Things had only gone downhill from there. Jake now seemed to be taking great pains to see her during the day and at any location except his place or hers. Even the last design meeting, when she’d called to arrange it so he could sign off on the work she’d done and she could present him with the invoice, had been conducted in her office rather than at his home—at his insistence.
They still saw each other a couple of times a week, as they always had, but that was about the only thing that hadn’t changed. They’d had lunch. He’d dragged her to a new science fiction movie he’d just had to see. They’d had coffee afterwards, but then he’d dropped her home with the excuse he had an early meeting so no, thank you, he wouldn’t stay this time.
Now it had been nearly three weeks since they’d had sex and, quite frankly, Kelly’s libido was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. It had been getting regular sex for almost two whole months, with orgasms and passion and heat that threatened to make her pass out. Then suddenly, nothing.
Jake’s attention didn’t seem to have flagged, and he still kissed her with a fire that left them both burning, but he never took it any further and he pulled away if she tried to take matters into her own hands. At first she’d wondered if he was coming down with something and she’d been tempted to hunt down a thermometer and check him for fever. Now she had to wonder if maybe he’d lost interest.
She knew he still felt some sense of guilt about how he’d treated her the first time, despite the decade that had passed since then. Maybe he was trying to make sure he did the ‘good guy’ thing by letting her down gently. It was the only explanation she’d come up with for the mixed signals she’d been getting and, frankly, it sucked. And kind of hurt. And didn’t stop her from getting horny every time she got near him.
“How are things going with Jake?” Trina asked, her eyes still on the television.
Sexually unsatisfying. “Fine.”
She wasn’t about to tell Trina that Jake’s ardour had cooled. Best friend or not, some disappointments were too embarrassing to share.
“Are the two of you admitting you’re a couple yet? Or is it still just sex.” Trina used her fingers to put air quotes around the last couple of words.
Kelly rolled her eyes toward Trina in a long-suffering look. “Despite how it may appear from the outside, no amount of enthusiastic bonking can, in itself, qualify as a real relationship.” Jamming her spoon into the ice cream, she took another mouthful and went back to sulking.
Trina started to giggle. “Just so long as the bonking is enthusiastic,” she said. “That’s the important thing.”
Realising how ridiculous she sounded, Kelly began laughing as well.
After they’d both started to calm down she spoke again. “I don’t think this whole affair between me and Jake is going to last much longer anyway.”
Trina’s head snapped in her direction, all amusement gone. “Why?”
Kelly shrugged, kicking absently at the one wobbly leg of the coffee table. “The truth is, the sex is waning.” Waning sounded better than non-existent, she reasoned, but barely. She felt a sudden sadness wash over her. Being with Jake was the most fun she’d had in years, in and out of the bedroom. Despite the pep talks she’d given herself on how she would have to put a stop to the relationship sooner or later, the truth was she didn’t want it to stop—at least not yet.
“What do you think it means?” Trina asked, her voice oddly gentle.
“I think he’s ready to move on but he doesn’t want to look like an arsehole again so he’s letting me down gently. Backing off slowly or something.” Hearing herself say the words out loud lit a spark of anger in the pit of her belly. She frowned as she sat up straighter. “Which is downright disrespectful. If he doesn’t want to see me anymore he should man up and tell me.”
“Hold up a minute,” Trina said, holding one hand in the air while the other dumped the nearly empty carton of ice cream on the table. “Maybe you’re misreading this. Maybe he wants something more.”
“Oh please, he’s never said one word about wanting more. That man wouldn’t know a real commitment if it bit him on the arse. I’m not misreading anything.” Standing, Kelly started to pace the length of the room. “I just wish he’d be honest with me. I’m not some simpering eighteen-year-old girl anymore.” She stabbed the air with one finger, as if it helped emphasis her point. “I am a beautiful, intelligent, successful woman!”
“Damned right, you are.” Trina agreed with enthusiastic nodding, her eyes wide as she perched on the edge of the couch.
“If anyone is going to put an end to this it’s me. Not him—me!” She jabbed a thumb at the centre of her chest.
“What are you going to do?” Trina asked with a confused expression.
Kelly stood there, her breath coming in quick pants. What could she do? She gasped as an idea took shape. A stupid, reckless, could blow up in her face kind of idea. “I’m going to remind him why we started this in the first place. I’m going to seduce him all over again. Then I’ll decide when to end it.” She ignored the fact ending her relationship with Jake was the furthest thing from her mind. Right now her imagination was getting as far as Jake’s bed and refusing to move. Jake, mindless with passion, begging her to fuck his brains out. Yep, her brain was pretty much focused on that image. The rest could take care of itself.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Kelly.”
“It’s a great idea. I’ll refuse to see him for a few days, give him a chance to miss me. Then, when he’s least expecting it, I’ll show up at his door and rock his damned socks off.”
Trina groaned in dismay and slumped back into the couch. “You two are as bad as each other.” She went back to eating the last of the ice cream. “You’re not going to be naked under a trench coat, are you? Cause that’s just tacky.”
