Body Heat

CHAPTER SEVEN

DESPITE HER PROTESTATIONS Brianne had an adventurous spirit, Jake sensed. She continually proved him right. First her trip to Victoria’s Secret and now this instigation of a kiss. And what a kiss it was. Her tongue glided over the seam of his lips, then retreated, teasing, tormenting him further. His body was strung tight, had been since he’d laid eyes on the beautiful waitress. Unable to wait another second, he grabbed her hand and led her through the apartment, down the hall and into the gym, kicking the door closed and leaving Norton outside.

The room was the only place in this mausoleum where Jake felt remotely comfortable, the only place he could truly be himself and the only place they’d already marked as theirs. And, for some reason, the place he chose was important to him.

It mattered to her, too, if her bright eyes and warm expression were anything to go by. She snaked her arms around his neck and treated him to a deeper, mind-blowing kiss, this one ripe with passion and infused with need-the same need he felt growing, coming to life inside him. He twisted his hips slowly, deliberately, erotically tantalizing her with his full erection pressing hard and insistent against his jeans. She groaned and arched against him, seeking more relief than he could provide through the barrier of clothing.

Jake wanted nothing between them except bare skin. Her clothes were tight and form-fitting, making it difficult to pull and shift so he could eliminate the impediments and give himself complete access. But once the maneuver was accomplished, his view was incredible, thanks to the mirrors surrounding them and the reflection of light.

“You like?”

A light purple bra with flowered lace exposed more than it covered, and he sucked in a ragged breath. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing not to like.” He traced the scalloped edging with one fingertip, trailing a path over her delicate skin. “And everything to admire.” Cherish, bask in, he thought, lowering his head and replacing his touch with his tongue, tasting her bare flesh.

Her response was a rush of air and a moan of contentment, as he followed a damp path across her heated skin. Her shudder shook him as well. Had he ever before felt the way he did now? Wanted a woman’s pleasure more than his own?

Jake knew the answer to both questions, and it scared him. He knew he’d have to deal with it sometime, but, for now, the heavy beat of arousal overrode all thought and emotion.

His hand came to rest beneath her breast, cupping the fullness and allowing him to move from the lacy edging to the nipple peaking in a hard ridge beneath the flowered sheath of material. As he drew the distended tip into his mouth and nipped lightly with his teeth, it hardened even more, and the grip he held on his control nearly shattered.

Apparently, she felt the same because her hands went for the snap on his jeans. He lifted his head and met her gaze, not wanting her to feel as though she had to go faster to please him. “I promised you slow.”

“That was before we…came this far.” A blush stained her already made-up cheeks.

He grinned. “I never said fast wasn’t good, too.”

God knows, his body would appreciate it if he picked up the pace, but he needed to tell her a few things first. Not just how much he wanted her, but smaller details, too. Things that would let her know she wasn’t just someone he’d screw and forget. She held a special place in his life and his heart, he forced himself to acknowledge, and sleeping with her was the answer to every dream he possessed.

“Do you know I loved watching you while you worked at the café? You had on no makeup, just a thousand-watt smile, and I could have watched you all night.” The flush on her cheeks deepened, and he brushed his knuckles over her reddened skin. “You’re gorgeous with makeup, but you’re one of those special women who doesn’t need it to make an impression.”

Her eyes lightened in wonder and appreciation. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, Jake. Waitressing wasn’t exactly a job I looked forward to after working all day, but once you showed up…well, all of a sudden I couldn’t wait to start my shift.”

“Glad to know the feeling was mutual, sweetheart.”

She bit down on her lower lip. “There’re lots of mutual feelings flowing between us right now.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” He stepped closer, allowing her to feel his groin push against her.

The desire to remove her clothes was as quick and furious as the need she inspired. She shed her tight leggings and revealed a pair of lacy underwear, a complement to the barely-there bra. Remembering how he’d tasted the material around her nipple, the need to do the same to the lace panties and feminine secrets beneath grew like an insatiable hunger deep inside him.

Before she could reach for his shirt, he dropped to his knees. “You might want to grab on to something right now.”

