His eyes pinned her in place, they were so intense. “Yep. I’ll get you the directions before we leave today. I’m going straight there after I head home to pack, so show up whenever you’re ready.” A small smile tucked a dimple into his cheek. “I’m looking forward to it.”
So was she. Oh God, so was she.
Chapter Two
The sun was just sinking behind the Sierra Nevada Mountains when Lola pulled up to the cabin. It was a small log building with a long porch that appeared to run all the way around it. Light filtered through the pine trees and sparkled on the lake behind the house. She thought she could see a small dock jutting out into the water, but the cabin blocked her view.
And Jesse’s car was parked in front, so she was in the right place.
Nerves twisted in her belly. She drew in a slow, calming breath and resisted the urge to spin her Mustang around and peel out down the dirt driveway. But then the door to the cabin opened and Jesse stepped out. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the view was pretty spectacular. Broad shoulders sloped down into heavy pecs sprinkled with hair, and hard ridges of abs tapered to a narrow waist. She wanted to slide her hands over his naked skin, wanted to know if the curls on his chest would be crisp or soft under her palms. Warmth pulsed through her body, settling in to ache between her thighs.
She wanted him. She always wanted him.
He propped his long, muscular form against one of the porch posts, his gaze meeting hers through the windshield. There was a challenge in his expression. Daring her to go through with this.
She’d never been one to back down from a challenge.
Easing up on the brake, she steered her Mustang in to park next to his classic Porsche Spyder. The car was almost as pretty to look at as the man. Almost. She grinned, slipped the key from the ignition and gathered her purse and overnight bag from the passenger seat. Then she squared her shoulders and climbed out.
Jesse made no move toward her. His gaze slid over her while he waited for her to come to him. He did nothing to rush her, just let her decide when she was ready. But a slow smile curled his lips, flashing straight white teeth. The sight set her heart to fluttering, which made her roll her eyes at herself and move toward the house. Time to put up or shut up. Or put out, as the case may be.
“I’ll take that,” he said as she mounted the porch steps, reaching for her small duffel.
She handed it over, electricity sparking through her as their fingers brushed. When he turned for the door, she caught his arm, pulling him around to face her. “Wait. I need to…”
Rising up on tiptoe, she brushed her lips across his. It was their first kiss. And she’d already agreed to sleep with him. Clearly, she was insane. That knowledge didn’t even make her pause. She swept her tongue along the seam of his lips, dipping in to taste him. She curled her fingers around his shoulders, testing the resilience of flesh and muscle there. Heat over steel. His fingers came up to bracket her jaw, drawing her closer as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. The breath tangled in her chest and her heart thumped against her ribs. His hot, masculine flavor filled her mouth, and she moaned. Excitement exploded deep inside her as their tongues twined together. Her nipples beaded tight. The muscles in her thighs loosened, her sex going slick. More. That was the only thought that crossed her mind. More.
She arched toward him, trying to tell him what she needed without breaking the kiss. Suckling his bottom lip, she bit down on the soft flesh. A groan reverberated through his chest. He snaked an arm around her waist, hauling her flush against him. It was the first time they’d ever had full-body contact, and it left her breathless. Desire washed over her, and her nipples chafed against the lace of her bra, her sex contracting on emptiness. The intensity of it shocked her. She curled her nails into his shoulders, not sure if she wanted to push him away or pull him closer.
It didn’t matter, in the end. He slanted his mouth over hers, twining his tongue with hers. The heady flavor of him burst over her taste buds again—coffee, hot male and something that was uniquely Jesse. He spun her around, left her dizzy and clinging to him. The creak of the door’s hinges and the thump of her bag hitting the floor told her he’d backed her into the house.
He pressed her up against the wall beside the door, every delicious muscle rubbing against her softer curves. Dipping forward, he slid his tongue down the side of her neck and nipped at the sensitive tendon at the base of her throat. She moaned and let her head fall back against the smooth wooden wall.
“Jesse…”
“Yeah?” His palms skimmed down her sides to curve over her hips.
A breathy laugh escaped her. “Shouldn’t we…I don’t know, have dinner or something? Not just get straight to sex?”
He paused for a moment. “Why?”
She had no clue, not one good reason why they shouldn’t go at it like rabbits. Her hormones did a happy little tap dance at the thought. “Never mind.”
“I made lasagna. It won’t be done baking for another forty-five minutes.” He scraped the edge of his teeth against her neck. “Let’s use the time wisely.”
She chuckled. Now that he mentioned it, she could smell dinner cooking. The aroma of spices in the marinara sauce curled into her nostrils. The scent just hadn’t registered while he’d been kissing her. Nothing except him had impinged on her consciousness. “Okay.”
“Okay. Great.” Then he pressed his lips to hers again and the rest of the world melted away. He settled his weight on her, holding her to the wall. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and her nipples became aching peaks under the pressure. She wanted his mouth there. The idea alone made her whimper. She threaded her fingers through his hair, savored the rough silk of it.
