Until Jake Read online

  When he replaced the cap, he asked, “What’s your name?”

  “Kate.”

  No need to exchange last names, right?

  “Well, Kate.” He swiped his hand against his jean-clad thigh and then extended it to her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jake.”

  Of course he was. Rugged men like this one weren’t named Bob or Ted.

  They were named Jake.

  And she liked it.

  Kate dropped her hair and slipped her hand in his. Her blood turned molten in her veins. With just that one simple touch. His skin was scorching—or maybe that was just her perception because he had her burning up so quickly. His palm was rough and she was instantly back to thinking of how his hands would feel on her bare breasts, the thumbs rubbing her nipples tight. Or better yet, his long fingers stroking her slick folds, then teasing her clit until she was breathless and crazed with desire. And when he pushed those strong fingers inside her…

  Oh. Lord.

  She stifled a moan.

  It was time to take this bull by the horns!

  “I’m grilling steaks tonight,” she said, her tone inviting. “You interested?”

  The surprise on Jake’s face notwithstanding, she innately knew he’d consent. The flicker of awareness in his eyes and the way he gazed at her with such…hunger—and not for food—spoke volumes. He was into her.

  There truly was a God in heaven!

  “Say, seven o’clock?” she pressed. “Two-five-seven-one-one Historic Decateur Drive.”

  “That’s just down the street.”

  She nodded. “See you tonight.”

  Reluctantly pulling her hand from his, she turned to go.

  Be coy and intriguing. Don’t muck this up with more conversation.

  This was all about sex.

  Just sex.

  A one-night stand to appease the urges clawing at her.

  That was all.

  Her stilettos hit the cobblestones as he called after her, “I’ll bring the wine, Kate.”

  She smiled triumphantly.

  And I’ll supply the condoms…

  Chapter Two

  The doorbell rang at precisely seven o’clock.

  Kate’s hand froze in midair, the wineglass just inches from her lips.

  Holy crap. He was punctual. She hadn’t expected that.

  Setting aside her glass because, supposedly, Jake was bringing wine with him—and she prayed it didn’t come from a box sporting its own tap—she crossed the hardwood floor of the kitchen and living room and into the entryway. A quick glance through the peephole made the longing spring to life once more.

  Yet Kate frowned.

  On the other side of her front door stood someone she barely recognized—though he was still drop-dead gorgeous.

  Okay, the sun-kissed blond hair, the beautiful blue eyes and the slightly squared jaw line, now clean-shaven, were familiar. But her construction worker had morphed into a refined-looking man who made her stomach flutter. Very unexpected.

  He wore a black suit with a crisp white shirt, opened at the neck. No tie. Dashing, but still exuding a bad-boy edge.

  Exhilaration trilled down her spine as her thumb pressed the latch on the handle and she pulled the door open.

  “Hey there,” he said, a casual grin on his devastatingly handsome face. Kate practically melted in her Manolos. Pulling one hand from behind his back, he offered her a bottle of wine. “I hope you like it.”

  She studied the label. “Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice.” It was even better than the bottle she’d opened minutes before.

  The other hand behind his back produced a single, long-stemmed red rose. A full, velvety bloom. Kate’s breath caught.

  Accepting the second offering, she said, “You certainly know how to impress a girl.”

  Girl? Who was she kidding? She was thirty-fucking-six-years-old!

  And he was…

  Oh, hell. So very much younger!

  Don’t focus on that. He’s here. That means he’s interested…

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  “Of course.”

  Keep it together, Kate. You’re the sophisticated, older woman. Don’t come off like a giddy schoolgirl!

  She took a step back, then another, because he needed extra space to get that large, muscular frame into her small foyer. Her gaze slid over him and the lust welled so fast and furious within her, it was a wonder Kate didn’t beg him to fuck her right then and there.

  Calm down!

  Patience, Kate.

  Pa-tience.

  He closed the door behind him and followed her into the living room. “Make yourself comfortable,” she said as she rushed into the kitchen.

