“Of course it is.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She held on to him as he tilted his head and kissed her. His mouth was warm and sure, firm without being demanding. She parted for him immediately and welcomed him inside.
The tingles began the second his tongue touched hers. They raced through her body, making her toes curl and her thighs tremble. She felt both weak and incredibly powerful. Even more exciting, she found herself wanting this more than she’d thought possible.
They pressed together from shoulder to thigh. They were close enough that she felt the exact second he got hard. His erection pressed into her belly, making her want to squirm closer. She circled his tongue with hers, then closed her lips around him and sucked. His arousal flexed against her.
It was as if someone had flipped a switch. Maybe it was knowing that this man wanted her. Maybe it was the emotional roller coaster she’d been on for the past couple of months. Maybe it was chemistry. But whatever the cause, she found herself aching with need. Her body burned in anticipation. Passion swept through her, stealing her breath and making her bold.
When he pulled back slightly and began to kiss her cheeks, then her jaw, she tugged his shirt from his khakis. As he kissed his way down her neck, making her break out in goose bumps, she slipped her hands under his shirt to his warm sides and felt the skin and the muscles bunching below.
He licked the curve of her neck and made her shudder. She explored his broad chest and ran her fingertips across his nipples and felt him stiffen.
The air was charged with sexual need. They reached for each other, bumping arms and hands. They kissed, tongues plunging. He ran his hands up and down her back, then to her rear, where he cupped and squeezed. She grabbed his shirt in both her hands.
“Take this off,” she demanded.
He obliged with a quick tug, leaving him bare to the waist.
He was more perfect than she’d imagined. Solid muscle, sculpted in ways she’d never seen outside of a magazine.
She put her hand on his arm and felt the strength there, the definition. She moved her fingers across his shoulders, down his chest. He was like a statue come to life. She’d never been into guys who worked out, but suddenly saw the possibilities.
“You’re amazing,” she breathed.
“Now who’s looking for miracles.”
That made her smile. She looked at him and saw the need in his eyes. Sexual need…for her. It was possibly his best quality.
He reached for the strap of her dress and tugged it over her shoulder, then bent down and kissed where it had been. He nibbled her bare skin, which made her whole body tighten. When he found the side zipper without even fumbling, then undid it, she knew she was in over her head.
Too late to turn back, she told herself. And why would she want to? Sex with Hawk could be an incredible experience. Wasn’t she due one of those right about now?
He pulled her dress over her head, leaving her in nothing but panties. Before she had time to get embarrassed, he cupped her breasts in his large hands and kissed her.
Even as they strained toward each other, even as his fingers explored her curves and teased her nipples, he was moving her backward. She felt the sofa and, at his urging, sank down.
He dropped to his knees and leaned in, taking her right nipple into his mouth. He used his fingers on her left breast, touching, rubbing, circling. His tongue stroked, sucked, then licked, all the while sending sensations of liquid desire coursing through her body.
She couldn’t think and that was a miracle. She closed her eyes and got lost in the pleasure he gave her. A voice in the back of her head mumbled something about heading upstairs so they could do this on the bed, but that meant stopping and there was no way she wanted that to happen.
He straightened enough to kiss her mouth. As she touched his face, his shoulders, his arms, he pulled off her panties, leaving her completely naked. As he’d asked before. What a smart man.
He ran his fingers up and down her thighs, then pulled back slightly. “How much do you hurt?”
Hurt? She was wet, swollen, trembling and more than ready for the fireworks. What could possibly hurt?
“Your knee?” he asked.
“It’s fine. Totally fine. I don’t even know it’s there.”
He smiled, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Good. So doing this would be okay.”
He bent down and kissed the inside of her knee.
“That would be great.”
“And this?” He moved a little higher.
“Also great.”
He moved higher still, getting closer to her center, but not touching it. “Better?”
She closed her eyes and rested her head on the cushions. “Uh-huh.”
He parted her with his fingers, then gave her an openmouthed kiss on her most sensitive spot.
“Perfect,” she breathed.
He used his lips and tongue, exploring her then returning to that one special place. He licked and sucked, every movement making her tense and push. She squirmed in her seat, wanting more. Wanting her release. She might have started this deal to save her pride but suddenly the only thing that mattered was the way her body burned and the need building inside of her.
He moved a little faster. She found it more difficult to breathe as every cell in her body focused on that nerve center and what he was doing to it. Over and over he licked. Back and forth, circling, then pressing a little harder. She wanted to scream. She wanted to beg. She wanted to—
Her orgasm caught her by surprise. One second she was rocking her hips in a desperate attempt to speed up the process, the next she was shattering in perfect pleasure as waves of release swept through her. She gave herself over to the sensations, crying out as her body contracted again and again.
Hawk continued to touch her, but with less and less pressure. He drew every ounce of her release from her until she was limp and practically boneless.
