Worth It All(35)

He thought a second. “I think the age difference made it hard in some ways. My oldest brother left for college when I was two. All my brothers were out of the house by the time I was ten. Then my sister two years after that. I mostly remember chasing them, wanting to be a part of whatever they were doing. Wanting to play but never being big enough or fast enough.”

And football’s how he chased them. “I’m sorry you lost that, something you loved, but I’m envious of you, of finding your talent and using it to make a difference. I’d like to do that.”

“I’m sure you have talents,” he said, looking at her thoughtfully. “What was your dream?”

That was easy. “To get out of Texas, out of that town. I had all these plans to move to a big city and ride the subway to a job I had to dress up for.” She smiled, thinking about it. “I was going to live in an apartment with a garden on the roof overlooking all the bustling people with important places to go, but…”

“But what?”

She met his gaze and something in it made her answer honestly. “But then I got offtrack, got in the backseat of a car with a boy.”

She didn’t know what she expected Jake to say. She certainly wouldn’t have been the stand-out in the McKinney family tree.

“I wasn’t that into boys. I know it might not seem like that, given my circumstances, but—”

“Paige.” He waited for her to look up. “I’m the last person that would ever judge you. Trust me. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re on the right track and doing a hell of a job.”

She gave him a sideways smile, unable to voice how much his words meant to her. “Thanks.” His brown eyes continued to hold hers, making her fight her natural reflex to look away. She didn’t know what to do or what to feel when he looked at her like that. No one ever had. He clearly made her want to do a lot of things that were in no way part of her plan. “I should go in,” she finally said.

They stood at the same time and their bodies brushed in the move to get the screen door open. He followed her in and she set her nearly full glass in the sink.

“Should I put it here?” His hot breath brushed her ear, and she shivered when he moved in close enough that she could feel his heat. He reached around her and set his glass next to hers.

She knew what the man could do, the feelings he could elicit with just one kiss. She also knew that if she turned around, with his body just a breath from her own, she would feel it again, or at least she wanted to.

Hot palms closed over her bare shoulders, sending chills down her arms as he turned her slowly. His hands continued their nerve-tingling glide until they settled firmly on her waist.

Gone was the laid-back, friendly conversation. The muscles in his jaw twitched and her body heated under his hot stare. Just the fact that she wanted to kiss him again so badly should have had her moving away, but there was also a burning desire and an unfamiliar need she’d never felt with anyone but Jake.

She brought her hands up to his hard chest, not to push him away, but because she had to touch him. Sliding her hands slowly up and over his shoulders, she almost whimpered at the feel of the muscled contours beneath her palms. That first kiss had just happened like an earthquake just happens. This one would be anticipated, layered with the hours they’d spent together. It would leave aftershocks rippling because she knew him better now. Knew his voice and his different smiles, hot or teasing or both. She knew his playful side with Casey and how his hand felt around hers.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to kiss you again,” he said, dipping his head closer.

“Why did you tell yourself that?”

“So many reasons.” Firm but gentle fingers tightened on her hips and his lips hovered a breath from her own, sending even more chills along her skin. “Because you’re so damn beautiful. Because I want to kiss you so damn much. More than kiss you.” His hot breath brushed her ear. “I want you too much, Paige.”

His low, sexy voice vibrated under her palms and the first touch of his lips along her throat sent a jolt through her system. He continued downward, pressing his lips to the hollow of her throat and sucking lightly. He was so good at this, at making her feel, and her eyes drifted shut as she gave herself over to it. “God, I’ve been wanting to do this since…”

“Since when?” She was amazed she could even speak as she inhaled the faint scent of aftershave and sun and Jake. That and his hot mouth tickling and nibbling along her bare shoulder combined to make her head fuzzy.

“Pretty much since the last second I stopped kissing you.”