“You’re naughty,” she murmured. But the excited gleam in her eyes told him she desired everything he wanted to give and more.

He waited till she reached for the exercise bar running across the mirrored wall and then inched closer to trace the elastic edge of her underwear with his tongue. The taste was so decadent, her feminine scent so erotic, he nearly came without being inside her-hell, without even being touched, something that spoke of her incredible power over him.

He snaked a path with his tongue, first following the boundaries set by her panties and going no farther, teasing her with delicate strokes. But when her legs quaked and he felt her lean more strongly against the wall for support, he grew bolder and slowly lowered the scrap of silk to her thighs, allowing himself to taste her dewy essence.

Her shuddering moan was all the encouragement he needed to dip his tongue into her heat and attempt to draw from her everything he could, give to her everything he had.

Brianne leaned her shoulder against the hard mirrored wall and opened her eyes for a moment. She glanced down at Jake, his dark hair in stark contrast to her white skin, his strong hands holding on to her thighs and his mouth doing miraculous things to her long-deprived body. She knew she’d been alone but hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been, how empty she’d felt, until Jake possessed her. His arms holding, his hands caressing and his mouth giving to her in ways she’d never experienced before.

Without warning, delicate licks of his tongue were suddenly replaced by bold strokes that made her feel warm and cherished, yet uncontrollably aroused. Each lap was designed to take her higher, closer, and she held on to the bar for support, trying desperately to control the waves rushing through her at lightning speed. But there was no controlling the inevitable, no controlling Jake.

Passion enveloped her, and as she rolled her head to the side, a long, drawn-out groan escaping her throat, she caught a glimpse in the mirror. She saw in erotic detail Jake on his knees, holding her thighs apart, his head dipped in between, worshiping her body in ways no man had ever cared enough to do before. The sight was all it took to send her over the edge.

She shut her eyes and gave herself up to sensation, to the need he had created. And just as the first wave hit, encompassing her body in shuddering bliss, she felt the slide of him inside her, one finger filling the empty space, his thumb pressing hard and deep on exactly the right spot, increasing the magic and prolonging the explosive climax he’d given to her.

It took a while for the rippling sensations to subside, and when they did, Brianne found Jake standing by her side, staring into her eyes. “I’ve never, I mean no one’s ever…” Her words trailed off.

He grinned. “Then, I’m glad I did.”

“Me, too.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw and the barely leashed desire in his eyes told her that he’d satisfied her but he was by no means fulfilled.

Strangely, Brianne understood. Although he’d satisfied her in one way, in another she was still aroused, still felt an emptiness only he could fill. She felt free to indulge those yearnings and give back to him at the same time. Thankfully, he didn’t argue when she reached out to help pull his shirt up and over his head. Male ego versus male desire. No contest there, Brianne thought wryly.

Nor did he utter a complaint when she splayed her fingers over his chest to savor the feel of his coarser, so-masculine flesh. Emboldened, she unbuttoned his jeans and helped him push them, along with his boxers, down to the floor. He kicked the encumbering clothing aside and stood before her completely and gloriously undressed.

Her gaze fell to his erection, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

“Please say that’s an appreciative sound.” Jake wanted nothing more than to bury his hard, aching body deep inside her.

Somehow she knew. She held her arms out to him, wearing nothing more than the beginning of a slow grin. “Why don’t you come find out?”

He didn’t need more of an invitation. He grasped her around the waist and had her pinned to the floor in seconds flat. Her body was lush and warm, comforting in ways he’d only dreamed about. He’d also dreamed about being part of her, and he’d stuck condoms in his denim pocket, just in case. He snagged his pants and rolled to his side to take care of protection, then rose over Brianne once more.

“So what do you think? Am I appreciative?” she purred.

Her husky voice ripped his hard-won composure to shreds, and he slipped his hand between them, discovering the moist place between her legs and finding it as welcoming as the woman herself. “I think you’re ready for me.”

“I think you’re right.” She spread her legs wide, giving him complete access and utter trust.

