by Zoe Forward
“It’s an original movie model. They used it to film scenes.”
“No way. Is this the ship you purchased after you and Noah won the programming competition back in college? Your first big win freshman year?”
He nodded. Okay, any girl who even recognized the authenticity of these items was too cool for words. Embarrassment fled. “It took me a long time to find all of these.”
“I’ll bet. eBay?”
“One of them. Hard to authenticate the items when buying online prior to purchase. The majority of these items are from private collectors and a few conventions.”
“Noah wanted an initial payment on a car after you guys won your first competition. He couldn’t believe you blew your money on a vintage toy.”
“It’s not a toy.”
She held up her hands. “Oh, I agree with you. I remember him saying something about not being able to drive a toy.”
She walked to the box labeled as Captain Phasma but had the figurine of Kylo Ren; an apparent packaging error placed the wrong villain in the box. “I heard about this marketing snafu. I can’t believe you got one.”
“Let’s watch the movie,” he said gruffly.
“Sure. Sorry to invade your space.” She touched the Millennium Falcon one more time. Chills coasted down his spine. “It’s an incredible collection.”
“Few have seen it other than Noah.”
“I bet he’s jealous.” As they exited the office, her cell phone beeped. She scrolled the screen and texted. “It’s Tori. She’s making sure I’m okay.”
“Did you tell her you’re here?”
“You don’t want her to tell Noah. He will be at your front door in a millisecond. If he got wind we were doing The Hobbit without him, he’d be pissed, especially since Mom put down a no-Tori dictate until tomorrow night. If he were here, we wouldn’t know if he was chaperoning or taking advantage of your sound system.”
“Noah has a great sound system at his place. I know because I helped him install it last year. He might need the distraction tonight though.” If Noah were here, they’d stay in the no-touching zone. He clicked the remote to start the movie. The opening theme boomed around them.
She patted the seat next to her for him to sit. “Right now, I’m ready for some Bilbo and Thorin action. Noah can find his own entertainment.”
He stared at the spot she indicated on the sofa. Images of her naked flickered through his mind. Her tearing off his clothes. Her straddling him on this sofa.
No. Think of her as a sister.
That didn’t work. He didn’t have any siblings, and there was nothing sisterly in the way she’d just checked him out. Still, he sat, wedging the popcorn bowl between them on the suede sofa.
The movie riveted them for a half hour. She constantly chimed in with jokes or comments, which made him laugh to the point he added his own joking commentary. The popcorn bowl kept them safe. Separated. A whole person could fit between them. Yet, he wanted to wrap his arm around her and pull her tight to his side. He dug into the popcorn for a handful.
Tension had them both shooting sporadic glances at each other. He felt like an inept teen who didn’t know how to initiate the moves. He wasn’t that. His mind screamed, stop thinking about it. Movie only. Keep the popcorn bowl right where it is.
Then the popcorn had been eaten. Empty bowl. Bad, bad. Very bad. They were into the slow phase of the movie with a lot of talking. “Want me to pop more popcorn?” Say yes.
“Nah. I’m good.” She drank from her water bottle. Delicate, feminine sips. Her tongue wiped a droplet from her lips.
Hoarsely, he asked, “You all right? Still feeling the alcohol?”
“The buzz is almost gone. I’m sorry I broke down at the reception.”
“Your relatives seemed pretty intense about the bouquet catch prophesy.”
“Thanks for doing this tonight. I know it cramps your style to have me at your place, but this night would’ve been so much worse if I was sitting alone in the hotel. All the girls made bets on who you’d target at the wedding to take home. Then you went home alone.”
“I didn’t come home alone.” He slowly grinned. “Who’d they think I’d choose?”
“Me.”
“Ah.” Unexpected.
She gazed at the TV screen. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you and I are too complicated.” She paused as if waiting for him to confirm her assertion, which he didn’t. She plowed ahead, “I think what happened between us was…maybe it was a mistake.”
“I already said it wasn’t a mistake. That doesn’t make it right. It happened. Let’s leave it at that.” He’d spent the past hour trying to hide his arousal. His reaction to her was a first for him—to lose his mind every time he touched her. Usually, he could manipulate and direct the whole encounter with a woman, but when he touched Becca, his notorious control flew out the window. Maybe that’s what fascinated him about her.
Aha! This had to be about novelty.
“Can I ask you a question?” she blurted.
“Shoot.”
“Why did you stop dating a few months ago? Tori mentioned it.”
Not the question he’d expected. He swiped his hand across his face. “Work got busy.”
“What made you decide to stop? I mean, really? You always work too hard. That’s not new.”
He shrugged.
She frowned. “Did some girl hurt you?”
“Nah, it’s just me. Taking time off the dating scene.”
“But you don’t really date, do you?”
He shrugged.
“Why are you averse to being with the same person for a while?”
Not this again. “Are you going to chew off my head if I don’t give you the answer you want to hear? Like at Christmas?”
Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t back off. Instead, her eyes narrowed.
Shit.
She moved the popcorn bowl onto the coffee table and angled his way. “What about finding someone you love? That’s why people date. Or at least try going out more than once.”
