The musky smell enveloped her as she tussled with him for dominance, wriggling her hips as he undid her jeans and moved his hand inside. His mouth came off her breast with a moist smack and returned to kiss her, hard and hungry, hot and demanding.
Angela heard a moan and realized it was hers.
It was as if they’d never been apart.
She yanked at his T-shirt, pulling it up to run her hands over the rock-hard muscles she’d admired earlier in the locker room.
Jake grunted as she drew her nails along his back, now slick with sweat.
The man was, for lack of a better word, built. If anything, he’d gotten tighter and leaner over the years, the tension in his body sending shudders through them both.
He wanted her.
He wanted her bad.
Jake pulled free of her mouth and moved along her jawline, his tongue tracing a sensual path.
Suddenly he lifted his head, frowning as he glared at her shoulder. “What’s this?”
Angela silently let loose a string of curses and turned her head as far as she could.
The flesh-colored bandage stood out against her pale skin. She’d seen it in the mirror as she got dressed but had nothing else on hand.
Not that it mattered. She’d learned in the past there was little that could hide a determined love mark.
Jake poked at the offending bandage with one finger.
“Angela.” The single word held a warning.
She bit on her lower lip, trying to find the right phrasing. “I—It was—”
Jake took hold of one edge and ripped the bandage free with a single yank.
“Hey!” Angela reared up, pressing against him.
Jake studied the crimson hickey for a second. “Hunter.”
Angela nodded.
There was no point in lying.
A smirk spread across Jake’s face. “I’ll have to give you a match. Make the set complete.”
Before she understood what he was saying, he’d descended on her left shoulder, nipping and sucking at the delicate skin.
“No.” She put both hands on his chest and pushed him up. “That’s not—”
He turned to stare at her full-on, and Angela felt the walls crumble.
The smoldering glare reminded her of a panther eyeing its prey, the muscles coiled to strike.
“You let him mark you,” the slow rumble echoed through her body, setting her nerves ablaze. “Did you think I’d let that go?”
She froze, shocked by his tone.
This wasn’t the college boy she’d rolled around with years ago.
This was a man—a man on a mission.
Jake’s mouth descended on her shoulder again even as his hand slipped under her panties once more, cupping her with a familiar intimacy.
His lips and teeth skimmed over her skin as his fingers worked their magic, drawing her out of herself with uncanny accuracy. He pressed against her, the heat from his hand scorching her skin even as he drove her onward, now stroking her with long, leisurely draws of his fingers, slick with her juices.
Angela kicked against the rock, her running shoes unable to give her much purchase. Her hands moved to skitter over his bare skin, finally landing on his jeans and hooking into his belt loops as she fought to move and yet not to move, torn apart by his touch. Her hips thrust up against him as Jake slipped a single finger inside her.
Her vision narrowed as his mouth continued its punishing attack on her shoulder, sucking and nipping.
The hoarse whisper came as he increased his pace, his thumb pressing against her nub. “Now, Angela. Now.”
He accentuated the last word with a final nip of his teeth against her shoulder.
Her world whited out, thrashing against him as her hands fell away to press against the cool rock under her. Angela screamed, unable to hold back anymore.
Tremors shook her body as she came back to herself. Jake cradled her against his chest, dropping kisses into her loose tangled hair.
Angela listened to the brook burbling beside them. She was acutely aware of the cool stone under her and the smell of the soft moss.
The smell of Jake.
“You okay?” he murmured into her hair. “I’d forgotten you could be so loud.” He snickered. “Don’t want them calling out the cops, thinking a woman’s been murdered.”
She bobbled her head forward, using what little energy she had left. “Yeah.” Angela forced the single word out. “Hard not to be loud with you.” She slumped against him again. “I’d forgotten how good you are.”
“Only gotten better with time.” Jake nuzzled her ear. “If you want, we can take this back to my place. If you don’t mind the smell of freshly baked bread.” He pulled back as she frowned. “My apartment’s over a bakery.”
“I just—” She paused. “Give me a few minutes to recover. Please.”
“Take your time.” He cradled her in his arms. “I’ll lie here and be flattered.”
She couldn’t hold back the confusion surging through her mind.
Because while Jake had been teasing her, drawing her out of herself to a mind-shattering orgasm, there’d been another man there with them.
Hunter.
In her mind, he’d been behind her, holding her tight while Jake kissed her, nipped her shoulder to match Hunter’s mark. It was the shower all over again, her imagination adding a second man and pushing her over the edge in record time.
She needed to figure out what to make of all this, all these emotions surging through her jumbled thoughts.
Part of her was dismayed, horrified at the idea of adding a second man.
The other part . . . not so much.
“I think—” She drew a shallow breath. “I’m sort of wiped out.” Angela reached up and caressed Jake’s cheek. “I can’t move.”
“Of course not. I do good work.” The note of pride in his voice brought a smile to her face.
She sighed. “Can I take a rain check on going back to your apartment?” Angela spoke quickly, seeing his eyebrows come together in a frown. “I’m still sort of unsettled from seeing Hunter and making a fool of myself.”