She could have stayed there for hours, her eyes closed, reliving the most amazing orgasm of her life, but muttered cursing caught her attention. She opened her eyes and saw Hawk kicking off his shoes while he tried to pull off his khakis. His movements were frantic, almost desperate. He saw her looking at him.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded. “Coming like that? How am I supposed to hold it together when you moan? Do you think that’s going to help me last more than five seconds? I practically lost it in my pants. I’m not a teenager anymore. I’m supposed to have some control.”
It was one of those perfect moments in life she would remember forever. There was nothing he could have given her that would have been more precious. He wanted her. Desperately. She saw it in his face and his jerky movements.
He managed to push off the rest of his clothes, then stood there naked, fumbling with the condom box. He continued to mutter and swear, but she wasn’t paying attention. She was too busy staring at his massive erection and wondering if he was going to go from making her moan to making her scream.
After tearing the package open, he pulled out the protection, roughly put it on himself, then knelt on the floor.
“I can’t wait much longer,” he told her.
“That’s okay.”
“This isn’t going to be pretty.”
“I don’t judge on style. Enthusiasm counts for a lot more.”
“I’ve got a hell of a lot of that.”
She reached for him, guiding him inside.
He filled her completely. She had to stretch to take all of him and she was more than willing for that to happen.
He pushed in again, then groaned. “I have to do this. I’ll go slow next time.”
She smiled. “Go for it.”
He grabbed her hips and pumped into her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the ride, the steady rhythm of how he moved in and out of her. Her body began to tighten in anticipation. She parted her legs more, drawing him in.
Closer, she thought in surprise
. She was getting closer. His fingers tightened, warning her he was getting closer, too. She could hear his rapid breathing, feel the tension in his body. All of that aroused her, pushing her toward the edge.
He moved one hand between them and rubbed her center. It was enough to send her over the edge.
She gave herself up to her second orgasm, reveling in the sensation of him filling her as she contracted around him. Then he groaned again and was still.
They managed to both settle on the sofa, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. She felt good. Better than good. She felt like she could fly.
“I’ve never had a sex kitten before,” he said. “I give it a big thumbs-up.”
“Me, too.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I wish I could stay here with you but I have to get back to school soon.”
“That’s okay. I can relive the moment…all afternoon.”
“I’ll be doing that, too. When do you want to start showing me off in public?”
She hadn’t thought that far ahead. “This weekend?”
“It’s a date.”
He kissed her again and then started untangling their limbs. She watched him dress, thinking that male perfection made for fabulous eye candy.
After he left, Nicole went upstairs and showered, then dressed back in her jeans. Despite everything that had happened, she felt much better about things. Healed even. A feeling she was going to hang on to.
“I’VE FELT REALLY GOOD, right until this second,” Nicole muttered as she and Claire stood in front of a run-down apartment building.
“You need to talk to her,” Claire said.
Nicole sighed. “You being the voice of reason is really getting old. Just so we’re clear on that.”
“I know. I’m sorry. But she’s your sister.”
Jesse was also a lying, cheating bitch, but Nicole didn’t mention that. Bad enough that she had to be here. She didn’t want to fight with Claire, too.
They took the stairs to the third-floor apartment. Nicole found herself hoping her sister was gone, but Jesse opened the door when Claire knocked.
If she was surprised to see them, she didn’t show it.
“May we come in?” Claire asked.
Jesse shrugged, then stepped out of the way. Nicole followed Claire inside.
The apartment was small and dark, a studio with water-stained walls and a smell of dampness. Nicole braced herself against any feelings of sympathy. She’d tossed Jesse out when she’d discovered her in bed with Drew. If Jesse hadn’t screwed up big-time, she would have still been living in the house. Her kid sister had done this to herself.
Claire looked around and tried to smile. “Everyone has to start somewhere,” she said cheerfully. “This is nice.”
“Sure. Whatever.” Jesse folded her arms across her chest. “Why are you here?”
Her sullenness made Nicole want to leave. Unfortunately she didn’t have a phone number for Jesse anymore, so she couldn’t just call her.
“I’m dropping the charges,” she told Jesse. “Not because I want to, but because my attorney is concerned about how our case will play in court. I’ve already wasted enough money on you. I don’t want to keep doing that.”
Despite her best intentions, her gaze slipped down to her sister’s midsection. There was a slight bulge. Nicole couldn’t decide if proof of the pregnancy was good or bad.
Jesse looked confused. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re pregnant,” Nicole said coldly. “That might make the jury sympathetic.”
Jesse took a step back. “How do you know?”
“My attorney mentioned it.”
“But I told him in confidence. He promised not to say anything. What about attorney-client privilege?”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “I’m his client. I pay for his service. You’re the person who stole. What makes you think he’d do what you said?”
At that moment, Jesse looked painfully young and unsure of herself. “I didn’t realize.”
Claire stepped between them. “Jesse, I hope you appreciate the opportunity Nicole is giving you. You won’t have to worry about going to court.”
“For taking what’s half mine?” Jesse asked, the moment of weakness gone.
“Here we go again,” Nicole muttered, grateful for her encounter with Hawk yesterday. Their powerful sexual experience had made her stronger somehow. At the very least it had given her something to think about other than Jesse and Drew and being humiliated.
