“I don’t think—” she began.
He held up a hand to cut her off. “You don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She shook her head, her eyes sad now. What was she thinking in that incredible mind of hers? She was clearly talking herself out of whatever naughty thoughts she’d been thinking while she was going to town on him. He wouldn’t give her the chance to send him away. Not until he drove her as crazy as she’d just driven him.
“Come on, Claire.” He took her hands in his and tugged. “Tell me you’re not all tingly just thinking about my tongue on your skin.”
She didn’t say anything to that but her breath quickened, making those gorgeous breasts rise and fall. His mouth watered for a taste of her creamy skin. Of those rosy pink nipples.
He grasped her arms and pulled her closer. “I want a taste of you. Another sweet taste.”
“Jake, I don’t think—”
He groaned. “Just stop thinking, Claire.” He pinned her beneath him on the couch. “For the next few minutes just feel.”
She seemed to give up her inner struggle in a big way. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him. “Taste me, Jake.” Her tongue ran all over his neck. His chest. “Taste me.”
He eased her jeans off and her little scrap of underwear, as pink as her bra, felt silky beneath his fingers. He’d stroked her last night. He’d made her come and now he was going to lick her. He could hardly wait.
Pushing her bra cups aside, he pushed up her breasts and suckled one of her nipples.
“So sweet,” he groaned. “Sweet Claire.”
As he lightly bit down, she squirmed beneath him, eager for what she knew he was going to do next. He tickled her navel with the tip of his tongue before nipping her through her thin panties. She gasped and arched sharply, and he knew this was going to be quite a ride. She smelled sweet here, too. Delicious.
Putting his hands on her round little ass, he lifted her again and removed her panties. “Spread your legs.”
She did, her thighs parting wide. She was pretty and pink here, to no surprise. Rosy and ready.
“Strawberries and cream,” he murmured, stroking the soft red curls hiding her clit.
“Please, Jake.”
He dragged his eyes from her pretty flesh and threw her a smile. “Yes, friend?”
She half-laughed half-groaned and tilted herself toward him. “Don’t make me beg. Again.”
He kissed her mouth, then fell on her. Every stroke brought her closer. He could feel her tightening. Swelling against his tongue as he gave her everything she allowed tonight.
“Come, Claire,” he said, licking her as his fingers stroked inside. “Come.”
She thrashed on the couch, covering her breasts with her hands as she began to tremble. “Oh, God…”
He kept up the pressure, bringing her higher and higher until she bucked and moaned. He held her as she came, gentling his touch as she gasped his name.
She was a little out of it as he lifted his head from her delicious body. Bringing his face to hers, he nuzzled her cheek, her ear.
“Isn’t that better?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and opened one eye. “You don’t have many woman friends, do you?”
He grinned. “Nope. You’re the first.”
“No surprise there.”
He lifted himself so she could shift to sit beside him. “And why is that?”
She shook her head and readjusted her bra. “Because no woman could be around you after that without giving you whatever you wanted.”
“And friends don’t, um, indulge each other?”
“Not if they want to stay friends. Believe me, I’ve had a couple ‘friends with benefits’ relationships and let’s just say those guys aren’t my friends any longer.”
He wanted to strangle any guy who’d been in the precise position he was in right now. That jealousy was as foreign to him as the whole friends-with-benefits concept.
“We’re not ‘friends with benefits,’ Claire.” He stroked her cheek and it was as soft as the rest of her. “I’ve never had that either, by the way. We’re friends.”
“Friends.” Her lips pursed and it was like the light went out of her eyes. “For now.”
He doubted he could say anything to convince her he genuinely liked her. Not with her still gazing at him like he’d just given her the moon. Not with her taste still on his tongue.
So instead he kissed her until she was pliant and soft and cuddly there on her comfy couch.
***
Even on Monday morning Jake was still thinking about Saturday night at Claire’s. Yes, he thought about the sex. Or the almost-sex. She was incredible and turned him nearly inside out. When they finally slept together, and they were going to sleep together, it would be phenomenal. But the conversation before and after what he thought of as the climaxes on the couch? That had his head taking on its own obstacle course this morning.
He hadn’t lied. She was his first woman friend. Why the hell was that, anyway?
He liked women. The ones in his past were fun and good times and easy. He’d take them to dinner and then they’d take him downtown. If they seemed to want more than what he wanted to give, none of them had ever said a word to him. In fact, he had little contact with them after scratching their mutual itches. With Claire though, he’d wanted to stay. Like Friday night. Just stay and talk. Weird.
He did like her, though. He liked hanging out with her. Liked talking to her. Liked getting her gifted opinion on his ideas. She was grounded and real and he did count her as a friend. No, he’d never had a woman friend before. Not even fuck buddies, really. Just one- or two-night stands.
He couldn’t figure this out now, though. Not when he had to approach the developer about the additions to his plans. He’d emailed him and Forbes had agreed to meet him for coffee this morning. So now he was at the Sales Center, leaning to one side as he peered down the hall toward Claire’s office.
“Good morning, Jake,” Tammy said as she breezed down the hallway, nearly bumping into him.
