"Jacob," she whispered against his fingertip, but he replaced it with his lips and kissed her until her resolve crumbled. Her arms circled his neck.
He scooped her from the toilet lid and carried her to his bed. He tasted every inch of her as he removed her clothes. She was delirious with need by the time he pushed himself inside her. His hands linked with hers on either side of her head, and he stared into her eyes as he filled her with slow, gentle strokes. In her head and her heart, she told him how she felt about him a thousand times. And when they tumbled over the brink together, he had to see the love in her eyes, but she still couldn't say it. What was holding her back? Fear, yes. But fear of what?
Jacob held her close as their heart rates slowed and their breathing became even again. Everything seemed so calm after the storm they'd weathered together. She relaxed against him and told herself everything was going to work out between them. And maybe someday Tina would give them her blessing and Julie would come to live with Amanda and Jacob as their daughter. She already loved her niece as if she were her own. It was a foolish dream-she knew that. Tina would never let it happen, but wrapped in Jacob's strong arms, his heart beating strong and steady against her ear, she allowed herself to believe anything could happen.
Amanda's belly rumbled unexpectedly, tearing her from her moment of perfect contentment, and Jacob laughed when she covered her stomach with one hand.
"Do you want to go out for dinner or eat in?" he asked, drawing her closer to his bare chest.
"I'd much rather eat in." Because that would mean they could spend more time alone together.
"All right," he said. "What are you cooking?"
She chuckled. He had cooked for her several times over the weekend. "I have some chicken in my fridge that I need to cook before it spoils. Do you want to come over to my place and have dinner?"
"Will it require me putting on pants?" he asked.
She grinned, picturing him in her passenger seat buck naked. She wouldn't mind that arrangement in the least, but her neighbors might find his nudity offensive. Or at the very least mind-bogglingly distracting. "Don't bother with pants. I can bring it over here and cook it in your enormous kitchen. But I need to check on my cat anyway. She's probably shredded the drapes by now."
"I didn't know you had a cat," Jacob said.
"She hides from strangers. Not that you've ever been to my house."
"Next time I'm home, I'll stay with you at your house."
"I don't have much room. Or a pool." She waggled her eyebrows at him. They did have a good time in that pool.
"That doesn't matter. As long as you're there, I'm sure I'll have plenty to keep me entertained."
"And what will we do with Julie? I don't even have a spare bedroom." She doubted Julie would appreciate being holed up on an air mattress with all the unfiled papers Amanda stacked all over the floor in her home office.
"She's small," he said. "I'm sure she'll fit in a closet or something."
Amanda slapped his belly playfully and squirmed out of his arms. She wasn't sure if she could wait two weeks to see him again. At least they had tonight and a few hours the next morning to be together, even if it wouldn't be enough. She doubted she'd ever get enough of him. "Would it be okay if I came to see you after a show sometime this week?"
He watched her dress from the bed. "Women on tour are a distraction."
Her heart sank.
"But having a lonely, cranky lead singer is far more dangerous." He chuckled. "When should I expect you?"
She pulled her T-shirt over her head, unable to suppress her joyful grin. "I'll check the schedule and let you know."
He climbed from the bed-still gloriously naked-and pulled her into his arms for a deep, satisfying kiss. She eyed the bed, but her stomach rumbled again and he released her.
"I'll hurry back," she said a few minutes later as she opened the front door. Jacob had followed her-still gloriously naked-and drew her near for one last kiss.
"I'll be counting the seconds until I get to see you again."
Sometimes he said the most wonderful things.
"I'll only be gone twenty minutes," she reminded him. "Keep your pants on."
He glanced down at his current pants-less state. "A bit late for that."
She gave his bare ass an appreciative squeeze and then dashed across the driveway to her car before she wound up naked again. The man did have an uncanny skill for relieving her of her panties.
She was still smiling when she pulled into her drive a few minutes later. She'd been so wrapped up in her musings about Jacob that she didn't notice she'd been followed until a familiar SUV pulled up behind her car, blocking any hope for escape.