leg against his.
“Yes, Jacob,” she said.
Yes, yes, yes.
He eased back, slipped off one heel, then the other, and dropped both her shoes to the floor. When he flicked on a bedside light, the glow was warm and teasing—perfect for taking in his cut torso. But he was still wearing pants while she was pretty much naked. Not a whole lot to hide, including the scar she’d seen reflected in bathroom mirrors half her life. The jagged line was too long and high for an appendix op, and too prominent to go unnoticed for long, particularly given the way Jacob’s lidded gaze was devouring her now.
If he frowned and asked—What the hell happened there?—she would tell him straight up. Fell off my bicycle when I was a kid. Moving on. But he didn’t seem to notice, even when he knelt over her again and his head gradually went lower.
While the tip of his tongue slid along her panty line, one big hand skimmed up her side until his thumb came to rest under her breast. When his mouth slid even lower and he nuzzled her through the patch of white silk, that thumb brushed higher, grazing and flicking and teasing her nipple.
Teagan gripped the sheet, closed her eyes and arched up again.
Sparks were flying, the majority of them having a party under his lips. Then—dear God!—he used his teeth. Every pulse point in her body instantly contracted and hummed.
His next words were matter-of-fact.
“This has to go.”
Her underwear?
She was ready to rip her panties off herself when he lifted her behind with one hand and eased down the silk with the other. He kissed that part of her before the tip of his tongue delved deeper, tickling and twirling until she was wound up so tight, she could barely think. When he raised her hips higher and slid a finger inside, she gripped his hair as a warning.
Don’t stop.
She imagined she felt him smile against her before he eased away, taking that final scrap of clothing with him—down her thighs, past her calves, off her feet. After finding his wallet, he set a foil packet on the bedside table then ditched his shoes and pants while she pressed back into the sheet and took in the show.
He braced his long, rock-solid legs so they were slightly apart. His hips were lean and mean, but it was where the lines converged that drew her gaze like a magnet. As he came forward again, setting one knee on the mattress, one hand on the sheet, she pushed up and met him halfway. Their mouths came together as his free hand curved around her back and she held on for all she was worth.
When his mouth finally left hers, he hummed out a breath then looked into her eyes, smiling.
“You said something earlier.”
She grazed her toes up the back of his calf. “You mean about not needing to ask?”
“About needing to be alone for an hour or two.” He tasted her lips again and stayed close. “Not long enough.”
She traced a fingertip around the shell of his ear. “Are you watching the clock?”
He grinned. “I’m watching you.” He dropped another lingering kiss at the side of her mouth. “Stay till morning?”
Was he kidding?
Of course she would stay.
He rolled on their protection and positioned himself above her. When he pushed inside, she quivered and lost every bit of her breath. In the shadows, he studied her for a long moment before he started moving and slow-kissing her lips.
As he caught her thigh and wrapped her leg around the back of his, she gripped his neck and surrendered it all. And when his thrusts grew faster—when the friction turned white-hot—she squeezed him tighter, bit her lip harder, and came apart like she’d known she would.
Like she never had before.
The smell of fresh coffee woke her.
Blinking open sleepy eyes, Teagan remembered she wasn’t in her own room. The bed looked like a tornado had torn through. Shoes and clothes were strewn all over the place. Jacob Stone was gone from the bed, but his musky scent, and the memories, were everywhere.
Burrowing back into the bedclothes, she circled her head with her arms. What an amazing night! The most intense, and beautiful, of her life. From the instant they’d met, those dark, dreamy looks had grabbed her. Accompanying him from the wedding reception to this suite...
Well, it was always going to end this way—with them twined up together, naked in bed. The decision might have been impulsive, but the reality of making love with Jacob Stone had proved to be more than spur of the moment. It was breathtaking, liberating, and she would do it all again in a heartbeat.
Grinning, Teagan caught her lower lip between her teeth.
Exactly how long was it before her flight?
Getting to her feet, she picked up on the aroma of pancakes and was suddenly so hungry, needing to refuel. But if Jacob walked through those bedroom doors this minute, she would happily snack on him instead. This was—he was—the wake-up call she’d needed.
She’d always prided herself on being strong. Resilient. Then a few months ago she’d suffered a miscarriage, and a relationship she had valued died, too. Now, heading for the attached bath, she felt relief. She could finally look back on that time as a hard lesson learned.
Years after the childhood accident that had left that scar, she’d been told she would likely never conceive. Following her recent loss, however, that prognosis had been modified. Should she become pregnant again, the probability of an early first-trimester spontaneous abortion was high, which had made her feel even worse.
But this time spent with Jacob had helped her turn a corner. She would always remember the pain—physical, mental and emotional—but she had grieved long enough. She could still live a meaningful and happy life.
Just not the one she would have chosen if she’d had any say.
Jacob heard the shower shut off and waited for Teagan to stroll into the main room. When she did, she was wrapped in an oversize hotel robe, long, damp hair free of salon curls and her beautiful face scrubbed squeaky clean. She took him in, too, in his gray T-shirt and weekend drawstring pants, before studying the room service feast he’d ordered up.
She laughed. “Well, someone’s hungry.”
His gaze lowered to her mouth. “Always.”
They each moved forward until he was close enough to repeat the scene that had gotten things started last night. After sliding a hand around the back of her neck, with great purpose and pleasure, he tasted those sweet lips again.
But this kiss was different. Because it would be one of their last?