He stepped back and ran his eyes over her. With her neat little suit showing lots of leg, her smooth curtain of black hair and her perfectly applied makeup she looked put together and hot, but she wasn’t what floated his boat lately. No. Lately he seemed to prefer a cute little redhead with a pencil tucked behind her curling hair who bit the lipstick off her lips as she worked. One who screamed when she came and made him want to do the same.
“Good morning, Tammy. I’m just waiting for Mr. Forbes.”
She tilted her head to one side. “He’s meeting you, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you here?”
Why was he there? To try and catch a glimpse of Claire, maybe.
“I thought we’d walk over together,” he said in lame answer.
Tammy stared at him and he managed to keep his expression even. He was saved from embarrassment when Forbes stepped out of his office.
“Jake, my boy! Let’s go see what they’re brewing this morning.”
Jake nodded and pulled himself from the hallway. Claire’s door was open as usual but now he’d have to think of some other excuse to see her this morning.
“Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?” Forbes asked as they walked across the street to the coffee shop.
“I have an idea for an addition to the courses,” Jake said, holding open the door for the developer.
“An addition?”
Jake nodded as they stepped up to the counter together. “I ran it past Claire and she seems to think it would bring a lot of business into Cypress.”
“Claire?” Forbes ordered his coffee and stepped back. “When did you discuss this with her?”
Saturday night before she sucked me off. Jake mentally shook his head and smiled. “The other night when we, um, bumped into each other.”
Forbes furrowed his brow. “If Claire thinks its financially sound I can believe it.”
>
Jake ordered his coffee and they stood together at the end of the counter to wait. “I’m eager to get the okay from you before I go ahead and sketch out plans.”
The girl behind the counter called the developer’s name and then Jake’s. Taking their drinks, they headed over to a table set near the window.
Forbes took the lid off his coffee and took a sip. “Now, what is this addition and how can it make all of us more money?”
Jake chuckled. “It’s a kids’ course, Mr. Forbes. A safe and age-appropriate course for children.”
The other man’s eyes sparkled. “Residents and visitors would eat that up.”
“That’s what Claire said.” Jake drank from his own coffee, then set it aside. “We’d be able to draw traffic from the coast and up in Orlando, too.”
“Damn, that would be incredible. I like it.”
“So I can draw up something to show to the Institute?”
“Sure, sure. What does Chapman think about this?”
Jake bit his tongue before saying he wasn’t going to risk running this past his father. Bill Chapman wasn’t exactly a risk-taker and Jake didn’t want him putting the kibosh on his plans.
“I was going to wait until I had some numbers crunched.”
“You should borrow Claire for that, Jake. She’s a marvel.”
Yeah, she was. “I wouldn’t want to put more work on her plate.”
“I’ll ask her for you.” Forbes grinned. “The girl loves it when I challenge her.”
Jake didn’t doubt that. She took any chance to prove her worth to Cypress. Why she thought she had to, he couldn’t guess. It was clear she was valued here.
“If Claire has the time free, I’d love to meet with her,” he told Forbes.
Forbes took another sip and nodded. “Good. Let me talk to her and then the two of you can make arrangements to get together.”
“Thanks.” Jake thought for a minute. “It will be nice working with a friend on this.”
His meaning was lost on Forbes but Jake’s mind was already filled with just how much time he could possibly make this task take.
And just how much he was going to enjoy working with his sweet friend Claire.
Chapter 11
Claire threw her empty yogurt container in the trash and stood. As she crossed to the fridge in the break room, Rick Chapman stepped inside the room.
“Hi, Rick,” she said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge door. “Want a water?”
“Sure.” Rick took the offered bottle and leaned against the doorjamb. “Sorry you couldn’t make it for dinner last night.”
“Yeah. I was busy.”
It was a lame excuse but the same she’d given Harmony when she’d called with the invitation yesterday afternoon. She’d known Jake would be there and after what they’d done Saturday night? How the heck would she face him without thinking of his handsome face between her legs? Oh, the things he’d done to her with that tongue. Those fingers.
“So, what’s up?” Rick asked.
Her cheeks heated but she managed to shrug a shoulder. “Nothing much.” She grabbed a bottle for herself and closed the fridge. “Just getting everything ready to enter the end of month numbers when they come in.”
Rick nodded and tapped a finger on the side of his bottle. “Then you’re not going to talk about getting together with my brother?”
Claire sucked in a breath. “What?”
Rick smiled. “Forbes told me all about it.”
“Mr. Forbes?”
She stopped breathing as the room began to slowly spin. This couldn’t be happening. Her boss couldn’t know about her doing his latest favorite son on her couch! Oh God, no. What would he think of her? Would he ever trust her with the Cypress accounts again if he knew she couldn’t keep her hands to herself? Forget about her reputation. Her life might be swiftly and completely shot to hell.
“Yeah, Mr. Forbes.” Rick’s brow furrowed. “What has you all ruffled? I thought Jake talked to you about his kids’ addition to the adventure courses.”
