“You’re on the pill, sexy girl.” He reached up to stroke her cheek. “And we’re both clean, remember? We’ve already crossed that bridge. Twice.”
“How do you…?” She covered her face as their conversation came back in bits and pieces. She had admitted to being on the pill right after she challenged him to make love to her again. She was never going to live this down. At least they’d had the presence of mind to cover the most important aspects. He was clean; she was clean.
She’d broken all of her rules.
With Jake.
Her fantasy.
The one man I shouldn’t have done this with.
Lowering her hands, she took in his handsome face, seeing him for the first time not as the player she knew him to be but as the man who had slowed down enough to ask permission to kiss her. Forget living this down. How would she ever go back to the way she was before she knew what it felt like to be in his arms? She’d done this to herself, stepped into the land of temptation. She was worse than Eve, because she’d not only eaten the forbidden fruit, but she’d fooled herself into thinking she could survive without it afterward.
“We’ve already crossed that bridge. Twice.” Remembering what he said made her angry. She didn’t need the reminder. The reminder brought lascivious thoughts of being close with him again, and this was supposed to be one night to get him out of her head, not make her want him even more.
She jabbed a finger toward him. “You promised that what happened last night would stay there.”
“What is this, Vegas?”
She poked him in the chest.
“Ow! Fine, whatever. Jesus. You must need coffee.”
“Clothes, Jake. I need clothes!” She tried to yank the blanket out from under him, and he swept an arm around her, pulling her on top of him. Holy moly did he feel good. “Jake.” She went for a warning, but it came out with a soft laugh, because she’d expected him to be totally on board with the one-night-and-done thing, and this playful side of him was almost too attractive to resist.
His rough hands slid down her back to her butt, and he rocked his formidable erection against her. “Let’s negotiate.”
“You are such a man.” A very delicious, enticing man.
“You were into my manliness last night. In fact, if I remember correctly, which there’s no way in hell I’m not, because the images are burned into my brain, you liked my manliness between your legs, in your mouth—”
She clamped her hand over his mouth and glared at him. He pushed her hand away and flashed the cocky grin that had gotten her into trouble last night, pushing all her sensual buttons again and sending warning signals blaring through her mind.
“No negotiating,” she said firmly. She needed space to figure out why he made her stomach dip and her heart skip. Space to get last night out of her mind. She needed space to breathe like a regular person instead of a girl whose body was totally on board with Jake being tucked deep inside her, making her forget why breathing was important at all.
“You promised me things wouldn’t be awkward,” she reminded him. “And if I have to go over there naked and get my clothes, things are going to get more than awkward real fast.”
“I think I liked you better when you were flirting with me.” He flashed another devilish grin, and her stomach somersaulted.
In his next breath he rolled them both over and she was beneath him, his big body pressing down on her, his hips cradled between her thighs, and her hands trapped above her head. And oh my, did he feel good. Maybe he could just slip it in for a quickie. Nothing more.
He touched his cheek to hers, and in a husky voice that made her skin catch fire, he said, “Nothing beats morning sex, Addy.”
Her pulse went crazy, and his hands drifted down her sides, which felt really, really nice. She closed her eyes, willing herself to be strong.
“You know you want me, sexy girl,” he whispered, brushing his scruff against her cheek and sending shivers down her spine. “No one will ever know. Just you and me.” He angled his hips back, pressing the head of his cock against her entrance.
“Jake,” she said halfheartedly, already wet and ready.
“Tell me no. One word. Two letters. And I won’t ask again.”
No, no, no, no, no. I don’t want to tell you no. She shook off the ridiculous faltering and said, “I already did, and they’ll see us.”
“They went inside. And no, you didn’t. You said ‘no negotiating,’ and admittedly, I pushed that envelope.” He kissed the corner of her mouth and dragged his tongue along her lower lip, reminding her of all the pleasure he’d given her with that tongue last night. “But if you look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me, I promise not to ask again.”