He swallowed hard, wondering what he’d done to deserve such an incredible gift, and pushed from his mind the fact that it wouldn’t last. He couldn’t think beyond now, not when he had a job to do and an uncertain future. If they weren’t meant to be, he meant to savor now.

His body was hard and near bursting as he lifted himself over her. “Bend your knees, sweetheart.”

She did as he asked and he helped, spreading her thighs. He touched her moist heat with the tip of his penis and she let out a breathy moan, a revelation of exactly how he affected her. He ought to know, since she did the same to him.

“Jake, please.” She uttered his name in her soft voice.

“Please what?” He needed her to say what she wanted, needed to know he was giving her all she desired.

Her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed. “Please come inside me.”

As she spoke, her pelvis jerked upward, taking him in one more inch, giving him a taste of what heaven would feel like when he finally earned his way there. He glided the rest of the way, pushing hard, moving deep, and watching the play of emotions cross her beautiful face.

“Come inside you like this-?” He clenched his jaw. He’d entered her but not the way he wanted. Thanks to his shoulder, he couldn’t lean over her, couldn’t feel her body flush against his as he braced himself with both hands and drove into her. Still he lingered, braced on one arm.

She shook her head. “Like this-” she said, then took those long legs, wrapped them around his back and raised her hips higher, embedding him deeper, so deep he was practically kneeling astride her, and the penetration drew a whimper from Brianne.

“Hey.” He forced his eyelids open. “You okay?”

“Amazing.” Her eyes opened wide.

Her expression was nothing short of rapturous and held him by the heart, nearly cutting off his breath.

“It’s been so long and it was never like-” She cut off her own words with a kiss meant to seduce him into oblivion, and it did.

But it was only the beginning of his trip. She raised her hips, rolled her pelvis beneath him, and when her feminine mound came in direct contact with his abdomen, she let out a cry, part sigh, part moan. Upon hearing her satisfaction expressed uninhibited from those precious lips, the remnants of his control nearly unraveled.

“We need to switch positions before you kill your shoulder,” she said softly.

“I think we can manage that.” That she thought of his comfort now caused a softening deep inside his heart, the one he’d walled off years ago. In fact, where women were concerned, he pretended his heart didn’t exist. But Brianne wasn’t just any woman. He’d known that from a mere glimpse. And now she’d proven him right.

Together they attempted a switch in positions that wasn’t easy, but they managed. And then she straddled him. One knee on either side of his thighs, she settled herself on top. The moist heat of her body playfully teased his hard, waiting erection as she subtly shifted her hips.

“Brianne,” he said in a warning she heeded. No more games, she took him completely. He was cushioned in her body, thrusting upward without thought, easing his hard length out and thrusting back in sync with her movements. He felt every liquid push and pull of the exquisite friction they created. She was tighter than he’d imagined, and she cocooned him in suctioning warmth.

With each successive rotation of her hips and press downward, she took him in deeper, hugging him in velvet heat. Hugging him in her embrace, causing emotion to swell along with his growing need.

His excitement had escalated the minute she took him in and increased each time they moved, but now as she undulated along with him, meeting him thrust for thrust and encouraging him with a circular pumping motion, he surged and grew inside her until his climax beckoned.

He felt her milking him with her body, heard her calling his name, and, as her breathing shallowed, she began to come. And at that moment, Jake let himself go, reaching for completion, driving himself into her one last time, as hard, deep and fast as he could. His world exploded around him in the most consuming orgasm he’d ever experienced, enveloping him in hot, wet heat, rocking his body with seemingly endless, cataclysmic waves.

Reality returned slowly, and with it the realization of how different this experience had been from any other. How different Brianne was.

Jake took short, shallow gulps of air as awareness returned. Brianne collapsed on top of him in silence, her breathing as labored as his. Without warning, she let out a low groan and shifted off him, causing him to wonder if he’d underestimated her so-called adventurous spirit. Making love on the floor probably didn’t qualify as a time a girl would never forget-and he was selfish enough to admit he never wanted her to forget him.