“Our father left half the bakery to me,” Jesse said loudly.
“In trust until you’re twenty-five,” Nicole reminded her.
“You could buy me out. That’s all I want. I didn’t steal the cake recipe. I can’t steal what’s half mine.”
Nicole felt her temper rising. “You went behind my back. You built an Internet site that looked exactly like the one we already have and you sold cakes. What would you call it?”
“Doing what I had a right to.”
“And Drew? Did we share him, too?”
Jesse turned away. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
“Imagine how much I don’t care about what you want.”
“I didn’t sleep with him,” Jesse whispered.
Nicole wanted to throw something. “I saw him in your bed. You were naked. He was kissing you. What would you call it?”
“Don’t be like that. Why can’t you try to understand?”
Nicole tasted fury. “Oh, so this is my fault? After all I did for you?”
Claire stepped between them. “Stop. Both of you.”
“She won’t believe me,” Jesse whined.
“She’s a known liar.” And worse, Nicole thought.
“I don’t lie.”
“You leave things out. Omission is just as bad.”
“Stop it.” Claire glared at both of them. “We have to work this out.”
“No, we don’t,” Nicole said quietly. “Some things can’t be forgiven.”
Jesse spun back to face them. “That’s right. Nicole only wants me punished.”
“At last you’re making sense,” Nicole said.
Jesse glared at her. “You know what’s so funny about all this? The baby isn’t Drew’s. It’s Matt’s.”
Nicole wasn’t surprised Jesse would go there. “How can you be sure? You were sleeping with both of them.”
Her baby sister flushed. “That’s what you think, what you’ll always think. That’s why you told him about Drew. You wanted to hurt me as much as you’d been hurt. Congratulations. He hates me, too.”
Nicole refused to feel guilty. “As always, your flare for the dramatic overrides any need to tell the truth. I didn’t tell Matt about you and Drew. I told his mother, who came over to talk to you, that you were no longer living with me.”
Tears filled Jesse’s eyes. “So you told her what you saw, what you believed happened with Drew and she told Matt. You ruined everything.”
“The person who did that is you,” Nicole said coldly.
“No, I didn’t,” Jesse yelled. “I didn’t sleep with Drew. I didn’t.”
Claire looked disappointed. “Jesse, we can only make this work if we start from a place of honesty.”
“I’m being honest.” Jesse wiped away tears. “Why won’t you believe me?”
Nicole felt more disappointed than angry. She’d seen Drew and Jesse in bed together. Jesse had been naked, at least from the waist up. Nicole had seen that much.
“I’m tired of this,” she told Claire. “Let’s go.”
“No!” Jesse threw herself in front of the door. “You have to listen. The baby is Matt’s. You have to believe me.”
Claire shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jesse. You were in bed with Drew. We all know that happened. Why can’t we start from there?”
Jesse straightened. “Fine,” she said, tears still filling her eyes. “If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll talk about. I screwed his brains out for days. We co
uldn’t get enough of each other. Is that what you want to hear? I gave him everything you never could. Is it all better now?”
Nicole pressed her hand to her stomach. “I have to go.”
She pushed Jesse out of the way and left the apartment. Claire followed.
“I’m sorry,” her twin told her. “I thought we could get through to her.”
“That’ll never happen,” Nicole murmured, wondering if she was going to throw up now or wait until she got home.
JESSE SLAMMED the door shut behind them, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She retreated to her sofa and curled up on the hard, smelly surface, wishing she could go back in time. Just five minutes. Maybe if she had a do-over, she could explain it to them, in a way that made sense.
It wasn’t true, she thought as she cried and tried not to feel so incredibly alone. None of it. But they didn’t care. They only wanted to believe the worst of her.
Somewhere deep inside, she knew that was her fault. Nicole liked to point out how much of a screwup she was and Jesse knew she was right. She didn’t mean to get in trouble…it just seemed to happen. But this. She didn’t deserve this.
She was guilty of being friends with Drew, and maybe bad judgment, but nothing more. Sometimes Nicole could be difficult. Jesse and Drew had gotten into the habit of talking. Just talking. She wasn’t interested in Drew and even if she’d had a crush on him, she wouldn’t have done anything about it. He was Nicole’s husband.
She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, but that didn’t close out the memories of that last night at Nicole’s house. How she, Jesse, had been upset about Matt. It had been late and she’d been in her room. Drew had come in and she’d welcomed the chance to talk.
She’d explained her fears and hopes and how she knew in her heart, Matt was the one she would love forever. Drew had hugged her.
She’d guessed he’d been offering comfort, which had been okay, if a little awkward. She’d accepted his embrace. But then he’d kissed her.
She’d been so stunned, she hadn’t known what to do. He’d kissed her and started talking about how this monogamy business wasn’t the real her. She was always flirting with different guys, including Drew. And then he flattered her, telling her that she was pretty and so much softer than Nicole. That she could do so much better than Matt.
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