YESTERDAY’S SCARS
1
An expression of love and surrender…
Jake grabbed the bags from the truck and hit the door locks. The smell of steaks, blackened chicken, and garlic invaded his senses. He was famished. So hungry, but the sweet scent of Eve’s arousal still clung to his fingers, to his clothes. Food would wait. God bless the motherfucker who invented microwaves.
Leading Eve into the lobby with a hand on the side of her ass, Jake stopped in front of the elevator and hit the button.
Turning towards him, she wrapped her arms tight around his waist and cuddled under his arm. The time lapses. She didn’t do well with time lapses moving from one place to the other—too much time for her to think.
When the bell rang and the doors opened, he guided her into the small gray-mirrored elevator. Hitting the button to the third floor, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“It’s only eleven-thirty,” Eve said as the doors shut behind them. “There’s nobody here.”
“You complaining?”
She shrugged. “I’m just saying, it’s Saturday night. Don’t you think it’s odd?”
“Not really.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I think you’re nervous.”
She laid her cheek on his chest just as the bright lights in the elevator blinked a few times. Eve’s entire body seized up and he tightened his hold around her shoulders.
Are you fucking kidding me? Flickering lights in his past experience with elevators—not the best sign.
The motor shuddered and shut down, coming to an unusually smooth stop. The lights flickered before they completely shut off.
She dug her fingernails into his back. “Jake!”
“Give it second. The emergency lights will kick in.” He’d barely gotten the words out when the backup lights glared on, but instantly dimmed.
“What the hell!” Eve shrieked. Her wide blue eyes sought his.
Jake gave her a once-over before evaluating the situation. A stopped elevator in his line of work usually meant company—and not the friendly kind—was on the other side of the door or on the roof of the lift. But not here. He’d taken precautions before choosing this hotel—had to. His job demanded he never get complacent no matter where he was. Having Eve with him, he instinctively went into work mode. Listening to the subtle nuances of the elevator, he focused on the sounds outside the compartment. Convinced they were good, he glanced back at Eve. All color had drained from her face and she clutched at his arm with a strength he wasn’t aware she had.
“What happened?”
“It stopped, hon.”
“No shit, Captain Obvious! I’m aware of that.” Eve’s hands flew to her mouth and she closed her eyes.
Jake pried himself away from her, leaned over and hit the number three on the panel. Nothing. Once he felt at ease they were in fact just stuck, he chuckled. “Wow. I’m gonna let that slide, because you think you’re claustrophobic.”
“I am claustrophobic!” Both hands moved to her ashen cheeks as she furiously shook her head back and forth. “I’m serious.”
“I can see you are.” Jake turned away from her to examine the panel and hit the red alarm button.
Dead. The intercom buzzed, then cut off.
She grabbed the back of his jacket and leaned around him. “There’s an alarm. Right?”
“I hit it. The buzzing that cut off—that’s the intercom. They know we’re here. They’re working on it.” Jake hugged her to him, rested his chin on top of her head and studied the panel. He only had his knife on him and though he could get the panel off, the problem was most likely in the main power system, not the car.
“We need to get out,” Eve insisted. “Now.”
“It’s all good, hon. It’ll start. Probably just a glitch.”
Pushing away from him, her shoulders shuddered and she wrapped her arms around her chest. She backed up against the mirror opposite the doors.
“Just fix it, Jake,” she whispered.
“What do you want me to do?” Shrugging out of his jacket, he laid it down on the floor and set the bags down on top of it. That drop in her tone, the way she absently scratched at her forearms wasn’t working for him at all. “Come here, Eve.”
“No,” she uttered, quietly pushing up against the mirrored wall of the car. “I know you can fix it. You’re trained for all kinds of—situations. Fix it.”
He bit back a grin. “I know you hate elevators.”
“Clearly you don’t or you’d fix it,” Eve snapped.
“Baby, trust me when I say they wouldn’t like my way of fixing their toys. Give them five minutes.”
Leaning down to her line of sight, he tried to determine where she was at, but her eyes were squeezed shut. The angry red scratches on her forearms, however, were visible even in the dimmed lighting of the elevator and definitely had his attention.
