Chapter Six
Guarantee? Had she heard him right? Guaranteed great sex.
Kate felt her racing heart stop. Great sex wasn’t something she’d experienced with her ex. Or maybe ever. And here he was—after delivering one heck of a kiss—guaranteeing heart-stoppingly great sex. She wrapped her arms around her body to keep from shivering with anticipation. “That’s a pretty big promise.”
He smiled as if big wasn’t a problem, a boyish grin lighting up his face. “Well, hot chips are my specialty, so I’m pretty certain I can deliver.”
Her heart rate accelerated, but hey, she enjoyed a challenge as much as the next girl. She’d certainly enjoyed the last one, she thought, drawing in a steadying seven-second breath. “What makes you so sure you can deliver?”
He took off his glasses and looked her in the eye. “It’s the way I kiss.”
The way I kiss. She drew in another breath. Wow. The effect of those eyes without the Costellos was—wow. Butterflies in the stomach. For the first time, the expression made sense. The way I kiss. Four little words, and all of a sudden, she was melting. “You sure are confident.”
He shrugged a broad shoulder. “Really great sex starts with a really great kiss, and maybe it’s been a while, but some things you never forget.”
“Like riding a bike?”
A wicked smile played at the edge of his mouth. “Nothing like riding a bike, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart. Kate had never liked the nickname. Always the sweet one, the considerate one, she felt the expectation of the moniker. But from his lips, the endearment sounded more like an invitation than a demand. And this was an invitation she wanted to accept.
“What do you say, Kate?” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Interested?”
Her mouth went dry. Say something. She cleared her throat. God, yes, she was interested. He fit the bill perfectly. He wasn’t super-vain, or pathological, or gorgeous beyond reason. He was scruffy and cute. Safe. She bit down on her lower lip. Of course, that last kiss wasn’t exactly what she’d call safe, but she’d only be here for twenty-four hours—she could keep it simple. She ran her tongue over her lips. Now or never, Kate. This was her chance to be a Cosmo girl. Live out a few of those fantasies she wrote about.
She shifted her body closer to the game board, picked up three Scrabble letters, and laid down her answer. YES. “One more kiss and we’ll see where it leads.”
He added three letters to the game for a triple word score.
Y
E
K I S S
One more kiss. Yes, please.
Jake looked up from the board, his blue eyes locked with hers, shadows from the candlelight emphasizing the planes of his face, and suddenly, it felt impossible to swallow.
“Do you know the three elements of the perfect kiss?” he asked.
The timbre of his voice dipped into a low hum that made her toes curl into the luxurious blanket. “No, but I’m sure you do.”
He actually had the nerve to look pleased with himself. “I do.”
The rush of her feelings was strange and unexpected, and whether she owed her daring to the situation, the intimacy of the candlelight, or the fact that they were alone, safe inside as the storm raged outside, didn’t seem to matter. “Plan on sharing?”
“First, don’t rush it.” He eased his long frame closer, looped his index fingers beneath the straps of her sundress, and tugged gently on the straps.
“Slow and easy.” Her voice was a whisper as her gaze fell to his lips.
His mouth tilted closer. “Secondly, it is critical…”
“Critical?” she whispered, her gaze locked on his mouth.
“Critical.” The straps fell from her shoulders as his fingertips coasted along the lines of her collarbone. “To minimize distractions.”
“Minimize distractions,” she repeated. His hands drifted south, grazing the neckline of her dress before moving over her nearly naked shoulders. “I am so not distracted.”
A smile lifted the edges of his mouth, and he took her face in his both hands. “Timing is everything.”
Wow. There it was again, that wow, wow, wow feeling. She felt hypnotized as his lips moved closer, not touching but just a breath away.
Her everyday seemed distant and unreal. Timing is everything, he’d said, and Hallelujah, her time was now. He leaned closer, and the way his muscles moved beneath the cotton of his T-shirt made the breath catch in her throat. The storm raged outside, but the candlelit house felt intimate, hushed except the rain against the skylights. Her eyes drifted shut. Now. Kiss me now.