Just as he’d never, ever forget her. “We’d better move,” he suggested. He shifted his hips, allowing her to slide off him to lie by his side. The cold rush of air on his body was harsh and unwelcome. “But I liked it better with you covering me.”

He wrapped one arm around her, and she curled into a ball, cuddling into him. “And here I was thinking you’d have plenty of objections,” he said.

“To feeling you inside me?” she asked with a hint of boldness that seemed to startle even her. “Of course not.” She let out a laugh.

“I meant objections to the lack of furniture. The lack of…everything.” Once again he was struck by how much he cared about what she was feeling.

She turned and stroked his cheek. “There’s no lack of anything. There never is with you. In one night you’ve given me so much.”

“Like what?” He was truly curious. Other than great sex, a word that was inadequate to describe all they’d shared, Jake wondered what she thought she’d received.

She nestled her head into his shoulder and sighed. “Well, there’s the obvious.”

He nodded.

“But there’s something else. Did you know I’ve never had a real date before?”

That surprised him. “I thought you’d been in other relationships.”

“I was. One or two to alleviate the loneliness when things got too overwhelming. But it was always something I fit into my schedule, something that was rushed and never made me feel any better than I had before. But tonight you took me out on a real, planned date.”

“For ice cream. It was no big deal.” But Jake lied to himself, he knew. He’d given plenty of thought to where he could take Brianne. He’d wanted someplace memorable, and though he’d thought of the spot because of a sexy picture he’d seen in a magazine, he’d chosen the place because of Brianne. He’d known in his heart not only that she’d appreciate the chance to indulge in a frivolous treat but that she’d remember him favorably because of it.

“It was a very big deal.” She wriggled out of his embrace so she could look into his eyes. “And I think you know it.”

He damn well did, and he wasn’t just thinking about their so-called date. He’d been married and in love once and he’d been in casual relationships before and since. All paled in comparison to what he’d experienced with Brianne, from looks across a room to the most intimate act imaginable. Jake was a cop, a law enforcement officer, and it wasn’t in his nature to deny or lie to himself, professionally or personally. And he knew he hadn’t had sex tonight-he’d made love with Brianne.

She sighed and seemed to go boneless beside him, her hair tickling his nose and the scent of strawberries lingering in the air. He wrapped his arms around her waist, but his heart pounded fast and furious as he tried to absorb the implication of how much he cared for this woman who was wrong for him in every imaginable way.

For one thing, she intended to move at the end of the summer. He couldn’t fault her for wanting to be near the brother she raised and he had no desire to stand in her way by admitting his growing feelings or asking about hers.

And despite the fact that Brianne understood the value of money more than did most people, Jake still feared he couldn’t provide her with all she needed, all she might desire.

And even if he could get past the scars of his marriage, there was something Jake could never overcome. Brianne would never accept what he did for a living. Even if she came to believe differently, one day she’d give up on him the same way his wife had. And though he wasn’t sure he’d continue being a cop, Jake’s joy and his livelihood would always be tied to some kind of law enforcement. It was “reckless” behavior that Brianne couldn’t understand. Behavior that she admitted reminded her of the pain she’d struggled to overcome.

Brianne was his fantasy. At his suggestion, they would have a short-term relationship. A summer fling. Yet when he let himself think about losing her, the pain was blinding.

“There’s one last thing you did for me,” she said, her words muffled against his chest.

“What’s that?” He was eager to put these unexpected emotions and thoughts out of his head and enjoy the time they’d agreed upon.

“I asked you to take me home and make me forget all my ridiculous fears. You really know how to satisfy a woman’s request.” She snuggled closer, and though his body warmed to her touch, his mind rebelled against everything she’d just said.

He’d planned to make her forget, but he hadn’t intended to suffer an amnesiac lapse himself. Yet he had. He’d come back to this apartment, made love to his fantasy woman, fallen so hard, he’d nearly lost track of all that was important in his life. A mistake that, if repeated, could cost him everything.

Including Brianne.

