FINALLY THEY ARRIVED AT THEIR destination. Once Jake parked, he made no move to get out. Instead, he shifted Holly’s seat all the way back with one push of a button, then moved over, kneeling between her legs. He pulled and tugged on her jeans until her bare ass made contact with the soft, warm leather of the seat. With her jeans around her knees, Jake helped himself.

Holly moaned loudly as Jake devoured her like he was starving and she was a buffet. It felt so good, and she bit down on her lower lip to try to muffle her moans. His tongue was driving her wild. She grabbed his hair when he used his thumbs to spread her open for him, and, he sucked harder on her clit. Heat pooled in her stomach. 

“Ohh, fuck!” she moaned. 

When he chuckled, the vibration only increased the sensation. He stopped, which was a good thing, considering she was close to exploding. She wanted him right here and now. His gaze never wavered from hers as he pulled her jeans back up, zipped them closed, and fastened the button. 

What the fuck am I doing? Here she was with the man who had left her when she needed him. She should get out of his SUV and run home as fast as her feet could take her. Why had she thought she could set her feelings aside? Clearly she couldn’t.

Jake was frowning slightly, as if he could sense her sad memory of his absence, which wasn’t something she was anywhere near ready to talk about, so she grabbed him and kissed the living crap out of him. He collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She could still feel his hard shaft pressing and moving against her jeans. She groaned, then kissed him again. Jake broke the kiss and lifted his head, somehow managing to open the door. He climbed out, swaying somewhat on his feet as if he was drunk. He steadied himself and straightened his clothing. When he turned, Holly hadn’t moved from the position he’d left her in. He chuckled as their eyes found one another. 

She hated him for making her want him so much. She couldn’t believe he still had the same effect on her.

Bending into the car, Jake picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. She heard the car door slam shut, followed by the chirp of the alarm. 

“I can walk, Jake.”

“I know you can. But, I’m scared that the minute your feet touch the ground, you’ll run for your life.”

Holly laughed. It was exactly what she’d been thinking a couple minutes ago. She’d swear Jake had the ability to read her mind. If that were true, though, he’d have known about Jamie. Jamie’s face flashed through Holly’s mind, and she closed her eyes to steady herself. If she was being honest with herself, she knew chances were slim she’d be able to keep her feelings out of this, but she needed to do just that. Whatever happened after tonight, Holly had to make sure Jake didn’t find out about Jamie.

Inside, the building was quiet, and no one manned reception. With Holly still over his shoulder, Jake walked into the already-waiting elevator and only put her down once the doors closed. Walking her backward until her back hit the wall, he lowered his head and kissed her. The kiss grew feverish until a ping sounded and the door opened. Grabbing her hand, Jake walked out, pulling her along. 

Reaching room 710, Jake halted, pulled out the key to unlock the door, and opened it into a spacious loft. Fumbling along the right wall, he found the switch and turned the lights on. Holly’s eyes took in the open plan layout, the beautiful sofa, a big-screen TV, and the dining room and kitchen that were situated next to each other.

To Holly’s surprise, Jake made no move toward her.

“Would you like something to drink?”

She shifted her eyes to him and nodded. Every few seconds, Jake found her eyes, then looked away to search through the cabinets.

“Stop staring at me like that,” he said softly.

“Like what?”

He laughed. “Like there is nothing in this world you like more than me.”

Holly looked away. Shit! She couldn’t even keep her feelings off her face. “Sure. What’s there to drink, anyway?”

“Don’t know yet. That’s why I’m still searching.” He grinned. The refrigerator held nothing. “No surprise there,” he grumbled, moving to other cabinets, that on closer inspection, happened to be empty, too.

Holly started to laugh. “Perhaps we should’ve gotten something to drink and eat on the way.”

“I only want something to drink, because I’m going to eat you.”

“Stop that. You are driving me insane.”

He chuckled and pulled out a bottle of wine from the back of one of the cabinets. “Ahh, we can have some wine. You up for it?”

“Is it going to be in a glass or on me?”

Jake grinned. “Glass, but I love your idea.”

The corner of her mouth twitched. She found glasses in the cabinet she was standing in front of and handed them over to Jake to fill. He’d found a corkscrew in one of the drawers and uncorked the bottle. After filling both glasses halfway and handing Holly one, Jake took a slow sip of his wine, his eyes fixed on Holly’s lips. Holly’s mouth dried, and she hastily took a gulp of the wine. It tasted bitter yet sweet. Much like Jake’s newfound sexual vocabulary, she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not.