And he did. Slowly. Deeply. Indulging in her. Kissing her like it was a kind of mindful meditation.
The moment felt dreamy. Nothing like New York. No taxis or traffic, no takeout guy at the door, no police sirens or ferry horns. Just the circling wind and rain and the two of them together for the night
Not wanting the moment to end, she laced her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. Yes, he was still her interview, but she wanted this night and she didn’t want it to end with just one kiss.
Her lips parted, and a soft moan escaped her. The fragrant, vanilla-scented air, the sexy blues on the radio, the fierce warmth of his kiss raced straight to her head. His hands fell to her hips and coaxed her an inch closer, close enough to feel his warm breath against her cheek as he pulled back. His blue eyes darkened with desire, and his gaze seared her flushed skin, promising all kinds of torturous delight.
His gaze dipped to her mouth as though he wanted to kiss her again. Desire kicked in as an image of the two of them rolling around like thunder beneath the soft gray sheets of his California King blossomed in her mind like an island flower. Bring on the fantasy. She brought his mouth crashing back down onto hers, twisting her hands into his dark hair, not caring that it curled wildly in all the wrong places, wanting only to stay in his arms and in his kiss. His hands fell to her ass and dragged her closer. Her heart pounded in her chest. His mouth on hers. His hands burning across her skin. New and unfamiliar. And she loved it.
Her body melted into his, and the slim space between them disappeared, their heartbeats pulsing in time with the rhythm of the wind. She pulled him closer, wrapping her elbows around his neck, entwining her fingers deeper into his soft hair, pressing her body closer. She breathed in his scent of spiced rum and ocean air, and pulled him closer, wanting to feel every muscle in his body contract beneath her fingers.
“Are you sure?” he whispered against her lips. “Because if you’re not, you need to tell me now.”
“I am so sure.” She tugged at the bottom of his t-shift, and her hands skimmed the muscles of his abdomen. “Completely, totally off the record sure.”
She wanted this feeling. This rush of sensation. Didn’t need a plan beyond when she would feel his mouth again.
He pressed another kiss against her mouth. But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. God, she’d forgotten how it felt to be desired. To be kissed with intention. To be wanted. Heck, maybe she’d never known. Not like this. The new Kate had arrived. “What happens in Paradise…”
…
Jake needed no more encouragement.
He brushed a white-blonde curl from her cheek as his lips covered hers, teasing and gentle at first, growing more insistent as he traced the line of her lips with his tongue, stopping at the corners to tug at her bottom lip. He heard her soft intake of breath. Slow and steady. Critical timing. All of it. Out the freaking window.
And when her lips parted under his kiss, he accepted her enticing invitation and deepened his exploration of her mouth. At the first caress of his tongue inside her mouth, an earthy moan rose from her throat. His heart raced, beating steadily against the gauzy material of her red dress, meager protection against the heat building between them.
His hands moved from her rounded hips, along the gentle curve of her waist to the swell of her breasts. He tugged the small strap and the fabric fell away, allowing him access to the edges of the lacy bra that had been tempting him for hours. Her head tilted back in an invitation, and his mouth moved to her throat, licking and tasting, enjoying the feel of her, letting his hands roam her breasts. He kneaded the soft flesh, tweaking the pointed tips until she arched forward to fill his hands more completely, reveling in the soft, pleading whimpers falling from her lips.
Damn, it had been too long since he’d had a woman in his arms—way too long—and her sweet, sexy sounds made him want more. So much more. She edged her body closer, silently asking for his touch, and turning back now felt impossible. Instead, he circled the edge of her nipple, first with his palm, then with the tips of his fingers, pinching and tweaking as his tongue licked and kissed through the lace. He nipped at the rosy peaks, loving the way her body trembled, responding to his every bite and touch. To hell with self-control. He released a low growl of need as his hands fell to her hips and flipped her onto her stomach.