Louis was aware of Brianne. How or to what extent, Jake hadn’t a clue. But thanks to Brianne’s relationship with Jake-perceived or otherwise-she’d become a valuable commodity to Ramirez.

It was too late for Jake to protect her by outwardly pretending Brianne meant nothing to him in the hopes that Ramirez would back off. It was also too late to keep Brianne out of his life. Not only did he want what sacred, limited time they could share, but he needed her around to keep her safe. Having her watched wasn’t enough. Jake needed to be involved in her life.

But he couldn’t level with her. Since he’d become privy to her painful past, there was no way in hell he could let Brianne in on the fact that, thanks to his job, a dangerous criminal was watching her…and probably planned worse.

The irony was glaring. As Jake had anticipated, his personal and professional lives had escalated at the same time. But he hadn’t planned for them to become irrevocably intertwined.

A PATHETIC WHINING NOISE woke Brianne. She opened her eyes and blinked hard. The morning sun shone bright, its golden rays basking her face in heated warmth. She found herself snug in her own bed, Jake curled next to her. They’d made love, and the experience had changed her forever. He’d become a part of her, and wherever she went she’d take Jake with her. Inside her heart, if not by her side.

Last night came back to her more clearly. She remembered them walking down the hall to her room. “Better your bedroom than my sister’s bedroom palace,” he’d said.

She’d already sensed his discomfort with the overly large and formal apartment, and she was glad to see his taste ran to the more mundane, like her own. She mentally kicked herself for caring what they had in common, when their differences were too great to overcome.

The whine sounded once more, and she realized Norton was closed out of the bedroom and probably needed a walk. She rolled over, glanced at the clock and bolted upright in bed. Norton wasn’t the only one who needed to get out of the apartment.

“I’m late.” She tossed the covers off her and started to rise, hating the air-conditioned chill but having no choice. Jake stopped her, catching her around the waist, and pulled her back into the downy, warm comforter. Back into his arms.

“Where are you running to?” he asked, nuzzling his nose into her cheek.

“Norton needs to go.”

“I took him an hour ago. He’s fine, just jealous.”

And she hadn’t felt Jake leave the bed? She must have slept more soundly than she realized. She was certainly more relaxed, more sated…The red lights on the clock caught her eye once more, and she groaned. “I still need to get to work.”

“Don’t go.” His palm came to rest on her stomach, his hand splaying wide, his skin hot and warm against her flesh.

Her pulse leapt and her insides coiled into a tight, tempting knot of desire. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve dragged myself out of bed because I couldn’t justify staying home?”

“I’ll give you justification.” He slid his hand downward, his fingers resting on her feminine mound. Slick moisture trickled between her legs, while a pulsing, pounding awareness started slow and grew until it enveloped her.

“Stay home with me, instead.” His husky voice echoed in her ear as his arm snaked out and he reached for the phone, dangling it in front of her eyes. “Come on, Brianne. Call in sick.”

She wanted to. She yearned desperately to shed the years of automated behavior and the obligatory need to follow a set schedule. She bit down on her lower lip. “I’ve never called in sick unless I was deathly ill.”

“Then, do it this once. Give yourself a well-deserved treat.” One finger dipped lower, teasing her with the beginning of the intoxicating waves he was so good at creating.

“People are counting on me,” she murmured, but the protest was weak.

“Then, how about a compromise? Call and say you’ll be late.” With one smooth move, he rolled on top of her, his naked body aligned and all but joining with hers. Though he wasn’t putting weight on his shoulder, the position had to be uncomfortable for him. “I’ll make it well worth your while.”

He grinned, and she couldn’t resist the sparkle in his eye, the warmth and temptation of his body or his willingness to put her needs before his own. Minutes later, her phone call was made and work was pushed aside. As she put the phone back in the cradle, she glanced down at her nightstand drawer and remembered the box of condoms Kellie had given her the other day.

Embarrassed but determined, she opened the drawer and pulled out a foil packet. Then turning back to Jake, she allowed the intimacy they’d shared to guide her as she drew a deep breath for courage and positioned herself on top of him once more. Her legs on either side of his waist, her femininity directly over his erection, she slid down against the length of him, teasing him with what could be. He was hot and hard beneath her, his enlarged member pulsing with desire. For her. Feeling him erect against her, she let out an appreciative sigh.

