He felt his own orgasm pulse through him, then totally engulf him as he pumped into her in a steady, rapid pace. She screamed in a long wail of ecstasy.
He collapsed on her, then rolled to the side, pulling her close to his body. She nuzzled against his chest. He held her possessively, obsessing about the fact she’d said his brother’s name. He’d never mentioned Jake to her. All his childhood and young adult life, people had confused him and Jake. Sometimes Ryan had felt he didn’t have an identity of his own. When he’d met Jenna, he hadn’t wanted her to meet Jake, hadn’t wanted to take the chance she might confuse the two of them, even for a moment. He wanted to be unique and special to her.
He struggled with his desire to ask her why she had mentioned Jake’s name, knowing he should be afraid of the answer, even though he had no idea what that answer might be. He stroked her hair, pushing aside his doubts and drawing in a deep breath.
“Jenna? Did you call me Jake earlier?”
“Hmm?” She sounded sleepy. “No, I called you Ryan.”
She snuggled in closer. “I love you, Ryan.”
The words reverberated through his soul. Jenna loved him. He tightened his arms around her. He must have heard wrong. He’d just asked the woman he loved to marry him. That had probably triggered his deepest insecurities. That his woman would leave him for his brother. It had happened several times when he and Jake were in their teens. Not that Jake intentionally stole Ryan’s women. They just seemed to be attracted to Jake’s more fun-loving nature.
Damn, the man made his fortune developing a computer role-playing game, for God’s sake. He made a living having fun. How could Ryan compete with that? Ryan, the one everyone always described as the serious-minded one. The one who crossed every t and dotted every i. He could push those insecurities aside now. Jenna loved him. She had chosen to marry him.
Of course, she hadn’t met Jake yet, and Ryan would make sure she didn’t, at least until the wedding. He wouldn’t even tell her he had a twin brother. Not that he wasn’t confident in their relationship, he just believed in being cautious. Okay, maybe he was a little insecure about their relationship. She was carrying another man’s baby. No sense tempting fate.
He relaxed, loving the feeling of being wrapped around her.
“Oh, Ryan, I’m so happy.” She took his hand and moved it to her stomach. She flattened it palm down and rested her hand on top. “We’re going to have a baby.”
Another man’s baby. The thought of some stranger making love to Jenna tore him apart. At least it hadn’t been Jake. Damn it, if only he hadn’t been such an idiot and neglected her for so long. He’d been such a fool.
He kissed the top of her head.
“Mmm. Nice.” She snuggled closer.
He’d find a way to balance work and home and make sure she felt cherished. He would not lose her. To Jake or anyone else.
CHAPTER 6
JAKE CLUTCHED THE large sealed brown envelope in his hand as he stared across the panoramic view from his penthouse window. The lights of the city twinkled all around him.
He couldn’t stop thinking about the incredible woman who’d provided him with sexual fantasies to last a lifetime.
Aurora.
His body tightened as he remembered her soft hands stroking down his chest, her eyes glittering with desire. He imagined her standing before him now, then leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. At the thought of her full lips on his, her luscious breasts pushing against his chest, her nipples hardening and pressing into him, his groin tightened. He smiled at the memory of her impish smile as she had slid down his body and unfastened his pants. His cock hardened as he remembered her deliciously sinful lips encircling his growing cock.
Damn, every time he thought about her, which seemed to be all the time, he fell into this same state. Wildly turned on and damnably frustrated.
He’d wanted to see her again, had become almost desperate to see her again as the weeks passed after their night together. So much so that he’d finally given in and hired someone to track her down. He’d given a private investigator her license plate information. Ten minutes ago, a messenger had dropped off the report.
The report in the envelope he now held in his hand. He had impatiently waited for it, had dreamed of tearing it open and tugging out the contents, of opening the folder and revealing everything he needed to know to contact the woman of his dreams.
He stared at the envelope, his fingers running over the edge.
