“God, I love making you come,” Jake said and placed his chin on her stomach. “I have to say, I feel like a million bucks seeing your after-orgasm glow.”
Michelle chuckled. “Proud of yourself?”
“Hell yeah,” he told her with a smug grin.
She pushed herself off the couch into a sitting position. He kneeled on the floor between her bare legs. Michelle captured his lips, tasting her essence as she searched for his taste.
Jake kneaded her breasts as she slipped one hand down to unzip his jeans. She needed to set him free. He moaned into her mouth when her hand found his hard flesh. It was a silky, thick rod. When it throbbed in her hand, her core tightened with need.
Michelle broke their kiss and moved along his jaw to his ear. After teasing him a moment, she whispered, “You have way too many clothes on. Fix that.”
Jake chuckled at her demand. Before doing as she said, he nibbled his way down her neck. Her head dropped to the side, giving him full access to the column of her neck.
When his shirt came up and off his body, she paused. Jake stood and pushed the jeans and boxer briefs he wore to the ground and kicked them aside. His large dick stood proudly in front of her, and the body it was attached to blew her fantasies out of the water.
“Like what you see?” he asked.
Michelle looked him over. “It’s all right,” she said and bit her cheek to stop from giggling.
The skin between his eyes crinkled. “Oh, is that so?”
“Well, I don’t want you to get cocky—”
“Baby, I’m already feeling cocky.” Jake chuckled and ran his hand over his thickness.
Michelle rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, geez!”
“Hey, you’re the one that said it.”
She shook her head at him with amusement. Michelle walked right into that trap. After rising to her feet, she realized that while barefoot she was about six inches shorter than Jake. Glancing back down his very sexy body, she bit her lip.
Michelle lifted her hands and ran her fingers down Jake’s chest. She touched the firm muscles and divots where he was most defined. His hot skin burned in such an amazing way.
“Your touch…” he rasped.
She stepped into his body and let her hands move around his waist and up his back. His dick pressed into her soft belly. Jake grabbed her neck and tilted her face to his. His lips crashed on hers, and she found herself swept away in Jake.
His touch, feel, smell, and taste… All things Jake Smith.
She skimmed her hand downward and grabbed a handful of ass. The firm round muscles were colder than the rest of him. She continued her exploration until her hand wrapped around his erection. Michelle ran her hand from base to tip, enjoying the groans that escaped his lips.
Jake lifted her before she could so much as blink. Her legs wrapped around his narrow waist.
Flesh to flesh.
“Bed?” Jake whispered along her neck as his fingers dug into her ass.
Michelle pointed, and as Jake took a step, a loud vibration stopped him. “I’ll call back,” he told her and peppered kisses along her shoulder.
The noise ended and started up immediately. “Are you sure it’s not important?”
Jake adjusted her so he could slide his thickness between her lips. “Elle, this is feeling pretty important.”
Michelle moaned at the feel. Her body ached for him.
He carried her to the bed and laid her down.
“Condom?” she asked before her mind completely fried on the overwhelming need to have this man fill her.
“Wallet. Be right back,” Jake said and hurried out of the room.
She chuckled at his eagerness and enjoyed the view of him leaving. Once he was out of sight, she moved herself to the middle of the bed and took a deep breath. It had been a while since she’d had sex, but sex with Jake? It felt different… bigger… and much scarier.
She looked at the door when she heard a rustle. Her brows pulled together when Jake stepped inside her room pulling his thermal over his head.
“I’m so damn sorry, Elle,” he said and zipped his jeans.
Her arm covered her breasts. “Did I do something wrong?”
His sat on the bed next to her. He placed his hand on the other side of her body before he leaned in close. “No. My phone?”
“Yeah?”
“It was important, and I have to go.” Jake looked away before taking in a deep breath.
“What?” she asked.
“You can come with me if you want? I mean, I’d love for you to come with me.”
Michelle stared at him and couldn’t help the confused look on her face. “You want me to go with you somewhere that is so important that you’d stop…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, and her face flushed.
“My friends need me. I would love to introduce you to them. You would need to hurry though.” His eyes dropped to her breasts. Desire flashed before she saw the hope that she would go with him replace it.
“Okay.” Michelle smiled and kissed his lips softly.
She jumped out of bed but not fast enough. Jake swatted her ass and chuckled at the dirty look she directed at him. She of course didn’t mean it and found herself smiling from ear to ear. Michelle grabbed her clothes strewn around her living room and slipped them on as fast as possible. Jake stood by the front door with his coat on and hers in his hands.
“Purse,” she reminded him and ran to the table where she kept it. With a quick glance, she spotted her phone and keys.
Within five minutes of Jake entering her bedroom, she was stepping outside into the cold. She wondered what his friend needed that was important enough for Jake to halt their activities but enough to include her.
“I should probably warn you,” Jake said as he stopped in front of the hospital doors.
Michelle’s mind whirled with varying scenarios of what was beyond those doors. She didn’t do well with gore. Hell, Janey had begged her to be at her side for Bobby’s birth, and Michelle had only agreed after some stipulations. She refused to watch her godchild enter the world.
Nope. It wasn’t going to happen. Childbirth was a miracle and beautiful in its own way, but she knew she couldn’t stomach seeing it happen. Not to mention, she had no intentions of seeing her best friend’s va jay jay stretched to its max.
“What’s that?” she asked Jake, focusing on the man in front of her.
He looked away and blew out a heavy breath. “My friends will be shocked to see you here with me. There are good reasons for how they feel, but I promise you they are great people. They are my family. I also promise that if you stick through these next hours with me, I’ll tell you the rest.”
Michelle grabbed his hand and held it between her own. “Jake, it’s not like we’ve been together long.”
His eyes met hers with an intensity she didn’t expect. “No we haven’t, but it feels like I’ve known you my whole life.”
