Dangerous Lies(19)

Now his eyes were on my gaped mouth. “Would it be out of line to do it again?”

I smiled, lifting on my tiptoes and creeping my arms to the back of his neck, gently plucking his lips. “Since when are you so hesitant?” I flirted, planting another quick kiss against his mouth.

He smirked and moved into the kiss, hugging me to his chest.

I opened my mouth, pressing my tongue along the seam of his lips. He opened up in an instant, goading my tongue to dance with his. As our breaths mingled and hands explored, any terrifying thought of Martin I had, vanished. All I could think about was Jake and how his hands roamed my body.

He slipped them underneath my tank top, the callouses on his hands scratching my skin while they traveled along the length of my back. The contact was delicious, pushing my hormones into overdrive. My hands clawed at the back of his shirt, tugging it over his head. His lips left mine long enough to strip the fabric from his body, tossing it to the ground, then yanking me against him within a nanosecond.

I moaned into his mouth, running my hands along his hot skin. The contours of his back were perfect. They tensed and flexed underneath my fingertips, just as I imagined they would. I knew his back and the narrowing of his hips by eye, and now I was thrilled to get my hands on every inch of him.

Taking me by surprise, he grasped my thighs, lifting me and wrapping my legs around his hips, all while exploring the depths of my mouth. He walked us from the deck and into his office with ease, strolling passed the heap of papers and books stacked amongst other clutter.

The hallway was dark where he carried me, finding the guest room and setting me on my feet. His kisses slowed, turning more tender and less frenzied. Our foreheads met, and the only sound in the room was our heavy breathing.

“I’ll stop if you want me to,” he said in a deep timbre. “I’ll leave this room and close your door behind me if for even a second you feel uneasy.”

My hands found his chest, pressing against the rock hard muscle of his pecs. “I’m not afraid of you, Jake.”

His hands were at his sides. “I’m glad, but I know you’ve got wounds, and I don’t want to re-open them.”

I stroked his skin, beyond thankful for his empathy. He didn’t know how deep my wounds were, and if I told him, the events of tonight surely would take a different turn, and I didn’t want that. I needed to be close to him, feel his passion and strength. Having Jake, the only man who I confided in and had trusted with my thoughts, enveloping and surrounding me, would cure the ache in my heart that I had been avoiding.

“I think you’ll do the opposite,” I whispered, grasping the hem of my tank top and slowly lifting it over my head. “You’re my best friend.”

He took in a sharp inhale. “You’re mine too, Love. You’ve always been.”

His hands left his sides and found my waist, running along my bare skin once again. I arched my back as he traveled up my spine, my head lolled to the side where he nuzzled his chin into the crook of my neck, planting opened mouth kisses.

It didn’t take long for his fingers to find the clasp of my bra, fumbling until it broke free. His mouth found mine as the straps fell from my shoulders and to the floor, smiling and muttering against it. “It’s been a while.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Same here, I was never in the mood…”

I froze when my sentence trailed into the dark room, swallowing a lump that was forming in my throat. Shutting my eyes, the pain of the past was slowly invading my mind. I shook, recalling Martin pinning me on the bed.

Jake squeezed me tighter. “Did he…?” His voice faded, holding my now stiff body to his chest. “You don’t have to tell me,” he whispered.

I shivered in his arms, a single tear trailing down my cheek. I had done so well keeping in my fears and masking them, but it was impossible with Jake right in front of me. I couldn’t hide behind a screen anymore. He was peeling back my layers at a rapid rate now, and every little imperfection and embarrassing reality was going to come tumbling out of my mouth to a man who I had just met face to face.

He kept a hand on my back. My lip quivered as I looked into his face, but his features were only slightly visible, the moonlight defining the shadows. He covered my mouth with a finger to hush me, then lead me to the bed, throwing the covers back, urging me to crawl under the sheets.

“Don’t, don’t leave,” I stuttered, frightened I’d scare him away because I let my past momentarily control me.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he whispered, following me into bed and holding his arms out. It was an invitation for me to snuggle against him, and I didn’t hesitate. I curled into him, setting my hand on his chest. A dusting of hair tickled my fingertips.

His arm fit perfectly around my shoulder, his chin resting on my forehead once he was settled and comfortable. The skin on skin of our naked chests were intimate, a closeness that helped ease my tension.

“Tell me something that makes you happy,” I murmured through the dry patches in my mouth.

“Makes me happy?” He repeated, his hand finding my ponytail, twirling it between his fingers. “I don’t know, a lot of things.”

“Like?”

I could feel his jaw ticking against my forehead while he thought. “Well, mountain biking. I love feeling the breeze against my face. The ever changing terrain and scenery on an unbeaten path is a rush. The adrenaline is better than any drug.”