Yet, for some reason, now that he had it, he couldn’t bring himself to open it. He tapped the envelope on his knee. This was crazy. He’d paid good money to get this report. More important, he throbbed painfully. He had never wanted a woman more in his life. The thought of never seeing her again ached in a way far deeper than just physical need. He grabbed the letter opener from his desk and jabbed it under the flap, then slit the edge. He needed to find her.
He tipped the envelope upside down and a manila file folder slipped out about an inch. He grasped it between his fingers and pulled it the rest of the way out, then laid it on the desk before him. His hands glided over the top, savoring the moment. Once he opened this folder, he could pick up a phone and call her. The thought of hearing her voice again stirred his emotions. Better yet, he could hop in his plane and fly to Ottawa tonight. Show up at her door. See the look of surprise on her face.
He imagined Aurora opening her door to find Jake on the other side. She’d be surprised, of course, but what else? Annoyed? Angry? Maybe even frightened, thinking he was some kind of stalker?
He slammed his hand on the folder.
Damn.
She had told him she didn’t want to see him again and, as much as he hated it, he had to respect her wishes. He shoved the folder back into the envelope and paced across the room, the report clutched in his hand. Finally, he dropped into his leather lounge chair by the fire.
He pounded his fist on the table again. Damn it! He didn’t understand it. How could she not want to see him again? Had their night together meant so little to her?
He raked his hand through his hair. No, that wasn’t fair. She had told him their time together had meant a lot to her, but she wanted to keep it in the realm of strangers passing in the night. She had only used him to fulfill a sexual fantasy, but she had been quite forthright about it. She had not led him on in the least.
His chest tightened.
That might be fine for her, but he was left with a longing that wouldn’t be denied. His finger traced the ragged, open edge of the envelope. He thought about her night and day. His body ached for her. His soul yearned for her.
All he had to do was flip open this folder. Her secrets lay inside.
An image flashed into his head, of her stripping off the slinky red gown she’d worn, revealing her round, full breasts. His cock swelled, pushing tightly against the confines of his jeans. He remembered the feel of her silky breasts in his hands, of her moist, velvet pussy as he’d run his tongue along it, then found the button of her clit within the folds.
He leaned back in his chair and unzipped his fly as he remembered her doing. Her delicate fingers had stroked his shaft. He reached under his briefs and pulled out his cock, stroking as she had, but his large, coarse fingers didn’t feel the same as hers. He wrapped his hand around it tightly and stroked back and forth as he remembered her warm lips sliding over his cock, then the heat of her mouth surrounding him. He pumped vigorously as he remembered the way she took him deep into her throat. The thought of sliding into her hot, wet vagina sent him spewing semen into his hand as he climaxed with a groan.
Oh, God, she’d been so sexy—and sweet. He remembered the feel of her curled up against him in bed, snuggling close. He remembered the pleasant smell of her hair. Strawberries and coconut. He remembered the delicate feel of her gentle lips on his skin.
His fists clenched. Obsessing. He was obsessing.
He grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the side tab
le and cleaned up, then tucked his limp penis into his pants and zipped up.
Damn it all. He had fallen in love with her.
He was a man who ran on instincts. It shouldn’t be a surprise to him that he would fall in love at first sight. Or rather, first encounter of the extremely erotic kind. Not that the sex was why he knew he loved her. She had been spontaneous, sensual, fun-loving. She would be the kind of woman who would keep him on his toes, constantly surprised. Definitely his kind of woman. And he had sensed in her a deeply loving nature.
The fact that she played out her sexual fantasies told him she was comfortable with her sexuality and between them they would keep their sexual relationship exciting and always filled with new experiences. He would definitely ensure she would not go looking to strangers, or anyone else, for satisfaction of those fantasies. He would be the last stranger she ever fooled around with.
Maybe she didn’t want to see him, but his feelings had to count for something. The fact that he’d fallen in love with her meant he had a right to talk to her again. Even if, after meeting with him, she decided not to give him another chance, he had the right to at least try to win her.