The hard ridge of his cock pressed into the juncture of her thighs. She tried to part them for him, wanting him where he could do the most to ease her needs, but her skirt hampered her. Waves of lust crashed over her and she arched into him. Her body throbbed, her sex fisting on nothingness. She wanted to be filled. His palm curled over her breast, thumbing her nipple.
It was too much, a lightning strike of sensation from her breast to her pussy. A harsh sound broke from her throat, and she tried to climb him. She needed his cock inside her. Right now. She sucked in a ragged breath, her nails clawing into his shoulders. “Jesse!”
“Damn, Lola.” He wrestled her skirt up and her panties down while she tugged at the button on his jeans, jerking open the zipper. He fished into his pocket and came out with a shiny foil packet before he shoved his pants off and kicked them aside.
“Hurry,” she gasped. It was the only thought she had left. Hurry. Now.
He sheathed himself in the condom with quick efficiency and lifted her against the wall. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, and then finally, finally she felt the blunt probing of his dick at her slick opening. She squeezed her legs around his flanks, urging him onward. His fingers dug into her buttocks painfully, but it only sharpened her pleasure. Easing his grip, he let her sink down on his broad dick.
The stretch was exquisite, reminding her just how long it had been since she’d had sex. Too long. Tingles raced over her skin and she shivered at the hot ecstasy streaking through her. When he withdrew, she moaned. The amazing glide made her cunt clench in reaction. More. She wanted more. Needed it.
Arching his hips, he slammed back inside her, seating himself to the hilt. Shock robbed her of breath, and she raked her nails down his back. He hissed, the muscles in his shoulders jerking. But he didn’t stop what he was doing. He pistoned in and out of her pussy, riding her hard against the wall, and she moved with him. The way he filled her to the limit each time made her gasp, but she loved it. Pressing her hips forward, she tried to take him deeper. Her thighs protested the sudden workout but she ignored the discomfort. Her entire world had narrowed down to the need to come. Only orgasm mattered.
The breath rushed in pants from her lungs and sweat slipped down her skin. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and h
is stubble abraded her flesh. Every sensation shoved her closer to the edge of climax. He sank inside her, rotating his pelvis against her hardened clit. A whimper broke from her and gooseflesh skittered down her limbs. She tightened her sex around his cock in revenge and he groaned, the sound ragged with desperation.
He turned his head and bit the side of her throat. Stars burst behind her eyelids as she came in one explosive rush of ecstasy. She threw her head back and screamed as orgasm took her. Her cunt fisted tightly around his dick, milking his length, and each time he thrust into her sent another wave of climax crashing through her. “Jesse!”
His hands jerked her thighs wider apart, and he fucked her harder, driving toward his own orgasm. His flesh slapped against hers as he moved. She cried out as his cock slid deeper than it had before, and he rotated his hips, grinding into her. A great shudder passed through him and he groaned long and loud as he came.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by their panting breath. Her muscles relaxed and she slumped against him, her cheek resting on his broad shoulder.
“You had a condom in your pocket.” Her voice emerged soft, bemused.
He hummed a little. “I put it there when I saw you drive up.”
A breathy chuckle escaped her, and she patted his shoulder. “Good thinking, sugar.”
“I aim to please.” He dropped his forehead to hers, his teeth flashing in a smile.
She grinned back. “Your aim is excellent.”
He laughed outright at that, stepping back to let her feet slide to the floor. He tugged away what remained of their clothing, dropping it to the floor. Then he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the big leather sofa to lay her down.
“I need to clean up. One second.” He walked away and a few minutes later, she heard the toilet flush.
When he came back, he sat down beside her and tugged her into his lap, maneuvering them until he stretched out on his back and she sprawled across his chest. It shouldn’t have been a comfortable position, but it was. A sigh eased out of her, and she closed her eyes, letting the post-coital bliss wash over her. She drifted in that haze of pleasure for endless moments while he stroked light circles over her back.
Beeping sounded from the kitchen, making them both jolt a bit. “That’s dinner. I’ll be right back.”
Jesse dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head, set her on the couch and rolled easily to his feet. She enjoyed the view of his naked ass retreating, and she also got an unobstructed look at the tattoo that started at the base of his skull, spread down his shoulders and covered most of his back. She’d had no idea it was so large. With the shirts he wore at work, she’d only ever seen the very top of it. It looked like Japanese art she’d seen in pictures. There was a huge red dragon at the top, surrounded by swirling black marks that she thought might symbolize clouds. The scales of the dragon somehow merged with the orange scales of an intricately detailed koi fish that swam through water at the base of his spine, and lotus blossoms floated on the water. It was beautiful, unlike anything she’d ever seen. She’d never been one for tattoos, but she liked his.
She wanted to lick her way from one end of it to the other.
* * * * *
Jesus, it had been incredible. Worth the buildup. Jesse’s body still buzzed with the aftermath, better than any drug. He grinned, pulling the lasagna out of the oven to let it cool. He uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured a couple of glasses. Nothing like some good booze to add to the high of good sex.
Dishing out a green salad onto two plates, he made sure to leave room for the main course. He called over his shoulder. “How hungry are you?”
Her voice came from right behind him. “That’s not a frozen Stouffer’s meal.”