Instantly crowded her, he untangled her arms and tugged her to the center of the elevator. He held her forearms out. Welts had already lifted on her sensitive skin and she’d drawn blood in one spot. Gripping her wrists, he turned her inner forearms up, so she could see them.
“Eve. What the fuck?”
“I want out,” she hissed.
Jake whipped her around to face the smoky mirror, her ass pressed tight up against his front. He ran an arm over her shoulder, his forearm braced tight in between her breasts. Bringing his other hand up, he checked her carotid artery, monitoring her pulse. Her heartbeat had double-timed.
“Open your eyes.”
He got no response.
“Look at me, Eve. Right now.”
She continued to stare at the ground while shaking uncontrollably.
He moved the hand at her neck through her hair at the back of her head. Wrapping her dark tresses around his fist, he lifted her head, so she could see their reflection.
“Focus on me. Look up.”
Eve’s eyes stayed glued to the floor while her sweaty hands half-heartedly pushed at his arm.
He dropped his mouth to her ear. “I need you to calm down, sweetheart. Deep breaths.”
When she still kept shaking, Jake increased the pressure in her hair and yanked her head back to his shoulder.
Eve tensed at the tight hold, but her eyes finally lifted to his in the mirror.
With her this close to him, he could feel the violent trembling ease a bit. The more pressure he applied to her hair, the tighter he held her, the more her body relaxed into his.
There we go.
Holding her head to the side, he trailed his lips down past her ear to her neck and back again. Distraction. He shoved the hand holding her against him into the front of her dress and under her breast, so he could get a good feel of her heartbeat against his palm.
“Again. Breathe for me, hon. Deep breaths.”
She took unsteady deep breaths and leaned back against him, as if needing the comfort of his body around hers.
He kept his hand over her heart until the beats slowed down and steadied out. When he was sure she’d calmed down enough, he slowly stretched the dress and her bra to the side. Cupping her exposed breast, he rolled the nipple between his thumb and index finger.
Her lips parted slightly.
“Good girl. Eyes open.” Jake kissed his way to her neck and then firmly bit down on her shoulder.
Eve jumped a little, but turned her head to his as she ran her hand up around his head, holding his face to her.
He let go of her hair and framed her chin, angling her face toward the mirrors.
“Watch us.”
When her eyes opened, he squeezed her breast and brushed his thumb over the reddened bud.
Her mouth dropped open a little more and she inhaled sharply.
“Shhh,” he soothed. “I got you.”
Eve’s hands dropped away from her body and she clenched his pants, tugging him closer to her. “Don’t let me go,” she whispered.
They made a striking couple he thought, watching their reflections in the mirror. His tanned hand against her porcelain skin. Her cheek next to his with her slightly opened mouth—fucking hot. Part of her hair caught in his goatee, but the majority ran down her chest falling near her waist.
Jake squeezed, rubbed and teased, giving her no time to think. He refused to allow her to retreat to that dark place he always lost her to, and being stuck in a fucking elevator could kick that shit off in a heartbeat. It was a strange place where she separated them, finding some sort of frightening comfort in pushing him away. He got it. While she said she trusted him, he knew deep down she couldn’t—and she would be right.
He always had to leave, and it affected them both, but in different ways. They would emotionally disconnect, before he even closed the door behind him, whether he admitted it or not. Living without the other demanded they keep emotion on a tight leash in order to deal with the long separations. Locking all that shit down tight was a must if he was going to do his job and be a good father to his girls.
Moving his other hand lower to her waist, he undid the tie on her dress. When she gasped, he squeezed and held her in place. Reaching down, he parted the dress farther to the sides.
With her mostly naked body, now fully visible in the mirror…her eyes closed again.
“No. Open your eyes.” Since he’d thrown those cock-blocking panties out the window on the drive over here, she had nowhere to hide. He ran his hand down over the narrow patch of hair between her legs, over her smooth lips. “Did you know your lips, these lips…” He ran two fingers over her. “…Are the softest skin I’ve ever touched?”
“Jake…” She moaned.
