He was shocked; that much was readily apparent by his sharp intake of breath. But there was more. He wanted her. His eyes were like twin sapphires of fire. And the hand that had been lying relaxed on the bar was now clenched tightly. “Make sure you mean it, Lydia. Don’t start something you won’t see through.”
Taking a huge leap of faith, she got to her feet and eased between his spread legs until they were almost chest to chest. “I want you, Jake,” she whispered.
Please let him take over now before my bravado deserts me.
With a muttered oath, his arms encircled her and his hands came to rest on the cheeks of her ass. Pulling her even closer, he lowered his head and took her lips. It soon became apparent that he wasn’t a man to play around. His tongue didn’t ask permission—it staked a claim as it entered her mouth. She’d never been this turned on from a kiss, but as he licked, nipped, and sucked, her clit fluttered madly to life. As caught up in the moment as she was, a part of her mind was still waiting for him to move the show into the bedroom. But Jake, it seemed, had other plans. With agility that would put a circus performer to shame, he moved his hands to her waist and hoisted her onto the granite countertop—all without releasing her lips. In fact, he kept possession of those until he put a hand behind her head and began easing her backward, laying her across the cool surface. He took a step back and just stared down at her. “You are so fucking beautiful,” he said huskily as he trailed a finger between her breasts and down her stomach. He eased the fabric of her blouse from her slacks and began opening the buttons with a skill that was impressive. This isn’t his first rodeo; he knows his way around a woman’s clothing.
As he parted the fabric and revealed her lacy pink bra, she lay in breathless anticipation of his next move. He raised his hands and cupped her breasts, teasing the hardening nipples through the thin material. “Oh God,” she hissed as desire flooded her core. I’m going to come before he even touches me down there, she thought but couldn’t bring herself to care. It had been too long since she’d felt a man’s hands on her body, and she hadn’t realized how much it would affect her. The first time they’d been together, she’d been intoxicated. Tonight, she was high on nothing but him and the way he made her feel. When he abruptly tugged the cups of her bra down and released her swollen peaks, she moaned her approval. Then he sucked one into his mouth, biting it hard enough to leave a stinging sensation. “Jake! Sooo good,” she cried as her orgasm ripped through her body.
Instead of continuing to lavish attention upon her hardened peaks, he surprised her by shifting down her body and pulling her slacks and underwear off in one impressive move. She’d removed her shoes earlier, so nothing stopped them from pooling to the floor. Then he was circling her slick cleft before burying one thick digit inside her. “Ride my hand, baby, take what you need,” he ordered roughly—and she did. Out of her mind with desire, she gripped the edge of the counter and moved her body downward, while he thrust upward and into her wet heat. “That’s it, sweetheart,” he rasped out. She was right there, just seconds away from coming again, until he laid an arm across her hips and stilled her movements. “I own this one, sweetheart, let me finish you.” He took her feet and swung them over his shoulders before lowering his mouth to devour her dripping sex. He continued to move his finger in and out of her while he took her throbbing clit into his mouth and sucked.
“Oh, my God, Jake!” she screamed as she fisted his hair and held on for dear life. Even when she tried to pull away, he refused to let her. He kept working her until nothing was left of her orgasm but an occasional shudder. “That was . . . wow,” she whispered in awe. She heard Jake’s muffled laughter and realized she still held him captive between her thighs. Releasing her hold on his hair, she grinned sheepishly at him. “Er, sorry about that.”
He laughed easily as he dropped a kiss on one of her thighs, which still hung over his shoulders. “You’ll never hear me complain about being trapped there, sweetheart. It’s about as close to heaven as I can imagine.”
She was basking in the beauty of his words when he began peeling his clothing off. She swallowed audibly as he locked his eyes on hers. He pulled his shirt from his pants and tossed it on the floor, followed quickly by his undershirt. Come to Mama, she thought heatedly as her mouth watered at the sight of broad shoulders that tapered down into washboard abs. You could easily bounce a quarter off that firm flesh. “Nice,” she squeaked inadequately. What did one say in response to something like that? She was sure a poet somewhere would do it justice, but for now, her one-word mumblings would have to do.