Visions of what love cost his mother flashed in his head—a highlight reel of the worst moments of his life. Every time his father beat the crap out of her, she begged the bastard to forgive her, as if she’d done something to warrant the abuse. Jake would never allow one stupid emotion to make him so desperate he’d endure anything, even scraps, to be acknowledged. On the flip side, he was a ticking time bomb of aggression, destined to detonate. The day he stood up to his father, the last time he’d been in that toxic house at eighteen when he’d forced his mother to leave, was the first time he’d exploded, the only time in his life. His father had laughed while Jake punched until his dad passed out. The asshole had been proud of his son’s behavior. Years later, the last words his father spoke to him before he died of liver failure warned he could suppress, but he couldn’t exorcise his genetic predisposition.
He stared upward. “This is a fucking crusade with you, isn’t it? Is it just me you try to fix, or is it everyone around you? Maybe I want to be alone. Maybe I get bored easily and like variety. Maybe I’ve never met a girl I wanted to spend more than one morning-after with.”
“Perhaps all that’s true. But you’re not a hermit who keeps everyone at a distance. You’re social. You care about those around you. This anti-relationship thing is a problem. Have you talked to anyone about it?”
Yes. Not that he’d admit it to her. He glowered.
“What do you have against commitment?” she asked.
“I’m not opposed to commitment. I respect those who want it, like Noah and your parents.”
“You have to believe love is out there for you. That you can have it. That you deserve it.” She needed to stop the little touches. And the fucking psychoanalysis. Both were driving him berserk.
“Enough.” He closed his hands around hers and put them in her lap while scooting a few inches away from her.
Her spine stiffened. She jolted to her feet.
; Now he felt a twinge of guilt, but chasing that was a buttload of defensiveness. Most women would hightail it out of here when he was in this mood, but, of course, Becca would dig in and fight.
Goddamn it if he didn’t like her even more for it.
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as they gazed at each other. A knock-down-drag-out fight was coming. He couldn’t wait.
She leaned over him, shocking him with a flash of the tantalizing view down her tight dress. Her fingers bracketed his chin to force eye contact. “You want to fight. Not tonight. I scare you, don’t I, Jake? Why is that?”
“You’re the one who should be scared. I’m at the end of my restraint chain. Go back to the hotel. If you stay, you won’t be sleeping alone.”
13
Becca’s heart had kicked into high gear well before Jake declared he wouldn’t be sleeping alone. A heart attack or faint might’ve happened if she hadn’t force herself to keep breathing.
She’d pushed him hard to give answers, and she felt a little guilty about it. For a moment, she thought he’d open up, but he’d shut down, as usual. This conversation wasn’t finished, but it wasn’t going anywhere at this point.
Light reflected off the TV, which gave a heated intensity to his gaze.
She swallowed. Initiating this filled her with an exhilarating blend of anxiety and excitement. What flared between her and Jake every time they kissed might consume her. It’d definitely leave a scar.
He didn’t pull himself out of her gentle grip on his chin. “Leave.”
“That’s not what you what.”
He slid his hand to the back of her neck to palm the back of her head, bringing her lips a breath away from his. “Last warning, Becca.”
Unable to maintain her balance, she released his chin and leaned into him until her knees rested on his.
“I think you’re capable of a lot more than you think.” She closed the distance. His mouth claimed hers in a burning rush as he drew her onto the sofa, bending her back against the onslaught. His tongue tangled with hers. She clutched his shirt, wrenching it upward, desperate to feel his bare flesh. When he didn’t help, she reached down to feel the hard length of him pressed against her abdomen. He shuddered against her touch.
No way in hell she was stopping now. Not when he was finally saying yes. “Help me take this dress off.”
He unzipped her dress and drew it up over her head. Then he kissed his way down her neck, slowly unhooking her bra. When he smoothed his hands down her arms, they trembled. His hand clenched her hair. The prickly stubble on his chin rubbed over her forehead. She flicked her tongue across his exposed neck, drawing out a groan from him. He pulled her head back and put his lips to hers.
Holy mother, he’d kissed her before, but not like this. His essence surrounded her, invading deep into her senses. His tongue touched hers. It teased. Until he pitched her into the driving need to take this to the next level. She wrapped her still heel-clad feet around his waist, grinding again. He felt huge.
The kiss deepened. Without breaking it, he scooped her up and carried her to a bedroom. Actually, she didn’t notice they’d changed rooms until she landed against a pillowy comforter. The bed was haphazardly made. Workout clothes were strewn over a chair and on the floor. A few dress shirts hung on hangers off the top of closet door.
He pinned her with his weight and ran a hand slowly down each leg to unbuckle her shoes. “Imaging you in only this thong has been driving me nuts.”
She wiggled.
“Don’t make this harder than it is,” he mumbled with a smile.
She chuckled as she massaged his crotch. “I’m making this hard?”
“Becca, I’ve been hard since the moment you dropped your jeans in your hotel room. Hell, long before that.”
She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She traced the complex, intricate ink pattern over his left shoulder. “It’s beautiful. What is it?”
