Rev It Up (Black Knights Inc. #3)(37)

She’d been telling the truth about one thing tonight…

Some things never changed. Because the passion that flowed between them was as volatile and explosive as ever.

And though he knew he needed to talk to her before he took things any further, though he knew he should slow things down and make her listen to what he had to say, what he knew hadn’t quite caught up with what he wanted.

Because what he wanted was her. All of her. All naked skin and slumberous eyes. Her body moving beneath him in that sliding, sensual way inherent in the female of the species. And he wanted it now. Right here in the middle of her kitchen.

When she tentatively snaked an arm around his neck, pressing her luscious breasts against his chest, what few thoughts he’d been able to hold onto immediately flew from his head. All he could think was, Yo, this is Shell. Back in my arms. Finally.

He wanted to yell with the joy of it…or cry. He wasn’t sure which. Maybe both.

***

Michelle was having an out-of-body experience.

That’s the only thing that could account for why her arms were around Jake’s neck, seemingly of their own accord, and why her tongue was eagerly tangling with his.

But she’d always figured an out-of-body experience left you feeling numb and disconnected, which most certainly was not the case here. Huh-uh. In fact, she felt very connected.

Every inch of her skin was on fire, her belly roiling, her scalp tingling.

It was exactly as she remembered it. Everything about him, about the two of them together, was exactly as she remembered it, and her heart absolutely ached at the reminder of how it’d once been, how it might’ve still been if only—

He shifted forward until they were groin to groin and—oh, mercy, mercy me. He was hot and hard and throbbing steadily, and she remembered that, too. She wanted nothing more than to—

But she couldn’t. She could not allow herself to fall for him again. The consequences of that action had been heartbreaking the first time. She couldn’t bear to think what they’d be now. Of course, when he slid a hand up her side to gently brush the underside of her breast, her libido screamed at her to throw caution to the wind and just give in. Give in to the lust in his eyes and the pleasure in his touch…

And it was tempting. Oh lordy, it was tempting. But she had other things to consider now besides her own desires.

The little boy sleeping upstairs, for one.

And right on cue Franklin called, “Mama! Where are you?”

Pushing Jake away was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, even harder when she glanced up to see him raking in breaths like he’d just completed a hundred yard dash. Oh, man, his eyes…They were so green, so fierce and bright, and when he looked at her like that—

“Shell, I—”

“It’s over,” she interrupted and took another step away, scrubbing a shaky fist over her kiss-moistened lips. Her heart felt like she’d popped it in her pressure-cooker and set the temperature to high. “It’s been over for a very long time.”

“It’s not,” he insisted, crossing his arms and grinding his jaw until his cheeks muscles twitched. “You kissed me back just now.”

He wasn’t as big a man as her brother, not as thick or muscle-bound. He was elegantly built, with a quintessential surfer’s body. Still, at 6’4” he managed to stand nearly a head above her. The disparity in their heights, particularly when she wasn’t accustomed to having to look up at many men, drove home the main reason she couldn’t just save herself the headache and heartache and immediately insist he leave.

Because there he stood. Tall, strong, steady. Ready and willing to lay his life on the line. And, dangit!, she needed the protection he offered. Her son needed his protection.

“Mama!”

“I’ll be right up!” she shouted, before turning back to Jake. “If it weren’t for my son, I’d throw you straight out the door for that stunt you just pulled.”

“You did kiss me back. Try to deny it.”

She couldn’t. “I kissed you back. And it was as big a mistake now as it was four years ago. I’m going to bed. I suggest you do the same. We have an early morning tomorrow.”

“Shell, I—”

She turned then, waving off whatever else he might think to say as she calmly strode across the living room, careful not to trip over the toy car lying on its side on the rug. She forced herself not to take the stairs two at a time—though every instinct she had screamed at her to run, because she could feel his eyes burning into her, trying to see into her soul. But she carefully climbed each and every step, refusing to give him the satisfaction of watching her flee the scene.

When she reached the landing, she slowly turned toward the bathroom and filled a glass from the pitcher of filtered water she kept on hand for just such occasions. Sedately crossing the hall to her son’s room, she watched him gulp it sleepily before once more grabbing his Elmo and settling into slumber. After softly closing his door, she managed to calmly stroll into her own room.

And it was there she let go.

Sinking down on her bed, she dropped her head into her hands, her pulse pounding in her temples as a little eep that was one part terror and two parts heartache escaped through her trembling lips.

What am I going to do?

Because Jake was right. No matter what she said, no matter the impossibility of it all, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, it wasn’t over.