  He didn’t stop and sink into the sofa to be waited on. Instead, he was hot on her heels.

  “Let me open that for you,” he said as he reached for the bottle in her hand. The nearness of him made her body tense. Magma rushed through her.

  Christ, she just might fry from the inside out.

  Would it be so bad and wrong to tell him now, point-blank, what she wanted from him? Would he shove her dress up to her waist, set her on the granite counter and bang the hell out of her?

  A strangled sound wrenched from her mouth. She covered it with a cough.

  Her chest rose and fell with excitement. Escalating with every moment that ticked by. Fighting for calm that dangled just out of her grasp, she laid the rose on the counter, handed over the wine pull and retrieved two fresh glasses.

  Jake smoothly uncorked the bottle and poured. He tilted his glass to hers so the rims touched.

  “I’m glad you stopped by the site today, Kate,” he said. His shimmering irises were so mesmerizing she almost didn’t hear him speak. “I’ve seen you before. On your way to and from the building. I was really happy when you came over and introduced yourself.”

  He’d noticed her before today? The thought did wicked things to every erogenous zone she possessed. Prompting her to say, “Think I’ll put the steaks on now.”

  The faster dinner was served, the faster they could get down to business.

  “You didn’t have to cook.”

  Her brow quirked. “Oh?”

  He knew exactly what she was up to?

  His easy grin returned and it made her heart miss a beat. “I would have liked to have taken you out. Someplace fancy. Romantic.” He drew in a long sip of Cab before adding, “Next time.”

  There it was. Another skipped beat. Her Adonis was turning out to be a nice guy. A nice, romantic guy?

  Gulp.

  Definitely not what she was expecting. Kate suddenly felt a little guilty that her quest hadn’t been to get to know him. Just to fuck him. She hadn’t intended to pick a sweetheart for a hot hookup. She was looking for the love ‘em and leave ‘em sort. The kind of man who’d get his fill of her, ask for her number and never call her.

  Why’d she get the feeling that this guy wasn’t the type to conveniently lose her contact info?

  “You realize I’m…older…than you. Right?” So clearly, serious dating was out of the question. Not that she was interested in that anyway.

  Been there, done that. She didn’t need another epic relationship disaster to shred her to the core.

  Jake said, “I imagine you’re a couple of years older than me. Doesn’t matter.”

  She eyed him curiously. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-five.”

  “Shit,” she muttered, wondering how Mrs. Robinson had even dared to take things a step further. “I’m…uh… Yeah. A couple of years older.”

  “Doesn’t bother me,” he said.

  So why was it now bothering her?

  Kate gave a mental shake of her head. She was veering way off course here.

  Squaring her shoulders, determined to move things in the right direction, keep this seduction contained in the box she’d put it in from the get-go, she said, “I’m thirty-six. A marketing executive.”

  And that was
all the personal information she intended to divulge. She didn’t ask for his backstory, either.

  She crossed to the refrigerator and yanked on the handle. Kate retrieved the marinating meat from the fridge and the tongs from the container next to the stove. She then passed through the opened patio door and placed each ribeye on the rack below the already baking potatoes.

  In her peripheral vision, she saw Jake prop a broad shoulder against the doorframe and cross his arms over his chest.

  “There’s not going to be a ‘next time’… Is there, Kate?”

  She didn’t know what to say.

  Jake pushed away from the doorframe and took a few steps forward, closing the gap between them with his long stride. He pried the tongs from her hand and removed the steaks from the grill, putting them back on the plate. Then he shut the grill off and returned to the kitchen.

  She trailed after him, perplexed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “No sense in wasting food.” He set the plate in the fridge. Then he faced Kate and removed his jacket, draping it over the back of a chair in the breakfast nook.

  She stared, wide-eyed, mouth gaping, as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the insanely tempting torso she’d fantasized about all week.

  He jerked the material from the waist of his pants and the shirt fell open. “This is what you want, right?”

