by Rebecca Rose
“Oh, Jake!” He was huge. Filling and stretching her so deeply to accommodate himself. The thought that no other man reached her core in such a way before brought tears rolling from her eyes. She shifted her hips and brought her legs up higher around him. Jake grunted and pulled them over his shoulders then started to pump hard. With his lips on hers, he placed one hand under her bottom to bring her body up to meet him. His other arm supported his weight on the stairs as Sophie held on for the ride of her life.
Panting and unable to make coherent thoughts, she heard her lover say, “Put your legs down around my waist.” She did as she was told and soon felt her body rise—they ascended the stairs as one. He held her tight to him, never slipping out and every few moments plunging deep again. With her lips on his shoulders and neck, Sophie gave as well as she took. Her hands snaked around to grasp his ass.
Jake seated her on something cold and hard—her kitchen table. When he laid her back over it, his teeth seized one of her nipples. Sophie cried out then moved her hips faster. The feel of him overwhelmed her. She didn’t know where to put her hands or how to move. All she knew was that he felt magnificent.
He stood before her, tall, muscular, and devilishly handsome. His possessive hands traveled down her until they found where their bodies were joined. He touched her with light fingers, bringing her urgency to a new level.
“Go over for me, Sophie. I want to see what I can do to you. How I can have you come for me with the slightest touch.” He didn’t move inside her but only used his hands on her body to touch her soul. When she couldn’t take any more, her body bowed without permission, and she felt her peak begin. At the end of what she was sure to be delicious delirium, Jake slowly pulled out the whole, wide, long length of himself, then pushed it inside her hard. Sophie heard herself cry out in triumph. On top of her again, he pumped fiercely. Her nails gouged into his back, but she couldn’t stop herself. The ecstasy he brought her went on forever, and when she thought she might go mad from it Jake kissed her hard. When he convulsed inside of her, Sophie’s body tightened one more orgasmic time, causing Jake to let out a howl and her to release one last, spectacular time.
* * *
Jake tried to shift off Sophie’s trembling body.
“Please don’t move yet,” she told him.
“I don’t want to crush you.”
“Then I’ll die a happy woman.”
Her eyes were closed and a small smile played on her lips. He kissed her before resting his head on her shoulder. “I don’t know what to say.”
“ ‘Wow’ comes to mind.”
He chuckled and squeezed one of her breasts. “I only came to snuggle on the couch with you.”
“At two in the morning?” Sophie snorted.
He felt the beginning of wanting her again, felt himself starting to stir. “You know, two years of abstinence has taught me a lot of self control.” He smiled when she looked at him blandly.
“Really? You could have fooled me. By the way, where are we?”
He looked around her kitchen, “Not really sure. We might have busted through the wall and we’re now on your neighbor’s kitchen table.”
“They’re jerks, anyway.”
“They might be thinking that about us, after all the noise.” He twitched inside of her. “Wanting you is going to be a problem, Ms. Agnés.”
She brought her lips to his, but before they met he saw something in her eyes. Was that love? He tried to dismiss it, but his mind stumbled over the thought.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
With her hands on his face, Jake found himself speechless. Instead, he showed her what his mind couldn’t wrap itself around. He did his best to be gentle when he picked her up into his arms and kissed her longingly to prove he was capable of being tender. The he carried her in his arms down the hall to the bedroom, where he laid them both down and showed her what he once promised: slow lovemaking. She was all that mattered and all he needed to survive. Sophie opened her heart to him. He felt it. Yet in the depths of his mind, he wasn’t sure if he could accept it.
“I need you,” he told her.
“Love me,” she whispered.
Her request crumbled every guarded wall he’d built over the years. She adorned him with soft kisses and slow movements filled with affection and longing. When Sophie rose above him, Jake grasped her hips.
“No,” she whispered and brought his hands to her breasts. “I’m yours to touch, taste, and love. I’m yours.” With her lips to his, she sealed the promise, then wrapped them both in euphoric bliss.
