by Lori Ryan
Lina laughed. She could always count on Kayleigh to lighten her mood. “You’re sick.”
Kayleigh laughed. “I know, but seriously, girl. Jake’s a great guy. All the Sumners are. It’s not like you’re screwing some random asshole.”
The thought brought a vivid memory to the forefront of Lina’s mind, sending a chill up her spine.
“Lina?” Kayleigh said.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Ask yourself this?” she said.
“What?”
“Do you really want to sleep with him? Like in a sexy-time kind of way?”
She sighed. “Yeah. But I also want chocolate cake with ice cream for every meal. Doesn’t mean it’s what I need.”
“But you can have it every once in a while, right?” she said.
“I guess.”
“Well, consider Jake Sumner your special occasion cake. Go have a big old heaping helping of that man candy.”
Lina rolled her eyes but didn’t say no to the thought of Jake Sumner on top of her, pressing his firm body against hers.
“You have to call me tomorrow though with all the details,” she said.
“He’s your boyfriend’s brother. Wouldn’t that be gross?” Lina asked.
“Hell, no,” she said as if Lina was crazy. “Are you home yet?”
Lina stuck her key in the lock and pushed open the door. “Just walking in. Why?”
“Go into your closet and pull out that little red dress, the wraparound one that clings to your body like Saran Wrap.”
“Seriously?”
“Hell, yeah. You look sexy as hell in that dress. Hell, I almost switched teams the first time I saw you decked out in that strappy thing.”
Lina laughed. Kayleigh was beautiful, almost a modern-day Marilyn Monroe, only she was a foot shorter than the star had been. “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Don’t take it from me. I heard the same thing from half the men in town that night.”
“Seriously?”
“Are you fishing for compliments, Ms. Bianchi?”
“No. I’m just looking for…” What was she looking for?
“Permission?” Kayleigh asked.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I give you permission to go bang the hell out of that hot-as-hell man. Even though he is my fiancé’s brother.”
Lina chuckled, feeling better and more confident. “All right. I’ll let you go. He’s supposed to be here at seven.”
“Girl, that gives you just over an hour to shave down that hairy body of yours.”
“I’m not hairy.”
“You’re Italian. All Italians are hairy. Or at least the Italians I’ve been with have been.”
“Whatever,” Lina laughed. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“You better or I’ll come to your house and demand all the deets.”
“Hey Kayleigh, would you not tell anyone, especially Aaron?”
“Sweetie, I hate to break the news to you but I’m pretty sure Aaron already knows.”
“Great,” she sighed.
“That’s a good thing.”
“How so?” Lina couldn’t figure any good angle to the town talking about her.
“I don’t know,” Kayleigh said, “but I thought it would make you feel better.”
Lina shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Bye.”
“Enjoy your man-candy,” she said.
Lina disconnected the call and stepped into her closet. She pulled out the red dress, wondering if it was too much for dinner out. She walked to her full-length mirror and held it up to her front. “Yeah, too much,” she said.
She glanced down at her bare legs. They could definitely use a shave. But if she shaved that was like giving Jake permission, wasn’t it?
Her phone dinged on her bed.
KAYLEIGH: Stop thinking and go shave your hairy body then put on that red dress and stuff yourself full of beef cake.
Oh, God, Lina moaned out loud but liked the sound of Kayleigh’s instruction.
The phone dinged again.
KAYLEIGH: You know you want to.
And she did. Too much.
LINA: Aren’t you driving?
KAYLEIGH: I’m at the Kum & Go, filling up with gas.
Lina laughed out loud at the name of the convenient stores in Colorado.
KAYLEIGH: That’s the nastiest name for a convenient store, right?
The phone dinged again.
KAYLEIGH: Hopefully that doesn’t describe your night. Go shave!
LINA: Fine. I’ll shave.
KAYLEIGH: I want to hear everything tomorrow. Take some pics if you can.
LINA: Gross. He’s practically your brother-in-law.
KAYLEIGH: Yeah, you’re right.
LINA: I usually am.
KAYLEIGH: Except about Jake. He’s a good guy. Give him a chance. It’s not forever. It’s just for-now.
Lina thought about that. She could make Jake her for-now guy, couldn’t she?
The phone dinged again.
KAYLEIGH: Go, you hairy beast. You need to sharpen your razor.
LINA: Screw you!
KAYLEIGH: Don’t screw me…screw Jake!
LINA: Shut up, I’m going.
Kayleigh sent a picture of a woman with her hands in the air with the caption, “Praise Jesus,” underneath.
Lina walked to her wireless speaker, turning it on and syncing her phone. She chose a playlist by Janelle Monáe. The singer was fierce and bold, with lyrics that always boosted Lina’s self-confidence.
As the first song began to ring through her room, she made her way to the bathroom. She studied Dak and Cam’s work schedule calendar on the wall, sighing in relief when she realized they wouldn’t be back from their shift in Vail until tomorrow afternoon, in time for the town meeting. She’d have the house to herself if she and Jake wanted it.