The sound of him unbuckling his belt was like a gunshot in the kitchen. Followed closely by the unmistakable swish of his zipper lowering. They were really doing this. He was going to take her right where they’d had a bowl of spaghetti moments earlier. How smoking hot! A man was so impatient for her, he couldn’t make it to the bedroom. She’d had fantasies about sex like this for years. The craziest place she’d ever done it to date was in the shower and even that had been only a couple of times. Brett believed in making love in the bedroom or occasionally on the sofa. Certainly not in the kitchen. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this,” Jake growled. She watched in amazement as he pulled his wallet out and removed a condom from it. Apparently, every man did walk around with a rubber just in case.
Lydia found herself trying to subtly strain to see his size as he shoved his pants then boxer briefs down. When his cock bounced up toward his stomach, her breath came out in a whistle. Dear mother of all things big and long. Granted, she’d slept with only one man before, so she had limited experience, but she’d been certain that monster cocks like that didn’t really exist. That was why they made vibrators so big, right? Then a girl could have a man with a regular-size dick and enjoy something a little more substantial when she was in the mood for variety. Only now, she knew she’d been wrong—in a big way. She gulped, and then continued with the one-word utterances. “Big.” He cocked a brow at her as he fisted his cock. “Huge,” she added as if that sounded any better. The man was probably starting to believe he was having sex with an idiot incapable of stringing more than two words together to form a coherent thought.
He gave her a wolfish grin as he actually wiggled his massive penis in her direction before sliding on a condom with the other hand. Extra-large size, no doubt. Then he was grabbing her legs in each hand and spreading them wider. And back over his shoulders they went. He seemed to really have a thing for that position. When the fat head of his cock brushed against her slit, she moaned like a porn star on her first audition. She was afraid her starved sex was going to grab his staff and pull him inside before he ever had the chance to thrust. That absurd thought had her on the verge of giggling until he pushed inside her balls deep with no warning. “Fuck!” he hissed as if in pain.
“Ahhh, Jake,” she moaned as her body rushed to accommodate his size. If not for the fact that she was still soaking wet from their foreplay, his sudden entry would have been painful. As it was, her sex burned as it stretched around his massive size. But on the other side of that discomfort was a pleasure the likes of which she’d never experienced before. He pulled out then pushed back in deep once again and held himself there. He leaned closer, grinding his pubic bone against her. My husband is a sex god. I’ve hit the jackpot or maybe that’s jackcock.
“You okay, sweetheart?” he rasped out as he circled his hips against her. She nodded frantically, unable to spit out even the single-word responses she had been managing. He made a series of shallow thrusts before plunging back in once again. Then she felt his finger rubbing her clit and she detonated. And she kept contracting around him as he gave two more fast pumps before finding his own release with a harsh shout of pleasure.
In her post-coital bliss, Lydia was only vaguely aware of being carried through the house. She was surprised, though, when instead of walking to the bedroom that she’d used the previous night, Jake went to his instead. He shifted her
in his arms to pull the comforter back on the bed, before laying her body on the cool sheets. “This feels nice,” she murmured as she snuggled into the softness.
She had almost drifted off to sleep when he reappeared at her side, nudging her legs apart. She felt a warm cloth wiping her there, and as much as she wanted to be embarrassed about the intimacy of it, she figured that reaction was silly since his dick had just been inside her not five minutes ago. It didn’t get much more personal than that. “Slide over, baby,” he instructed as he laid a hand on her hip. She shifted to make room for his large frame in the bed. She was both surprised and blissfully happy when he turned her onto her side and spooned against her back. “What time is it?” she asked drowsily, thinking it couldn’t be terribly late.
“It’s just after nine.” He chuckled. “I haven’t turned in for the night this early in years.”