He slid his fingers between her folds, along the sides of her clit. “Tell me watching us together, watching what I do to you, doesn’t turn you on?” Eve tried to turn towards him, but he tightened his grip, allowing no movement.
“Answer me.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Moving his lips to her ear, the faint scent of her lotion made his head spin. Pulling his fingers out from between her legs, he held up the glistening digits in front of her.
“Do you have any idea how hard this makes me, knowing only I can make you this wet?”
Eve turned her head to the side, burrowing against his bicep. Wetness seeped through his sleeve.
“Stop, please.”
“Why? I can’t get enough of you,” he spoke softly to her ear.
“Because—I’m leaving,” she whispered.
He barely heard the words spoken so softly. Lifting his head, Jake gripped her chin and turned her face to the mirror in front of them. His eyes met hers in their reflection.
“Say it out loud, baby.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“Because I don’t need another memory of you—of what you do to me, of how much I love you, Jake. That’s why I never watch. It’s too hard for me when you’re gone. And soon, I’m the one who has to leave.”
“You think your reaction to me is a bad thing?”
Eve’s eyes flew open. “I’m talking about more than my physical reaction to you!”
“One subject at a time. First...we still have all night. Second...the way you respond to me isn’t a bad thing.”
“Right. Only you. Do you see the problem with that, given our situation? My situation particularly.”
When she leaned back, Jake hugged her to him. Dropping his hand between her legs once again, he intentionally slid two fingers over her clit. He nudged her feet out a little farther. His arm across her torso became her main source of balance.
“That’s right, Eve. Only me.”
“We’re a twenty-first century tragedy,” she muttered. Her wet, inky lashes fell against her pale skin.
“Not tonight,” he said.
“Temporary. Always temporary. A moment.” Her damp cheek slid against his. “I’m going to be gone for two years. How am I going to get over you?” she softly cried into his ear.
“You won’t.”
Eve jerked away and her eyebrows scrunched together. She opened her mouth to say something, but the lights flashed bright again, cutting off her response. Jumping away from him, she quickly scrambled with her bra, wrapped her dress around her and knotted that thing so tight he was shocked she could breathe. Her chest heaved as she pushed and pulled to readjust in record time.
His eyes stayed locked to her as he reached over and hit the button to the intercom.
“We good?” Jake spoke into the little panel.
A loud frantic voice came over the intercom in response. “Yes! Yes, sir. We’ll have you out of there in seconds. We apologize—”
Jake hit the reply button interrupting him. “Yeah, man. No worries.”
The elevator jolted slightly and started its descent back to the lobby.
He picked up the bags and his jacket, then turned back to Eve. “You good?”
“Yes. We’re moving. So glad.” Combing her fingers through her hair, she tried to smooth it back in place. She frantically glanced around the small space. “Why are we going back down?”
“Protocol, honey. Maintenance.” Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her to him by the waist and ran his lips over hers. No tongue, just sweeping kisses, their mouths caressing each other.
The car stopped and before the doors were fully opened, Eve jumped out and ran smack into the elevator mechanic.
“Oh, my god!” She reached out to steady the man. “I’m so sorry, sir! So sorry!”
“No apology needed Ma’am, glad we could get you outta there.” The maintenance guy nodded at Jake.
Jake escorted her down the hall. “Best time I’ve ever had stuck in an elevator.” He felt her eyes on him.
“You’ve been stuck before?”
“Hell, yes. But it’s usually with three to seven other guys. I prefer you.”
“Jeez....” Her hand rose to her throat.
Chuckling, he moved her hand away from her neck and led her to the small circular staircase.
“Will you ever not think about me in an elevator after tonight?”
“Not likely.” Sadness rang loud in her voice.
They walked up the little circular flight of stairs to the third floor, down the corridor and all the way to the room at end of the row. He had made sure they had a gorgeous view of the ocean from their balcony. The sound of the waves always soothed her.
Eve took the bags of food and he pulled out their key-card.
