An Irresistible Bachelor(74)

He slid inside of her, slowly, carefully-in spite of the passion she could feel in his body. She shuddered with pleasure. He was heavy on top of her and she liked the feel of his weight. When he began to move, she held on and carried the rhythm in her own hips until she heard him call her name in a hoarse cry. As his arms contracted around her, she let herself go over the edge with him.

Later, when her breath was ho longer coming out in pants and her heart wasn't racing so much, she opened her eyes. Jack had shifted and his body was stretched out next to hers, taking up the lion's share of the couch. His face was relaxed with contentment, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"How do you feel? Okay?" he asked, his voice full of gravel.

"A lot more than okay."

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"I'm tougher than I look."

He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. "And you don't look like a wimp either."

Her stomach let out a growl.

"You ready to eat?" When she nodded, he sat up and handed her the sweater she'd been wearing. "I thought we'd go to this diner in town that's all the rage right now."

Hell, she didn't care if they went to McDonald's and ate with plastic sporks.

Cradling her sweater against her chest, she was content to lie back and watch him move. As he picked up his shirt and pulled it on, the wide expanse of his back flexed and she noted the marks she'd left on his skin the night before.

"What are you looking at?" he asked in a low drawl.

"I seem to have done some aesthetic damage to your back."

Jack reached over and pulled her to her feet, drawing her against him. "And you can work on the front of me later on tonight."

His lips came down for a quick kiss that soon hardened with passion.

"Maybe we should put off dinner for a little while," he growled. His hands slid over her hips and she felt him, hard and ready, as his body curved around her. "God, I'm insatiable when it comes to you."

And what a wonderful word that was, Callie thought, dropping her sweater as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed her over against the closet doors and lifted her up, suspending her from the floor with his arms. When she wrapped her legs around his hips, he thrust inside of her again and their bodies took over. The surging movement was frantic and she cried out as waves of energy coursed through her.

When the quaking was over, she uncurled her legs and felt her feet touch ground.

"My God," Jack muttered, putting his palms against the doors and leaning into them. His breath was coming out roughly.

Moving a hand to her hair, he smoothed the thick weight back from her face and kissed her on the forehead. His arms, which had held her up with such strength, were gentle as they cradled her.

"Callie." His breath was soft against her skin.

Before she closed her eyes to savor the moment, she saw his beautiful suit jacket crumpled on the floor, his pants hanging off the open Rubbermaid container, his tie wadded up and sticking out of the couch.

She had to be out of her mind. Weekend escapes were one thing. And even then, she might have been pushing it a little.

She forced herself to consider how long they'd known each other and didn't like the answer. It was a matter of weeks, not months. They had a long, long way to go before she should be thinking more than a couple days ahead.

Jack went into his study and tried to pretend that settling in with the bourbon was not becoming a routine. After a couple of swallows, he pushed the glass and the decanter away, feeling too much like his father. What he wanted was a little peace, not a coping mechanism with nasty consequences.

But when his mother appeared in the doorway, he reached for the glass again. She was wearing a formal dress and a lot of pearls and he took the outfit as a good sign she was leaving.


Which couldn't happen fast enough for him considering the displeasure on her face.

"Where did Blair run off to? And why was this," she held up the diamond, "in the kitchen?"

Damn it, he should have pocketed the ring when he'd had the chance.

"The engagement is off."

"Whatever for?" she demanded.

"That's none of your business."

Mercedes began shaking her head. "Jack, no. Don't do this.. Don't fall for some marginal girl, especially when you could be with someone like Blair. The sacrifices just aren't necessary."

He refilled his glass. "I can assure you, being with Callie is no sacrifice for me. At all."