Jake paused. “Okay. But we’re good, right?” He stroked her arm. “I didn’t push you, did I?”
“No. No.” Angela sat up. “I hate to promote a cliché, but it’s me, not you.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I can’t . . . this thing with the two of you is screwing with my head.”
Jake pulled his knees up, brushing off some loose leaves. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I see that.” He nodded. “I’ll take you home.”
“Thanks.” Angela pulled him close for a long, lingering kiss. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no problem. In a way, it’s my own fault.” Jake smiled as he got to his feet and stretched out his hands to her. “You see Hunter on Friday, I mess that up, and now it’s Sunday and we run into him when we’re on our date. Not your fault at all.”
“Thanks.” Angela brushed her jeans off. “But for the record, it’s not all you.”
It’s me.
And what I want.
Now I need to figure out how to get it.
Hunter looked out the window at a group of students jogging by, their matching shirts and sweatpants making him imagine a single multilegged beast.
It was Monday morning, and he was still kicking himself for the misstep yesterday with Megan and Angela.
When he’d asked the new therapist out for breakfast, he hadn’t even considered how it might look.
Because he couldn’t imagine being with anyone other than Angela.
Megan had been supportive at the buffet after Jake and Angie’s departure, grasping the awkward situation. “She’s very taken with you,” she’d said, sipping her coffee. “I can see why she got the wrong idea.”
The reassurance hadn’t gone far to soothe his invisible wounds at hurting Angela.
“But”—Megan smiled—“she likes being with the other guy as well.” She let out a short
laugh. “Hot, handsome cop.” She smacked her lips. “Nothing against you, but I can see where she’d have a problem choosing.”
Hunter had held back a grumble at her impression of Jake.
They’d finished eating and returned to the campus to complete the tour, nothing more and nothing less.
“She’s a keeper,” Megan said when they parted. “But you better get a move on. She’s not going to be able to bounce between you two forever.”
Hunter leaned back in the chair and rubbed his eyes with both palms. This competition was only a few days old, and he was already losing his mind over it.
A rapping brought him out of his reverie. Sally stood in the doorway, holding a small white envelope in one hand. “You got a letter here.” Sally walked over and handed the envelope to Hunter. “Angela dropped it off a few minutes ago.”
“What?” Hunter reached for the letter, trying to ignore Sally’s curious gaze. “That’s odd. Why didn’t she come in and see me?”
“Why didn’t she, indeed.” The secretary didn’t move, didn’t leave as he ripped the envelope open and pulled out the single page.
He scanned the short sentence. “Sally, call up Jim. I’ll need him to take the afternoon practice today.”
“And the reason why is?”
He didn’t have to answer her but knew there was no chance of him getting out of the office if he didn’t. “Seems I’m being summoned to Ms. Kenzie’s office for a two o’clock meeting.”
Jake sat at his desk, plowing through some paperwork he’d put off for far too long. It was easy enough to patrol the streets but hard to manage the small business that was the Glen Barrow Police Department. Training classes had to be arranged and officers assigned to attend, schedules reworked to allow it to happen. Receipts to be turned in to the town council for reimbursement and requests for more equipment and upgrades. All the little details kept the force running and the town as safe as he could make it.
It didn’t make the paperwork any less annoying, but at least he knew where everyone was and what they were doing.
Grace walked up to his desk and handed him a plain white envelope. “This got dropped off. For you.”
Jake saw Angela’s neat, efficient writing on the front and his heart skipped a beat.
Has she decided?
Already?
Grace eyed him, her forehead furrowed with concern.
He ripped the envelope open and looked over the short, clipped words.
“I’ll be taking a late lunch today.”
“So the date with Coach Hunter went well?” Jenny bounced around the office with her arms filled with pages, headed for the photocopier in the far corner.
“They both did.” Angela reached for her coffee and took a sip, trying to calm her racing heart.
The summons hadn’t been hard to write and deliver.
Getting the courage up to follow through with her plan would be.
“Both?” Jenny piped up. “You saw Coach Hunter on Friday. What’s the other one? Did you see him again already?”
“I saw Chief Weatherly yesterday.” There was no use trying to deny it. She was surprised the news hadn’t been scrolling along on the bottom of the community television channel next to the listings for yard sales. “We went out for brunch and to Touchstone Park.”
“That’s a lovely place.” Jenny paused as she exchanged pages and hit the copy button again. “Busy weekend.”
“Yeah. But it was awkward. Date with Hunter, ran into Jake. Date with Jake, ran into Hunter.” She didn’t fill in the details.
Jenny scrunched up her face. “Ouch. No fistfight, though—right?” She jabbed the air in a mock punch. “Might be flattering, but it’s hardly practical to have them brawling in the middle of the street.”
“No.” Angela smiled. “They both knew better. And part of the problem was me. I sort of overreacted to something.” The jumbled words strained her ears, and she winced inside.
Jenny flipped over the page and put the white plastic cover down again. “Don’t take it to heart. As long as you’re still on talking terms with the two of them.” She giggled as she pushed the copy button. “Or better.”