Slipping it in and opening the door, a gust of damp ocean air hit him in the face as he turned on the lights and entered the room first. Eve had left the sliding doors open when she ran back to the room before they left earlier. She had to have air or she felt closed in. The woman had no self-preservation skills. Open doors. He couldn’t even think about her being in New York alone—it made him fucking murderous.
“Give me a second.”
Jake walked through their little suite, making sure they were, in fact, alone. A career in Spec Ops, especially one as long and varied as his, came with enemies and it’s not like those fuckers announced their arrival. He waved an arm inside.
“Get in here. Doors, baby. Damn. Gotta remember the lock.”
“Did I not?” Walking the short distance to the suite’s kitchen, Eve put the bags on the table and went to wash her hands at the sink.
Sliding up behind her, he pushed against her back and laced his hands through hers under the warm water. The citrus and lemon-scented soap foamed and glided easily through their intertwined, slippery fingers. He rested his chin on her shoulder.
“No, you didn’t. Promise me.”
“I promise.” She took his hands in both of hers, massaging the liquid in between his fingers, over his palms and up to his wrists. Her strong hands stroked and pulled, rubbing away tension he wasn’t aware he carried.
Had he made the right decision bringing her here? Was this fair to her? To him? To them both, knowing what tonight would mean and what he had to do in the morning?
He came with a lot of baggage and she was just restarting her life, her career. He couldn’t get in the way of that. Plus, he had responsibilities back home that made his wants and desires obsolete in the present. As much as he wanted her, wanted them, the unselfish move was to let her go, but before he could bring himself to do that he wanted to give them both this one night.
Jake didn’t move from the sink for a few minutes, letting her play masseuse. He kissed her neck and shut off the faucet with what must be the cleanest hands he’d ever had. Grabbing the towel over the edge of the sink, he dried them both off. Putting his hands on her waist, he turned her toward him.
“Thank you,” he said and kissed her nose.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she pulled back. “For what?”
“Your warmth.”
Eve reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her breasts pressing against his chest.
“I’m just me.”
Jake slid her ass along the edge away from the sink. “I know, baby.” He sighed. Moving his hands to her hips, he tightened his grip. “Jump.”
As he lifted, Eve jumped to sit up on the countertop. Her hands stayed on his shoulders. She laughed nervously.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you hungry? I know you’re starving by now. God forbid, you get grumpy.”
“I can wait a little longer.” Jake bent his head to kiss her. Nobody kissed like Eve. When she kissed him, every heated breath, every slide of her tongue was an expression of love and surrender. Leisurely exploring her mouth, he gently pulled her full lower lip between his teeth while he held her gaze. The blue of her eyes deepened the more erotic the kiss became. He cupped her face in his hands.
“I want you to do something for me.”
A smile pushed at her lips and her gaze lowered. “I’m afraid to ask.”
Jake grinned back at her and dropped his hands to her waist, his fingers pulled at those damn dress ties for the final time. She wouldn’t need it anymore. He parted the dress so the ends rested against the soft swells of her breasts. The lace of her bra against the silk material was the only thing keeping her covered. The pieces hung off her body and pooled next to her thighs.
Eve laid her head on his chest. “Babe, it’s too bright in here.”
“And?”
“And—I don’t want you to see me in this much light.”
She said it softly, but there was an underlying hint of self-doubt to her tone that didn’t sit right.
“Honey, I’ve seen every part of you. What’s the problem?”
“It’s just too bright. Can’t you shut off the light?”
“What are you worried about?” Dipping his head, Jake raised her chin with his finger to meet her gaze. She’d gotten over being self-conscious with him a while ago. Sure, she had moments when modesty got the best of her, but usually not when he was touching her or she was this aroused.
“Tell me.”
“No. I just—it’s too bright.”
“Nope. Try again. Tell me why.”
“Because knowing you, you’re going to want the dress off. My underwear are somewhere on Pacific Coast Highway and you know I’m scarred. I don’t like you seeing it in this much light, okay? It’s not attractive.”
He exhaled while tracing the pale, but still angry, dark pink line that extended from the outside of her left thigh, across her quad and ended at the top of her knee.
“I’ve seen every single inch of your body. You’re beautiful to me. I don’t give a shit about the scar.”
