He smiled. “I don’t think you’ll mind. At least, I hope not,” he said, lowering his head so he could kiss her.
She moaned, and it was one of the good ones. He pulled her body close, the softness of the clean sheets yet another great sensation that couldn’t top the feel of her skin, the flesh against flesh. Her foot rubbed up the front of his calf. His hand found the sweet spot on her scalp that made her sigh. They didn’t speak, not for a long while.
“You seem to have found your second wind,” Jenna said, as she ran her palm over the underside of his thickened cock.
“I don’t know what’s in the water in this place, but I haven’t been this quick on the draw since my early twenties.”
“What do you mean the water? I’m a little insulted. Here I was thinking it was me that made all the difference.”
He stopped moving, stopped breathing for a moment as he realized she was right. “My mistake,” he said. Then he turned over until he was almost covering her with his body. He met her gaze, trying hard to remember that moment in the hotel, the feel of her lips under his. How it had been a shock to his system. And when she’d parted her lips to let him inside?
He kissed her. And it happened again. Like a moment trapped in time. That same shock ran down his body, settled in an ache that only one thing could possibly assuage.
When he finally pulled back, it was light enough in the room for him to see into the mesmerizing dark of her eyes.
“You’ve still got it,” she whispered.
“So have you,” he whispered back.
10
RICK HAD JUST awoken at a god-awful hour and was buck-naked on his way to the kitchen for coffee when Antwan called to Skype. He thought about putting on a shirt and eyed the camera over the fireplace. With that wide angle he’d have to put on jeans, too. Instead, he grabbed the robe he’d left over the back of the couch when Jenna had lured him to the bedroom last night.
While he waited for Antwan’s upper half to appear on the TV screen on the wall, Rick cleared the sleep from his voice and pushed a hand through his rumpled hair.
“I would have called you before now,” Antwan said as he popped up, “but the bastard I work with ditched me for a woman.”
It was only January 2. How had so much happened in the four days since Rick and Faith had left for Boston? “Well...”
“No.” Antwan shook his head, which looked very large on the wall screen. For all the fierce weather they’d been having, the picture was crystal clear.
Rick could even see his desk in the background, which had unsurprisingly sprouted a large stack of files. “No...what?”
“I don’t want to hear about how great everything is. Shit, man, look at you, more relaxed than I’ve ever seen you. But I suppose that’ll happen after so many nights of shagging.” Antwan’s head jerked back. “Dude!”
Behind him, Rick heard a little squeak. He whipped around to see Jenna wearing one of his shirts, unbuttoned, and a mortified look on her face, backing out of the living room and disappearing with a soft whimper. So much for springing the news of his failed proposal slowly.
“That wasn’t—” Antwan looked behind him, then leaned closer to his computer camera. “I can’t wait to hear this story, man.”
“I didn’t propose,” Rick said.
“Damn. I had it the other way ’round.”
“I was going to ask her at the stroke of midnight— Wait, what did you mean, you had it the other way around?”
“You proposed, she laughed. You know, for the office pool. I think Wexler won.”
“So everyone in my workplace, my home away from home, was betting that I’d make a fool of myself?”
“No. Not everyone,” Antwan said with his big white grin. “Sorry, bredda, I wouldn’t be joking but I can see you’re not too broken up about it.”
Rick sighed, not because of the pool. How could he when he’d won money on a few himself? But because in hindsight, he would’ve bet against himself, too. Shit.
“Go on. Tell me about it.”
“Nothing to tell,” Rick said. “Look, I know you aren’t surprised. And frankly, I’m not, either. You were right all along. Faith and I are better friends than anything else.”
“Hey...” Antwan shook his head. “I don’t mean to rub it in. I shouldn’t have mentioned the office pool.”
Rick laughed. He wasn’t offended. “How much did you lose?”
“I can still pay this month’s rent.” Antwan grinned and glanced toward the hall where Jenna had disappeared. “So, who’s the hottie you been shagging?”
