Chapter Nine
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.”
Jenna opened her eyes in long slow blinks only to realize her complimentary blindfold still covered them. She stretched both arms and legs as far as the first-class sleeper permitted, yawning until her jaw creaked.
“For those of you with a window seat, you’ll notice the City of Angels has polished her halo and put on her best sunset.”
Jenna shoved her blindfold up into her hairline and pressed a button on the console beside her to raise the sleeper from its horizontal position to sitting. She craned her neck to see out the three small windows to her left. The announcer over the intercom was right. It was easy to understand how the city gained its Tinseltown moniker. Los Angeles was a giant circuit board of twinkling lights and silver glitter sparkling up at her from a backdrop of deep orange and cool purple bleeding into the dark navy of encroaching night.
“Now folks if you would put your tray tables in their locked position and tidy away any supplies in preparation for landing, we’ll have you on the ground in half an hour, where it’s a balmy seventy-five degrees.”
Jenna swigged from her bottled water and gave a happy sigh. Somewhere below, Mr Jacob Starr – famous action hero – waited for her.
Oh God, Jacob was waiting for her!
The blindfold pinged off her mussed hair to land on the complimentary plush blanket covering her legs. She’d been on a plane for nigh-on thirteen hours. They hadn’t seen each other in six months, but it was pretty much guaranteed Jacob would be his usual Hollywood A-List gorgeous self. Whereas Jenna would…well…she would look like she’d been on a plane for thirteen hours. Even without looking in the back-lit mirror built into the countertop in front of her, she knew the situation was bleak - her hair alone.
She flung back the blanket and pushed up from her seat just as the seatbelt sign pinged on. Using the bathroom to rectify the damage was out of the question. A quick rummage through her carry-on bag yielded a brush, her makeup purse, and a travel pack of refresher wipes. In a plastic bag at the bottom was the change of clothes she’d packed just in case her checked luggage took a detour to France, or Turkey, or some other inconvenient destination. With the plane’s inner wall on one side and the sliding privacy doors between her and the next passenger’s sleeper cubicle across the aisle, the odds of pulling a superhero costume change without being caught out by a curious flight attendant were reassuringly high.
By the time they landed and were taxiing from the runway to the terminal, Jenna was dressed in an apple-green peasant top, jeans – no belt, she didn’t want to hold up the line at security – and black ballet flats. She’d tied her hair into a casual up-do and freshened her mascara and lip gloss, before cramming everything back into her bag. A final glance in the Hollywoodesque mirror had been reassuring – all things considered.
♥♥♥
Jacob saw her before she saw him, and damn if she wasn’t the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. He grinned. She travelled light; an overnight bag and a wheeled case. But she was flustered, the little concentration line prominent between her brows, as she made her way through the smattering of people waiting.
Sparks of excitement and heat surged through him, thrilled him like he’d been sleepwalking his way through half a year, only to come full awake and himself at the sight of her. The urge to go to her, to meet her half way and sweep her off her feet into his arms, was countered by the desire to watch her from afar. To drink her in and catalogue every beautiful breath-taking detail of her; from the tantalizing jiggle of her breasts with each of her long strides, to the way her jeans rode low on the sweet curve of her hips and caressed toned thighs in a way that made him jealous of the privilege. Green eyes searched for him, dismissing those who weren’t the man she wanted.
Until…
He knew the moment she found him; felt the warmth of her gaze settle on him and he shivered with pleasure. She’d stopped in her tracks and he strode forward as if being found, being claimed, allowed him to claim her in return.
“Jacob.” His name, a gasp of joyful relief from her soft lips, made his heart roll over in his chest. He reached for her, large hands cupping her face to bring her across the final space between them.
“Yeah, babe, it’s me.” Jacob lunged for her mouth just as Jenna pushed up on her toes to accept his kiss, ravenous and eager, needy and giving all at once.
When they came up for air it was to an awareness of both being in each other’s arms, and having an audience. Jenna squinted in the direction of a camera flash before glancing up at Jacob; uncertain how she should react. There’d been plenty of flashes going off at both Wellington and Melbourne, but she hadn’t been kissing Mr Jacob Starr – Hollywood heartthrob extraordinaire – at either LunarCon event.
“Probably not the best place to continue this reunion, Miss Long.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you, Mr Starr.” Jenna tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and ducked her head, but Jacob still noticed the bloom of color on her cheeks. It gave him an innate sense of satisfaction to know his kisses affected her as much as being able to kiss her aroused him.
“Let’s get out of here.” He reached for the handle of her case and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together.
“What, before everyone recognizes you under the ball cap and trendsetter shades, and start asking for selfies and autographs?” Jenna teased; falling into step beside him.
Jacob laughed a hearty full-body laugh that fizzed and zinged along every one of his nerve endings, leaving him exhilarated from head to toe with the knowledge that this time, they were leaving an airport together.
“Are you in a rush to be anywhere?” Jenna asked from the passenger seat of Jacob’s macho black truck. It felt weird to be seated on the right and not be behind the steering wheel, like she would’ve been back home.