  Kate was stunned into silence. But her head, somehow of its own accord, bobbed up and down. Uncouth though it was.

  “I can handle that,” he said. “I wanted you the first time I saw you.” And then he reached for her and pulled her into his strong arms. His tight embrace crushed her to him and suddenly, before she could even breathe or process what was happening, his mouth was on hers.

  And Kate was lost…

  Acting on primal instinct alone, her lips parted at the exact moment his did. And when his tongue delved deep, she clung to him, giving herself over to all the sparks he instantly ignited.

  Jake kissed her with the kind of reckless abandon that conveyed his own lust and need. All of which seemed to be channeled toward her.

  One of his hands wedged between their pressed bodies and his palm covered her rib cage, then glided upward to her breast. Heat rolled through her. She yearned for absolutely no barriers between them, not a stitch of clothing. Again…all she wanted to feel was his hot skin and his hard muscles.

  Kate broke the kiss. Without even thinking about it, she said, “Fuck me,” in a sultry, breathy voice.

  He let out a low groan, his gaze turning downright sinful. He backed her up against the wall and his mouth and hands were on her once more. Their kiss sizzled. His fingers curled around the hem of her dress and he shoved the material up so that it bunched at her waist. Kate’s excitement skyrocketed as Jake’s large hands seized her hips but for a moment and then one hand shifted, slipping between her legs. He whisked aside the lace covering her. His fingertips swept along her slick skin.

  Kate tore her mouth from his to suck in a slice of air. Jake’s head remained dipped, his lips close to hers, their ragged breaths mingling as he stroked her sensitive folds.

  Her nails dug into his rock-hard biceps as the anticipation swelled within her. More than anything, she wanted him to ease his fingers into her pussy, which was wet and so ready for him. But he took his time, getting her even more worked up.

  She released one of his upper arms and threaded her fingers through his lush blond hair. He was still only teasing her, stroking her slowly. Until she was ridiculously hot and bothered.

  Finally—finally—the pad of one finger moved over her throbbing clit, circling it slowly with just the right amount of pressure…

  Kate’s lids fluttered closed. Her head fell back. A soft moan tumbled from her lips.

  She tingled from head to toe and a tremor rippled down her legs.

  Jake hastened the pace. Added a bit more pressure.

  “Like that,” she whispered, the sensations expanding, cresting, until they erupted and she cried out, “Oh, God!”

  She came hard and fast. The vibrant release making her pulse pound in her ears and her body vibrate.

  Kate hadn’t even caught her breath or regained coherent thought when two of his long, tapered fingers pumped into her.

  “Yes,” she pleaded. “I need to come again.”

  The guilt she’d suffered earlier vanished. The shame of inviting a man over strictly for no-strings-attached sex didn’t even register. For the first time in two years, Kate wasn’t recoiling from the sting of rejection or the emotional pain of deception.

  What she felt was Jake’s heat surrounding her, his warm breath on her cheek, his fingers deep inside her, massaging expertly, assertively. As though he innately knew how she wanted and needed to be touched.

  “You’ve got a tight pussy, Kate,” he murmured in a strained tone. “And you’re so damn wet.”

  Kate was certain she’d never been this excited before. Her inhibitions dissolved and all she could think of was the multitude of ways in which this man just might satisfy her tonight.

  “Come for me, Kate,” he said in a low, sexy tone. The heel of his hand rubbed her clit as his fingers stroked quicker, deeper. Finding just the right spot to drive her wild.

  Kate’s grip on him tightened as the sensations crescendo once more.

  “Jake!” Her inner walls contracted around his fingers as she came. She squeezed him firmly, stealing every ounce of pleasure he was willing to give.

  “Now that was hot,” he whispered as her arms circled his neck for support because her legs shook.

  “Something tells me you’re just getting started,” she said.

  Jake grinned devilishly. “You’re right.”