She smiled as her heart rolled inside her chest. “It really does feel like that. What I’m trying to say is that it’s okay. I don’t know your history, but I hope you will share it with me when you’re ready. I will share with you my boring history as well.”
“You and boring don’t go together,” he whispered as he stepped closer. Jake raised his gloved hand and cupped her cheek. “I find you very fascinating.”
Michelle chuckled. “I’m glad I have you fooled so easily.”
His lips met hers, and time stood still. She didn’t know what it was about this man. Maybe it was the magic of the winter season, but there was no denying she was falling for Jake. Quite literally, if she thought about it.
Jake’s warm lips infused her with hope and promises for more. He broke the kiss and searched her eyes. Cold snowflakes landed on her eyelashes, and she blinked them away.
Jake brushed them off her face. “Let’s get inside before you freeze and they hunt me down.”
Michelle followed him blindly. She stared at the map laying out all the departments without actually seeing a thing. Good thing Jake seemed to know which way he needed to go. He tugged her hand toward the elevator and pressed the four before pulling her into his side.
He kissed her head, and she heard the tremble of his exhale. The moment was sweet and oddly reminded her of a cheesy TV movie. What wasn’t cheesy was the feeling that overcame her with that kiss. He’d kissed her in a variety of ways now, but that kiss.
That one chaste kiss knocked her on her ass.
She was thankful she could burrow her face into his side and just be. No forced words or promises. Two people taking whatever comfort or affection the other could give. Living in the moment. Simple and yet anything but.
Michelle couldn’t help examining the tornado of feelings flowing through her. Her logical brain wanted to put her in her place back on earth. Her heart overruled her need for self-preservation. This feeling was what she dreamed of. For many years, she couldn’t understand why she didn’t have what her friends had.
Before she could continue considering those things, she looked around. At some point in her heavy thoughts they’d exited the elevator, and Jake was now chatting with a nurse behind the desk.
“Chelle?”
Michelle turned and her brows drew together. “Eric?” The heavy fog around her mind disappeared as she scanned her surroundings.
“Thank God! I was starting to worry you hadn’t gotten our messages,” Eric said.
“Messages?” Michelle asked and fumbled for her phone. Missed calls, voicemails, and at least twenty text messages.
“Oh, hey, Jake!” Eric said looking to her side. “You got Scott’s messa—”
Michelle felt Jake step closer before he came into her peripheral vision.
“Yeah, I got it just a little bit ago and came as soon as I could,” Jake told Eric.
Her cheeks flushed, and it became uncomfortably warm in her coat. Michelle opened her texts and read the messages as they became more agitated and serious. Her head popped up, and she finally focused on her surroundings.
“Did you two come here together?” Eric asked, surprise clearly written all over his face.
Jake and Michelle looked at each other. In one look, all her nerves faded. “Yes,” they said together.
“Well, shit…” another voice said.
Michelle turned toward the newcomer and felt Jake’s arm snake around her waist, pulling her into him. The man stared between them, noting their intimate position. Her eyes moved to Eric and watched him smile and put his hands in his pockets.
Eric chuckled. “Scott, it seems Jake here has been keeping secrets.”
“Apparently,” Scott said. “Where did you find this—”
Eric slapped him upside the head and Jake tensed next to her.
“Ouch!” Scott cried and rubbed his head.
“Scott, this is Chelle,” Eric told him and shook his head.
“You’re Chel—"
Before her nickname could come out of Jake’s mouth, they heard a woman cry out in pain from the room the two men had exited. Eric turned on his heels without a word and jogged away with Scott on his trail.
Pushing aside all this new information, Michelle hurried after them with Jake right behind her. Inside the room, she found Janey strapped to a variety of wires.
“Oh my God, are you and Bobby okay?” Michelle asked at the sight before her.
“Chelle? It took you—” Janey stopped and gasped for air.
“Breathe, sweetheart!” Eric cooed from her side.
Michelle watched the evilest stare directed at Eric. She couldn’t help smiling and heard Jake’s own amused chuckle from behind her. When a nurse walked in to check on Janey, Jake pulled Michelle out of the way and planted her in front of him. Her back was pressed against his front, and his hands held her hips as he brought her against him. The position was relaxing in a very stressful situation.
She took another quick glimpse at her texts and realized that at some point she’d forgotten to take her phone off do not disturb. Michelle had missed messages from both Eric and Janey letting her know that Janey’s water had broken and they were headed to the hospital.
Janey McCleod: Is there any way you’ll deliver this kid?
Janey McCleod: No, seriously… I think my vagina is going to turn into the Grand Canyon.
Janey McCleod: He’s going to rip me in half!!!
Michelle’s giggles at the texts were stopped short the moment Janey let out a painful cry. The messages made complete sense as she watched her friend handle a particularly long contraction. Michelle felt awful for almost missing out on this important event. She knew Janey wanted her there, and she would do almost anything for her friend.
“We need to check her. Can you all step outside?” the nurse told them.
“Chelle, stay!” Janey called out, limp with exhaustion.
Jake kissed Michelle’s head again and walked out with Scott a moment later. Michelle moved to stand near Janey’s head as to avoid seeing things that could not be unseen.
“Jake’s the guy you wouldn’t tell me about?” Janey asked.
“Yeah. I didn’t know you guys knew him.”
Janey and Eric shared a look before bringing their attention to her. “He doesn’t come out much—you should know—”
“It’s baby time!” the nurse at the foot of the bed announced as she removed her gloves.
Before Michelle could ask what Janey thought she should know, the room became a flurry of activity. Scott and Jake came back in after Janey gave the staff the okay. She wasn’t sure what she was missing regarding Jake.
What Michelle did know was that she was about to become a godmother…