She lifted her hips, the friction of the motion intense. Even more so as she drove back down quickly and ground her hips against him.
His rough groans spurred her to move again and again until her actions were wild and the sound of their bodies slapping together filled the air together with their guttural moans of pleasure.
Inside her the tension built, ever higher until her release shot through her and she arched her back and pushed down on him hard, her clit and pussy throbbing and vibrating with the pleasure of her release.
“Jase,” she said softly beneath her breath.
“Miss? Miss! We’re at Long Branch. Time to change over to the Bayhead train,” the conductor said, a hint of irritation in his voice.
Startled, she sucked in a rough inhalation as reality rudely intruded and warmth flooded across her cheeks as if she had just been discovered butt naked on the train, but she hid her embarrassment.
She offered up an apologetic smile, rose, and hopped off onto the platform. For a moment she considered that it would be far safer to get on the next train back to New York City. But she forced herself to cross the platform to the diesel train waiting there for the next leg of her trip. Forced herself to get on board the train.
It was finally time to face both her past and her future.
It was long past time to face Jase.
Just One Night: Chapter Two
Nicole slipped out of the taxi she had grabbed at the train station and hurried into her family’s beachside home. She was able to sneak in through the front door without being noticed since most people at the party were either outside or in the immense great room at the back of the house.
Dragging her suitcase upstairs, she hurried to her bedroom. She was already so late for the party that she had decided during the cab ride not to waste time and change out of her interview suit, but then she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
Her dark, nearly black hair was scraped back from her face into a serviceable topknot that made her face look severe and way too serious. The bright white of the shirt and dark grey of the suit were extremely professional and definitely not party wear.
Boring, the little voice in her head complained, but she ignored it.
Their guests would understand that she’d just hurried home from New York City and hadn’t had time to change.
Do you really want to look like someone’s Old Maid aunt? the annoying voice in her head shouted and as she glanced at the mirror again and grimaced at what she saw, it was way to hard to ignore that voice.
Do I? Do I want to look like this when it could be the last night I see Jase for a long long time? she asked herself.
For all her life, she’d played it safe. She’d been the good little girl who did everything that her parents asked. Straight A student. Never broke curfew. Never did anything that would make someone raise an eyebrow in surprise.
It was why she’d never done anything about her attraction to Jase. Well, at least nothing anyone would know about. In the quiet of her room during those long summer nights, she’d definitely done lots to satisfy the need that Jase had made her feel.
But maybe tonight was about doing something different. Maybe tonight was about doing something that no one would expect.
Not even Jase.
With that thought in mind, she marched to her walk-in closet and searched through the racks of clothes her mother had bought for her and which just collected dust for the most part. The words Nickie and fashionista were never used together.
She flipped through outfit after outfit until her gaze settled on the bright crimson dress and the matching three inch stiletto heels just beneath it.
It was the kind of dress that said, “Look at me.”
As for the stilettos, her girlfriends would call them “Fuck me shoes.”
Her hands shook as she grabbed the dress and shoes, hoping he would look. Hoping he would possibly do more.
As she dressed, hesitation set in again, but she pushed it back and walked toward the mirror, but she still wasn’t satisfied with what she saw.
There was just one more thing to do. She undid the clips holding her hair back, shook her head and her cascaded onto her shoulders. Suddenly a different woman stood there, gazing back at her from the mirror.
A sexy and confident woman. One who would know what to do with Jase.
She prayed that she wasn’t about to make the worst mistake of her life.
*
Jason Hart mingled through the crowd, sipping his celebratory glass of champagne.
Not that he felt much like celebrating, although he should.
Today had been a monumental day in his life.
He had graduated from college, the first in his family to do so. And since being commissioned, he was now officially an officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Oohrah. I should be happy, he thought and took another sip, but he’d been nursing the bubbly for so long that it was warm and had gone slightly flat. It was a lot like the flatness he was feeling about his life right now since despite all his achievements, he had no one really special to share them with.
Across the way, his parents were chatting with some neighbors attending his best friend Tommy’s graduation party. His graduation as well, but his parents were planning a much smaller and less luxurious party in their new North Carolina home. Like so many Jersey folk, they’d fled harsh winters and even harsher taxes for an easier life.
A few feet away, Tommy and his parents mingled with their guests.
His family and Tommy’s were special to him, but as he scoped out the area, he acknowledged that the one really special person who would have made it feel different was missing.
Shoving away thoughts of Nickie because it would only bring disappointment on a day that should be filled with joy, he mingled with the guests attending the party.
It was a day to celebrate and he wasn’t going to let Nickie’s absence ruin the joyful mood of the night.
She’d show up eventually and they’d say hello and act as if there was nothing going on between them.
There wasn’t, not really. For years and years and years, he’d been attracted to his best friend’s older sister. Only he hadn’t really done anything about that other than tease her a little.