Rick stiffened, not liking the reference one bit. “Her name’s Jenna,” he said evenly, knowing his friend didn’t mean anything. “And we’ve spent a very nice couple of days...well, nights together. This apartment is so dope, man, I can’t even explain it.”
Antwan read him loud and clear and just nodded. “You’ll have to tell me about it when you get back. Actually, that’s why I’m calling. Forget about your morning flight. The snow was a little bigger than we predicted.”
Rick smiled, which he probably shouldn’t have. He’d be missing a major change in the weather patterns.
“But Lester’s pretty sure you’ll be able to get out tonight. ”
“How thoughtful of him,” Rick said and Antwan laughed. Their boss was an okay guy most of the time, but he could also be a pain.
“I can tell him I never reached you if you want to stay longer.”
“That’s okay. I’ve been checking myself.” Rick glanced over at the weather feed showing on the other side of the fireplace. “You’re talking about the red-eye.”
“Yep,” Antwan said, “or a crowded flight tomorrow afternoon. You’re not the only one stuck in that storm, my friend. But we can pull some strings.”
“I’d rather leave tomorrow, but I need to talk to Jenna. Make sure she can get home before I leave.”
“Where is she heading?”
“The suburbs,” Rick said. “South Shore. I don’t know what’s going on with the roads, though. Do me a favor—text me the info on both flights?”
Antwan nodded. “Travel safe, bredda. If something changes, I’ll give you a call.”
“Good deal. Later.”
The second he closed the connection with Antwan, Rick said, “It’s safe to come out now.”
He got up, wanting that coffee, but more important, to kiss Jenna.
“Give a girl a heads-up,” she said, coming out of the bedroom wearing her robe over his shirt.
It made him laugh. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t even have the consolation of my first cup of coffee. It was terrible. Like a nightmare I had once where the only coffee anywhere was really bad decaf.”
He shuddered dramatically, and then pulled her into his arms. “Would it be dangerous for me to stop you for a kiss?”
She met his gaze with a glower. “I wouldn’t joke about that. I can be pretty mean before I get my first cup.”
“I’ll risk it.” He made good on his promise, giving her a kiss tailor-made for Jenna and no one else. He’d learned a lot about her in the past couple of days, most of which had to do with what made her happy and what made her crazy happy. He’d save that kiss for later.
She looked a bit dazed when he finally let her up for air. “Sheesh, you took your time there, Sinclair.”
“And you liked every second of it.”
She grinned as she led him to the kitchen.
He wasn’t surprised that he was smiling, too. He’d done a lot of that lately. “Did you hear the conversation?”
“What? Me? Eavesdrop? Never.” She filled mugs for each of them.
“So, you heard that we’ll have two weather breaks where we’ll have a chance to get to our respective homes.” Taking her free hand, he walked her to the couch. His first choice would have been back to bed, but he was afraid they’d get distracted. He didn’t want Jenna to lose any opportunity to leave. He sat first and she joined him, leaving barely enough room to use her right arm.
After a deep inhale, Jenna shook her head. “I don’t want to go. I want to live here forever. And I’d like it to remain this amazing fairy tale.”
“You mean the part where we didn’t have to work at all?” It was hard to hang on to a smile. She was right. Since they’d arrived, life had been magical. But now, as he looked into her sad brown eyes, he wondered if she was thinking about her broken engagement, the future she’d have to rebuild. Was regret already erasing the magic they’d shared?
“Actually I was thinking of this part,” she whispered and leaned in to kiss him.
The mugs were safely set aside before she dragged him down by his lapels. And the next time he looked up, an hour had passed.
* * *
JENNA PROMISED HERSELF she wouldn’t pout any more than was absolutely necessary. Rick had to go back to Oklahoma, and she had to go home. Even now, he was finding out about flight opportunities. She hadn’t planned to be gone at all. Some of her plants were probably desperate for hydration, but that was her only worry. Still, it hurt to know the party was over. “What are our two choices?”