“No,” Kelly said, a sinful smile curving her lips. “I’ve got something better in mind.”
Chapter 16
The only sound Kelly could hear as she walked up to Jake’s house on Saturday night was the clacking of her high heels on the concrete footpath. This was it. She was going to seduce this man—again—and she’d use every dirty trick in the book to do it. She’d barely spoken to him in the past week, claiming she was simply too busy to see him. She figured that was long enough to make him squirm, but not enough for him to give up on her and move on.
Pausing in front of his door, she fingered her hair into place and adjusted her clothing before knocking. She knew how much he loved her long hair and she planned on using it to her advantage. Every lock had been curled subtly, so it tumbled about her shoulders in silken waves.
When the door opened, Jake’s eyes widened in surprise and he gave her a wide smile. “Kelly, I wasn’t expecting… holy hell.” His words stumbled to a halt as his gaze slid from her face down over the blood red bustier that pushed her breasts up until generous curves of flesh swelled over the top. Her short black skirt did more to show her legs than cover them. The black high heels with crystal encrusted straps encircling her ankles, she knew, were sexy as hell. Forgoing Trina’s clichéd trench coat, she’d worn a long, black jacket over the outfit—she wanted to seduce Jake, not his entire neighbourhood—but had parted the front before she knocked to give him a good view of what he’d miss out on if he tried to turn her away.
He continued to stand there, motionless with his mouth hanging open, so she stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she leaned back against the solid surface and smiled up at him. “Hello, Jake. I happened to be in the neighbourhood and thought I’d stop by for a drink.” She held up the bottle of wine she’d brought.
Dragging his gaze out of her cleavage, Jake smirked. “Is that what you call it?”
She shrugged. “Are you going to invite me in?”
He glanced at the closed door behind her. “You’re already in.”
“I’m being polite.”
Taking her hand, he led her down the hallway and into the kitchen. “W
hat shall we drink to?” he asked as he poured the wine, his eyes hardly leaving her.
“Let’s drink to… getting what we want.” Kelly took a small sip and ran her tongue over her bottom lip as she tasted the flavour. “Tastes good.”
Jake’s gaze seemed glued to her lips, just as she’d hoped, and she took the opportunity to lean in for a kiss. She lingered, her mouth barely grazing his, while a smile played across her parted lips.
“You taste good too,” he murmured. “I missed you this week.”
“Good,” she said as she put her glass back onto the counter. “I brought you a present.”
“Oh, yeah? What is it?”
She shrugged out of her jacket, allowing it to slide down her arms and fall to the floor. “Me.”
Jake’s hands gripped the counter behind him, his knuckles turning white with the pressure.
Tilting her head a little so her hair shifted over her left shoulder, she asked, “Don’t you want to take off the wrapping?”
His throat worked as he swallowed and he licked his lips before he spoke. “Kelly, maybe we should talk first.” His voice was strained and she felt her confidence soar.
“Screw talking,” she replied. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she turned them both so her back was to the counter with him standing in front of her. Then, she levered herself up onto the cool, flat surface before pulling him between her legs. “Or better yet, why don’t you screw me?” With that, she yanked his shirt open, ignoring the buttons that popped off, flying around the kitchen. She lowered her head and laved his nipple with a firm, flat tongue. His groan told her he was weakening. The hand that delved into her hair, forcing her head up where he could devour her mouth with his own, was all the confirmation she needed. She’d have him naked and begging for it within minutes.
She allowed a low moan to pass from her mouth into his as her tongue sought more of the taste of him. She could feel his hands at her knees, slowing travelling upward, and she quivered, aching for his touch. Her back arched as Jake’s mouth pressed hot, wet kisses to the swell of her breasts and her nipples became pinpoints of pained pleasure. This was what she’d come here for. His mouth on her, his hands, his heat filling her until she thought she’d die from the intensity of it.
She practically tore the shirt off him, desperate to rake her fingernails down his back. It got him hot every time, and that was exactly how she wanted him. Hot. Needy. Desperate for her.
Jake gripped her thighs, lifting her from the counter, and carried her back down the hallway toward the bedroom. He made it halfway before he pinned her against the wall. In the dim light filtering down from the kitchen, Kelly could see his face and an alarm bell sounded in the back of her mind. He was frowning. His eyes devoured her, his hands caressed her, but beneath it all she could sense his reluctance. She was losing him.
Determined to drive all reason from his mind, Kelly lowered her legs to the floor until she stood. Then she reached back to untie the fastenings of her bustier. Despite their trembling, her fingers had never been so quick and nimble. But then, her whole plan depended on her pulling this seduction off. As the material fell to the floor, Kelly traced her bared breasts with her fingertips, circling her own hard nipples, and gasped as pleasure streaked through her. “Please, Jake,” she crooned, “touch me.”
He held his breath as he reached out with both hands, cupping her breasts with infinite care and running his thumbs over their aching peaks. Unable to hold back her whimper, Kelly arched into his palms. Although only his skilled hands touched her, she felt the contact reverberate through her entire body, every muscle clenching in need.