Okay, maybe he’d teased her a lot, not that she’d ever seem to notice or do anything about it which had made him back off to avoid coming off as a stalker kind of guy.
As a waiter passed by, he exchanged his warm flat glass of champagne for a fresh one. Sipped it as he mingled and waited for the one person who could make this the special kind of night it should be.
He waited for Nickie.
*
Jase Hart stood out from the crowd gathered down below much like he always did, Nickie thought.
He was dressed in his Marine uniform, looking oh so beautiful and handsome. Much like she had pictured him during the fantasy on her long train ride home.
He’d taken off his white dress hat and it was tucked under one arm, exposing his sandy blond hair. In the summer months, the sun would streak those strands with brightness, giving him that perfect surfer look. Especially when combined with those wide shoulders that tapered down into lean hips.
His amazing eyes, looking a little more blue than green thanks to the color of his dress uniform, were alert and focused on the man before him. At something the man said, Jase smiled, displaying that boyish dimple on one side of his all too tempting mouth.
All she had to do was walk down the stairs and over to him. It was such a short distance away physically, but despite her earlier thoughts and bravado, it occurred to her that Jase was untouchable for way too many reasons.
He was her younger brother’s best friend.
He would soon be gone and risking his life.
He would never ever never be interested in a woman like her. A woman who couldn’t seem to make up her mind about what to do about him. A woman who lacked the strength to reach for what she wanted most.
Jase needed a strong woman by his side. One who could man the home front while he was off to war. One who wouldn’t be indecisive or wimpy.
You only have one night left. Take a chance, said the voice of the dreamer that she repressed way too often.
With those conflicting thoughts rattling through her head, she sucked in a deep breath, tossed her shoulders back, and walked down the stairs.
*
Jason caught sight of Nicole de Silva as she glided down the sweeping staircase in an eye-catching red dress that hugged every enticing curve of her body. The color set off the creamy color of her skin and dark as midnight hair that spilled down across her bare shoulders, thick and with a life of its own as she moved.
More than once he had imagined tunneling his hands into that hair and pulling her close. Kissing her until she was clinging to him and he could take her to bed and do what he’d wanted to do to her for way too long. As his gaze drifted down her long lean legs and to the enticing red stiletto heels, he imagined dragging them off her feet as he kissed his way up her body.
“So where did you say you were deploying?” the man beside him repeated, pulling him away from thoughts of Nickie.
Nickie was off limits, he reminded himself. The Bro Code demanded that he had to keep his hands off even though he itched to run them all along that fabulous body and have those incredible legs wrapped around him as he made love to her.
“Afghanistan,” he finally answered, but then his attention to the man fled as he realized Nickie was walking his way. “Would you excuse me for a moment?” he said, sidestepped the man and hurried toward her.
He met her halfway across the crowded great room in her family’s home.
They stood there awkwardly for several hesitant heartbeats, staring at each other. With the high heels, she was almost eye level with him and her mouth was just inches away. Her luscious mouth done in an enticing red that dared him to lean in and kiss her.
But instead he just stood there, not really sure where to begin. Anxious about what to say and where it might lead. Feeling like a total fool for being so indecisive. The only thing that offered him any relief was that she was obviously as unsure of what to do as he was.
She nervously played with the small black clutch in her hand before hesitantly saying, “Congratulations, Jase. It must be very exciting to be done with school and earn your commission.”
“Thank you, Nickie. I hear you’re doing well. How’s medical school?” He dragged his gaze away from her hands and to the soft swell of her breasts visible above the neckline of the body-hugging dress before meeting her gaze. Her eyes were a gorgeous light hazel color with flecks of chocolate brown and hints of gold.
“Good, thanks. I’m enjoying the challenge,” she replied, looked away from him and glanced around uneasily. “I really should mingle, you know. I’ve already missed too much of the party because I had that interview in New York.”
Disappointment slammed into him, but he hid it. He was a fuckin’ Marine for God’s sake and he wasn’t going to let her see just how much he wanted that she spend some time with him before he left.
“Sure, Nickie. I guess I’ll see you later,” he replied.
She turned and started to walk away, but then she stopped and faced him again.
“I’m going to miss you, Jase,” she said and then rushed off.
I’m going to miss you , too. A lot, he thought.
Feeling the need for something stronger to wash away the sense of defeat that had filled him, he marched to the bar and ordered a bourbon. The bartender poured him the drink and he was about to step away when Tommy sauntered up and clapped him on the back.
“What’s your poison, dude?” Tommy asked and shot a quick look at his glass.
“Bourbon,” he answered and his friend jerked his chin in the bartender’s direction.
“Can you pour me one as well? Thanks,” he said and the man quickly placed the drink in front of him.
Tommy snared the tumbler and clinked it against his. “To the blue and white,” Tommy said, referring to their alma mater’s colors.
He smiled and raised his glass, “To the blue and white.” After a bracing sip, he stayed beside his best friend, but his mind was on Nickie as she stood across the room, chatting with an older couple. She shot a quick look his way, smiled hesitantly, but then turned her attention back to the guests.
