conversation right now, Jake,” she said, tugging on his ass to encourage him to continue. “Fuck me. Please.”
Given how he’d ended things last time, he understood her reluctance to believe him. He needed to serve his penance—he knew that. He just couldn’t help saying how he felt when he was balls deep inside her.
So, instead of continuing to profess his love with words, he began to express it with his body, making love to her.
It was not at all what she wanted.
“Harder!”
Jacob increased the pace, but it was still not to her satisfaction, because she grabbed a fistful of his hair, and through gritted teeth, snarled, “Harder, dammit!”
It was the sexiest thing she’d ever done, and his cock was like a steel rod.
He began to thrust faster, his balls slapping against her ass as he slammed into her. Taren lifted her legs and began to fondle her clit as he proceeded to pound her cunt like he hated her. He realized as he pumped into her furiously, this really was a hate fuck on her part.
As unhappy as he was to be the object of her loathing, the act itself was erotic as hell, and he was already close to coming. When she came undone underneath him, grabbing her tits and arching her back like a fucking porn star, he roared his release—holding her hips and slamming into her as deep as he could while he emptied his cock.
Breathing heavily, he fell forward, catching himself on his forearms and tried to kiss her again.
This time, she turned her head.
****
Taren
What am I doing?
Not only was she having sex with Jacob Smith, she had been completely unabashed. Everything about this situation was like something from her dreams—the fantasies she’d had in her head when David was on top of her.
Except her fantasies hadn’t come close to how good reality was.
She’d spent the last seven years wondering why Jacob had left her. He’d given her some bullshit about his job, but she hadn’t believed it. He wouldn’t admit there was someone else, but in her heart, she knew there was. Why else would he just end it when things were going so great between them? Not only end it, but disappear from her life without another word—ever again, until this afternoon. He’d changed his number, had no digital presence—anywhere. She’d looked on more than one occasion, and since she’d never once been to his house, she had no idea how to physically find him. She thought maybe he’d found someone with more sexual prowess who was sure of herself. Taren had been completely inexperienced before Jake. Although she had always been up for whatever he wanted to try, in or out of the bedroom, she knew she had been timid when it came to initiating anything.
When he broke up with her out of the blue…. Devastated didn’t come close to describing how she felt that fateful day, and for months and even years later—although she eventually managed to function again and get on with life.
Time had allowed her some perspective, and she was eventually able to look back on their time together and smile. He’d told her from the beginning he wasn’t forever material, she’d just naively thought she could make him love her enough to change his mind. They were together for three blissful years—albeit sporadically because his consulting job required him to travel a lot. Still, it was long enough that she’d gotten comfortable and believed they were headed toward marriage and babies.
Instead, she married David Graham four years later.
Now, here she was, divorced and naked with Jacob.
Again, how the hell did I get here?
Regardless of how amazing the sex had just been, she wasn’t getting sucked back into Jake’s web. Her heart couldn’t handle it.
His arms were wrapped around her, and he was nuzzling her hair, murmuring sweet nothings. He was strong and beautiful, and she remembered the times before when lying with him after he’d rocked her world had brought her such contentment. Taren was this close to closing her eyes and allowing herself those old feelings. It would be so easy to do.
With resolve she never knew she had, she sat up, breaking the spell he was lulling her into. Escaping to the bathroom, she cleaned up, put her robe on that she’d hung up on the bathroom hook when she unpacked, brushed her hair and wiped away any stray mascara before returning to find him with one arm behind his head, still naked in her bed.
Jacob threw the sheet back and patted the space next to him. Instead of meeting his demands this time, she shook her head with a sad smile and said, “I think you should go now.”
He tilted his head to the side and eyed her, as if trying to decide whether or not she was serious.
“Why don’t you come back to bed and let me hold you a while longer.”
She winced and closed her eyes. That sounds heavenly.
“I can’t.”
He got out of bed, his flaccid cock, still huge compared to her ex’s, bobbed as he approached her. He was male perfection personified.
She’d never admit it—not even to herself, but she felt a sense of relief when he wrapped his arms around her instead of reaching for his clothes.
“Tinkerbell, let me stay with you. Please? I need to hold you, baby.”
She sank into his embrace. Reveled in it. It was like the world made sense again being in his arms.
Except.
Except h
e’d left her without warning seven years ago and turned her world upside down. Then nothing had seemed to make sense. She wasn’t going through that again.
“I can’t, Jake. I’m just getting my bearings again. You can’t come waltzing back into my life and think everything’s going to be the same. You had your chance with me, and you chose to throw it away.” Tears filled her eyes as she pulled away from him. “Please go.”
The hurt look on his face almost made her relent, but she didn’t. She stood her ground. No good could come from him staying the night.
He dressed quickly and pulled her back into his arms, as if giving her one last chance to change her mind. She didn’t, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“I’m back for good, Taren. Let me prove it to you. Breakfast tomorrow? Eight o’clock? I’ll pick you up.”
Her head was swimming. She should say no. But there was no way she didn’t want to see more of him, even though she knew better.
She heard herself whisper, “Okay.”
He planted a long kiss in her hair as he hugged her tight, not seeming to be in a hurry to let go. When he finally did, he softly said, “I love you, Tink,” then walked out the door.
Leaving her almost as confused as he had seven years ago.
Chapter Four
Jacob
The last thing he wanted to do was leave her cabin. But she’d asked him to go, so he thought it would be in his best interest to honor her request. Although it was tempting as hell to disregard it and just make her listen to him.
Not the right approach. If there was one thing he excelled at, it was knowing the right way to deal with any situation. That skill had made him incredibly wealthy.
He went next door to his room and fired up his secure laptop and WiFi to do some work. He was working on a few things that were coming to a head later this week, and he still needed to direct things from behind the scenes. It was times like this that being a lone wolf really sucked; he didn’t have anyone else to pick up the slack so he could go on a real vacation, or god forbid, if he got sick—which was rare. However, until now, he hadn’t even remotely been on a vacation in seven years—it’d always just been working from a more exotic locale than New Orleans. He didn’t even have an assistant, although he was seriously considering getting one now that Taren was going to be occupying his time.