He spared her a quick glance, one expressive brow quirked in curiosity, as he focused on the crowded lanes of airport traffic ahead of them. “What did you have in mind?”
“Somewhere out in the open where we can see the sky and the city lights.” She smiled at him and Jacob shifted lanes, making a break for the next turn before the traffic signal changed. “I’ve been stuck in a flying metal tube for the past thirteen hours. I could do with some fresh air.”
“You can stick your head out the window if you want.” Jenna gave his thigh a playful slap and he laughed, taking her hand prisoner and entwining their fingers together. “I know the perfect place.”
Keeping their hands joined across the distance of the cab between them caused her arm to ache. Jacob must’ve realized because he moved their hands to rest between them on the leather bench seat. The considerate gesture combined with the gentle stroke along the side of her thumb made her heart thud an extra beat. They’d spent one weekend together six months ago and yet being here with Jacob now felt as though the torture of separation was all an illusion. Jenna sighed and stroked his thumb in return. There was no better place in the world than beside the gorgeous man whose laugh made her feel special just to have heard it, and whose body was hard and hot and felt perfect against her own.
Jacob drove up into the hills, the truck’s engine made easy work of the climb and it wasn’t long before Jacob reversed them into what appeared to be a lookout carpark. Wooden bollards jutted from the sandy verge to prevent vehicles going over the edge. The view out the windshield held no interest. Just a wastepaper bin strapped to a wooden post next to a picnic table which glowed white beyond the arc of the truck’s headlights.
“Umm…” Jenna glanced at Jacob, puzzlement tugging up one fine-plucked brow.
Jacob grinned; popped his seatbelt catch with one hand and opened his door with the other, tossing his cap into the footwell before jumping out. “View’s out back, you coming?”
Her feet slid on the gravel as she jumped down from the cab, using the door frame to steady herself, before shoving it closed with the right amount of oomph.
“This do?” Jacob had the tailgate down and offered his hand to haul her up.
“Absolutely.” Jenna turned to look up at him but her gaze was drawn back to the colorful patchwork of lights and shadows laid out from the hem of the hills to the horizon. “Even with a first class ticket it’s hard not to feel claustrophobic.”
She inhaled deep, held it, and exhaled on a satisfied sigh.
He chuckled and wrapped an arm across her shoulders before pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “When you’re in the thick of it with a crazy schedule, it’s easy to forget the city looks like this.”
She hmm’d and leaned into the hard line of his body. His arm tightened around her, his warmth seeping through the thin fabrics of their shirts.
“Cold?”
“A little.”
Her mouth opened to protest when he moved away, the truck rocking on its shock absorbers as he strode to the lockbox riveted to the back of the cab. A snap-clink of the fasteners and he had the lid open, and was pulling out a couple of blankets and two cushions.
“I’m guessing you were a Boy Scout. Or is this where you bring all your women?” Jacob’s head jerked up, distracted from the nest he’d made them by the less-than-playful edge in her voice. “Come stargazing with Jacob Starr.”
The amused glint in Jenna’s eyes reassured him she was teasing and the tight feeling in his chest eased as fast as it’d formed.
“Good one, I’ll tell Rick. See if he can set up a fan contest or something.” He grinned as she gasped, loving how easy she rose to the bait. “I’m kidding, Jenna. C’mere, you can’t imagine how my arms ache to hold you.”
Her eagerness had him bracing against the lockbox to support them as she threw herself into his lap. Legs either side of his hips and fingers in his hair, tugging him where she wanted him, her mouth hungry and sweet against his own.
He couldn’t help the growl of want which escaped, only to be consumed and drowned out by her answering moan. She ground against him, luscious breasts crushed into his chest. He dropped his hands to her ass, squeezed tight and smiled to himself when she wriggled for more.
Jenna broke their kiss, head flung back as she gasped for much-needed air and exposed the pale line of her throat to Jacob’s gaze and willing mouth.
“Missed you.” She murmured, back arching into the slide of his hand up her spine to tangle in her hair. “Missed you so much.”
Jacob leaned in to taste the warm patch of sensitive skin behind her ear, suckled and laved his tongue over and again until she uttered the little sounds of pleasure he remembered from Melbourne; sounds that made him harder than memories ever could. He anchored her hip, kept her grinding against his length; her grip in his hair egged him on.
“Jacob, please.” Damn the sound of his name, all breathless and pleasure-soaked, on her lips had him breaking off for fear he’d peak too soon.
He eased her hands from his hair but didn’t let go, his chest blowing like he’d run a hundred miles. “You keep begging like that and this’ll be over before either of us is satisfied.”
The corner of her kiss-swollen mouth pulled into a smirk, matched only by the devilment in her beautiful green eyes. Jacob’s dick throbbed. The sensation echoed the surge of want tightening his gut. He swallowed hard as she lifted the hem of her shirt; a glimpse of smooth pale waist followed by lean flanks and the tease of white lace.