Angela shared her laugh, unwilling to tell Jenny what she’d done that morning. A restless night had twisted into an early-morning mail run, one she hoped she wouldn’t regret.
“I’m closing up early today.” Angela looked up at the wall clock. “One thirty, and you’re out of here.”
“Okay.” Jenny plucked out a stack of photocopied pages and sorted them into folders. “Got to tell you, I’m sort of envious. And a bit worried.”
“Worried?” Angela frowned. “For what?”
Jenny looked over. “You have to pick one and let the other go. And you sound like you still care about both of them. Going to be a hard choice.”
Angela didn’t say anything, afraid to jinx herself.
Jake was the first to arrive, rapping politely at the front door. She went and unlocked it to let him in, resecuring the door as he moved in to stand by her desk.
“What’s going on?” His attention flashed around the room before landing back on her with an intensity that sent a shiver through her body. “Are you in trouble?” His eyes narrowed. “Are we in trouble?”
“We’re good.” Angela peered out through the blinds, looking for Hunter’s car. “At least, for a bit longer.”
“What does that mean?” He was in civilian clothing, a light blue shirt and jeans.
“I’ll explain when Hunter gets here.” She looked back to see his confused frown. “Trust me. Please.”
Jake said nothing but settled himself in one of the plastic folding chairs reserved for clients. He leaned forward, rubbing his hands together.
Angela turned to see Hunter approaching. A few seconds later, he was in the chair next to Jake, and Angela had locked the door again, making sure the CLOSED sign was clearly visible.
“I don’t want anyone disturbing us.” She went around her desk and sat, keenly aware of the image she was presenting.
My world. My rules.
The two men glanced at each other before focusing on her.
Jake was the next to speak. “So that’s it? One date and you’ve decided?”
Hunter glanced at him. “One date might have been enough.” He smirked. “What can I say—I’ve got the magic touch.”
Angela put up her hand, stalling the argument. The butterflies in her stomach spiraled up to hurricane levels. “First, I love you both. I do.” She smiled at each man in turn. “And I appreciate that you gave me this time to set my mind right. After Eric—” The name caught in her throat. “After Eric, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get it together again, open my heart to anyone. Finding the two of you here was scary and amazing at the same time.” She entwined her fingers, pressing them hard together. “After being played for a fool by Eric, I wasn’t sure about what I wanted, what I needed out of my life. Out of being home here, in Glen Barrow.” Angela glanced up at the framed diplomas on her wall, her qualifications out in the open for all to see. “I started this business and I love it. I love being here, at home, with the people who need and appreciate me and my legal skills.”
Both men nodded in turn, keeping silent.
Waiting.
Angela heard her pulse pounding in her ears, loud and demanding.
“Last night I thought a good long time about what I want out of a relationship. What I need to make me happy.” She forced herself to speak slowly and carefully, afraid of racing through her rehearsed speech. “And I figured it out.”
Both Jake and Hunter leaned in, hanging on each word.
“What I want, what I need”—she looked at each man in turn—“is you.”
Silence filled the office.
Hunter blinked rapidly, processing the words.
Jake frowned, his lips pressed into a tight line.
She crossed her arms and waited.
Jake was the first to speak. He jabbed a thumb at
the man beside him. “‘You’ me or ‘you’ him?”
Angela held her breath for a second before replying. “Both of you.”
Chapter Six
“I don’t—” Jake glanced at Hunter before looking at her. “I don’t understand.”
“I do.” Hunter chewed on his lower lip. “Are you sure about this? Is this really what you want?”
“Yes.” Angela spoke quickly, afraid her nerve would desert her. “I can’t choose between you, and I don’t want to. For the first time in my life, I want to do something different, be someone different. I don’t want to go backwards to how it was when I was dating you.” She looked at Hunter. “Or you.” She locked eyes with Jake. “I don’t want to go back to what I had with each of you. I want to move forward. Together. With both of you.”
“A three-way.” Jake leaned back in his chair. “A ménage.” He laughed at Hunter’s surprised look. “What? You don’t think I know about these things?” He tapped his chest. “I’m on the Internet.”
The mild protest had them all smiling.
The tension in the room lessened a fraction, enough to ease Angela’s fears.
She stayed silent, letting the idea sink in.
Jake looked at the floor and rubbed his boots together, dislodging a clump of mud from one sole.
Hunter scratched under his chin and studied the ceiling tiles.
Angela had nothing left to say, so she didn’t.
“Okay.” Hunter stood up. “I don’t know if this will work or not, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to be the one to disappoint you.” He glanced at Jake.
Jake scrubbed his hand through his short brown hair and shook his head.
Angela’s heart sank.
“This—” He stopped, his gaze on the floor. “This has got to be the craziest thing you’ve ever asked me.” He looked up and locked his green eyes with hers. “Or him, I’m assuming.”
Hunter nodded.
“But I’m willing to give it a shot.” Jake rose. “Because I love you and if this is what you want to try, then I’m in.” He smirked. “So to speak.”
Hunter rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans. “Where and when do you want to do this?”
Game On (Entwined Hearts) Page 9