  When she was stable on her feet, he withdrew from her. Kate pushed her skirt into place and crooked a finger at her new playmate. Jake followed her down the short hallway to her bedroom. Her entire body was on fire, her insides blazing, her nerve endings snapping. And her pussy… Christ, it ached for more of Jake.

  His arms slid around her waist as they stood just inside her master suite. His body pressed to hers, his front to her back. He kissed her neck, all the way up to that erogenous zone just below her earlobe. Shivers of wicked delight cascaded along her spine and the wanting intensified…

  Jake reached for her skirt and he pulled the little black dress up and over her head. He deftly worked the clasp at the front of her bra. Then his large hands covered her breasts, giving them a rough squeeze that thrilled her even more. Easing the straps over her shoulders, he divested her of the lingerie, letting it drop to the floor. His fingers slipped behind the waistband of her lacy panties and he dragged them down her legs. She knew they were soaked—how could they not be?

  Except for her high heels, Kate stood naked before her full-length mirror. She actually found the vision before her an erotic one.

  Jake’s erection, pressing against the cleft of her ass through his dress pants, upped her confidence level, making her feel even more desirable. As he stood behind her, he put his hands on her body, roaming at will. Her skin prickled with heat and electricity as his fingers skimmed her belly, then grazed the undersides of her full breasts.

  Though he still wore his shirt, it remained unbuttoned. His chest pressed against her bare back, his searing flesh making her feel as though he were branding her.

  He’d probably ruin her for all other men. He did more than turn her on. He turned her inside out. She felt hyper-sensitized and her insides hummed like a livewire.

  “You’re a beautiful woman, Kate,” he told her, his breath tickling the shell of her ear.

  Her hand slipped between them and she caressed Jake’s cock through the material of his pants. He palmed her breasts in response, his thumbs raking over her taut nipples. The tickle between her legs echoed the pulsing in her pussy.

  As Jake’s lips trailed along her neck to her shoulder, she fought the natural tendency to close her eyes. The lids were heavy, but she didn’t take h
er gaze from the mirror and the sensual reflection of the two of them, bodies melded together.

  Her hand moved a little lower, her fingers grazing his sac.

  “Tell me again what you want, Kate,” he said, his voice thicker this time.

  She stared at him in the mirror, their eyes locked. “I want you to fuck me.”

  Just saying the words and seeing the lust that lit his glowing cerulean irises sent her into sexual overdrive.

  Finally tearing her gaze from his, she turned carefully on her tall heels. Kate pushed his shirt off his shoulders and down his bulging biceps. It heaped on top of her clothing at their feet. She reached for the silver buckle at Jake’s waist and worked the belt loose, albeit with shaky fingers. Exhilaration swirled low in her belly as she unbuttoned his pants and slid the zipper down its track, then shoved the material over his hips and powerful legs.

  The room was quiet, save for their shallow breathing. Moonlight streamed through the slits of the vertical blinds on her patio door and silvery rays painted her hardwood floor and crept up the far wall. Nothing could have enhanced this moment…not candles or soft music or rose petals on the bed. Again, this evening wasn’t about romance. Yet there was a natural sensuality to it that flowed through her veins. Ribboned around her heart.

  Jake toed off his boots and stepped out of his pants and socks as Kate’s gaze devoured every exposed inch of him. He wore black boxer-briefs that barely contained his erection. She couldn’t wait to feel him inside her.

  The reality of Jake was already infinitely more stimulating than the fantasy. And that was saying something, considering the mind-blowing orgasms he’d inspired all week.

  Wanting desperately to taste him, Kate sank to her knees.

  Jake let out a gruff, throaty sound. “You’re making me even harder, Kate.”

  Maybe he’d had his own fantasy or two about the construction worker and the business executive. Maybe that was why he’d been so inclined to oblige her when the truth about what she’d really wanted had caused him to scrap dinner and head straight to the bedroom. Jake had told her he’d noticed her, after all. She might have made the first move, but she clearly wasn’t the only one wrapped up in this fiery attraction.