She glanced down at her watch. She had one hour to shave every surface of her body then twelve hours to enjoy a heaping bowl of man-candy.
As she turned on the shower to let the water warm, she listened as Janelle’s song “Yoga” rang through the room. Visions of her life before Canyon Creek flashed through her mind.
When she was a teen, she’d been rebellious, never doing what people told her, especially not her parents. That’s how her family ended up selling their business and moving to Colorado, taking Lina and her sisters away from the life she was falling into in New Jersey. Several of her best friends from home were now in prison, and truth be told, she might be too if her parents hadn’t left.
After moving to Canyon Creek she’d calmed down a lot, choosing the straight and narrow. It had been the wake-up call her parents had intended it to be. But for one night, for the next twelve hours, she planned to be a rebel again, to have her cake and eat it too. What was the worst thing that could happen?
She knew the answer. She could fall for the man. Hard. But tonight, she refused to think about worst case scenarios.
Chapter Twenty
Jake stood outside of Lina’s house, wondering what the hell he was doing. Sure, taking her out on a date would be nice—God knew he hadn’t hung out with a member of the opposite sex in too long—but this was different, and he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit it now.
There was something about Lina, some kind of chemistry he’d never felt with another woman. She was the care-free to his controlled, the rebel to his conformist.
He’d always restrained himself from outbursts, even as a small child his mother said. When he and Grant used to play, his mother said Jake would spend all day organizing toys and books only to have Grant come in and destroy everything, laughing the entire time.
Being attracted to Lina was one thing but acting on it was quite another. Like he didn’t have enough drama in his life, why not add a relationship to the mix?
Relationship?
Yeah, cart before horse. Hell, he wasn’t even sure Lina felt the same way. Maybe she didn’t w
ant him the way he wanted her. Although her kisses said she did. Just remembering the way her hands tugged at his hair, her tongue dancing with his, had him hard.
He couldn’t knock on her door in this state.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He was almost afraid to pull it out, fearing it would be Todd again. He glanced at the screen, not surprised to see Max calling.
“What?” Jake barked after answering the call.
“I take it you’re not there yet,” Max said.
“No, I’m here. She’s naked underneath me in bed but I chose to answer my phone because it was my dear old brother Max.”
“Nice. Good work. You move faster than I do.”
“Says the man who impregnated his one-night stand.” Jake took the low road with that one.
Max laughed. “I have powerful sperm. They break through any barrier, and split little eggs in two.”
“Fuck off.”
Max’s laughter grew louder.
Jake stepped back off Lina’s porch. “Did you call for a reason?”
“Yeah, your daughter wants to say goodnight.”
Jake softened. “Okay, put her on.”
“I’m messing with you man, I just wanted to see what your status was.”
“Where’s Becca?”
“Her and all the girls went over to Aunt Sally’s house to paint their toes or some girly shit like that.”
“You didn’t want to go?” Jake laughed.
“Very funny, dipshit.”
“Was there a reason for this call?”
“Nope,” Max said. “Just wanted to mess with you. Did you bring condoms?”
“Dude, I didn’t want to assume.”
“You’re serious? You didn’t bring any? Are you an idiot?”
“Okay, maybe I brought one.”
“One?” Max roared with laughter. “I always knew you were a pussy with no stamina.”
“Good bye, Max.”
“Wait, wait. Is it a new condom?”
“What the hell does that mean?” he asked.
“That’s how Devlin got pregnant.”
“How?”
“Old condoms. The ones we used came from a box I’d left in the trunk of a rental car in Hawaii. Apparently, heat reduces the effectiveness of latex. That, and my powerful sperm.”
Jake gagged. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Devlin tells me that on a regular basis. And Ben, and Emmett…”
Jake laughed.
“So, it’s a new condom, right?” Max said. “Please tell me you didn’t take it from the box in the desk of our old bedroom.”
“Fuck,” Jake moaned.
“You did?”
“Is that the bad box from Hawaii?”
“Yep. Looks like you’ll be jerkin’ the sausage in the shower tonight when you get home, dumbass.”
Jake hung up on his brother.
Okay, so sex was a no-go tonight. That was good. Really good. It would keep them from jumping into this too fast. He just wished he could convince his dick.
Drawing in a deep breath, Jake thought about his Aunt Sally’s collection of Journey porn in her bathroom. Yep, that did the trick.
He climbed the steps and pushed the doorbell and waited…and waited. Nothing. He glanced down at his watch. It was just a minute after seven. He wasn’t early, but he wasn’t late either.
He waited a few more seconds before knocking on the door. Still nothing. Maybe she’d changed her mind and didn’t want to go out after all. Refusing to believe that, he reached out and turned the door knob, surprised to find it unlocked.
He slowly pushed open the door. The lights in the living room burned bright but there was no sign of Lina or her roommates.
“Hello,” he called out, closing the door and stepping further into the house. No one answered but he heard music from Lina’s room upstairs. “Lina,” he yelled. “Are you there?” Still nothing.