A soft moan escaped her as his fingers drifted to the hem of her dress. He lowered his body carefully, letting her feel some of his weight, adjusting his position to allow his fingers to slip beneath the thin fabric of the dress. Creating an intimate trail across the curve of her calves, he lifted the dress higher to the reveal the creamy skin of her thighs, then shifted his body higher to kiss the back of her neck. “Is this okay,” he asked, his fingers skimming the line of her body. “Is this what you want?”
She turned her head to catch her lips. “Yes,” she whispered.
And that word was everything he needed to hear.
He tugged away the small straps of her dress to reveal the naked skin of her shoulders and back, the shapely line of her body. He slipped the cotton away from her skin and his kiss traveled across her back, her ribs, along the delicate lines of her shoulder blades, the back of her neck. She twisted toward him, softly whimpering, wanting more.
But he wasn’t finished showing her all the erotic places a kiss might lead.
With one of his knees between her legs, he fell back on his haunches as his hands moved to her hips and slipped under the hem of the dress to burn an intimate trail along the inside of her thighs. He’d never felt so turned on, so invested in showing a woman all the pleasures of her body. What was it about her that made him feel lighter, more free than he’d felt in years? He wanted her to feel free, too. Maybe he couldn’t give her everything. But he could give her this.
Easing his body closer, he let his fingers slip inside her panties. She was wet, ready. Her body moved against his playing fingers, eager to find release. His thumb circled, easing in and out of her in time with the seductive thrusts of his hips from behind. His mouth moved against her neck and jaw, tracing a hot, wet line to her earlobe as his hands continued to work her breasts and her clit. She arched back, giving him more access to her body, and for the love of Jesus, he’d never seen a sexier woman in his entire life. But he wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.
He pressed her body back down with his and whispered against her ear. “I want to make you come. Now. Right now.”
“Yes,” she whispered, “Now.”
His hands at her hips, he flipped her onto her back. His mouth found her lips, kissing her deeply as he slipped his fingers deeper inside her, sending tiny bolts of lightning flashing through her. “Come for me, Kate.”
“Yes,” she said, her breathing ragged as she edged closer. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
Her naked pleading thrilled him to his core. He wanted to give her more. Oh God, this is definitely not good.
He knew it as his mouth captured her soft strawberry lips. He knew it when his hands coaxed her to the edge, and her pleading sounds turned to satisfied cries, the pleasure rushing through her body as he guided her through a series of tremors. He knew.
This is better than good.
This is fucking great.
All he cared about was feeling. Feeling her body. Feeling her move. Feeling her body come apart with pleasure. Damn, he wanted more of her now. Right here. Now. In the middle of this storm. He wanted to make her body thrill while he drove inside her until she begged him to make her come. Again and again and again.
Stuck here all night.
He made a low sound at the back of his throat. The last time his body had craved a woman like this was ages ago. So long ago he couldn’t remember. If he’d ever craved a woman so desperately. He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because he’d been in a sex-free zone for longer than he cared to admit. But this woman? He couldn’t keep his hands off her. He tugged her close, and together they fell back against the Scrabble board. He shoved it aside. Guaranteed. He should stop. Great sex.
Her hands moved to the waist band of his low-slung sweats, and with her gaze locked onto his, she slipped her hand inside and pressed her palm against the bulge in his boxer briefs. He groaned, so ready.
Unable to wait, he dragged his sweats and underwear past his hips and kicked them onto the blanket. A smile spread across his face, and he eased her panties over her hips enough to slide his fingers back inside her. She was so slick and wet. So ready. Again. His fingers worked her delicately, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. But this time, he didn’t let her come.
He pressed his fingers deep inside and flicked her clit with his thumb, loving the raw need etched across her features, all laid out for him to see. Her body shuddered as his fingers circled her core, easing in and out of her
“Does that feel good?” he asked, his breathing shallow, every part of him waiting for her response. “Do you want more?”