Glancing back, he lifted an eyebrow. “I said I made lasagna. It’s not that hard. It just takes a little time, which I had to kill waiting for you.”
“That’s a lot of Italian food. You must have been really confident I’d show.” She propped her hands on her hips, which made her bare breasts bounce. “What if I hadn’t?”
“Then I’d have had leftovers to last the whole weekend, wouldn’t I?” He brushed his lips over hers, and he was rewarded when she fitted her lush body to his, deepening the kiss. Filling one palm with her breast, he tweaked the nipple before he stepped back with a smile. “But I had hoped you’d decide to take me up on my invitation. And here you are.”
“Here I am.” She spread her arms, sweeping them down to motion to herself. “Here, and ready to eat.”
“All right, then.” He used a spatula to give them both a good-size portion. “Grab the wine and the forks, I’ve got the plates.”
“Silverware drawer is…?”
“To the right of the fridge.”
She got the utensils out and followed him to the living room. He set the food on the coffee table and settled on the sofa. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of what he’d just done to work up an appetite. And what he had plans to do in order to work up an even bigger craving for breakfast.
“This is delicious.” Lola dug into her food with gusto. “I can’t believe you cooked this from scratch.”
He took a bite of his dinner. Yeah, it had come out just right. Cheesy, meaty, just enough spice to give the marinara some tang. “Don’t get too excited. This is one of the few dishes I know how to make. This, waffles and chicken noodle soup.”
“That’s a pretty random combination.” Her gaze danced with amusement as she sipped her wine.
Shrugging, he forked a cherry tomato from the salad into his mouth. “My dad was an amateur chef. He used to win the chili cook-off at some of the local festivals every year.”
“Chef and mechanic.” Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “Your mother was a lucky lady.”
“Yeah.” Too bad she hadn’t thought so. Jesse’s good mood dampened a bit, but he pushed aside that old bitterness. His father had been dead for years, and his mother had left long before that. It was all long over. Done.
Lola tilted her head, glancing at him while she ate, as if she wasn’t sure what to make of his sudden terseness. When she didn’t question him about it, he breathed a sigh of relief. They fell into a companionable silence while they finished their dinners.
She set aside her plate, picking up her wine to drink. “So, tell me about you.”
“We’re getting personal, are we?” He flashed a sinful grin, letting his gaze slide over her naked body. Having her curled up beside him nude had been almost too much to resist during dinner, but he had her all weekend. He had some time to relish the slow burn of anticipation. “Wouldn’t it be easier if we just stuck to the sex?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never done just sex before. And maybe I like to know what I’m dealing with.” Her shoulder dipped in a shrug. “Start with something easy. Tell me about your tattoo.”
He grabbed the back of the couch for leverage, leaned forward a little, and twisted to let her look at it. “I got it in Japan. I studied there for a year in high school.”
“Oh yeah?” She ran her finger along one of the shapes on his back, he thought the top of the koi. “You got that while you were in high school?”
“I was eighteen.” Barely old enough to know his head from his ass, but he’d never regretted getting the tattoo.
“Eighteen? Wouldn’t that have been your senior year? You didn’t miss having your senior year with your friends?”
“No.” He snorted. “I was happy to go and my parents were happy to send me.” Tension flooded his muscles when he could all but feel her curiosity pique. Yep, getting personal was a bad idea. His hand fisted on the leather sofa, and he forced his fingers to loosen.
Her nails tapped against his spine. “Why?”
Sighing, he made himself answer. This was old news. It was just…being around a woman like Lola was stirring everything up. His usual type tended more toward one-nighters with barflies—women who wore their hair too big and their clothes too tight. Nothing like his mother. O
r Lola.
“That was the year my parents split up for good. It had been building for a long time—Mom left and came back, left and came back.” And Jesse was pretty sure his dad had spent the rest of his life waiting for her to come back again. “But things had gotten a lot worse, and I was just as glad not to stick around and watch the end. I got the tattoo when I found out my mother had filed for divorce.” He cleared his throat. Old news or not, he wished they were talking about something else. Anything else but this. “This tat style is called Irezumi. It’s done by hand, and you have to find a master who’ll do it. Only they make themselves hard to find because tattooing in Japan used to be a way to mark criminals, so it’s still a little taboo.”
She hesitated, as if she wanted to protest the topic change, but she didn’t. Her fingertip drew a curved line up his back until she reached the top of the tattoo at his neck. Goose bumps broke out on his flesh at her touch and his cock twitched in reaction to her nearness. She toyed with the hair at his nape. “I didn’t even know there were different schools of thought about tattoos, other than those who like them and those who don’t.”
“I take it you’re in the ‘those who don’t’ category.” He settled into his seat, untwisting from the slightly awkward position.
She rocked her hand back and forth through the air. “I don’t dislike them, but I don’t want one. My sister has a couple, and my uncle has a big one on his arm. Everyone seems to have them now. I think I’m one of the few hold-outs left in the world.”
“My dad didn’t have one, but Uncle Gary does. Dean has one too, on his leg.”
She hesitated again. “I’ve never really heard you talk about any family but your cousin and his parents. Do you see your mom often?”
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