Mackenzie stretched, yawning. Jake was collapsed across her, pinning her to the rumpled sheets. It wasn’t altogether a bad sensation, she decided, flexing her sore, tired muscles with a yawn.

“So, that’s what a workout feels like.”

Jake chuckled, his eyes still closed. “I wish. I’ll take this over a five-mile run any day.”

She nibbled on his bare shoulder, and Jake rolled them over, settling her in the crook of his shoulder as he let out an almighty yawn. “Down, woman.”

Mackenzie cleared her throat.

“Babe?” he smiled, still sleepy. “Sweetheart? Darlin’?”

“Sure, snookums.”

Jake’s eyes shot open. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” He smiled, pinning her down in an instant and kissing her deep enough to make every one of those tired nerve endings come screaming back to life.

Mmmm . . . Mackenzie luxuriated in the feel of him, the hard press of that magnificent body. Her hands couldn’t keep from roaming, as if they had a life of their own, exploring up over his shoulders and down to the curve of his ass. “I’ve got to start dating more athletes,” she murmured, teasing.

“You know what else we have?” Jake gave her a wicked grin. “Stamina.”

Mackenzie laughed. “Well, in that case . . .” She bounced upright, looking around. “Where’s the room service menu?”

Jake made a noise of appreciation. “See, I knew you were the perfect woman.”

He got up and padded over to the bureau—giving Mackenzie an uninterrupted view. She flushed, realizing for the first time now that her afterglow was fading that this was happening.

She was naked, in a hotel room, with Jake Sullivan.

And it was about damn time.

“What?” Jake turned in time to see her victorious smile.

“Nothing.” Mackenzie grinned. “Just admiring the view.”

“Oh yeah?” Jake struck a muscle-man pose, showing off, until she tossed a pillow at him. “Hey!” he protested, throwing it right back. “Show a little appreciation. I’m out here hunting and gathering for you.”

He grabbed the menu and collapsed back on the bed, making Mackenzie bounce. “I do appreciate you,” she said, mock-serious. “Any man who can dish out orgasms like that and order ice cream wins my undying affection.”

“Ice cream?” Jake reached for the in-room phone.

“Or fries.” Mackenzie paused. “Or nachos. I can’t decide.”

Jake winked as he placed their order. “Hey, this is room 412. Can we please get an order of fries, nachos, and ice cream? Thanks.” He hung up and kissed her. “Anything for my baby.”

Mackenzie mock-swooned. “You’re so good to me.”

She fell back into the pillows, her heart singing. It was so simple with him: the laughter and easy jokes. She wasn’t suddenly gripped with self-consciousness about her body, or awkwardly making small talk, the way it was with some guys. Instead, she felt perfectly at ease beside him, her head nestling against his chest, and his hand tracing idle circles on her bare shoulder like it was second nature to him.

“Excellent plan, by the way, staying in the city,” she said, turning to smile up at him. “Who knows how dangerous the roads would have been.”

Jake smiled back. “Sure. It’s a blizzard out there.”

Mackenzie laughed. The drapes were open, and she could see the gentle sprinkle of snowflakes spiraling down outside. “A real storm,” she agreed, snuggling closer. “Who knows how long we might be trapped?”

“That’s just fine with me,” Jake said, his voice turning husky. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”

He kissed her, a leisurely, morning-after kind of kiss that slipped through her veins, sweet as whiskey. Mackenzie sighed in pleasure, automatically pressing closer, and just like that, the kiss wasn’t so leisurely anymore. Jake caught her lower lip between his teeth, nipping lightly, and Mackenzie teased her fingernails across his chest, loving how his breath hitched at her touch. He shifted, crushing her against him—

There was a knock at the door.

“To be continued,” Jake promised, dragging himself away. He grabbed a robe from the wardrobe and tossed one to Mackenzie too, waiting until she was covered before opening the door. She slipped through to the bathroom while he chatted to the bellhop, and what seemed like a lifetime later, she finally heard the door close again.

“Sorry,” Jake said when she stuck her head back out. “Turns out he was a fan.”

“No rest for the famous,” she said lightly, and danced over to explore the tray. There were crispy French fries with little individual bottles of mustard and ketchup, loaded nachos, smothered with cheese . . . Mackenzie sighed with satisfaction, sinking down on the couch and digging in.

When she looked up, Jake was watching her with a smile. “What?” she asked, wiping her face. “Do I have salsa all over me?”

He chuckled, strolling over to join her. “No, you’re good. I was just making a mental note to get groceries in. At this rate, you’ll eat me out of house and home.”

“Your mom’s pies won’t stand a chance,” she agreed.

“Actually, I moved in to Cooper’s place,” he said casually, reaching for a wedge of nachos.

Mackenzie stopped and turned. “What? When? Why didn’t you say anything?”

He shrugged. “ ’Cause I was being a jealous asshole. I saw you with Declan,” he admitted.

She paused. Maybe it was petty, but she still felt pretty good knowing he’d been jealous. “Declan’s just a buddy,” she reassured him.

“So, you’ve never . . . ?” Jake was still studying the food like it was the most interesting thing in the room, but Mackenzie could see through his casual questioning.

“Nope. He’s way too much of a playboy,” she said. “We never clicked like that.”

“OK.” Jake seemed to relax. “And, yes, I know it’s crazy of me to be jealous when we haven’t even been talking for the past ten years, but . . .”

“I get it,” Mackenzie agreed quickly. “I’m choosing not to think about you and any gorgeous groupies, either.” She dunked a fry in the ice cream.

“There weren’t any groupies.”

Mackenzie looked up. Jake gave her a sheepish smile. “OK, maybe there were a few, but it wasn’t like you think.”

“Let’s just not talk about them full-stop.”

“Deal.”

She munched on the food, her endorphins settling again. That first wild elation was melting, and now she just felt sleepy—sleepy, and safe, and wrapped in the delicious haze of the two of them, snuggled together companionably. It could have been any other of the hundred evenings they’d spent together.

Except for that whole “mind-blowing sex” part of the equation.

She glanced over, blushing, and as if reading her mind, Jake gave her a smoldering smile.

“Come here,” he said, beckoning softly.

Mackenzie arched an eyebrow, but still, of course, she went: leaning over and slowly crawling up his body to drop a kiss on his perfect mouth.

He tasted like vanilla and chocolate sauce, sweet on her lips as she grazed over his cheek and then lower, to his collarbone, and the broad, tanned expanse of his chest. She felt him inhale as her hands slid lower, pushing his terry-cloth robe aside to explore her territory.

“Mac . . .” he whispered as she teased lower, licking a path along his hipbone, and down the cut lines of his abdomen. She heard him groan as she closed her hands around him, and then it was past the time for words. She had better things to do with her mouth.