When she and Jake finally stood in the entry with their coats on, her mom handed her a bag full of Mrs. Gentry’s cookies and gave her a fierce hug. “All I want for you is happiness,” she murmured.
“I know, Mom.” She hugged her back with equal doses of love and gratitude. “Thank you for inviting Jake tonight. It was special.”
Her mother gazed at her with affection shining in her eyes. “It was. I enjoyed seeing him again.” She paused, as if about to say something else, but gave a little shake of her head as if deciding not to. “How about having coffee at Rangeland Roasters before you head off to Jackson Hole for your gig?”
“Sounds great.” She wouldn’t be meeting her mom for coffee every week, either. Change was hard, but progress couldn’t be made without it. She hugged her dad and then preceded Jake out the door. “Hey, it’s snowing!” she called over her shoulder to her parents.
“Drive carefully!” her dad said.
“Want me to drive you?” Jake followed her down the porch steps. “I can bring you back here to pick up your car on my way out of town in the morning.”
That was so Jake, wanting to keep her safe. “Thanks, but I’d rather drive it home now. It’s not too bad, yet. We’ll go slow.”
“Okay. I’ll follow you.”
On the way back to her house she navigated the road with extra care because she didn’t want Jake to worry. That was ironic, because he would worry himself to death when she left for LA. But of all the hazards in that city, both real and imagined, driving in snow wouldn’t be one of them.
She could try pointing that out to Jake and her family but she doubted it would have any effect on their misgivings. Driving in snow was a known quantity that everyone in Wyoming had learned how to handle. LA was full of the unknown. She was scared, too, and unfortunately her nearest and dearest weren’t helping.
By the time she pulled into her driveway, the snow had let up a bit. Big flakes drifted lazily down for a snow-globe effect. She’d never minded snow. As a kid she’d spent hours playing in it, and sometimes she and Sapphire still did. Or they used to before Sapphire moved to Cody.
She and Grady were staying another day before heading back, so if this snowfall kept up all night, they might be up for building a snowman. Amethyst wanted to grab such opportunities while she could. Although she missed her sister now, it would be worse once they were more than a thousand miles apart.
Jake’s light rap on the window startled her and she jumped.
“Are you okay?” His voice was muted by the closed window, but she could tell from his expression that he was concerned.
She nodded and quickly unfastened her seat belt. Then she grabbed her purse and the bag of cookies.
He opened the door as she started to climb down. Then he lifted her out and into his arms. “You were just sitting there. I thought something was wrong.”
“Sorry if I scared you. I got caught up in memories of making snowmen with Sapphire when we were kids.”
“You were still building them when we were dating.” He reached around her and nudged her door closed. “I remember a really elaborate one you two made over the Thanksgiving weekend of our senior year.”
“The pilgrim couple! I’d forgotten all about that. Sapphire was the mastermind behind it. I just did what she told me. It’s no wonder she and Grady get along so well. Two peas in a pod.”
He drew her closer. “I hear California is chock-full of musicians. Maybe you’ll find your matching pea over there.”
He might be teasing but she didn’t think so. At least she could put his mind to rest on that score. “That’s not the goal. I’m going over there to see if I can make it as a recording artist, not look for a soul mate. Besides, that life is hard on relationships. I can’t imagine how tough it must be to maintain a connection with someone when you’re completely focused on the work.”
“Sounds like you’ve made peace with that.”
“I have, Jake.” She looked into his eyes. “I may never live like my folks or Sapphire and Grady. That doesn’t mean I won’t cherish every moment I’ve spent with you.”
“Same here.” He searched her expression a moment longer before he visibly pulled himself together. “You know what? We have more of those moments available before I leave. Give me those cookies.” Wrapping his other arm around her shoulders, he hurried her toward the porch and up the steps. “First thing in the door, boots off.”
“Aw, no wild sex on the floor with our boots on?” She fished out her key and inserted it in the lock.
“Yes to wild sex on the floor. No to doing it with our boots on.” Once the door was open he hustled her inside and leaned against the wall to remove them. “It’s Christmas night. We should make love under the tree.”
“We won’t fit unless you plan to lop some branches off the bottom.”
“Literal woman, aren’t you? Near the tree. I want to see the lights make a rainbow on your naked body like they did last night.” He put down the cookies, shrugged out of his coat and threw it on the sofa. “But your floor is hard. We’re bringing bedding down here this time.” He helped her out of her coat, grabbed her hand and started toward the stairs.
She had to hustle to keep up with him. She was gasping by the time they reached the landing. “Hang on a minute. I don’t go for five-mile runs like some people.”
“Oh, sorry. I was thinking with my dick.”
“Just let me catch my breath.”
Glancing back at her, he gave a short nod. “Right. I should’ve done this in the first place.” In one smooth motion he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her the rest of the way with her ass in the air.