She noticed his eyes on her over the rim of his glass as he sipped, and she held his gaze. Abruptly, Jake drained the remainder of his wine and set his glass down. He stalked toward her. He looked serious, and when he grabbed her, it was kind of rough, angry. Normally, such actions would have scared her, but she loved every bit of how he handled her. Lifting her up by the waist, he placed her ass down on the counter, and nudged her legs open. He stepped between her legs, and in one swift movement, he ripped her shirt open, buttons flying in every direction. 

Holy fuck, that was hot! Holly couldn’t deny that his rough actions were turning her on more than she already was. She needed more. Her cami was untouched; the soft satin fabric pressed hard against her skin as his hands gripped her waist. His lips trailed over every inch of exposed skin—except her mouth. She grabbed his shirt, ripping it open, too. The need inside her seemed insatiable; their craving for each other was overwhelming. Yet she loved it. She loved the seriousness in his eyes. For the first time ever, Holly realized there was blue in Jake’s eyes. She loved the green and blue mixture in his irises. She’d always seen the green, but never blue. Jamie’s eyes.

Her eyes dropped to his chest. She had missed his body terribly, missed kissing it, missed tasting it. Groaning deep in her throat, she caressed his chest with her lips, teasing him with her tongue, then moved to suck on the skin on his neck.

Splaying his hand on the back of her head, he turned her head toward his, then in a flash, his lips were on hers, ravaging her mouth. His teeth scraped against her lips, and a shiver rushed over her spine. He tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth, and her hands flew to his hips, her nails digging hard into his sides. She moved her hands to the top of his trousers and unbuttoned his trousers. Her movements were sure, confident. She wrenched her mouth away from Jake’s lips and snaked her tongue over his jaw. Jake turned his head and caught his earlobe between her teeth, nipping it gently. She flicked her tongue between her teeth, teasing him, before slowly sucking on the soft skin. By the goosebumps erupting over Jake’s skin, she could tell he was loving every second of it.

With one hard pull, Jake tore her jeans from her body, and as her bare ass felt the coolness of the counter, reality hit her. The scar. The scar where her babies had been taken out was about to be revealed. It had been dark in the SUV, but here, it was way too bright. Jake would ask questions, of that she had no doubt, since she hadn’t been marked before. Shoving him a few feet back, she jumped off the counter and toed off her shoes, stepping out of her jeans as she did so. Teasingly, she ran toward a flight of stairs where it was dark. Jake followed and attempted to grab her, but she managed to elude his grasp a few times, but as soon as she attempted to run up the stairs, Jake caught her arm and swung her around, pushing her down onto them. 

Both were laughing, enjoying the chase. 

“Did you really think you could run away from me?” he asked with a devilish grin.

“Maybe. I’m not that slow, and you have gotten older. I mean, look at all your gray hairs, old man.”

He chuckled. “It’s sexy.”

“Is that what your many women have told you?”

He smiled at her. “Do I detect a bit of jealousy?”

“Not at all. I’m interested in finding out what they taught you.” She’d wanted to add on, “Seeing as I couldn’t,” but kept it to herself, deciding not to push him too far.

Roaring playfully, Jake bit her hard on the hip, which had her screaming with laughter. When their mouths joined again, he sucked her lower lip into his mouth. Holly grunted as he pressed her harder into the stairs, his arousal hardening against her.

“You like this?” he asked between kisses, his tone serious.

“You know I do,” she replied through gasps.

He pushed himself up, taking her with him, then hauled her over his shoulder again and rushed up the rest of the steps as if he wasn’t carrying another human. Before she knew it, Jake chucked her onto a bed and a bubble of laughter left her mouth when he joined her. The bed bounced from their weight. Jake reached for the lamp on the nightstand, but she stopped him.

“No lights.” she whispered.

“What?”

“I haven’t been naked with you for over five years. I’m not used to it. Please.”

“Holly, seriously?”

“Please, Jake.” Her voice was serious. She could feel his eyes on her, and she sensed he wasn’t happy that she didn’t want him to see her.

“Whatever you want,” he reluctantly agreed, kissing her again. She felt his hand on her side, slowly caressing her skin, making its way up. Her bra disappeared next, and then her breasts felt the warm, soft touch of his tongue. He’d always been gentle with the girls, never tugging or squeezing them roughly as if they weren’t attached to her body. Sighing inwardly, she ran her hands up and down his back, every so often using her nails, while he continued to lick and kiss her breasts.