“Oh no, we just left all of our dishes sitting in the kitchen,” she mumbled. “I need to clean up before we go to sleep.”
“Relax, sweetheart,” he said, pulling her firmly against him. “I put everything in the dishwasher before I locked up.”
Those were the last words she heard before she fell into an exhausted slumber.
* * *
Jake lay awake long after Lydia had drifted off to sleep. He certainly hadn’t planned on what had happened between them earlier, but by God, it had been so incredibly hot. Her response to his touch had been perfect. He’d been strangely moved when he’d come home from work to find her in his kitchen making dinner. Such a domestic situation should have scared the hell out of him. Instead, he’d found himself grateful to her for being there after his lunch altercation with Chris. Just talking and laughing about it all had felt so damn good. He’d never had any desire for something like that, but for the first time, he wondered what else he’d been missing out on by avoiding relationships.
Then she had given him that look. One that quite plainly said she wanted him. He’d even warned her to stop if she didn’t mean it, but she hadn’t backed down. He’d been so eager, he’d almost lost control a few times—which never happened to him. He’d had to recite a lot of baseball statistics in his head and thankfully it had worked.
Afterward, without even thinking, he’d brought her to his room instead of hers. Another oddity—he didn’t spend the night with women and he damn sure didn’t spoon them as he was doing now. But she’d been different from anyone else he’d been with from the beginning in a way that he didn’t fully comprehend. And truthfully after the mind-blowing sex and the need to be close to her, he was a little lost.
He didn’t have a clue as to what to do next, and as the hours ticked away, he got increasingly nervous about facing what was sure to be some morning-after awkwardness. So, an hour earlier than usual he slid quietly from the bed and took a quick shower before dressing in the closet with the door closed. He hadn’t even bothered to shave.
He felt like an asshole as he crept through the still dark bedroom and out the door. But the only thing he felt sure of was that he needed the day to regroup. If there was any chance that he and Lydia might have something between them other than a marriage in name only, then he needed to find a way to stop freaking out at the first sign of intimacy.
* * *
When Lydia woke up the next morning, Jake was already gone. She looked around thinking maybe he’d left her a note. But no, the only indication that anything had happened last night was the tenderness between her legs and the fact that she was in his bed.
Then it hit her that possibly he was just in another part of the house, maybe making some coffee. So, not seeing any clothing on the floor, she quickly pulled the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around herself before going to investigate. A few moments and a quick peek into the garage later she had her answer—he’d left without a word to her. What did you expect? A letter with hearts written by your name? This is Jacob Hay, he doesn’t do romance.
Hitching the bedding up tighter under her arms, she released a disappointed sigh before moving to the coffeepot and turning it on. She walked back to the bedroom and into the bathroom to take a shower while the coffee was brewing. As the hot water cascaded over her, she let her mind drift to the previous evening. Jake had set her body afire in a way that she’d never dreamed was possible. As mind blowing as the sex had been, though, it had been the surprisingly tender gesture of him holding her close in his bed afterward that had really touched her. Maybe that’s why waking up alone this morning had shocked her. Obviously, she’d expected a bit more from him today. If nothing else, some kind of acknowledgment of their night together would have been nice.
Was that expecting too much from a man who had openly admitted to never having had a serious relationship? The current situation was something new for them both. They were attracted to each other and had acted on it. Did it have to be more than that at this point? She’d married Jake in a drunken Las Vegas moment. There was nothing traditional about it. So instead of the hurt that she had originally felt at his absence, she did something she wouldn’t normally do. She decided to live in the moment for as long as possible. She had to believe that Jake had come into her life for a reason and she could either embrace their time together or make herself miserable by overanalyzing everything that occurred.
God, hadn’t she spent enough time being unhappy?
Turning off the shower, Lydia stepped out and squared her shoulders. She’d had kick-ass sex last night. For today, that’s all she needed to focus on.
