Loving Ambush [Erotically Yours 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Leah Brooke

  Trembling, Jasmine fisted her hands on her lap. She couldn’t stop shaking, taking several deep breaths in an effort to calm her racing heart. “Mac, you can’t be in love with me.”

  Mac’s eyes hardened. “Don’t tell me what I feel, Jasmine.”

  She hadn’t heard him use that clipped tone often, and never with her, but she’d already learned to respect it.

  Jasmine smiled gratefully at the waitress, whose appearance saved her from answering. She reached for the glass of water the other woman placed in front of her, avoiding Mac’s searching look as she took a sip. Aware of Mac’s sharp scrutiny, she waited for the waitress to leave before looking at him again.

  She had to get through to him somehow, but she had to find a way to do it without offending him, especially since he’d been so good to her and she wanted so desperately to keep him in her life.

  Setting her glass aside, she folded her hands in front of her, clasping them together to hide the fact that they trembled.

  “Mac, I didn’t mean—”

  “Yes, you did.” Mac shrugged, a muscle working in his jaw. His almost conversational tone had a bite to it.

  “You’re a control freak. You’re not comfortable unless you’re controlling everything around you. It makes you feel safer. I get that, and so do your daughters. I’ll make allowances for that, but you’re going to have to learn that not everything is in your control—least of all, my feelings.”

  Picking up the cheeseburger he’d ordered, Mac paused and sighed. “I know you, Jazz. I’ve spent the last three years getting to know you. I realize that you don’t think I take this seriously, but that’s because of your own insecurities. I understand that, too. I know what I feel for you, though, Jazz, and it’s not something I take lightly, and it’s sure as hell not something I’m going to let you brush aside.”

  Picking up her fork with a hand that shook, Jasmine toyed with her chicken salad. “I–I don’t know what to say. It’s a little overwhelming.”

  Mac swallowed and reached for a fry, turning his plate to offer her some. It was something he did often when they ate together, especially with dessert, in what she suspected had become an automatic gesture now, one that he didn’t even think about. “Which is why I was giving you time. I didn’t want to overwhelm you, or scare you off. But, I’ll be damned if I stand by and watch you date other men. Apparently, you’re ready for another relationship.”

  Resigned, she stabbed at a bite of chicken, careful to keep her voice low. “I didn’t go out with him because I was ready for another relationship.”

  Both dark brows went up, his eyes going flat. “Oh? Then why did you go out with him?”

  Before she could figure out what she should tell him, Mac narrowed his eyes. “Whatever story you’re concocting in that pretty head of yours better be the truth. You know you can’t lie worth a damn.”

  With a sigh, Jasmine reached for her water, hoping to wash down the lump in her throat. “Mac, damn it. You always see too much.”

  “Obviously not.” He set his burger aside and wiped his hands before picking up his iced tea. “I didn’t anticipate your date with the doctor. You gonna tell me what that was all about?”

  “Fine.” Exasperated, she set her water aside and folded her hands together in front of her. Tension knotted her stomach, making eating impossible. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, her heart beating nearly out of her chest. “I went out with him to forget about you.”

  The tense silence that followed seemed to go on forever, every second of it tightening the knots in Jasmine’s stomach until it hurt.

  Mac reached for her hand, folding it in his, his expression softening. “I’m surprised you admitted that. It means a great deal to me.”

  Struck by the satisfaction and relief in his voice, Jasmine shrugged, smiling. “I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out. I practically drool every time I see you.”

  Man grinned. “Well, that’s enough to make a man feel good.” Turning her hand over in his, he traced a finger over her palm. “Would you like to tell me why you look so upset about it—and why you admitted something like that?”

  “I’m not upset.” Pulling her hand from his, she reached for her fork, more to keep her hand busy than to try to eat something. “I’m telling you because I want you to know why I went out on a date. I’m attracted to you—”

  “I think it’s a little more than attracted, Jazz.”

  “—but I knew pining for you would be a dead end. I’m not your type, and even if I were, I’m not looking for a relationship. Ever.”

