by Leah Brooke
“Damn it, Mac. Give that back.” She jumped, trying to reach the robe, her face flushing again when her nipples brushed up against his chest.
Enjoying the sight of her breasts bouncing, and the reluctant amusement in her eyes, he couldn’t prevent the chuckle that escaped as he held the robe out of reach. “Just because I said I’ll give you space doesn’t mean I’m going to let you hide from me.” Taking pity on her, and not wanting to make her feel self-conscious, he handed the robe back, taking advantage of her nakedness to run a hand over her luscious ass. Unable to resist temptation, he touched his lips to hers, once again delighting at their incredible softness, and the way they parted as soon as he touched them with his. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen. Hurry up. I’m hungry, and for more than just breakfast.”
He laughed at her glare, still chuckling softly when she stamped her foot and raced from the room. He doubted she knew how desperately he searched for the love and hunger that shone in her eyes or the relief and delight it gave him when he found it.
Staring after her, he let his laughter trail off, but couldn’t stop grinning.
She loved him.
She wouldn’t admit it anytime soon, but for now just knowing that she loved him would be enough.
He knew her feelings for him had made it possible for him to get her into bed. He also knew that her love for him alone wouldn’t keep her there.
In fact, he had a suspicion it would be just the opposite. Loving him, she feared being hurt.
That gave the man she’d gone out with an advantage over him, one that knotted his stomach. If she didn’t love the other man, she would feel safe in the knowledge that he couldn’t hurt her.
She wouldn’t be willing to risk being hurt anytime soon.
He’d sure as hell love to have a few minutes alone with her ex-husband.
Listening to the shower run, he fought the urge to join her, promising himself that he’d gain her trust, and become as necessary to her as she’d become to him.
Somehow, he had to make her believe in what he felt for her was real, and that her love would be safe with him. He cherished it, and her, and he would gladly spend the rest of his life protecting her and keeping her from ever being hurt again.
Heading toward the adjoining bathroom, he smiled again as he imagined her reaction if he told her that.
She’d lift her chin, her eyes flashing, and inform him, in no uncertain terms, that she didn’t need protection from anyone.
Her objections wouldn’t deter him.
He wanted to surround her with love, and he wanted her to feel secure in his love for her. He wanted to make her laugh, and doubted she knew how it delighted him to earn one of her beautiful smiles.
Proud of the fact that the sad, stunned woman he’d met three years earlier smiled more often now, he stepped into the shower and started to make plans to keep her off-balance.
Relieved that he no longer had to hide his feelings for her, he grinned to himself and hurried with his shower.
Keeping her off-balance would serve two purposes.
It would distract her enough to keep from trying to build those defenses again.
And it would be a hell of a lot of fun.
* * * *
Jasmine couldn’t remember ever spending such a wonderful, carefree day. After they’d had breakfast, she’d expected Mac to rush her back into the bedroom, but he’d insisted on going out instead.
Surprised, she’d agreed, anxious to see what he had in mind.
He took her to a nearby park, holding her hand as they walked for what seemed like miles. He touched her constantly, and they talked about everything from work to their daughters, from movies to favorite foods.
She even relaxed enough to bring up a subject that had been bothering her all day. “Mac, I don’t know how the girls would react to us being together.”
Pausing by a large tree, Mac laughed and hugged her close. “You worry too much. All three of our daughters have been waiting for us to get together for a long time. Leigh Ann tells me all the time that some man is going to steal you before I…how did she put it…make my move.”
Frowning, he rubbed a hand down her back, enfolding her in his solid, warm embrace. “You have no idea how much grief I’m going to get from her when she finds out you went out with someone else.”
Jasmine pushed against his chest to see his face, the amusement in his eyes tugging at her heart. “I can’t believe you’ve spoken to the girls about us. What did Tracy and Linda say?”
Her girls loved Mac, and had become good friends with his daughter, but she couldn’t imagine the four of them sitting there talking about her and Mac getting together.
Mac turned her, pulling her back against him and using his big body to block her from view of the other people walking by. Slipping his hand inside her jacket and under her sweater, he covered her breast, his breath warm against her ear. “I had to convince your daughters that I would never do anything to hurt you. They promised to get even if I did. Got a lot of their mother in them. I’m glad you didn’t wear a bra. It’s been too long since I had my hands on you.”
Jasmine giggled, something she realized she did more and more. “I didn’t have much choice. You took it off me before we left and wouldn’t give it back.”
She felt decadent without it, but also a little self-conscious.
The combination of Mac’s attention and the friction of the soft material of her sweater on her nipples made her breasts feel warm and swollen and slowly built her arousal.
Nuzzling her neck, he continued to manipulate her nipple, while working his other hand down the front of her sweatpants. Each touch of his lips, each scrape of his teeth, each slide of his hand over her skin sent sizzling heat to every erogenous zone until her entire body shook with need.
“I want to hear you come again. No one’s around. Spread your legs a little, baby. That’s it. Now just relax. Hmm, you’re soaking wet, just the way I like you.”