His words, Whatever you want, played through her mind. A jolt of disquiet coursed through her. Why had he left her, then? Why hadn’t he wanted them? A minute part of her suddenly regretted having kept the babies. If she’d just had the abortion as he’d asked… fuck! She couldn’t believe that she was thinking those horrific thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her? She could never imagine her life without Jamie. Questions swirled around in her mind. So in her head was she, she didn’t realize Jake had stopped kissing her and was resting on one arm, staring down at her. That made her snap out of her funk. Get it together, Holly! No feelings tonight, remember?

“Where were you? Cause I can tell it wasn’t here.”

“Nowhere,” she said, pushing herself up and moving backward so that her back was against the headboard, then hugged her legs. Who was she trying to fool? She couldn’t keep her feelings out of this. It had been a mistake coming here. She didn’t want to ask him why he’d gotten cold feet about her and the girls five years ago, because she knew this would end. She’d come here knowing this could be nothing more than sating her craving for him. She had a little girl to protect. There was no way she could tell either of them about the other. There would be too many questions.

“Hey, talk to me. What is it?” He kissed her on the shoulder.

“I really want to be here, but…” She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t tell him how much she hated him for discarding what they’d had in the past.

“I know, I feel guilty, too.” He stroked her arm gently with the back of his hand. “But I can’t help it. I want you so badly.” Lifting her hand, he kissed it softly. Holly stared at him in disbelief. She was grateful he’d made own assumption, but his words pissed her off. She was almost completely naked, in his bed, and he was thinking about Kate? She took a breath to clear her head and reasoned with herself. She was here because she wanted him—craved him, ached for him—and he hadn’t been thinking about Kate until she’d opened her mouth. 

Jake’s hand stroked her thigh, his fingers tracing slow circles on her skin. She’d forgotten what his caresses felt like, what it could do to her mind. His hand slipped higher and she lost her train of thought. Nobody had ever made her feel so wanted, the way he was making her feel now.

She leaned in to kiss him, moving to position herself on his lap. He’d always felt perfect to her. They fit like a puzzle. The kissing intensified, got greedier and faster. Her panties were discarded, replaced by his hand between her legs, stroking and rubbing her clit until she felt as if she couldn’t take it anymore. His eyes were on her, watching, but she couldn’t hold his stare. 

She moaned as his finger fucked her. Her legs were spread as wide as she could open them, undulating with the movement of his hand, fucking his fingers in turn. Jake kissed her neck softly, the roundness of her breasts, moving down to her stomach and navel while pushing her onto her back. Holly’s toes curled as Jake’s fingers pumped in and out of her, fast.

“Fuck me, please,” she begged, and his lips found hers again. The kiss was greedy as he sucked and pulled on her lips. Groaning, she panted against his lips. The tingling down below grew in intensity, exactly as he’d described it in his texts. She was going to explode. Breaking their kiss, she forced her eyes open. “Please, Jake,” she begged again, and his eyes found hers. His lips curved upward, and she felt as if she were going to melt, not just from the ecstasy she was desperately trying to keep at bay, but from the effect of his smile as well.

She was soaking wet, and he was the cause of it. “Fuck me,” she whispered again. “I’m close. I want you inside me, now.” Grabbing his boxers, she started pulling them down.

Jake chuckled. “You drive me insane, you know that?” He groaned in her ear. 

“I can’t hold back anymore. I’m going to explode, soon. I need you to fuck me now!” She didn’t care that she was pleading him, she didn’t care that she probably sounded pathetic. Right now, she wanted him inside of her. She felt Jake shift and heard him rummage around on the floor. 

Grunting, Jake pulled his boxers off, and positioned himself between them. She heard the distinct sound of a foil packet being ripped open, and Jake slid his hand between their bodies to roll on the condom. Her back arched as his finger dipped inside her again, swirling around her entrance enticingly. The next moment, he slid inside her, and Holly whimpered her pleasure, biting down hard on her lip. He withdrew almost completely before he plunged inside her again. He pinned her hands above her head with one hand, and his other hand gripped her waist, pulling her hips into his. The grip around her hands vanished as he grabbed hold of her other hip and pounded harder.

With each stroke, Holly let out a loud moan as Jake hit the perfect spot. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down, kissing him feverishly, moving her lips across his cheek to his neck, and then his shoulder where she bit him hard. 

“Fuck. I fucking love this,” he growled in her ear, his words keeping beat to his cock pumping in and out of her. Holly felt herself clenching him inside her as her muscles spasmed. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled over her body. The final wave of her orgasm rippled through her and she slumped back, completely spent. Yet, she still wanted more. “You ready for round two?” he asked without stopping.