The phone bleeped. He strode to the desk and picked up the receiver.
“Hello.”
“Hi, bro. How’s it going?”
Ryan. Jake’s gaze settled on the gray linen envelope from Ryan propped up against the family picture on his desk. He smiled as he realized he’d be in Ottawa this weekend for the wedding. He could look up Aurora then.
“Have you got Mom and Dad all squared away?” Ryan asked.
“Yes, I’ve got the tickets all arranged and I’ll pick them up and take them to the airport.”
They chatted about details of the weekend and transportation. His cat, Sam, leaped onto the desk and meowed, then ducked her head under his hand, insisting on being petted. As the conversation progressed, Jake realized it wouldn’t be fair to think about contacting Aurora soon.
Ryan had finally gotten his life sorted out and found a woman to love. He’d been dating his fiancée for about a year and Jake had been wondering if he’d tie the knot this time or lose this one, too, like so many before her. Ryan tended to focus too much on work and not enough on love.
The irony didn’t escape him. Here he was thinking about Ryan’s shortcomings in his romantic relationships, but at least Ryan hadn’t had to hire a detective to find his one-night stand.
The conversation ended and he and Ryan said their good-byes.
Jake smiled as he hung up the phone. He picked up Sam and draped her over his shoulder, then petted her from head to tail in long, smooth strokes. His brother was getting married and Jake was happy for him. Right now, that’s where Jake’s focus should be. On his brother’s wedding, not on his own shaky love life. Ryan deserved Jake’s undivided attention and if Jake was dwelling on an upcoming meeting with Aurora, a meeting that put his entire future happiness on the line, he wouldn’t exactly have his mind on his brother and the happiness he’d found.
Jake would wait until after the wedding. He stared at the brown envelope lying on his desk and tapped it with his index finger.
“But look out, Aurora, because the week after the wedding, I’m coming to find you.”
He opened his desk drawer and tossed the envelope inside.
JENNA PARKED HER car on Nicholas Street around the corner from the hotel, then put a token in the parking meter. She pulled her collar up against the mild rain and raced for the light, avoiding the larger puddles. When the red hand switched to a green walking man, she crossed the busy road and walked west on Daly to the front of the Westerly Inn. As she approached the entrance a doorman opened the door for her and she stepped inside out of the rain. She shook her head, then fluffed up her hair, only slightly damp from the drizzle outside.
She crossed the grand lobby through the throng of guests on her way to the catering manager’s office, her mood almost as gray as the weather. The wedding was in two days and she hadn’t seen Ryan in three weeks. He should have been back from Paris three days ago, in plenty of time to help with all the last-minute details, but he’d been delayed and now wasn’t due back until tomorrow.
Luckily, she’d finished her consulting contract for Health and Welfare early, so her days were free to handle what needed doing. She wouldn’t start her next contract, developing a training course for a local software firm’s new application tools, until after the honeymoon.
It was a great job. The firm, Quixote, knew her work since they had used her services several times before, and had agreed that she could work off-site, which meant at home. They didn’t need the course for at least six months and she knew it would only take about two months to develop, so that would give her the chance to take it slow and take time off if she needed to. That definitely would keep the stress level down as she and Ryan adapted to living together and prepared for a new baby.
The clicking of her heels on the marble floor stopped as she turned off the lobby into the carpeted hallway at the left of the reception desk. As she approached the chestnut-stained oak door with the word CATERING on it in gold letters, a large, burly man with a dark mustache and curly hair turned into the hallway ahead of her. She recognized him as the catering manager, Mr. Deluse.
“Ah, Miss Kerry. Perfect timing.” He shook her hand. “So nice to see you again.” He glanced past her. “Is Mr. Leigh meeting you here?”
“No, I’m afraid not. He’s in Paris.”
His bushy eyebrows bobbed upward.
“And he did not take you with him?”