He’d never experienced anything like it. Their bodies seemed to move in unison—knowing what the other needed before asking. Her kisses sent shivers of emotions straight to his heart where they swelled and left him astounded.
Jake rolled Sophie onto her back. He then kissed her shoulder and slowly moved up to her jaw. “I can’t explain what I feel for you.” Did he say it aloud or to himself? It didn’t seem to matter, because Sophie’s arms brought him close as they moved together slowly. He couldn’t get enough of her taste, her feel. Nothing ever felt so right, and for the first time in years he opened up to someone without caution—a gift she gave to him without knowing it. Their eyes met, and Jake struggled for the words he couldn’t find to explain the hurt, need, and passion she evoked in him.
“Only you,” Sophie whispered.
Jake nodded in agreement while their bodies showed them what their minds had yet to fully comprehend.
Love.
Chapter Thirteen
It was after eight in the morning when he woke. The bed was empty, but her scent still permeated the air. They’d made love one more time before sleep and exhaustion took them over. Jake smiled at the ceiling. Damn, he’d forgotten how awesome sex could be. And with a very limber woman, it was unbelievable.
He jumped out of Sophie’s bed and grabbed a throw quilt to wrap around himself. Her bedroom walls were deep red, and her cherrywood bed had detailed ivy posts that reached to the ceiling. The wrought-iron crown held a sheer white canopy, artfully laid so as not to overwhelm the eye. It was apparent that Sophie liked the finer things in life. The bed itself must have been worth thousands, and that wasn’t counting the matching dressers and end tables. Jake shook his head in wonder. She sure was a classy lady.
Turning from the extraordinary bedroom, which was almost half the size of his house, he told himself not to be overwhelmed by the house’s huge rooms, wide hallway, and tall ceilings. The photographs that adorned the walls were black-and-whites. Some were of Sophie with friends, others scenic countrysides, and others… Jake tipped his head at the picture of a dog peeing on a tree. He decided he liked it, along with the close-up photo of a cow’s nose.
By the time he made his way down the corridor, it became apparent Sophie worked because she wanted to, not because she needed to. The living room was done in a soothing burnt orange. He found himself wanting to relax on the rich chocolate leather couches that sat before a massive stone fireplace with a pellet stove built into it. Sophie was efficient and, even with all her money, was still conscious of cost.
In the kitchen Jake found his clothes neatly folded on yellow granite countertops, along with his backpack. He dropped the quilt and quickly dressed. The soft green kitchen comforted, but the fresh coffee called to him. Finding a mug, he drank down the dark black liquid with gusto. But even without the caffeine boost, Jake felt ready for anything. And after he found Sophie, he hoped she was, too.
The music floated up the stairs, the soft romantic sonata beckoned him to find its origins. When he came to the bottom of the landing, natural bright light illuminated the dance hall and had Jake thinking of guardian angels and the heavens. Vast mirrors lined the walls. A wooden barre stretched the length of the room, and long, sheer vanilla curtains graced the massive windows. But it was the woman at the center of the room that stole his attention. She moved with flowing grace. Her eyes were mostly closed, and her lips wore the whispe
r of a smile.
Jake sank to the wooden floor and watched. She mesmerized him. Every move she made, effortless. The music changed tempo and her body moved with it. Sophie leaped through the air and landed with natural ease. Then she spun around while circling the room. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She became the center of his world, if not only for that moment, then for what he started hoping would be forever. The trance she placed on him was an enchanting prophecy of what could be. His heart welcomed it, and his contrary mind couldn’t break the spell. He saw his future laid out on the floor she now bowed low to. The promise of a ring, the grandness of the day, and forever to live their lives as one. When she looked into his eyes, Jake saw children. Without a word, he rose and left the room. This was too much, too fast. When he heard her behind him, Jake turned and enfolded her in his arms.
“Promise me you’ll be understanding and patient.” He pulled back and gazed into her enormous blue eyes. “I want this so bad, but I need something.”
