her, there was nothing usual about getting into trouble. She’d done everything in her power to toe the line, to be the kind of kid who didn’t make waves. “Did you ever do anything really bad?”
“What do you mean? Like break the law?”
She nodded and waited for him to reply. She couldn’t begin to guess if he had a juvenile record. At the moment, all she knew was how dangerous he still seemed, all grown-up.
“Yes,” he said. “I got caught once.”
“Doing what?”
“It isn’t important now.”
“It is to me.” To understand the boy he once was, to make love with the sexually charged man he’d become.
He took her in his arms. “We can talk about it later.”
He was right. This wasn’t the time to discuss it. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the sweet flutter of letting him hold her.
Then Jake ruggedly whispered, “I want to strip you. Tell me I can. Tell me to do it.”
With a jolt of excitement, she opened her eyes and looked into his. “Yes, do it. As fast as you want.”
He didn’t hurry, even if she’d just given him permission. Ever so gently, he removed the body veil that was draped around her dress. The fabric fell away, drifting to the floor. He continued his quest, untying the sarong. As he unwrapped the dress, she struggled to steady herself.
“It’s okay,” he said. “You won’t fall. I’ve got you.”
She was already falling, tumbling into a highly forbidden zone. He tossed her sarong over a chair, and Carol did her darnedest not to feel self-conscious, even if she was wearing nothing but a pair of beige silk panties.
Jake took her hand and led her straight to his bed. Her skin pulsed as she prepared for what came next.
As she lay there, amid his rumpled sheets, he said, “You’re incredible.”
So was he. Too incredible for words. She could barely believe that she was in his company, with him climbing on top of her.
He zeroed in on her nipples, teasing each one, going back and forth, moving his tongue in sexy little swirls. She thought she might die from the thrill of it.
He lifted his head and smiled. “Should I do it some more?”
Put his mouth on her breasts? “Yes, please.”
“You’re so polite. Such a good girl.”
She didn’t deny his claim, and this time, when he resumed the activity, she tunneled her fingers through his hair.
She sighed as he ran his hand along the waistband of her panties, teasing her, making her limbs quaver.
The lights were on, shining as bright as the sun. Only, it was dark outside, with stars dancing in the night.
He peeled her panties all the way off, and now she was naked, except for the earrings and bracelet he’d given her.
“What about these?” she asked about the jewels. “Should they come off, too?”
“No. I like how you look in them.”
“I’m trying not to worry.”
“About what? Keeping the jewelry? It’s just a few little baubles.”
“I was talking about how we’re going to feel in the morning.” She didn’t want to regret what they were doing. But she feared there would be repercussions.
“Tomorrow doesn’t matter. All that matters is tonight.”
He gestured to the condoms he’d scattered on the nightstand. “I didn’t pack these purposely. But am I ever glad that they were in my luggage.”
She put her hands against his chest, where she could feel the strong steady beats of his heart. “They just happened to be there?”
He nodded. “From the last time I traveled. I even thought about it when we were on the plane. But I didn’t think I’d be using them.”
She trailed her fingers down his body. No doubt about it, there was going to be hell to pay later on. Anything this exciting would have consequences.
Once she reached his stomach, she followed the ripple of muscle along his abs. She was familiar with his workout routine and how disciplined he was about it. He’d built an employee gym at the office for everyone to use, himself included. He had a weight room at home, too. His main residence was a glittering estate in the Hollywood Hills, with a tennis court and a poolside view of the city. Carol had been there a number of times, either running errands for him or dropping off urgent documents for him to sign. And now she was exploring his half-naked body, with a different kind of urgency coiling inside her.
He unzipped his pants, but he didn’t remove them. Nonetheless, she noticed that he wasn’t wearing underwear. But she wasn’t surprised. He seemed like a commando guy.
He said, “There are so many things I want to do to you.”
Delicious things, she thought. He put his fingers between her legs, rubbing that one little spot, making her moan from the pleasure. Everything was warm and sexy, including the sheets beneath her skin. She moaned again, trying to contain herself.
He shifted his weight, his big, broad body casting a shadow over hers. Then he took the foreplay a step further, going down on her with his mouth.
She couldn’t stop touching him while he did it: the breadth of his shoulders, the messiness of his hair, the handsome angles of his face. She even touched herself, where his tongue made contact. There were no bounds, no limits, just heat and primal hunger, shooting straight to her core, making her unbearably wet.
As the orgasm built, her nerve endings electrified. She was steeped in so many sensations, so many hungers, all at once.
Jake didn’t stop until the last spasm racked her body, dragging her under his spell.
He kissed her afterward, barely giving her time to recover. But she didn’t care. He took off his pants, and she saw that he was desperately aroused. She lowered her hand, closing it around him.
While she stroked him, he kissed her once again, heightening the passion. She tightened her grip, wanting to make him feel extra good. But all too soon, he reached for a condom. He was leaking at the tip.
When he extended the packet to her, she widened her eyes. “Why are you...?”
“Because I want to watch you put it on me.”
“No one has ever asked me to do that before. Whenever I’ve been with someone, the guy always...”
“You know how, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course. But you’d be better at it, I’m sure. Quicker. More efficient.”
“It’s