“We’re doing this here?” The want inside him cooled a little at the thought of being busted by some passerby with a phone and the need to make a few bucks. It was just the kind of thing social media salivated over.
She must’ve sensed his unease because she stopped mid-tug, the last before she’d be astride him in bra and jeans; moonlight illuminating every curve and dip of her body. He could picture her laid back on the picnic blanket naked and open for his eyes only. But the wary flutter wouldn’t be quelled so easily.
“Jacob?” Jenna crossed her arms over her breasts. The chill air rose goosebumps over her skin now that she wasn’t lost in the heat of the moment and Jacob’s touch. “We can go if you’d…I thought since…”
She gestured to the blanket and the stars overhead, the complete lack of cars in the carpark or out on the road. Her willingness to go with whatever he wanted eased the sudden attack of stage fright which turned him gun shy, and he smiled wide and bashful.
“No sense leaving when we’re both comfortable here, right?”
“Right.” She was helpless not to grin back as she cupped a palm to stubbled cheek and stroked her thumb over his cheekbone. “Now, where were we?”
“Right…about…” Jacob’s eyes darkened, focused intently on the back of his hand where it grazed up Jenna’s belly and cupped one breast, thumb mimicking her own slow caress. “…Here.”
He grinned when she murmured her agreement, eyes fluttering closed at the feel of his hands on her, lifting feminine flesh to spill into his palms; luscious and sensitive and full. Jacob ducked in to suckle and hummed against the hard nipple brushing his tongue; felt Jenna grind closer as she clung to him.
“Oh, Jacob.”
He shifted them, held her close as he rolled her beneath him, laid her head on the cushion and settled his hips between her spread thighs. The cool of the truck bed seeped through blanket and denim, but it was a discomfort easily ignored when Jenna was in his arms. He supported his weight on one arm while he stretched the other to reach into the lockbox.
“What are you doing?”
He grunted, lost his balance but held a box of condoms aloft in triumph. “I hoped you’d be as horny as me.”
He felt heat suffuse his cheeks and hoped the shadows hid his blush from her as she laughed, free and happy. “There’s something to be said for forethought. Now come here.”
Her nimble fingers slid the buttons of her fly open, then shoved panties and jeans down slim thighs as he worked free of his own; boots and socks holding him up for a frustrating second.
Then he was back, cock sheathed and bobbing in its eagerness, and the warmth of her luring him in. Helpless to resist, he thrust deep. Her tender flesh surrounded him, parted in welcome only to enfold him, keep him within her; offered resistance when he retreated.
“Jenna, oh God, Jenna.” His hips rutted, ragged, his hunger for her surpassing his ability to make it last. He felt her thighs squeeze his flanks. In excitement or command or both he was too far gone to tell. He kissed her, a clumsy attempt. One she returned as she clung to him, her nails sharp curves of fire in the skin of his shoulders, rose to meet his every surge and retreat. Sweaty and beautiful and as desperate for the bliss their bodies promised as he was. He felt it just beyond his reach, in the echo of his name in the intimate space between breaths. And he was there, bucking deep and tight inside her. Jenna arched her body to his, her cry of surrender dragged him after her into the bright light of euphoria.
The night air was cold on her flushed skin but Jenna didn’t care. Jacob lay sprawled over her, heavy with the weight of healthy, satiated male. She stroked her fingertips in the short hair at his nape and smiled at the sounds he made, soft exhales that puffed warm over the top swell of her breast. It was a moment to be treasured; her lover asleep and trusting in her arms.
She felt the press of lips over her heart and looked down her nose to meet deep brown eyes, liquid and sleepy with lingering bliss.
“Hello.” She smiled; amused as his heightened color was visible by moonlight.
“That’s embarrassing.”
Jacob pushed up on his hands, shifting his weight to the side.
“Why?”
“One might consider it rude to pass out on a lady after…”
“After fucking her brains out?” Jenna wriggled away from the tickling fingers assaulting the nearest hip. “You make a good blanket.”
“This coming from a certified Blanket Hog.” Jacob snorted and hooked a hand over her hip, dragging her into his side. “Speaking of blankets, I suggest we get under this one.”
“I like your thinking.”
She shuffled and lifted when asked as he tugged the top blanket free and flicked it to settle over them. Warmth returned to her toes and she spooned into him, her head on his shoulder as they stared up at the star-spangled ink sky.
“Do you think there’s life out there? Maybe a galaxy where there’s a real-life Dante Jones and an Ethan Fox, saving people from interstellar smugglers and jewel thieves with rainbow hair.”
He chuckled; a light happy sound that danced along every one of her nerve endings. “I’d like to think so. Probably not as ruggedly handsome…”
“Of course not. That’d be impossible.”
Jenna sensed Jacob’s thoughts drifting into quiet, much like her own were. It was warm and peaceful and safe enveloped in his arms. She knew a lot would be thrown at her in the next few days, it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy how perfect now was.