The Best Man's Baby(40)

His hands moved restlessly up and down her spine and then roamed her sides, finally resting at the undersides of her breasts. Her breath caught and she pulled her mouth away from him, looking up and seeing his blue eyes dark with passion.

“I want you, Claire, God, I want you,” he said harshly and then claimed her mouth fiercely, possessively, and she felt his hands move up to cup her breasts. She heard herself whimper against his lips as her nipples pressed against the palms of his hands. Suddenly his hands were gone and then they were at her waist, and his lips were pressing hot, moist kisses against her bare skin. She knew she was slowly drowning in the essence of Jake. She had to lean against the door for support, and he braced her with his body as he deftly unbuttoned her blouse, each graze of his knuckles against her breasts almost causing her to cry out with the sweet agony. He pulled away slightly and she felt his searing gaze as his eyes wandered over her body in her lacy bra. She forced herself not to let any doubt or self-consciousness ruin this moment for her.

She needed to feel him, to touch his bare skin. She held his gaze, her intentions, desires, spoken silently as she flicked open each button of his shirt. And with a courage she wished she’d had that first night, she bent her head and kissed every inch of skin she exposed. His chest was rock-hard and his flesh sizzling beneath her lips. When she arrived at the defined, flat planes of his stomach, he groaned harshly and took her head in his hands, raising her up to take her mouth in his, crushing her against him.

“No way are we doing this here. This time we make it to a bed.” He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms circling his neck and holding him to her as he unclasped her bra, walking toward her bedroom.

She pressed her cheek against his strong chest, hearing the pounding of his heart, and knew her defenses were slowly crumbling. When he laid her gently on the bed Claire knew something was different. She felt it in his touch, in the restrained passion. She knew he was trying to take it slow. She felt his control slip as she tugged his jeans off, as he pressed her against the pillows. Her last coherent thought as Jake drove her over the edge was that this was where she belonged.

With Jake.





Chapter Eight

Claire felt Jake’s finger trail along her exposed arm. She smiled into the pillow. She had no idea how long they’d been asleep, or if Jake had slept at all. She curled her toes at the sight of his warm smile as she looked over at him. Her eyes wandered over his bare chest and she felt a tremble of desire hit her. He was a beautiful man. The faint lines beside his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her and leaned forward to give her a soft kiss.

“I thought women wanted to cuddle after, and it was the guy who fell asleep,” he said, with a laugh against her mouth.

“Sorry,” she said with a sheepish grin.

“Yeah, you just pushed me away and started snoring,” he said with barely restrained laughter.

“I did not—”

He nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“I don’t snore.”

He leaned over and gave her another kiss. “Sure you don’t.”

“Have I been sleeping long?”

“Just three hours,” he said, his smile deepening when she bolted up in bed to look at her alarm clock. He was right. “And I’m dying of starvation,” he said, pulling her over to him. She managed to take the sheet along with her as she settled into his side, her head resting on his strong shoulder.

“Let’s order dinner in,” he said as his hand wandered over her body. She felt herself curling her body into his.

“What do you feel like?”

“Thai?”

Suddenly Claire felt her stomach roll. She shook her head. “Don’t say that.”

“What?”

“What you just said. I can’t even repeat it,” she croaked, her mouth turning dry.

“Thai?” She nodded against him, her stomach getting precariously close to spilling over. And then she pictured herself eating a bowl of pad thai and had to clench the sheet.

“Oh, I’m sorry, baby. It makes you sick, I get it now,” Jake said, kissing her bare shoulder, waves of nausea getting replaced with waves of…Jake.

“Figures you would use that word when I’m barely able to muster out a retort.”

“Really? You seem to be doing pretty good at vocalizing your opinion.”

She rolled onto her back and he gingerly braced one arm over her, leaning on his elbow. She looked into his eyes, the memory of what they’d just shared reflected in his smile, in his eyes.

“How about Greek food?”

Claire laughed. “You have a one-track mind.”

“No, two-track, but I thought we should refuel before we attempt that again.”