“Tribal geometry.”
“You think you’ll get more work?”
“Maybe.” For a moment, he stood to yank off his shirt and pants.
She sat up on her elbows, drinking him in. Planes and angles in all the right places. Her head spun, and it wasn’t from the wine she’d had earlier.
He buried his head on the smooth skin of her belly and kissed. His fingers teased the edges of her thong.
Oh, no. He was traveling in the wrong direction. Downward. She’d never considered Jake would want more than a straight get-it-done scenario. In her experience, most guys were thrilled to skip the prelim, especially the down-south part. Well, her ex had never liked it, and the one time he’d tried had been a disaster, an exercise in futility.
Noah placed the flat of his hands on her hips and massaged her hips bones. He lifted his head, his face filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I just… Can we skip that part?”
“What part? The part where I get to have my mouth on you and finally taste you?”
“Yes, that part. I’m not good at that.” Her face burned.
Damn him. He had the audacity to smile and actually show teeth. Cocky didn’t begin to describe the look. “I promise you’ll enjoy it as much as me.”
She couldn’t help squirming as she tried to wriggle her body lower and get his head higher on her abdomen. Do not panic.
Jake moved immediately to bracket her with his arms, but no longer touching her with any part of his body. His face lost all semblance of joking. “What’s wrong? Seriously, Becca. We’re not doing anything you’re not entirely on board with.”
She couldn’t meet his gaze. Her face burned. “Maybe it’s better if we don’t, at least down there. You’ll like it better.”
He touched her chin to lift her head to meet his gaze. “Did someone hurt you?”
She drowned in the concern deep in his eyes. “I want this. So much. I’ve never wanted anyone this much, although I probably shouldn’t tell you that since it’ll only inflate your ego. But I’m just… I was told afterward I’m not good at…that I’m not responsive enough or something when we did that.”
“So far, you’ve been pretty damned good. I recall at least three times in the past forty-eight hours when we kissed, and I completely lost control. That doesn’t happen. Ever. How about we make a deal? We’ll only do what feels good. If you don’t like it, tell me, and we’ll stop. We’ll move on to something you do like. For once, take advantage of my experience.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “Okay.”
The light from the other room gave her scarce illumination to watch, but enough. His lips trailed slowly down her throat to her breast. She wanted his mouth there. At least she had worn one of her sexier bras. Should she have taken it off already? Maybe when he took his pants off? She was no freaking good at this.
Jake hooked his finger under the bra fabric and tugged it down until her nipple slipped free. When his mouth touched, a moan ripped out of her throat in reaction to the shocking sensation. Holy cow.
His knee slipped between her legs, and she gripped it tightly with her thighs. He sucked, alternating between gentle and demanding. His hand moved down her abdomen to caress near her belly button. The muscles tensed tight.
He lifted his head and gazed at her face. “Okay?”
She nodded.
He unhooked her bra in an effortless move, speaking of eons of experience, and transferred his attention to her other breast. The tips of his fingers slipped lower. Lost in sensation, she let her legs fall apart, allowing him access and also needing him to go wherever he wanted so long as the magic didn’t end.
He teased her folds beneath the thong with his fingers. With a gentle push, one finger entered her body. Her internal muscles quivered.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured and resumed kissing her breast.
Her skin throbbed against the invasion. His mouth moved lower.
Oh, no, no, no. He was going there again.
He pushed his finger de
eper. Sensation spun her head, silencing any further protests. She watched his head lower, those powerful shoulders wide and taut with tension while kissing her stomach. His fingers left her, and he removed the thong.
Then his fingers returned. Ah, relief. A finger stretched her wider, and he took one leisurely trip with his tongue over her swollen clit. She moaned and bucked to suck his fingers deeper.
Gently, he used his fingers and tongue. With each sweep, stronger and stronger each time his tongue made the journey, she spiraled higher.
“Oh God, Jake—”
“You taste amazing. I can’t wait to be here. To have you around me. I’m feeling selfish. Tell me if you want me to make you come this way, or if you want me inside you.”
“Please,” she whispered. “You inside me.”
He smiled, somehow understanding he’d pushed her to the brink of her comfort with his mouth there.
He removed his fingers and kissed his way back up her body.
“Need you,” he whispered. He retrieved a condom from his nightstand and deftly put it on.
He shifted his thighs between hers. Propping himself upright on one arm, he gently positioned himself. “We need to go slow. You’re tight.”
Her face flushed hot. Oh God, he was so large. Her hand shot to his hip as she gasped. Her body, slick from before, accepted him.
“Becca, it’s what I was afraid of. Too good. Too fucking good.” Inch by inch, he moved inside her, taking possession.
Her eyes widened as he filled her, stretching in a way she’d never experienced. “Jake,” she said desperately. “There’s so much of you.”
He chuckled, a vein popping in his neck. “You’re killing me with stuff like that. Are you doing all right?”
“I don’t know,” she confided.
“I don’t know either. Just tell me if anything’s wrong.”
“You feel so good.” She ran a hand down his chest and around to his back. Her hand lightly tapped his ass.