“Jake!”
“What?” He set her back on her feet and smiled. He wasn’t even breathing hard. “Everyone should experience the fireman’s carry at least once in their lives, so there you go.”
“You’re showing off.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He walked into the bedroom, pulled off the comforter and thrust it into her arms. Then he piled a blanket on top of the comforter, nearly blocking her view. “If you’ll take that, I’ll get the pillows and the sheets.”
“You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into this fantasy.”
“I had some thinking time while I was following you over here.” He began stripping off the holiday sheets. “We only have a few hours left and I want to make them count.”
“Does that mean you have other schemes in mind once this is checked off your list?”
“Maybe.” He bundled up the sheets and added them to his pile. “How about you?”
“I haven’t fully accepted that this will be our last night together in this house. The reality hasn’t hit me yet.”
He turned toward her. “It doesn’t have to be the last night.” His tone was casual but there was an underlying tension in his words. “If I rent from you, you’re welcome to come back and visit anytime.”
“You make it sound as if you’ll have my room ready and waiting for me.”
“Not just your room.” He gave her a wicked grin.
Oh, yeah, she could picture coming back to visit Jake and the hot time they’d have. “I appreciate the invitation, but that’s not fair to you.”
“Why not?”
“Because, as we’ve said, you need to be free to date someone else. Maybe I didn’t like the idea that you’d immediately hook up with Marla, but I also don’t want to think of you living in the house waiting for the day when I...” She stared at him as the realization struck. “Is that the idea, Jake? You’ll keep this place ready for my eventual return? Because you think I probably will be back?”
“No.”
“Because if that’s your motivation for renting from me, you can forget about it.”
He divested her of the comforter and blanket before drawi
ng her into his arms. “I don’t want you to come back. Not permanently, anyway.”
“Liar.”
“Yeah, well, I do, but that’s not what you hope for, so I’ll be rooting really hard for you to make it big over there.” He rubbed the small of her back. “Please believe me, Amethyst. I want whatever you want. I’m not trying to sabotage you.”
She knew him now, knew she could trust him not to lie to her. “Okay, I believe you.”
His shoulders relaxed. “That’s a relief, although I don’t want to be misleading, either. I expect you to succeed. God knows you’re talented enough, but we both know life isn’t fair. So I thought if I kept the house the way it is, then if the unthinkable happens and something goes wrong...”
At first she was touched, but the more she thought about his plan the less she liked it. It wasn’t good for either of them. Then she remembered something else Professor Edenbury had said. “I’m supposed to burn the boats.”
“What?”
“It’s a military strategy but it applies whenever a goal is set. First you land the army on the beach. Then you burn the boats so retreat isn’t an option.”
“Did Chelsea say that?”
“No, it was my voice teacher and he made an excellent point. Your reason for keeping the house unchanged is very sweet and so like you, but I just realized that I can’t let you rent this place.”
He frowned. “What if you take out the furniture and turn the studio back into a bedroom like you talked about before? Would that do it?”
“Not if I know you’re living here. I’d still have a connection to the house. And you’d still have a connection to me, and you really need to move on. You might hesitate to do that if you’re staying in what used to be my house.”
He held her gaze for several seconds. Then he sighed. “Let’s forget it.”
“I’m sorry. I know you like this place but—”
“I can find something else. You’re right. I didn’t want you to burn the boats. You built that studio with loving care and I hated to think of you ripping it apart. I see now that you have to give up the house entirely.”
And Jake, too. She had a feeling that unless she made a clean break with him he’d imagine they could keep this thing going somehow. He hadn’t dated anyone else since August, which should have told her this was more than a fling for him. She hadn’t dated anyone, either. Clearly they weren’t suited for casual sex.
“Hey.” He hugged her closer. “You don’t have to burn any boats tonight. Let’s carry this stuff downstairs and burn up the sheets instead.”
She allowed the passion in his eyes to make her forget everything but this moment. When he looked at her like that, nothing else mattered. “Great idea.”
After they carried the bedding downstairs, Jake took over the arrangement and she stood back to watch.
“I wouldn’t be upset if you ditched your clothes while I’m doing this,” he said. “You’d save us time.”
Laughing, she undressed, but she kept an eye on the proceedings as he made up the bed quickly and efficiently. “You’ve done this before.” Her stupid heart felt a pang of jealousy at the idea he’d lovingly made up a similar bed for another woman.
“When I was a kid.”
Oh. Not for another woman, after all. Her chest tightened. He’d probably smuggled bedding into whatever secret place he’d used to get away from his father every night. He might still associate a bed on the floor with an escape from reality.
They could both use an escape tonight. As he shook out the top sheet, she finished taking off everything except her bra and matching panties. They were Christmas red, with holly embroidered on them—a sprig over each nipple and one strategically placed on the front of the panties. He’d asked her to undress herself, but these last items were his to remove.