  Mac pursed his lips thoughtfully. “So, you figured you’d be safe if you dated someone you could never be interested in?”

  Waving her hand in dismissal, she nodded. “I know. I know. Stupid. But, it sounded like a good idea at the time. Look, Mac, I want you to understand that I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t need—or want—a man in my life.”

  She patted his hand, her stomach knotting with sadness. “You’ve been a friend to me when I needed it most. I don’t want to lose that. Last night was a mistake, and one we can’t repeat. I like you too much to ruin it, Mac.”

  Mac raised a brow. “I’m not interested in being just your friend, Jazz. I want more. I told you how I feel. We’ll talk about it later. Eat, or you’re going to end up with a headache.”

  Jasmine pushed her plate aside, slightly panicked that she couldn’t seem to sway him. “Stop it. You’re always trying to mother me.”

  Mac sat back, his eyes lit with amusement. “Just trying to take care of a woman who takes care of everyone around her and often forgets to take care of herself.”

  Frowning, she stole one of his fries. “Yes, I know. I’m incredibly boring. A mother instead of a seductress. I get it.” Tom’s accusations came back to her, the excuses he’d used for cheating on her. Between the emotional morning she’d had with Mac, and thoughts of Tom, she found herself suddenly overwhelmed and vulnerable, her stomach clenching as she blinked back tears.

  Mortified, she jumped up from her seat with the intention of escaping, furious that the hurt came rushing back—hurt that she’d thought she’d gotten over a long time ago.

  “Whoa. Not so fast.” Mac grabbed her wrist before she could even take a step, sliding from the booth to stand in front of her, effectively blocking her and shielding her from others.

  He dug into his pocket for his wallet, his eyes on hers as he tossed several bills onto the table. “Boring?” He cursed under his breath, gripped her arm, and strode through the restaurant and outside.

  Still holding her arm, he led her toward his truck. “I’m not your ex-husband, and I sure as hell don’t appreciate being compared to him. I’ve never considered you boring. Never. Just because he couldn’t keep his cock in his pants doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.”

  His eyes flashed, his jaw clenched tight as he gripped her waist and lifted her into his truck. Leaning over her, he blocked her from view of anyone who may have been passing by, protecting her even now.

  He looked furious, angrier than she’d ever seen him look before. “Except for your stubbornness and inability to see what’s right in front of your face.”

  Jasmine swallowed heavily, not sure how to handle his mood. “Mac—”

  He cut her off with an abruptness that sent her pulse tripping, the look of frustration and hunger in his eyes both alarming and exhilarating.

  “When I think of all the nights I lay in bed wanting you—burning for you—all the times I spent with you, fascinated by everything about you—and then to have you tell me that I don’t know how I feel about you, and then that I’m some kind of idiot for falling in love with you because your ex-husband couldn’t commit himself to one woman.”

  He cursed again, pressing a hand against her mound. “Christ, Jazz, you make me crazy.”

  Jasmine blinked, so shocked she didn’t know what to say. She only knew that his touch, and the need for her glittering in his eye
s, stroked something deep inside her.

  She ached for him, a raw ache that had her tilting her hips into his touch.

  Struck by the strength and masculine outrage surrounding her, she reached up to grip his shoulders, digging her fingers into the hard muscle she’d delighted in the night before.

  “Mac, I don’t know what to—”

  She gasped at his quick movement, her words cut off as he covered her mouth with his.

  She melted under the heat of his kiss, the desperation in it impossible to ignore—or resist.

  Again struck by just the overwhelmingly physical way Mac expressed himself, Jasmine found herself lost in his kiss, falling into a well of erotic pleasure. Thrilling at his touch, she moved against the hand covering her mound, moaning in frustration when she couldn’t get the friction she needed.

  Drowning under the torrent, Jasmine fisted her hands in his shirt to pull him closer, moaning at the heat of his hand on her skin as he slid it under her shirt and around to her back to pull her closer.

  Lifting his head, he groaned. “This isn’t the time or place for this. God, woman, you frustrate the hell out of me. We’ll finish this when we get home.”