“Bring it on, hooligan,” she said out of breath.

Laughing, Jake turned her over onto her stomach, pulling her back by the hips until her ass was in the air. Spreading her legs wider with his knees, he palmed his shaft and guided it into her opening. “Your pussy is amazing,” he grunted.

The words sent shivers down her spine. She cried out as his hand cracked down on her ass while he penetrated her. His cock was huge, stretching her tight walls. Within moments, she felt the heat of another orgasm build up inside her. “Oh, fuck,” she gasped.

Taking that as her cue, Jake slapped her ass again, and a loud moan flew from her lips as he grabbed her hips firmly and thrust himself deeper into her.

“Oh, fuck, yes, yes, yes!” she screamed.

Jake grabbed her hair. “Why the hell did you cut off your beautiful curls?” 

She ignored the question, choosing to focus instead on the pleasure expanding within her. She urged him to go faster, harder, and a ripple of satisfaction surged through her when he complied.

Her body convulsed as the final swell of ecstasy crested over her. They both fell onto the bed. She was drained but still wanted to ensure he finished. He pulled her closer and she lay with her head on his shoulder and in his arm. Her arm draped across his chest and she just listened to his heart beating as fast as hers. She could lay here with him like this forever.

“Your turn.”

Chuckling, Jake asked, “You still have strength left?”

Grinning sheepishly, Holly climbed on top of him. They became engrossed in kissing one another, with Jake paying attention to her breasts and neck, while she ground herself on him. 

She turned around so that her back faced him, rubbing her ass teasingly against his shaft. Jake swore under his breath and leaned forward to nip her shoulder. He traced his tongue along the hollow curve of her neck, his teeth scraping her skin, his breath hot on her body. Holly closed her eyes from ecstasy. No one ever kissed her like Jake Peters.

Reaching back with her arm, she pushed Jake down so he’d lie on his back. Positioning herself, Holly began performing her mini Kama Sutra-slash-yoga moves on him. Five years ago, it had driven him insane, and she’d made him climax when others had failed to. She just hoped she could still pull it off.

 “You sure you still know how to do this, Bee Puke? You seem a bit lost,” Jake blurted.

Swallowing a giggle, Holly ordered, “Just stay on your back. I’ll find it soon.” She moved slightly to the left, then slightly to the right, knowing it was there somewhere, and when she bent her body slightly forward and then to the right, Jake groaned. She grinned widely knowing she’d found the right position, then started to move. Jake was extremely quiet for a few minutes, so she picked up the pace. Another minute or so went by when she felt his hand on her hip and leg, guiding the pace. Soft groans came from Jake’s lips, and Holly picked up the pace. His groans deepened and his breathing hitched—a sign that he was about to come.

She moved faster, and faster, using all her strength to get him there, when she felt another orgasm building. “Fuck… I’m close again. You have to take over.”

“Just hold on, I’m almost there,” he ground out, taking over the rhythm. Her orgasm poured out of her, and she was sure she was going to collapse. But Jake followed a second later, growling loudly as he pulled out from her, and, ripping the condom off, he pushed her onto her stomach and emptied himself all over her back. Spent, he fell back onto the bed. They both let out satisfied, yet tired chuckles. Her eyes were shut; she was beyond tired but pleased that she still had it in her to make him reach an orgasm. She felt Jake’s weight shift off the bed, and the next moment she could feel him pushing away her hair from her face, and he planted a soft warm kiss on her head.

She heard Jake chuckling and cracked an eye open to stare at his ass as he walked into the bathroom. She heard the shower door open and the water turned on. The sound of the running water sounded very inviting, and Holly knew she needed to clean up as well. She didn’t like the stickiness on her back. Her lips curled into a smile. She knew she should wait for him to finish before cleaning herself up, because she knew if she joined him it would only lead to another round. She shook her head. She’d already let go of her morals for the night—might as well carry on. Heaving herself off the bed, she headed to the bathroom. She slipped inside and switched off the light before joining him in the shower.

He laughed.

“Seriously, that shy?”

“Shush,” she said, moving beneath the stream of water.

Jake rubbed her back sensually. She loved and had missed being so close to him, but was hating herself for wanting him even more. Grunting, he pressed her against the wall. Things heated up and by the time they’d exhausted themselves, the water had run cold. Holly stepped out and dried herself, left Jake in the bathroom, walked naked to the bed, and got in.

Fatigue quickly consumed her. The last thing she heard was the shower still running.