She answered without words, bringing his mouth crashing down on hers, as she tugged his shirt away, her body bucking against his playing fingers, her hips rising and falling in a series of small pleading movements.
Jesus, Jake hadn’t thought it was possible to get any harder, but he was wrong. So wrong. His body literally ached with need. “I want to be inside you.”
“Yes,” she said. “God, yes.”
Outside, hurricane winds roared, but the tropical storm was nothing compared to the fever-pitch of desire raging inside him. He slipped her rumpled dress from her body and tossed it aside, leaving her naked except for her lacy red bra. With just the small scrap of lace between them, they lay together, practically naked in the dim light, the sound of the rain falling in a hush around them. His eyes roamed the curves of her candlelit body, taking in the gentle curve of her stomach, the way her nipples hardened with need, and her breath grew shaky as her body trembled with anticipation. He took his time, stroking her everywhere, tormenting every inch of her body, until the ache inside him demanded more.
Every fiber of his body pulsed, aware of every inch of her as he positioned his hips above her. His eyes locked onto hers as he cradled her body against his.
“You are so pretty.” Her mouth reached up to catch his in reply. He kept right on kissing her, licking, swirling until she shivered uncontrollably. As he directed her hand inside her panties, he whispered against her throat, “Show me what turns you on.”
And with her gaze still locked with his, she dipped her fingers inside her core for him. So erotic. So intimate. He stayed. Watched her touch herself. Noticed her skin grow flushed and pink and pretty, and goddamn, she looked so fucking sexy. Her hips rose as small sweet sounds of desire escaped her. When she was close, he dropped a kiss on her mouth, his lips lingering as he whispered, “Be right back. Stay ready for me.”
A desperate moan of protest escaped her swollen lips as he rolled away. His long strides covered the space to his bedroom in record time. He grabbed a blue foil packet from his nightstand—his one and only he kept there. If there was going to be another round, they’d have to break into the stash he had in his closet or the bathroom…or somewhere. Hell, he’d find them. He rushed back, hoping to God there’d be more than one round. She was still there, naked except for the lace. The sight of her pleasuring herself, keeping her body ready to accept his, turned him on in a way he could not explain.
He lowered his body next to her, and she reached for him, rolling the condom over his aching cock, her light touch making him desperate. His mouth fell to hers, and he pulled her close, their heated bodies searching for each other. When they could wait no longer, he entered her slowly, allowing her to accept him, increasing his rhythm as her hips moved upward, her rising body welcoming him deep inside. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. He wanted to her hear cry out his name. Wanted to feel her come apart while his cock was inside her.
He moved deeper, stroking her delicate insides, searching for that sweet spot, pushing her to the limits of pleasure.
“Come for me again, Kate,” he whispered against her lips. Her breathing grew ragged, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip, whimpering softly, desperately close to climax. He drove deeper, aiming for the place he knew would make her shatter. A pleading sound erupted from her throat as he guided her through a series of a small earthquakes coaxing her to orgasm once on her own, before enticing another climax to match his. As the candles flickered all around them, she curled against his naked, spent body in a way that spelled out more than a one-night stand of guaranteed great sex.
Damn, he thought, kissing the edge of her temple in a gesture so sweet and romantic, it literally surprised him. YES. The word echoed through his brain, a small word loaded with meaning, a small word that could change everything. He drew in a long breath and pulled her close. YES. Outside, the driving rain continued, and they lay together on the cozy blanket, listening in the dark as the wind swirled and howled like some kind of out-of-control promise. But he wasn’t a man who believed in promises. Or soul mates. He was a man who was finished with love.
Tomorrow she’d go back to the city. And he’d stay here. But right now, tonight, he wanted this woman. He wanted her in any and every way she’d take him. His fingers trailed along the curve of her naked hip, and she glanced up at him, a sexy smile lifting the edges her lips. Great sex, guaranteed.
Too bad it all ended tomorrow.