She stared at him with wet eyes. “I do.”
Moving his hands to her face, Jake forced her to look at him. “Do my scars bother you?”
She jerked her head back as if it was the stupidest question she’d ever heard. “Not at all.”
“Neither does yours. Not your fault fuckers can’t drive. All right? I’ll shut this one off, but the entryway light stays on. I want to see you and I want you to see me.”
“Fine...okay.”
He switched off the kitchen light and came back to stand in front of her. “Get down.”
Eve slid off the countertop to stand in front of him.
Moving against the opposite counter, he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Take it off.”
She stared at him for a long time. Her hands clenched the sides of the dress, her shoulders visibly tightening.
“Baby. Did you hear me?”
Shaky hands parted the dress slowly, giving him a nice long view of her body from her throat to her platform-heeled feet.
Eve shrugged her shoulders out of the dress and dragged the sleeves down along her arms. Leaning away from the counter, she completely removed the dress. Bringing it around in front of her, she used it to shield her lower body.
Jake stretched his hand out.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yup.”
Eve slowly handed it over to him.
“The bra,” he urged, as he took the dress from her.
She inhaled deeply, then arched her back slightly. Her hand disappeared behind her back and she unhooked that binding ass contraption.
Underwear...unnecessary waste of good money.
Pulling the straps down, she held the cups to her.
When her eyes lifted to his, he nodded for her to continue. He wanted it all off.
Eve let the straps fall down her arms and gripped the material tightly in front of her. If that thing had underwire, it was done. She’d just mangled the shit out of it.
Jake approached her, forcing her back against the counter, his clothed body up tight against her naked one.
“The shoes are hot, but kick ‘em off.”
Keeping her head down, she did as he asked.
He spread the dress across the countertop behind her. “Back up, hon.” He tapped her right hip.
Eve anchored her hands and pushed herself up, so she was sitting on top of her dress. Her chest rose and fell in sync with her rapid breathing.
Moving in front of her, he took her hands in his. “Do you trust me?”
Her eyes dropped. “That’s not a fair question to ask.”
“Sure, it is. Answer it.” Jake laced his fingers with hers and pulled her hands up to his mouth, kissing each of her knuckles.
“Yes, I trust you. You know I trust you. But you’re asking for more than my trust.” Eve squirmed distractedly as his cock lay pressed up against her closed knees. Every hard inch of him wedged perfectly between her shins.
Jake almost laughed as her eyebrows furrowed, trying to ignore it. He nodded, holding her gaze. “Tonight, I am.”
“And that isn’t fair.” Her hands trembled in his.
“It isn’t. I’m asking anyway.”
She exhaled and shook her head. “What? What do you want me to do?”
“Just look at me for a second.” He brought her hands to his mouth, kissed the center of each palm and then placed them along either side of her knees. “Put your hands behind you and rest your weight on them, I want you to have a clear view down your body.”
Eve did as he asked and he pried her legs apart. Her arousal hit him like the fresh ocean air. Jake closed his eyes for a second, trying to fight the overwhelming urge to feel her tight channel squeezing him. But he also wanted to see this. Tonight, he needed her to give this much of herself to him, even though she was right. It wasn’t fair. He couldn’t give her what she needed most of all in order to be this open with him. He couldn’t give her a “them” right now. Unable to help himself, Jake took her face between his hands and pulled her mouth to his, stopping just before their lips touched.
“Kiss me.”
Running his lips over her closed mouth, he gently sucked one lip between his, then the other, drawing her into a deeper kiss.
She tilted her and teasingly touched her tongue to his.
“I could kiss you forever,” he groaned against her mouth. “You take my breath away.”
Gently pushing his thumb between their mouths for a second, he traced it along her wet bottom lip. When he pressed down, her lips relaxed. He pushed his thumb into her warm and inviting mouth. He loved her full lips, the taste, the feel, the scent of them.
“Open your eyes.” Dropping his opposite hand on top of her mound, he spread her apart with his thumb and index finger. Pulling his thumb from her mouth, he laid the wet digit on the top of her and rubbed her softly, popping her needy clit out from under its hood.