“How long have we known each other, Jase?” Tommy asked as he jammed one hand in his suit pocket and took a sip of the drink in his other hand.
He shrugged and said, “Since kindergarten when we were on the same T-ball team.”
“That’s a long time to be friends,” Tommy said thoughtfully, but then plowed on. “In all that time, I’ve never seen you be afraid of anything. Well, maybe one thing.”
He peered at his friend and searched out his features, puzzled by his statement. “Where are you going with this, Tommy?”
His friend raised his index finger off the glass he held. “You’ve got one night, Jase. One night before you head to North Carolina with your parents and then ship out to that fuckin’ desert.”
“It’s actually not a desert, Tommy,” he said, trying to avoid the discussion he sensed was coming, but Tommy was apparently not going to stop.
“Dude, don’t be a fucktard. Don’t you think it’s time you did something about my sister?” he said.
Jase nearly choked on the bourbon he had been sipping and stared hard at his friend. “You’re fucking crazy.”
“No, I’m not. But you are if you don’t do something about it.”
“It” being Nickie. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“I am, Jase. I know you care for her. I’ve known for a while. I also know you’ve never let anything stop you before. What’s stopping you now, bro?”
Tommy’s gaze was so intense, that he had to look away, not wanting his friend to see what he was really feeling. He shook his head hesitantly. “I’m the last thing she wants. We’re nothing alike. She’s so serious and a bookworm. And I’m – ”
“All action guy. Not as wealthy as us. Those are lame excuses, dude. I guess you feel guilty because she’s my sister, too. But you know what, Jase? It’s time to do something about what you feel for Nickie. It’s time to go big or go home. Just don’t hurt her,” Tommy pleaded and before Jason could say another word, his friend clapped him on the back again and hurried off to where his parents stood with some friends.
Go big or go home.
How many times had they said that to each other on the playing field? Too many times to count.
But Nickie wasn’t a game to be played. Nickie was special to him and had been for some time. Nickie was everything he could ever want in a woman. She was bright and beautiful. Caring and honorable. Incredibly sexy, not that she seemed to know that.
And he’d just gotten the green light to go for it from his best friend. From a man he thought of as a brother. Her brother.
Slugging back the last sips of his bourbon, he took a deep breath and rushed toward her. He had only this one night to make it happen.
He wasn’t going to waste another minute. After all, a Marine never backed down from even an impossible task.
Not even an incredible and seemingly unattainable challenge like Nickie.
Just One Night: Chapter Three
From the corner of her eye, Nickie caught a glimpse of her brother stalking from the bar at the far edge of the great room and of Jase who stayed rooted there, looking her way. His square-cut jaw was tense and his lips were in a firm line. Dimple-less. His gaze was so … intense.
A second later, Jase was marching in her direction, purpose in every long and powerful stride.
He was clearly a man on a mission and her heart sped up at the thought that she might be his intended target.
“You must be very proud of your brother,” said the older gentleman across from her. He was a business associate of her father’s and she forced he
r attention back to him, smiled and nodded.
“We are proud of him and I know Dad is very excited that Tommy will be joining him in the family business.”
“He’s going for an MBA, isn’t he?” the man’s wife asked just as Jase reached them.
“Yes, yes he is,” she said, but stumbled with her next words as Jase laid a possessive hand at the small of her back. “H-h-a-ave you met Lieutenant Hart? He’s an old family friend.”
“Thank you for your service, Lieutenant Hart,” the man said and Jason dipped his head gratefully.
“Thank you, sir. I hope you don’t mind if I steal Nicole away for a little bit.”
Before she could protest, he exerted gentle pressure at her back and urged her away from the couple and toward the French doors leading outside.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed beneath her breath and plastered a smile on her face, trying not to attract too much attention as he hurried them out the doors and to the large flagstone terrace that ran along the back of the house.
It was a beautiful early summer night and many of their guests were gathered outside to enjoy the weather. Various tables and chairs had been laid out on the terrace and at the far end, a second bar had been set up to serve drinks to the party-goers. Luckily most people were gathered in that area as Jase led them toward the edge of the terrace.
“You and I need to talk,” he said and urged her to the lawn beyond the flagstone, but she dug in her three inch heels and skidded to a stop.
He faced her, a determined look on his features. He shifted his hand to her waist and held her possessively. His touch punched the air from her lungs and awakened sharp need as she imagined him urging her closer and closer until …
“What do you think you’re doing?” she repeated to stop those too sexy thoughts.
He glanced all around the terrace and his lips thinned into a grim line again. He leaned near and whispered in her ear, “Not here, Nickie. Please come with me somewhere private.”
He moved his hand away from her waist and slipped it into hers, twining his fingers with hers as if afraid she’d pull away. He tugged gently, prodding her to follow him as he turned and strode toward the beachfront.
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