“Damn, but I like this position.”

“I can make it even better.” She held out the foil packet she’d retrieved earlier, and he snagged it out of her hand.

“’Extra lubrication and increased sensitivity,’” he read, his blue eyes glittering with want.

“Care to try them out? There’s an entire box of them.”

“Honey, we are definitely speaking the same language.”

She hoped so because her entire body was taut with longing. As if he read her mind, he reached out and cupped her breasts. His large hands kneaded her flesh and satisfied a tiny part of the need he’d inspired. But only a part, because her nipples puckered hard and rasped against his coarser palms. He rubbed gently, increasing the friction and her aching need for fulfillment. In response, her hips began to gyrate in circles against his heated skin.

He gestured with a nod to the condom that had fallen beside him on the bed. “Put it on me.”

With shaking hands, she tore into the packet and moved back onto his thighs so she could slide the plastic sheath over his erect penis. With one hand she held his extended length while the other worked the condom over him. She felt every velvet inch and hard ridge of masculine steel. Her pulse pounded, not just in her wrist but between her legs, and a matching trickling of moisture followed.

“You’re good at this, Brianne.”

Swallowing, she met his gaze. Her hand was still wrapped around him, and she knew for certain she wasn’t imagining the play of emotions crossing his face as he watched her. A lump formed in her throat.

Never in her limited experience had the act of protection been a part of sex itself, but now, with Jake, it was foreplay of the most intimate kind. The kind that only occurred between two people who cared for one another, Brianne thought, and she shook the overwhelming, impossible thought away. It was too soon. They were too new. Yet she knew they’d connected with their first glance and she was lying to herself now.

His hands came to rest on her hips, and he lifted her, still watching intently. Inch by smooth, moist inch, she took him inside her, felt him filling the emptiness and becoming a part of her.

And then he began to move, his hips pumping upward, bringing him deeper, harder. She sucked in a breath and held it fast, then repeated the effort, finding that the controlled breathing brought her closer and closer to release. Her pelvis rocked with his, circular motions that became rhythmic, putting pressure on exactly the right spot at the right time. Each rotation took her higher, higher, until everything exploded in a flash of blinding, all-consuming light and sensation.

He’d just rocked her body, and she knew without a doubt he’d also rocked her world.

JAKE SAT UP in bed, physically sated but mentally alert. The shower ran in the other room, and no matter how much he’d like to join Brianne, he couldn’t. He’d bought himself some time by convincing her to go to work late-late enough for him to contact private investigator David Mills, an ex-cop, a damn good detective and the only person Jake trusted to keep an eye on Brianne when Jake couldn’t be there himself. He’d already taken care of Frank’s family by calling in another favor. And he’d warned Frank’s wife to be extra careful, something she understood well.

Jake had attempted to get in touch with his detective friend once during the night, but David’s wife and partner said he was out cold after a prolonged stakeout. She’d agreed to take on David’s current case to free him up to watch Brianne, and Jake didn’t mind owing the Millses a big favor. The stakes were high and the reason worth it. While Jake focused on loose ends, he needed someone awake and alert to protect Brianne.

He’d had to keep her occupied until he could arrange for her safety-not that spending the morning in her bed had been a hardship.

If he’d had any second thoughts about his growing feelings, they’d been answered in the seconds he’d watched her sheath him with protection. His heart had filled as he watched her attempt her task with shaking hands while biting down on her lower lip in intense concentration. And when she’d taken him inside her body, he’d lost a part of himself, probably for good.

He shook his head and cursed aloud. “Focus,” he muttered, frustrated with himself and his distracted thoughts. The tattoo and the long-awaited Forensics report would give him a solid lead on Ramirez. Now he had to step up the heat and get Louis behind bars. He was relieved to have set up David to watch Brianne’s back during the day. Jake would cover the nights himself.

But who would cover him when Brianne walked out for good?