Chapter Seven
Lydia stood on the sidewalk holding a large gift bag while she waited for Crystal to pick her up. They were attending a baby shower for Suzy Merimon. She and her husband, Gray, had adopted an adorable little boy they’d named John Nicholas Merimon. They’d actually been present for his birth and had taken him home from the hospital with them almost two months ago. Lydia had liked the outspoken Suzy from their very first meeting, and she couldn’t wait to see her again today. Danvers International wasn’t the same with her on maternity leave.
As she stared off into the distance, her thoughts turned to Jake. They had been living together now for almost three weeks and the most surprising thing had happened. They acted just like a normal, married couple. Lydia had taken to making dinner most evenings, and more often than not, Jake was home to join her. Afterward, they would talk about their day, and if Jake didn’t have work to do, they would watch a movie. And they continued to make love every evening. She’d considerably broadened her horizon and could now add sex on the bathroom counter, against the wall, and in the laundry room.
Jake, it seemed, was insatiable. She had averaged having sex maybe a few times per week before Brett had gotten sick, and after that, it had been almost nonexistent. But since she moved in with Jake, they hadn’t missed a single day. Sometimes more than once. He was surprisingly affectionate and considerate out of the bedroom as well.
Even Chris had been low-key regarding her presence in Jake’s life, which was unexpected. Casey had visited them several times, but her mother had been sullen on both occasions. Lydia had a bad feeling it was possibly the calm before the storm, but she didn’t want to burst Jake’s hopeful bubble. As uncertain as things were, the one thing that Lydia was positive about was that she adored Jake’s daughter. They’d bonded so easily and quickly that it was as if they’d been in each other’s lives for years. She knew that she should try to keep some distance between them, but she just couldn’t. She didn’t know how she would survive not seeing the little girl again when Jake no longer needed her. The mere thought of not being a part of either of their lives was like a knife to her soul.
When Crystal pulled up to the curb and honked her horn, Lydia almost jumped out of her skin. Wow, she hadn’t realized she was that zoned out. She walked around the Mercedes C-Class that Mark had insisted on buying Crystal when they had gotten engaged. He didn’t feel that her other car was safe enough. Crystal had disagre
ed, of course, because she loved her Volkswagen Beetle, but in the end, it hadn’t been worth the argument, she’d said. As Lydia slid onto the sleek leather, she thought her friend had made the right decision.
“Hey, buddy,” Crystal called out before leaning across the seat to hug her. Even though they had talked on the phone for almost an hour the previous night, they hadn’t seen each other since Crystal had returned from her honeymoon a few days earlier and Lydia had missed her terribly. “How are you?” Pulling back, Crystal studied her intently for a moment. “You look amazing. You’re glowing in a way I’ve never seen before.”
Lydia laughed. “You’re the one who just got back from two weeks with your dream guy. I think if anyone could light up the night, it would be you!”
Crystal smiled dreamily and nodded. “Yeah, I’m beyond happy. I never thought I could feel like this. After being married to someone as reserved and downright cold as Bill, I always thought every relationship was that way.” Wiggling her eyebrows, she giggled. “Boy, was I wrong! Marriage to Mark is the polar opposite. He’s amazing both in and out of bed.” With a sigh of contentment, she added, “I feel like I can be the me I’ve always wanted to be with him. Does that sound crazy?”
“Not in the least,” Lydia assured her wryly. “I feel the same with Jake, and we’re just pretending to be married. Is it totally weird that being with him is as natural as breathing to me? I mean we’re basically strangers who got married for none of the right reasons, but it feels so right.” Before Crystal could answer, Lydia moaned and dropped her head forward. “Don’t bother to answer, that sounds insane even to me.”
“Hey.” Crystal nudged her arm. “Who’s to say what’s normal? I think that’s up to each couple to decide. Are you happy?”
Lifting her head, Lydia couldn’t stop the no doubt sappy smile that filled her face. “The last few weeks have been magical for me. I have a husband who comes home at the end of the day and a daughter that keeps me laughing. Jake and I have developed a routine that seems so easy. Which scares the hell out of me,” she finished with a sigh.
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