“What, Jake?”
“I don’t know. There’s a missing part of me that I can’t move on without.”
“Don’t give up on us. We can find it together.” When a tear slid down her cheek Jake thought he would come undone. The last thing he wanted was to cause her pain.
“Maybe. Tell me this is enough for now. That—” He lost his words when the doorbell rang.
“Jake, I promise.” She kissed his lips. “Go jump in the shower. I have a feeling that’s my father. He joins me for morning coffee a couple times a week.”
Jake couldn’t help the grim look that crossed his face. “They’ll never approve of me.”
She slapped his ass and shooed him along. “If they did, I wouldn’t care for you.”
Damn, if he didn’t almost tell her that he’d fallen in love with her. What the hell was he going to do? Play it out. See what happens. His therapist had always said to take it one day at a time. Boy, he hated doing that.
Jake quickly undressed, turned on the water, and stepped under the spray. The double shower head made him smirk. Sophie obviously liked pampering herself. He wondered what he could do to please her. Maybe an afternoon picnic in the living room? That was how his buddy Mitch reeled in his wife. Or a bubble bath with champagne and chocolate. The thought of her in a warm tub with him made Jake hard.
When the bathroom door opened, he called out, “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
Then he heard a giggle.
“You sure?” Arms wrapped around him from behind and he couldn’t help but smile when one of her long fingered hands took hold of his proud manhood.
“What have you been thinking about?” she asked.
“You, me, and a warm bubble bath.” Jake turned and poked her in the belly with it. “Think you can wash me up?”
“Oh, yeah.” Sophie grabbed the soap and started lathering up his chest.
“I thought that was your father?”
“Nope. Mailman.” After washing him up completely, she handed the soap to Jake and purred, “Your turn.”
“My pleasure.” Jake took his time, all the while rubbing his body against hers, then they rinsed off under the soaking spray. “Turn around and place your hands on the wall. God, you have the most wonderful ass.” She moaned when he trailed a finger on her shoulder blade. “Now that’s a surprise.” The butterfly on her shoulder blade beckoned him to trace it with his lips.
“My own little rebellion.”
“Oh, I think you’ve fought back in more ways than this.” He bent her over and began to tease by slipping three fingers in and out of her velvet lining. “You’re so wet.”
“Damn, Jake. Don’t taunt me.”
He slipped his fingers out and traced them up between her butt cheeks to the cleft of her ass. “Spread your legs a little more and roll up on the balls of your feet.” He positioned himself behind her, taking his time to taste her skin and squeeze her breasts.
“Jake,” she said on a breathless plea.
“I want to hear the pleasure I’m giving you. Don’t hold back.” He penetrated her welcoming warmth, all the while keeping a tight rein on his control. Carefully, he moved a little more into her, his breath and body straining for release. “You’re so unbelievably tight in this position.” When Sophie moved her hips in a circular motion, Jake let out a winded breath.
“More!” she demanded, and he gave. Inch by excruciating inch, Jake went deeper. Sophie braced her hands on the shower walls while he gripped her hips. With his sudden plunge, she cried out and, given her position, he buried himself deeper than ever before. The abrupt passion that seared through his body left Jake motionless and panting. He tried to back out, just a little, but her inner walls gripped him. Breathless from the squeeze and the pleasure Sophie brought him, he snapped.
Frantic for her, Jake couldn’t get enough, feel enough. She cried out in ecstasy and met his every powerful thrust. When he felt her body show agitation with the position, he spun her around and pinned her to the wall. With his mouth capturing hers, Jake took them on a sexual journey of lust-filled delight.
He’d had sex with many women, even made love to a few of them, but he’d never felt this connected to one before. Every pleasure he felt, Jake knew she felt, too. Her whimpers and moans, the way her body responded to his. He came once and never stopped. Just kept going—control gone. They were now on the bathroom floor. His hands needed to touch her everywhere. His mouth sought to taste every inch of her slickened skin. When she arched under him, Jake became blinded by the need for release, but Sophie sought other ideas and left Jake no option but to trust her.