Jake pulled out his phone and started a text to Lina but stopped when he heard a woman’s voice singing from the stairs. He rounded the corner and glanced up at the landing, nearly falling over his feet. His mouth fell open, his eyes going wide at the sight in front of him. Holy hell.
Lina stood at the top of the staircase, music blaring from behind her as she sang along to the sexiest song he’d ever heard. She was wearing nothing but a pair of red sky-high heels and nude-colored lacy underwear and bra designed to show more than it covered. She held a red dress in her hands, turning back and forth just outside the bathroom door as she stared at what he assumed was her reflection in the mirror. The small scrap of clothing wasn’t covering much, either.
Jake thought he might choke on his tongue. His dick was rock hard, again, and aching at the sight of her.
She turned and caught sight of him. “Jake!” she screamed, jumping back.
He held up his phone. “Sorry, I was just about to text you. You didn’t answer the door when I knocked.”
“Is it seven already?” she said, letting her hands fall, the dress now by her side as she glanced at the walls as if looking for a clock.
He stared at her now fully exposed body. Her luscious breasts spilled over the top of her sexy-as-sin strapless bra. His dick stood at full mast and without realizing it, he moaned.
Her head jerked and she stared down at him before looking to herself and letting out another yelp, this one a lot louder. “Oh, my God,” she shrieked, trying to cover herself.
He watched in rapt fascination as her chest heaved, pressing her breasts over the lacy edge of her bra.
“Go,” she yelled, pointing to the stairs behind him as she tried to spread the dress to cover herself.
“Not a chance,” he whispered, stalking up the steps.
“Jake,” she screeched.
A predatory smile spread wide across his face as he took the stairs two at a time until he reached her.
She squealed like a little girl and turned to escape, but there was laughter in her tone that urged him on.
He caught her just before she bolted.
“Jake!” she shrieked, a bubble of laughter coming from deep in her throat.
Grasping her around the waist, he wrestled her to the ground.
“Stop!” She held up one hand.
He stilled on top of her, hovering above her. Had he misread her? “You really want me to stop?”
She turned and glanced over her shoulder, the glimmer of desire in her russet brown eyes mirroring his own. This was a game of cat and mouse, only he was a hungry lion.
The song rang from the speaker, its deep beat thumping through the room. Goose bumps spread across his sensitive flesh as the provocative lyrics whispered in his ears.
”Lina?” he asked again, his breath moving small pieces of her hair against her back.
“No,” she whispered.
“No, what?”
Her heated gaze bored through him and he felt his entire body stiffen. “No,” she nearly purred, “don’t stop.”
He sat back on his knees and tugged her hips up, pulling her until they were precisely aligned. Her ass fit snugly against his hard erection and he pressed into her. Jake had never felt anything more perfect.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her breath coming in pants. He knew how she felt.
Her long dark hair fanned over her shoulders, the blue tips skimming across her olive skin. She was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
That’s when he noticed her underwear. The lingerie laced up the back, a satin ribbon tied in a dainty bow sitting along the waist band. She was wrapped up like a gift, the best present he’d ever seen.
“What do you want me to do, Lina?” he said, pressing his hard-on into her ass.
He ran a finger along the edge of the lace, then down her back side, until he reached her center. Damn, she was wet through the lace. She wanted this as much as he did.
She moaned and pushed back against him.
He was so far gone he thought he migh
t pass out if he didn’t get inside her soon. But sex wasn’t an option tonight. He had no condom. Not one he could rely on, anyway, and he wouldn’t take any chances.
He ran his other fingertip down her spine and traced the line with sporadic kisses.
“Oh, God,” she sighed.
He stopped at the bow at the top of her panties. “What do you want me to do?” he repeated.
“Jake,” she sighed. He couldn’t tell if it was a plea to stop or continue.
“Tell me,” he whispered against her skin.
“I want … I want …”
He knelt and drew a slow circle at the base of her spine with his tongue. He could smell her desire and he felt like a starving man, waiting for a gourmet meal.
“What do you want, Lina?” he said, running his hands up her outer thighs, gripping her hips tighter. “Tell me.”
“You,” she said, pushing against him. “You. Please.”
She didn’t have to beg. He gripped the satin tie of her panties with his teeth and pulled, watching in fascination as the laced-up ribbon released, exposing more of her delectable ass.
“Fuck, Lina,” he moaned, squeezing her tighter.
“Jake,” she pleaded. The desire in her voice matched his own.
He tugged her hips higher in the air and slid the scrap of underwear down her ass, stopping mid-thigh. Lowering his body, he aligned his mouth with her center. His body buzzed with need as he nestled between her thighs, his dick now throbbing in desperation as she pressed back against him.
His tongue stroked against her warm flesh, the taste of her exploding on his mouth.
“Ohh,” she cried out, rocking into him. “Yes, God, please.”
Her smell, her taste, her heat wrapped around him, was one of the most erotic things he’d ever experienced. Wanting to give her what she needed, he stroked the soft, wet skin with his tongue, working her into a deep frenzy.
Unable to get the angle he wanted in this position, he flipped her to her back, dragging her underwear completely off and tossing them on to the floor.