Desperate for his touch, she spread her legs even wider, confident that he would make sure no one saw her. She couldn’t hold back a moan as he slid a firm finger over her clit, touching her in exactly the way she needed to give her the most pleasure.
He always seemed to know what she needed, and always gave it to her.
She thought of the times he’d come over after work to fix things in the house and the number of times he’d checked to make sure she and the girls had gotten home all right.
He’d helped with homework, opened jars, and came running when one of the girls saw a spider and screamed.
When she heard a sound outside late at night, Mac appeared, and stuck around when the electricity went off during a storm.
He’d started checking on her more often in the past several months, either coming over or calling each night after work.
He teased her out of her bad moods, supported the decisions she made, and had somehow become her sounding board.
He listened when she needed him to, and offered advice when she asked.
He’d become her best friend.
He’d paid attention.
It came as no surprise to her that he was also an incredible lover.
“Mac.” His name came out in a breathless whisper, his strokes to her clit and the slight pressure on her nipple making it nearly impossible to speak at all.
Her inhibitions melted beneath his hands, his seductive touch enticing her to spread her legs even more to give him better access. Tilting her neck to the side, she moaned again as he scraped his teeth over the sensitive spot below her ear.
She couldn’t stay still, rocking against him, and trying to hold back her cries at the feel of his body brushing against hers. “Mac, I’ve never done anything like this before. We’re outside. Someone could see.” Knowing that Mac would keep anyone from seeing her only made the forbidden more exciting. Even though no one was around, they stood out in the open.
It felt decadent.
Exciting.
; Seductively wicked.
Chuckling against her ear, Mac slid his fingers from her clit to tease her folds. “Do you want me to stop?”
Crying out at the loss, she gripped his wrist and bucked against him. “Don’t you dare stop now.”
The cool air on her belly made a stark contrast to the heat at her back where he pressed against her. Her clit burned, the hot tingling stealing her breath and making her thighs shake.
Mac laughed and pinched her nipple, moving his fingers over her clit with more speed and firmness, the sharp pleasure stunning her. His expert touch inflamed her, the electric currents from her nipple and her clit shooting everywhere. “Poor baby. Do you need to come?”
Jasmine sucked in a breath, her body going tight as his fingers moved faster, her juices allowing him to slide his fingers over her clit with incredible ease. Stiff with pleasure, she held on to him, locking her knees in an effort to stay upright.
“Yes. God, yes.”
Physically, emotionally, he made her feel alive.
“Turn around and put your arm around my neck.” His low, husky tone, filled with erotic tension, held a demand that sent her senses reeling.
Turning in his arms, she lifted her hand to his shoulder, crying out when he bent his head and took her other nipple into his mouth.
Her knees buckled when he sucked and scraped his teeth over her throbbing nipple, her clit tingling hotter with every firm stroke of his fingers.
Gripping his forearm, she fought to remain upright, grateful for his strength that remained solid even when she jerked in his arms as the pleasure consumed her.
Sharp waves of it washed over her, one after the other, the pleasure eliciting cries from her that she tried to hold back but couldn’t.
Mac growled his satisfaction when she crested, releasing her nipples and gathering her against him. His fingers slowed on her clit, his touch light as though he knew just what she needed to keep her orgasm rolling through her, and not giving her any more than she could stand.
“Yes, that’s it, baby. Just let it feel good. Take as much as you want.” His voice, a deep rumble, seemed to vibrate against her, a sensation both exciting and comforting.
As the last tremors raced through her, she slumped against him, shuddering when his fingers brushed her clit as he removed his hand. Holding on to him for support, she shivered in delight at the sexual tension emanating from him. “Wh–What about you?”
She couldn’t bear to disappoint him, and grateful for the pleasure he’d given her, she wanted to give him all the pleasure she could.
Her pussy clenched in demand as even the thought of him taking her had her trembling in anticipation.
Mac righted her clothing and pulled her close again, running his hands up and down her back as he held her against his chest, each firm slide of his hands settling her a little more. “I’m getting used to being hard around you. Don’t worry. I’ll make up for it later. I just want to get my hands on you every chance I get.”
With an arm wrapped around her, he led her back across the park. “Besides, I can’t resist a chance to watch you come. I’d better feed you so you can keep your strength up. Let’s get some lunch and then we can run your errands. Maybe it’ll help get my mind off the fact that my cock is hard enough to burst through my zipper, and that I want nothing more than to fuck your tight pussy until you scream your pleasure.”
Once he lifted her into his truck, he bent to touch his lips to hers. “Once we get back to your place, I’m going to devour you.”
Swallowing heavily, Jasmine stared up at him, her body already tightening with anticipation. Need for him kept every erogenous zone tingling, making it difficult to focus. “Um. Okay.”
Mac chuckled, bending to brush her lips with his. “I like rendering you nearly speechless. I’ll have to do it more often. It’s adorable.”
He couldn’t seem to keep from touching her, reaching for her several times as they drove into town. Each brush of his fingers over her arm, her hair, her thighs, keeping her aroused and filling her with awareness of her own sexuality.