She twisted, pushed, and finally got him to roll. When she rose above him, Sophie moved as a bull rider would for his eight-second thrill ride. Holding on, Jake yelled for mercy. He needed to fight for control, he desperately grasped for it—but in the end, he was incapable of having it. Sophie took it from him, and the only thing Jake could do was believe she wouldn’t abuse it.
Always the one in charge, Jake was accustomed to calling the shots. People looked to him for decisions and commands, and they trusted him with their lives. “Power comes with a price,” Jake was once told. This was why he always dictated with careful consideration. And why what happened that night, when his men died and his best friend bled out in his arms, was Jake’s entire responsibility.
“Jake,” Sophie whispered in his ear. “Let go. I’m here for you.”
Opening his eyes, tears streamed down his face as he erupted inside of her then bellowed in pain. He gasped for air as Sophie pulled him into her arms and held tight. Years of self-loathing, torturous dreams, and sleepless nights all came to the surface. He cleansed his soul and then some. Weeping for his fallen comrades, weeping for himself.
She stayed as he babbled on about what happened—gory details and all. She soothed and whispered what in his heart he knew to be true, but his mind kept questioning.
“Jake, it wasn’t your fault.”
It was midnight—
The stillness, deafening. Gunnery Sergeant Sanders strained his ears to listen, but the only sound he heard was silence. The strategy—avoid the enemy and survive.
Jake’s job was to keep it clean, not kill as many of the enemy as he could. In his mind the scene before him appeared to be the same as the many that had come before it. Another poor country ravaged by war. More dead civilians, casualties of a government mad with power.
His eyes tried to pierce the night and see though the blackness to what lay ahead for his men. No animal sounds or wind. The calm put him on edge with a premonition of doom while his feet moved quietly along the forest floor.
A small sound perked Jake’s mind to attention. With his weapon tight to his chest he put a fist up to signal his men to freeze. Then he placed a hand to his ear indicating for them to listen. Nothing. Something wasn’t right. Jake’s skin crawled with an almost painful realization—it was too quiet, and their targets were absent from their posts. The reality gave him
the impression that turning back was their only real choice. But the military didn’t like decisions based on gut feelings and fear. They wanted concrete answers and proof, and Jake had none.
He motioned his team to continue to the flank position over the rocky terrain. They were Marines, members of a brotherhood made for action with the defined values of Courage, Honor, Commitment. His team consisted of six well-trained men to infiltrate this enemy compound. It looked eerily abandoned through his nightscope. He wiped sweat from his eyes. There was no way they were too late. Their intelligence wasn’t wrong and neither was he. Jake’s lines of attack were always executed without consequence. But his gut told him this time would be different, even though everything had been planned out, down to the breakfast they would eat upon return.
With a quick gnaw on his lip, Jake split his teams up. The voice of James Callahan, his next in command and friend, came through to his ear.
“Gunny, I don’t see a fuckin’ thing.”
“Stay cool.” Jake slowly advanced. He concentrated on his breathing while adrenaline pushed him. Patience was a must to the win. Wait ’til they showed themselves, wait ’til you had a clean shot, wait for—
Something hot and quick whizzed by his face. “Down!”
But it was too late. Plunging fire came from the trees, the ground, and the air. The only way he could identify their place of origin was to look for the flashes of light illuminating the muzzles of the enemy’s weapons.
Confusion and fear tried to grip Jake’s mind. His throat tightened, and he quickly responded via radio to the other teams. Jake forgot about easy Sunday morning drives, video games he liked to play, drinking with his buddies, and his fiancée at home, along with the other life he lived there. None of that mattered. All that was important was getting his teams to safety.
“All teams target upper northeast fire.” He belly-crawled to the man lying behind him. Without turning him over, Jake knew the man was dead by the mangled flesh of his throat. Helpless, Jake crept on to those still alive from the ambush.