Hooking one finger into his pants, she pulled him against her as he began to caress the length of her body with long sweeping strokes. She leaned upward to kiss him, and gasped as her breasts pressed against his chest. Seeking more stimulation, she twisted and turned slightly to rub against him, and was rewarded with his guttural groan.
“I want you, Jake,” she whispered into his mouth. “Want to feel you thrusting and moving inside me. You want me too. I know you do.”
He swore vehemently, his hands leaving her heated flesh to grasp her wrists and pin them against the wall on either side of her head. His mouth latched onto her neck and he sucked hard.
Kelly giggled. “Are you trying to give me a hickey?”
“Yes,” he muttered before returning to his task.
Taken aback by the ferocity behind the quiet word, Kelly paused. “Why?”
Lifting his head, he pressed his forehead against hers, while his body held hers captive against the wall. “Because you’re mine.”
Though she trembled at his possessiveness, at how much she liked his possessiveness, it also confused her. If he was so intent on claiming her, why had he spent the last few weeks backing away? “For now,” she said, reminding herself why she’d come here.
“Forever,” he responded, his voice harsh.
Suddenly, his hands were everywhere, clutching her to him as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Thought scattered as Kelly willingly submitted to his dominating behaviour. She’d wanted to drive him over the edge. Now she’d succeeded, her heart thundered in anticipation.
When his hand disappeared beneath her skirt to push her g-string down, she cried out. His fingertips began to stroke her lightly and she found herself panting in his ear.
“Is this what you want, Kelly?” he whispered. The tip of one finger slipped and slid between her wet folds and she bucked against his hand with a wanton cry. “Do you want me to get you off?”
Unable to form words, she nodded. Little sounds of ecstasy sounded from her throat but she couldn’t seem to control them.
“Say it,” he demanded.
She licked her lips, trying to get her brain to work properly. “Y-yes,” she whispered. “I want you.”
Finally, he slid one finger inside her, curling the digit in a come-hither motion until he found the one spot sure to drive her wild. Reflexively, Kelly’s fingernails dug into his back. Her shout brought a sly smile to his lips and she knew she had to get back in the game before she lost herself in it completely.
Struggling to think clearly, Kelly reached for his belt, determined to get his hard length inside her as quickly as possible.
“Oh, no you don’t.” He used his free hand to grab both her wrists and return them to the wall above her head. “I’m going to make you come so hard, you’ll fall if I don’t catch you.”
Her breath caught at his words and she forced her eyes to focus on his face. He watched her intently. The muscles in his neck and shoulders bunched tightly and she could tell he was barely restraining himself.
His finger moved in and out of her with agonising slowness. Then his thumb found her clitoris and she shouted his name, her entire body going rigid with arousal.
“That’s right, baby. Call my name.” He licked his tongue against her lips, but evaded her when she would have kissed him. “I’m the only one who can do this to you, Kelly. The only one who can make you feel this way.”
“Yes.” The word was little more than a hiss as she writhed against him, helpless beneath his touch. “Please, Jake.”
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she’d totally lost control of the situation, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the way he touched her. He was about to fuck her into oblivion. Then he would be hers once more. The knowledge left her quaking.
“Come for me, Kelly.”
The feel of his hot breath on her neck, together with the movements of his fingers, and the way he held her immobilised against the wall, all came crashing together and Kelly rammed into her orgasm with a force that left her gasping for air. Wave after wave ripped through her body until she collapsed against him, just as he’d predicted.
When she could think again, she found herself being cradled in Jake’s arms. They were still in the hallway but apparently, sometime in the last few minutes, they’d slid down onto the floor, with her sitting across his
lap. She could still feel his erection beneath her and he shuddered when she moved against it.
Lifting her head, she pressed her forehead against his. “Maybe we should move this little party to the bedroom,” she suggested in a low voice.
He made a low sound in the back of his throat as he shook his head. “No.”
“Why not?” She rolled her hips, chuckling when he grasped her hips to still her movements. “I want you to be comfortable when I make you come.”
“Because I can’t pretend I’m not in love with you, Kelly,” he gritted out between clenched teeth. “Not anymore.”
It took her a moment to comprehend what he’d said. As the words filtered through her lust-addled brain, her entire body went still. “What did you say?”
He pulled away, cupping her face in both hands, and looked directly into her eyes when he said it again. “I love you. And the next time I’m inside you, I want to know you love me back.”
Chapter 17
Kelly gaped at Jake for a long moment, unable to comprehend this unexpected turn of events. When she was finally able to move she pushed at his chest, desperate to get away. She could feel the cool evening air brushing against her nearly nude body as she stumbled to her feet. Rushing into the kitchen, she grabbed her long jacket from the kitchen floor and thrusting her arms into it. She did up the buttons with shaking fingers before tying the belt into place.
This Time Forever: Second Chance Romance (Finding Forever Book 3) Page 10