As they passed the hospital where she worked, Mac touched her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. “Where did you and your doctor friend go last night?”
His deliberate tone had Jasmine glancing at him warily. Unsurprised to find him watching her, she swallowed heavily, wishing she could judge his mood. Turning away, she stared out the windshield and smiled, trying to remember how much she’d told him. “What makes you think it was a doctor?”
Mac grinned and lifted her hand to his lips. “Because I know your schedule and you haven’t been anywhere else to make a date. So, where did you go?” When she hesitated, he tugged her hand. “After what I went through last night, imagining you in bed with him, you owe me that much.”
Smiling at the warm tingling travelling up her arm, one that reawakened the ache in her nipples, Jasmine turned toward him. “We just went to dinner, Mac. You really don’t think I slept with someone on our first date, do you?”
“No.” Mac smiled and glanced at her. “But, I wasn’t sure. You went out with him last night for a reason. Something triggered it, and I think I know what.”
She knew Mac saw too much, but hadn’t really suspected just how much. Realizing she’d have to tread carefully, she smiled to hide her nervousness. “Why on earth would you say something like that? The girls went off to school and so I thought I’d start dating again. No big deal. You’ve been telling me for months that I should get on with my life, especially once both girls went away to school. I did. Now, you’re trying to read something into it that’s not there.”
Mac glanced at her. “It’s there all right. You’ve had several chances to go out in the last three years and you haven’t even been tempted. The girls are old enough to understand, and have even tried to encourage you to go out, so they’re not the problem. I don’t think their leaving had anything to do with it.”
He stopped at a red light and reached for her hand. “You went out with another man because I kissed you, and you responded. You liked it a hell of a lot more than you thought you would and it scared you. Why? Why would it scare you when you know how much I want you?”
Shifting restlessly in her seat, and aware of his scrutiny, she pulled her hand from his grasp.
“Mac, we’re friends and I want to be honest. I can’t handle being with you that way. Tom was handsome, but not nearly as handsome as you are, and women threw themselves at him constantly. He said no man could resist that kind of attention. He liked the excitement of a new conquest, the reassurance that he was still desirable. He cheated all along and I never knew a thing. If Tracy hadn’t caught him, I may never have known.”
Her stomach clenched every time she thought about the mockery Tom had made of their marriage. “I thought we were fine, only to find out that our entire marriage had been a lie. I don’t trust my judgment anymore. I can’t let myself get involved with another man again. Even though I care about you, I could never be more than just your friend.”
Mac’s brow went up, his lips thinning. “I’m not your ex, Jazz. If I wanted to play the field, I would. You sure as hell made enough comments about the women I went out with. In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t dated anyone in almost a year. Do you think I haven’t had the opportunity?”
Relieved that they arrived at the family restaurant they both liked, Jasmine undid her seat belt and reached for the door handle. “I’m sure you have, and I’m sure you’ll have many more.”
She opened the door, started to get out, and paused, turning back to him.
“Why did you stop going out with other women?”
Mac’s jaw clenched as a family came out of the restaurant and walked toward them. With a heartfelt sigh, he opened his own door. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. Stay put. I’ll come around for you. We’ll talk inside.”
Although both of them liked the restaurant and had each been there several times, they’d never gone toge
ther.
It felt different being there with him now.
Walking through the restaurant with Mac, she didn’t feel cold and alone the way she had walking across the upscale restaurant with David the night before.
She never felt lonely, or alone, when she was with Mac.
He understood her in so many ways, ways that she hadn’t fully realized until today. He knew her.
They’d talked more in the last few months than she and her husband had in years.
Talked, really talked. About stupid things. About serious issues.
It hit her abruptly that they’d talked about everything except their feelings for each other.
She’d pretended not to notice his growing interest, or the way his eyes lingered on her with increasing frequency.
He sat back as the waitress brought their menus, his gaze lowering to her breasts. Smiling when he saw her nipples poking at the front of her sweater, he met her eyes again. “Are you going to get the chicken salad, honey?”
Fighting the urge to cover herself, Jasmine couldn’t hold back a laugh. “You know, that’s one of the problems of becoming sexually involved with a friend. You already know too much about me. It’s a little disconcerting.”
Mac set his menu aside and leaned forward. “I want to know more.”
He paused when the waitress came to take their order, waiting until she left before continuing. “I know you’re stronger than you think you are. I know you’ve been lonely, but that you’ve discovered that you’re comfortable living alone.”
Jasmine shifted in her seat, uncomfortably aware of his scrutiny. “I like being by myself. I’m sure a man like you would know nothing about being lonely.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Jasmine blinked. “Are you telling me that you get lonely?”
Inclining his head, Mac kept his eyes on hers. “More so when I realized I’d fallen in love with you.”
Stunned, she froze, staring at him, hardly able to breathe. “No. It’s not possible.”
His eyes narrowed, glittering with anger. “I don’t play games, Jazz. I thought I’d made myself perfectly clear.”