She could barely think as more memories of their incredible night rushed in. Her body hummed with desire, her hands pressed into his skin, urging him to make the decision for the two of them so she would not be to blame if she didn’t stick to her guns about one single night. She could still taste his addicting kisses, and now he was looking at her differently than he always had. The predatory look was still there, but there was more than just wanton desire. He wasn’t just looking at her. He was looking through her, inside her body, viewing the darkest crevices of her mind, invading every ounce of her, like she was the only thing that existed.
The words kiss me, Jake were on the tip of her tongue, and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate, because he’d been right about one thing last night. Every single thought led back to him. To their sinful night. To that look in his eyes.
“Be mine one last time, sexy girl.”
Sighing inwardly, she dug deep, forcing herself to think of her bestie. That almost gave her the kick in the butt she needed to refuse him, but gazing into Jake’s eyes, his seductive words, Be mine, still lingering in her ears were tough to dismiss. And the idea that this would be their last time also made her long for more. She’d been worried about him being jealous, but already his words were wreaking havoc with her impulses—making them stronger than she’d ever experienced before. How would she skate through the minefield of seeing him flirt with other girls after the night they’d shared? How could she have thought she could ever look at him after that and not want him? Why, oh why, did she let herself fall asleep with him? Now she couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than being wrapped up in him for a few more hours, despite the group of relatives who had almost discovered them.
All of it—the unfamiliar emotions, the memories, that heated stare, the feel of him nestled so intimately against her—picked at her nerves, making her edgy and nervous. Addy was big on talk and equally big on research, which was how she knew exactly what to say to a man, how to touch and take and tease. She had perfected her verbal sparring and seduction techniques, and it had been easy, because she was never in danger of feeling a damn thing beyond physical excitement. But being with Jake was different, and no matter how many times she tried to write it off as something else, her heart had taken notice. And now, being naked with him in the light of day without tequila on board, after all the dirty things they’d done last night, she struggled to find her voice. She had to escape before she got in deeper with a guy who probably couldn’t spell the word faithful—Holy cow. Since when do I worry about that? She wiggled out from beneath him.
She met his disappointed gaze, trying to hide her own faltering resolve, and said, “Clothes, Jake. Now.”
LATER THAT MORNING Jake worked alongside Blue and Gage fixing the leg of the table inside the big house on the bluff. Actually, he was talking shit and trying not to dwell on thoughts of Addy, pacing while Blue fixed the table and Gage ate breakfast. Jake couldn’t eat a damn thing. His stomach had been squirrelly since earlier that morning, when, after sprinting naked to retrieve his and Addy’s clothes, she’d argued all the way to her door about not needing a bodyguard. She was as stubborn as a mule, and just to prove her point, she’d been pointedly looking away every time he caught sight of her since she’d arrived for breakfast.
“You’re helping us set up the beach for Trish’s wedding tomorrow morning, right?” Gage asked Jake.
“Sure. Whatever she needs.” They were in the kitchen, which opened up to the grounds, giving him a clear view of Addy sitting with the girls, pushing food around on her plate. He wondered if she had the same weird shit going on in her head as he did, or if she was blowing him off because she really was done with him.
“Did Boone tell you his family is arriving a day early?” Blue asked.
Jake stopped pacing and glanced at Gage, who looked as clueless as he was.
“I forgot you were both late for breakfast this morning. They rearranged their schedules to arrive a day early,” Blue explained. “We’re all meeting up at Niko and Dimitri’s tavern tonight for his bachelor party.”
He’d rather meet up with Addy. Maybe another night with her could fix the crap going on in his head.
The sound of laughter drew his attention outside, just in time to see Niko twirling Addy, as if they were dancing. Every muscle in Jake’s body tensed as the green-eyed monster clawed at his gut. She looked sexier than sin in a pair of cutoffs barely long enough to cover her fine ass and a T-shirt the color of red clay. How she managed to make a loose-fitting shirt look hotter than hell was beyond him. Several sparkly bracelets slid up her arm as she spun back into Niko’s arms. Jake’s fingers curled into fists as he fought the urge to storm outside and claim the woman who didn’t want to be claimed.