  He smiled, a wicked smile that sent a rush of warmth through her and dampened her panties even more. “And if you even think of telling me I don’t love you again, I’m going to strip you and paddle that gorgeous ass until you beg for mercy.”

  Chapter Four

  Jasmine’s hands shook as she unlocked the front door and went inside her house. Still shaken by her response to Mac’s touch, and nervous about what he planned to do, she hadn’t been able to face him all the way home. Acutely aware of Mac’s presence right behind her, his hand possessive on her back as he ushered her inside, she kicked off her shoes and rushed toward the kitchen, nearly slumping in relief when the phone rang.

  She answered on the second ring, thrilled to hear her youngest daughter’s voice, and grateful for the distraction.

  “Linda! I’m so glad you called. How are you?”

  Jasmine listened to her daughter’s obvious excitement at being away at college with her sister, but she found herself distracted by Mac’s presence.

  He made himself at home, as he’d done for several months, but this time it felt more intimate than ever. He seemed to belong here now.

  He wasn’t just her friend anymore.

  He was her lover.

  After toeing off his shoes, he picked up her purse from where she’d hung it over the back of the kitchen chair, and hung it on the hook he’d installed in the hall closet for just that purpose.

  Remembering the countless times he’d nagged her about leaving it hanging where anyone looking into the window could see it, or on the floor where she inevitably tripped over it, Jasmine hid a smile at his display of arrogance as he simply put it where he wanted it himself.

  Her eyes followed his rugged frame as he made his way past her to the kitchen. She jolted when he patted her ass as he passed her, but managed to hold back her gasp so her daughter didn’t hear it. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his tight butt as he bent to get one of the bottles of beer she kept in her refrigerator for him, finding it a struggle to concentrate on her conversation with Linda.

  When Mac straightened and turned, Jasmine hurriedly looked away. She listened to Linda talk about school and the friends she’d already made, while trying her best to keep her eyes from following Mac as he made his way toward her.

  He paused beside her, and with a quick move, yanked her sweater up and touched the cold bottle to her nipple. Holding her when she gasped and tried to jump back, he ran the bottle back and forth over her nipple, his eyes hooded.

  “Trying to ignore me, Jazz?”

  The underlying steel in his low, silky tone came through loud and clear, accentuating the sense of intimacy.

  Gripping his wrist, she sucked in another breath at the slide of the cold glass against her sensitized flesh, finally managing to push him away, but she knew it was only because he allowed it. She once again lost track of the conversation with her daughter, her mind going numb at the sharp jabs of overwhelming need that raced from her nipple to her slit, need that left her panties soaked.

  Damn it, she couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of his hands on her.

  She couldn’t help remembering.

  Her clit felt swollen, throbbing with the need for his touch, her entire body tense with heightened awareness.

  Holding her gaze, he slid a finger over her nipple, the heat from his finger a sharp contrast to the cold, a sensation that had her gasping into the phone before she could stop herself.

  “Mom? Is something wrong?”

  Turning away from Mac’s knowing grin, Jasmine pulled her sweater back down and cleared her throat. “No, sweetheart. Nothing’s wrong. Mac’s here and he startled me.”

  “Oh? Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Jasmine slapped at Mac’s wandering hands, fighting the urge to giggle at his playfulness. “No, nothing. Why?”

  Linda laughed softly. “No reason. Have you been seeing Mac since we left home? We wouldn’t want you to get lonely.”

  Her stomach fluttered at the playfulness in her daughter’s voice. “What are you getting at? Mac lives right next door and I see him every day.”

  Turning away from Mac’s rapt attention, Jasmine struggled to concentrate on her conversation with her daughter, not wanting to give anything away.

  Setting his beer aside, Mac snatched the phone from Jasmine’s hand, overcoming her attempts to get it back with infuriating ease. Capturing both of her wrists in one of his big hands, he pinned her back against the wall.

  His eyes raked over her as he spoke into the receiver.