Eve quickly inhaled. Her calves squeezed his thighs.
“Watch me touch you.” Jake ran his thumb around her in slow circles.
Her eyes fluttered and her upper body stretched a little.
Good. Her body flowed to a different rhythm when he pushed her outside her comfort zone. It was a rhythm he set and she surrendered to. Almost. She was almost there.
Her chest rose and fell at a quicker pace as her breathing labored. Anchoring her elbows back on the little bar behind her, she stretched her body out longer for him. Giving him more access.
“So beautiful.”
The muscles in Eve’s calves relaxed against the outside of his thigh and she slid her right leg open more, surrendering further.
Getting a better grip on her slick lips, he pulled them back farther and began to alternate between circling her clit and running his thumb down to her entrance. Dropping to one knee, Jake put his mouth even with her pussy. He closed the distance and licked her. He glanced up her body.
“Tell me what you want.”
“You know,” she moaned.
“Say the words.” He held his thumb over her throbbing clit, pushing on her hard, making the pulsing worse and leaving her pushing against him.
Eve breathed and stretched her body toward him.
“Fuck it. Show me. Touch where you want my mouth.” Jake brought her hand to his mouth, licked her finger and moved it down onto her clit.
“Show me,” he urged, knowing she was too far gone to argue with him.
She swirled her finger over her swollen cleft and let her head drop back.
“Don’t stop.” He teased the warm spot under her finger, licked her opening and savored the distinct flavor of her. Flicking his tongue over her lips, he sucked one into his mouth, then the other.
Jake stopped touching her all together, stood up and leaned against the opposite counter.
She was divinity up there in the moonlit shadows under the faint light from the other room. With every pass of her finger, she glistened. This would be round three for her. The best fucking part, no matter how wet he got her, she’d still feel tight as hell when he entered her.
He couldn’t wait to slide into her snug, welcoming heat.
The pace of her breathing intensified. His name came out, a sweet plea on her lips, and her eyes opened, begging him, pleading with him.
“Tell me.”
“I want your mouth.”
“Move your hand.” Jake approached her slowly as he undid his belt.
Her hand stopped and she tried to steady her breathing.
Going to his knees once again, he spread her thighs out to the side and tongued her clit until his name became a mantra on her lips.
Her exhale came long and hard and her hands tunneled through his hair.
“Babe,” she whimpered and moved with him. “No more teasing—please.”
He sucked her clit hard, running his tongue over her swollen bud quickly, giving her both the suction and friction he knew she needed.
Her hips spasmed on the counter.
Jake grabbed her thighs, holding her in place, sucking until the spasms stopped. He licked at her softly, coaxing her back down. But there was no coming down for her this time.
Eve moved both hands to his face—signaling that she needed him. Every single time he ate her out, she became putty afterwards, needing the connection to him to the point her entire body quivered until he drove inside her. Yeah, he got off on the fact that he made her that desperate for him, knowing he alone could give her what she needed.
He stood up, her juices coating his lips.
She scooted up to him, wrapping her legs around his waist and rubbing her pussy against his pulsating cock.
“I missed you so much.” Her voice shook. Her hands framed his face, her breathing still ragged. Moving against him, she licked into his mouth.
Letting her take control of the kiss, he returned to her just what she gave him. He loved when she tasted herself on him—tasted the control he had over her and her body. A distinct sense of possession that he was neither entitled to, nor could he seem to get enough of.
* * *
Never breaking the contact of Jake’s kiss, Eve removed her legs from his waist and slid against him to the floor. She pulled back for a second, still holding his face in her hands, trying like hell not to tremble at the thought of what she was about to ask.
“I want to try something.” Unable to keep her body from shaking—and shaking hard—she took a deep breath. Jake had been so giving with her. She wanted to give back to him. Give a part of her she’d held back, afraid to share with him and have him leave. She was taking a chance. A chance she knew deep down would end in heartbreak. But she loved him enough to try. Taking his hand in hers, she led him out of the kitchen and into the little bedroom, but a pull on her hand stopped her.
Jake tugged her back in front of the counter and she glanced up to him.