“Done.” He tossed back the top sheet before glancing at her. “Hel-lo, Christmas fantasy.” He unsnapped the cuffs of his Western shirt as he came toward her. “Humor me and say you bought that combo strictly for my benefit.”
“I did.”
“Really?” He took off his shirt and dropped it to the floor before reaching for her. “When?”
“Yesterday morning, before I came out to the ranch.” She nestled against him and ran her palms up his sculpted chest. “I saved them for tonight. They’re not exactly a Christmas present but—”
“Oh, yeah, they are.” Heat flared in his eyes as he stepped away from her and held out his hand. “Come on, fantasy lady. Time to unwrap my present.”
16
JAKE WAS DOING his damnedest to keep from saying or doing anything that would set off an explosion, but it wasn’t easy. That little speech about burning the boats sounded idealistic and noble, but it didn’t fit this situation, at least not in his opinion. Besides, had this professor who’d spouted off on the subject burned any boats or did he or she simply stay in the safety of the classroom and pass out that advice to impressionable students?
But it wasn’t Jake’s place to question the strategy or anything else, for that matter. In fact, his impromptu invitation to have her come back and visit had almost ruined everything. He’d managed to contain the damage, but now she didn’t want him to rent the house, which sucked.
For the next few hours he’d better concentrate on the one thing they definitely agreed on. He doubted he’d change her mind with great sex, but he’d have a hell of a good time trying.
She stretched out on the bed he’d created, tucked a pillow under her head and the effect was outstanding. Christmas lights splashed color over her delicious-looking skin and his mouth watered.
The house had been chilly last night when she’d been naked beside the tree, but it was warmer now. He’d be willing to bet she’d turned up the heat before leaving for her parents’ house today. He appreciated the advance planning because he intended to use his tongue on every inch of her.
That program would go better in a warm room. She’d bought her outfit for him, too, and he intended to pay special attention to the places currently being covered by red satin decorated with holly. Her erect nipples pushed at the holly decoration, giving it a 3-D effect. Nice.
He stripped off his jeans and briefs and laid the jeans within reach because of the condoms tucked in the pockets.
“You look good in Christmas lights,” she murmured. Her attention was fixed on his package and her tongue swept over her plump lips. She crooked a finger at him. “Come down here.”
His balls tightened. He’d spent enough naked time with her that he recognized that husky tone. He had a game plan but she might have one, too. Tonight he would deny her nothing.
He dropped slowly to his knees beside her. “What can I do for you?”
Her blue eyes were smoky with desire as she wrapped her warm fingers around his cock. “I want this.”
He nearly came. “And just how do you want it?”
“I want to taste you.”
Although having him above her for this particular pleasure was new, he didn’t have to be a genius to figure it out. Responding to her gentle tug, he straddled her. “Don’t make me come.”
Her soft laughter tickled the sensitive tip, already moist from wanting her. “Why not?”
“I’ll be out of commission for a while.”
“Not for long. I know you. Now, lean forward. I want to play.”
He flattened his palms on either side of the pillow and surrendered to her mouth. Sweet heaven, the woman knew how to play. His fingers curled into the sheet as her tongue danced and her cheeks hollowed. Then, because she was in the perfect position for it, she cupped his balls and began a slow massage.
He groaned, hoping that would relieve the pressure building as he fought the urge to come. But the vibration in his chest only increased the erotic sensations swirling around him.
He gasped as she raked her teeth along the underside of his cock.
He’d probably known from the moment he let her take the lead that he was done for. She loved giving him an orgasm as much as he loved giving her one. As his control slipped away, he abandoned himself to extreme pleasure. She seemed to know exactly how to touch him, when to squeeze, how to lick, where to bite.
At the moment when he completely let go, it was with the knowledge that she was the best thing to ever come into his life. He might lose her. In fact, he probably would. But as he whirled in the grip of a shattering climax, he knew the eventual pain was worth this. Oh, yeah, this.
Eventually the roaring in his ears subsided and his muscles responded to his commands. He managed to flop down on his back beside her on the makeshift bed, but his breathing was still ragged. “That wasn’t how I intended this adventure to go.”
“That’s how I intended it to go.”
“Oh, really?” He turned his head to find her gazing at him. “Since when?”
“Since you threw me over your shoulder like some modern-day caveman. I felt the need to create a balance of power.”
“But you’ve always had the power.”
“I don’t think so. You’re the one who broke up with me in high school, remember?”
“Self-preservation. Even then I knew that you had the power and it freaked me out.”
“But not anymore?”
“Oh, no, it still freaks me out, but for a blow job like that I’ll deal with it.” He wanted to lighten the mood and he’d succeeded.
She laughed and rolled to face him. “When this started between us in August, I—”
“It started long before that.” He mirrored her position so he could look into her eyes.
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