  “Hi, honey. It’s Mac. How’s school?” Holding the receiver with his shoulder, Mac used his free hand to lift Jasmine’s sweater, baring her breasts.

  With his eyes steady on hers, he traced a nipple, sending jagged surges of heat to her slit.

  “That’s good.”

  Jasmine eyed him warily, and even positive that he’d meant that for both of them, she involuntarily lifted her breasts to him in a silent plea for more. Her hunger for him never seemed to abate, and had grown even stronger now that she’d tasted passion in his arms.

  Mac’s eyes flared at the moan she couldn’t hold back, his hold on her wrists tightening when she squirmed in an attempt to get closer. His gaze lowered to her breasts, following the movement of his finger as he teased one nipple and then the other.

  Mac grinned, his eyes dancing. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I’m working on your mother right now, trying to get her to see things my way.”

  Jasmine bit her lip to hold back yet another moan when he pinched her nipple, whimpering in shock at the surge of heat to her slit. She couldn’t look away from his hard features, sucking in a breath at the feel of his fingers trailing lower over her belly.

  Lifting his gaze to hers, he worked his hand inside the waistband of her sweatpants, running the backs of his fingers over her abdomen.

  “Yes, I’ll let you know how it goes. She’s definitely softening toward me.”

  Jasmine shivered, her stomach muscles quivering in delight as Mac slid his hand inside.

  He slid her sweatpants and panties down low, leaving her naked from her knees to her chin.

  With her hands pressed against the wall behind her, she felt even more vulnerable, the sharp sense of defenselessness made even more intense by the look of burning need in his eyes.

  Mac grinned. “Thank you. I have a feeling that I’m gonna need all the help I can get with your mother. Yes, I still intend to marry her.”

  Jasmine jerked in surprise, her gaze flying to his. “What? Mac, damn it.”

  A muscle worked in Mac’s jaw as his gaze moved lower, settling on her mound. “Yes, Linda. I’ll let you know. Talk to your mother.”

  Jasmine stumbled when he released her, taking the phone from him with hands that shook.

&nb
sp; Before she could put it to her ear, Mac whipped her sweater over her head and tossed it aside, and to her stunned amazement, dropped to his knees in front of her.

  Jasmine sucked in a breath at the feel of his hot hands on her hips, her breath catching when he leaned closer. Belatedly remembering her daughter waited for her, she put the phone to her ear, biting her lip to keep from crying as Mac touched his lips to her belly.

  “Linda?”

  Her voice came out shakier than she’d meant it to, her entire body trembling with desire and suffused with a heat that only Mac could create inside her. She’d tried to keep him from seeing her stretch marks, but Mac had to be contrary, and now slid his tongue over each one.

  “Mom, have some fun. Tracy and I are big girls and we hate that you’re alone. Listen to Mac, Mom. He really cares about you.”

  Jasmine drew in a shaky breath, biting back a moan when Mac slid his hands up her thighs to her slit and parted her folds. Not knowing how long she’d even be able to talk, she gulped and struggled to keep her voice steady.

  “I will. Talk to you soon. Love you. Bye.”

  “Love you, too. Talk to you soon.”

  When the phone clicked in her ear, Jasmine could no longer hold back a cry, throwing her head back and gripping Mac’s shoulder. “Damn it, Mac. The things you do to me ought to be illegal.”

  Mac released her only long enough to take the phone from her, disconnect, and toss it aside. “Baby, I haven’t even begun to do all the things I’ve imagined doing to you.”

  Holding her with her back to the wall, Mac parted her folds again, his touch firmer than before.

  Jasmine struggled to get enough air into her lungs, her breath coming in short pants as he moved closer. The rush of his warm breath over her clit weakened her knees, the anticipation driving her nearly insane.

  “Mac.” His name came out as a breathless whimper, a desperate sound that shocked her with its neediness.

  Gripping her thighs, he used his thumbs to keep her folds parted and pressed her more firmly against the wall. “I love the way you say my name when you’re aroused. I love that sexy little quiver in your voice.”