“You can try anything with me. But tell me what you want.” He moved the hair out of her face behind her ear.
Eve dropped her trembling hands to the top of his pants, but didn’t look down. His thick erection pressed up against the palm of her hand through his unzipped pants. She licked her lips. Her mouth felt dry. Jake had never asked or pushed her to go down on him. Ever. The last time she’d done this with her ex-husband had ended in a traumatic emotional catastrophe for her. Something she’d never gotten over and she’d never tried again. But everything had been different with Jake, beautiful. Maybe this would be too.
“Hey.” He squeezed her hands. “Tell me. If you’re willing to go through with something, baby, you can say it out loud.”
Eve quickly shook her head, not wanting to voice it. She pushed his pants down along his legs to bunch on the floor. When she reached for the waistline of his boxers, she peeked up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Shaking her head, she wracked her brain for something to say. Pressure built behind her eyes and she searched his face, trying to explain her strange reaction.
Jake nodded his head once. “Shhh, baby. You’re good. That little request though… It’s gonna have to wait. We’ve got unfinished business. I need you. Now.”
Eve exhaled, stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Hugging him to her, she pressed her face to his neck, breathing in his scent. She loved the smell of him. He never wore cologne. The natural scent of his skin brought her a sense of comfort and a primal need to have him lodged deep inside her.
Slipping his hands under her ass, he lifted her back up on the countertop.
She instantly opened her legs and pressed against him. Something about experiencing how much he wanted her, how hard he got for her, brought her a strange sense of peace. He never emotionally checked out on her when they were together. It was one of the reasons she’d fallen so desperately in love with him. He was acutely aware of her physically and of what she needed from him emotionally in these moments.
Afterwards...it was a day-by-day scenario. Some days she would get Jake, others he would be removed. Distant. That Jake broke her heart, every second of every day. She would answer the phone, anxious for the man she’d fallen in love with. She rarely got that man these days. Where he used to tell her everything, he’d been distracted the past few months.
His deep chuckle pulled her out of her sad musings.
“Don’t get too lost in those deep thoughts, sweetheart. I’m gonna need your undivided attention in about two seconds,” he said slipping his cock out of his boxers.
Eve sighed as he rubbed his soft head up and down the length of her core, coating himself with her arousal. His smooth tip moved against her over-sensitized clit, which brought about a paradoxical and heightened desire—she wanted him to stop, yet didn’t. On a down stroke, she jerked forward and gripped his shoulders, catching him at an angle that allowed her to take him inside of her.
“Fuck, baby!” Jake groaned as he yanked her to him with a grunt. “Sneaky little shit,” he growled before thrusting all the way in.
Eve cringed at his smooth but painful entry. He pushed so deep that she held her breath as her body acclimated to his size. The first few thrusts were always the worst for her, no matter how wet he got her. The pain of his hard shaft stretching her tight channel was always a welcomed sense of discomfort. Wrapping her arms completely around his shoulders now, Eve clung to him.
“Breathe.” Jake’s warm breath blew on her ear making her shiver. “Breathe, hon.”
She closed her eyes as his goatee teased at her neck, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Complete. Jake inside her body was an awakening to what complete felt like. He took her to a place of life-altering pleasure that she never wanted to return from...and that was the problem. Other than tonight, she may never know what it was like to go to bed with the man she loved night after night. Wake up to him, make love to him in the mornings. What if he found someone else while she was gone?
“Mmm,” Jake groaned. Pulling almost all the way out of her body, he filled her up again quickly. “If you’re thinking that hard, I’m losing my touch.”
Eve winced at the pain of his reentrance, but wrapped her legs around his waist locking her ankles at his lower back.
He rocked in and out of her slowly at first, letting her get used to the feel of him. He kissed her over and over, his tongue thrusting in time with the rhythmic slide of his cock inside of her.
“I love you,” Eve whispered against his lips, knowing she shouldn’t have. At this point, she didn’t care. She did love him and she needed him to know it. Digging her fingernails into his biceps, she held onto him as he picked up the pace of his strokes.