Her breathing resumed and she shook her head to steady it. “Yes. But I didn’t know Mr. Forbes… What’s this about Mr. Forbes?”
Rick straightened away from the jamb. “Are you okay, Claire? You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine, Rick.” She leaned against the fridge and tried to look cool and collected. “Just fine.”
Rick studied her for a long minute, then shrugged again. “Anyway, he said you and Jake were going to get together and crunch the numbers regarding the potential of the addition.”
That made sense. Her boss was always enlisting her help on side projects like this. “It’s the first I’m hearing about it, but I’m sure Mr. Forbes will let me know.”
Rick nodded. “No moss grows underneath that guy’s feet.”
Rick was right there. The developer was always moving forward on something or other. He was the driving force behind Cypress Corners and his energy was contagious.
“I guess I’ll be working with Jake, then,” she said.
“Don’t look so thrilled, Claire.” Rick laughed. “My brother doesn’t bite.”
“No.” Claire swallowed thickly. He licks and sucks and kisses.
“All right. See you later. Harmony has been making noise about having you over to dinner soon, since you turned her down last night.”
“I’d love that. Really.”
“Good. Have a good one.”
And with that Jake’s brother took himself and his innocent questions out of the break room and Claire sank back down at the table.
“Claire?” Mr. Forbes called from down the hall.
She stood and crossed to the now-empty doorway. “In here.”
Her boss soon appeared, a big smile wreathing his face. “Claire, I’m afraid I have some extra work for you.”
She nodded. “Rick just told me. Something about working the numbers on the additions to Jake’s project?”
“Yes. See? I told Jake you love it when I give you these special assignments. That you love a challenge.”
“I’d be happy to help.”
“So get with him and arrange a meeting. Those numbers could be useful for the Institute and Chapman Financial.”
Useful for Claire’s job and for Jake’s, apparently. There was no way she was going to get out of this.
“I’ll do that.”
“Great.” Mr. Forbes turned to leave, then turned back to her. “Jake told me he’d enjoy working with a friend on this.”
Her smile was frozen in place until her boss left her alone again. Jake had told her boss that they were friends? She didn’t know what kind of game Jake was playing but she was up for it. If he wanted everyone at Cypress to think they were friends, who was she to deny it?
“Working with a friend, huh?” She chuckled to herself. “We’ll see how he likes staying the friend zone the next time we’re together.”
She didn’t know if she could keep her hands off of him but if he wanted to play it this way, so be it.
***
“So what have you and Claire been up to?”
Harmony’s innocent question sent a shiver up Jake’s spine. He feigned intense interest in the fat plastic bricks he and Nick were using to build a tower on the living room floor as a movie about flying dragons played on the big screen.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Rick said the two of you were going to be working together?”
“Oh.” His shoulders relaxed. “That.”
Damn it. He knew his mistake the second the words left his mouth.
“Hmm.” Harmony wiped down the counter, then settled her folded arms on the granite. “That’s an interesting reaction.”
“What do you mean?”
“You obviously thought I was talking about something else. Something other than your project.”
“Nope. Just the project.”
Harmony laughed softly. “Yeah, right.”
&
nbsp; Jake risked a glance at his sister-in-law. “What do you know?”
Her eyes lit up and she grinned. “Aha! Then there is something to know!”
Jake groaned. “Drop it, Harmony. Please?”
She slowly nodded. “On one condition, brother. Promise me you won’t hurt her.”
Jake stood, running his hands over his thighs. “We’re friends, Claire and me.”
She shot her gaze to Nick, then back to him. “Friends…?” Her words trailed off as her brows rose.
He knew she meant the dreaded “friends with benefits” crap. “Nope. Not that kind.”
Harmony’s lips pursed. “Good. As much as I want to see Claire happy—”
“You know I’m not the guy for her,” he cut in. “I get it.”
It was what he expected and the reputation he’d done nothing to deny for too many years to count. She must have seen something on his face though, because her gaze turned tender.
“I know you don’t mean to hurt anyone but you have to admit you’re not exactly a steady Eddie.”
“No, I’m not. And I never pretend to be.”
“Yeah, that’s what Rick said.”
Jake blinked. “Wait. You two talk about me? About my relationships?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Do you ever have any relationships, Jake?”
“No,” he said honestly. “Why are we talking about this, anyway? Claire and I are friends.”
“That’s all?”
He wouldn’t tell Harmony that the memories of Claire and what they’d shared had filled his thoughts over the past few days. That he hoped to get naked with her soon. That was too much information for his brother’s wife to have and Jake wasn’t a kiss-and-tell kind of guy.
“I like spending time with her. She’s a great girl.”
“She’s my best friend in Cypress, Jake. The best friend I’ve had in a long time.”
“Is this some kind of a warning?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s a statement of fact. She’s my friend and if you say she’s yours I’ll believe you.”
“Good.”
“But make no mistake. I’m not the powder puff I appear to be.”
Jake smiled. “So my brother has told me.”
“If we have an understanding then we’ll drop this.” She looked over at Nick again. “For now.”
Cypress Corners Boxed Set (Books 1-3) Page 24