“Don’t I wish, but with our wedding only four days away . . .” She shrugged.
“Yes, of course.” He gestured her toward one of the two burgundy leather chairs facing his desk and she sat down. “So many details. But it is too bad, yes?”
Yes, it was. She would have loved to go. Not even to see Paris. Just to be with Ryan again. He’d left two weeks ago, but he’d been gone longer than that.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, with the pregnancy her body had been undergoing disconcerting changes. At first, she noticed that her nipples had become extremely sensitive. The mere brush of fabric across them made her horny as hell. One day at work, her breast had brushed against the edge of a binder as she’d reached for something on the top shelf of her bookcase. That had set off an intense tingling in her nipples and her hand had slipped under her jacket and caressed one hard nub as she’d imagined going down on Ryan as he lay sprawled across her desk right there in the office. Her face had flushed hotly when her coworker Sal had walked into the office and teased her about daydreaming. Luckily, Jenna had been facing away from the door so the woman couldn’t see Jenna’s hand stroking under her blazer. Since then, it had gotten worse. With the rush of hormones in her system, she seemed to be intensely horny all the time now.
As soon as Ryan got home, she intended to throw him down on the bed and screw him silly.
“Our pastry chef has a new dessert he would like you to try for your dessert table. He’s sending a sample in a few moments.”
Jenna shifted in her chair, willing the images of Ryan, lying flat on his back on her bed with Jenna surging up and down on his thick, hard cock, to go away. The imagined sensations of his steel rod sliding along her sensitive vaginal walls did not want to go.
Mr. Deluse opened the file folder on his desk, labeled Kerry–Leigh.
He glanced up at her.
“Are you alright, Ms. Kerry? Your face is flushed.”
Her face burned hotter still at his words.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, his words acting like a splash of frigid water, allowing her to thrust away the sexual distractions in her head.
His gaze lingered a moment longer, his brown eyes dark with concern, then he glanced down at his papers again.
“I’ve arranged for the basket of flowers for your mother’s room, as Mr. Leigh requested,” he continued. “It will be there when she arrives this evening. Chef is putting together
a nice gourmet fruit basket for your father’s room for tomorrow. You have a very thoughtful fiancé to think of these things.”
Ryan certainly was thoughtful—when he was around. Anger simmered through her that Ryan had abandoned her, leaving her so sexually frustrated.
Mr. Deluse rummaged in his file drawer for a moment, then turned to her, looking almost as harried as she felt.
“I’d like you to review the centerpiece designs but my assistant borrowed the folder. Excuse me one moment, please.” He stood up and hurried out of the office, leaving her to her thoughts.
Ryan had been so great the first few weeks after proposing. He had been extremely attentive and had spent every evening with her, as well as weekends. She had almost—but not quite—felt a little crowded. How could she when he was trying so hard? Then it became clear he’d been neglecting work at the office, and things had started escalating out of control.
His assistant had called one evening when Ryan had been out picking up pizza. Apparently, Ryan had been putting off trips to Toronto, where he needed to solidify plans for another software development project for Bryer Associates, and he had a thick binder full of reports he had to read and respond to in order to keep his staff working effectively. He also had some new endeavor that needed attention, requiring a trip to Paris. She didn’t know all the details, but she knew something had to be done. When Ryan returned with dinner, she had told him he needed to see to his business. She didn’t want everything falling apart because of her. That wouldn’t do either of them any good.
Unfortunately, Ryan took that as permission to totally ignore her.
She stopped herself at that thought, knowing it wasn’t really fair. He was trying to tie up a lot of loose ends and get the Paris thing going on its own momentum so that his assistant and senior staff could handle it. That way, it wouldn’t take all his time and attention later, and he could focus on her and the baby.
The plan was, by their wedding date, he would be down to a reasonable workload and able to work a normal workday, leaving his evenings and weekends free to spend time with her and the baby, once he or she arrived.
Opal Carew Page 6