Moving a hand from around her back, he held her chin still as his eyes burned into hers. “You’re my light, Eve. Never forget that,” he said.
She searched his face, wondering where the tinge of heartbreak she heard in his voice was coming from.
“Give me your legs.” His palms skimmed along the outside of her thighs.
Eve brought her legs down from around his waist, keeping him seated deep within her.
Hooking underneath her knees with both hands, Jake pulled her against him, forcing her to balance on her hands behind her. He pushed her legs out to the sides, giving her a clear view of where their bodies connected.
Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back.
“No, dammit. Watch.”
“Jake....” Tears threatened and she fought to keep them back. She didn’t want to see, didn’t want to watch, didn’t want to have to remember.
He pulled out and slammed back into her, as if demanding she stay in the present moment with him.
Taking a deep breath, Eve looked down at their joined bodies. The soft light played on his wet cock as he drove in and out of her body. She moved her hips in time to his thrusts. Their connected bodies were an erotic and exquisite sight. She moaned as he slowly increased his speed. Now, she saw what he’d been talking about all this time and she couldn’t look away.
This was what love looked like.
Wrapping his hands around her thighs, he pushed her legs wider apart.
“Do you want me to come inside you?” Jake growled, releasing the hold on her legs and pulling them back around his waist. “Tell me now.”
“No! Stay here,” she cried and instantly locked her ankles together behind him.
He gripped her ass and yanked her in tight. His hips pistoned against her. “I’m here, baby. Right. Fucking. Here.”
Peace. A strange sense of peace washed over her any time he was buried deep within her. The fullness of his presence inside her brought about a feeling of contentment, despite the sharp lick of pain when he hit too deep.
When he thrust a final time, Eve pulled him to her as he nearly growled and hugged her tighter.
He locked his arms around her, still lodged deep. “Squeeze me tight.”
The timbre of his voice caressed her neck. Eve leaned close, pushed her pelvis against his, and contracted her muscles, her body clutching at him. She’d never enjoyed this part of sex before. It was just messy and a hassle, but not with him. Given a choice, she would have him come inside of her every time, because she craved the intimacy that came with being this close to him.
He moved his lips to her ear. “That’s what home feels like.”
Eve framed his cheeks and leaned back. “You are home to me, Jake.”
“Mmm.” He kissed her forehead, pushed his hands under her ass and lifted her up without pulling out.
“What are you doing?” She smiled into his shoulder.
“Bed. No need to mess up the kitchen. I knew that dress would be useful for something other than looking amazing on you.” He knelt on the bed and fell forward with her.
“Jake!”
They both laughed as her back hit the mattress with him on top of her.
Pulling back, he stared down at her before kissing her forehead and slowly pulling out. “Stay here. I’ll get you a towel.” Stark ass naked, he walked to the bathroom.
A smile pushed at her lips as he came back with her towel and his boxers on.
With a longing look at the table full of food, Jake groaned as he walked past it to her.
“You’re hungry.” She fought back a laugh.
Looking amused, he dropped to the bed beside her and gently cleaned her up. Jake was like a grumpy bear when he was hungry.
“I’m fucking starving. I gotta eat something other than you.”
He stood up, grabbed her ankles and pulled her to him by the side of the bed. Then handed her one of his T-shirts.
“Go clean up. I’ll heat it up. We’ll eat then...what? Movie?”
She wrapped the towel around her and sat on the side of the bed. “A movie’s fine.”
Before she could reach the bathroom, Jake’s voice stopped her. “Baby....”
She turned to him. “Yeah?”
“You know I won’t make it through a movie with you…”
Sadness washed over her, because there wasn’t enough time.
“I know.” Never enough time.
His vivacious laugh rang through the small room. “Just so we’re clear. This right here—” He waved his hand over the food. “—Is about refueling. Don’t plan on sleeping too much.”
“I’ll be right out.” She walked into the bathroom, leaving him to heat up dinner. Eve’s body ached and her heart broke. Tomorrow…today would be on a long list of yesterdays—days she could never get back. While it would be one of the best in her thirty-six years, it would bleed into yet another painful memory with little hope of healing.
7.5 hours