by Marie Carnay
“Dinner’s ready.”
She smiled. “It smells wonderful.”
He pulled out a chair at his kitchen table and Tabitha eased onto the seat. Her dress curved down into a deep U and from his viewpoint, he could make out the red lace of her bra and the miles of cleavage he wanted to drown in. Oh, hell.
Tabitha reached for the wine as he sat down. “I’m sorry, but if I don’t drink some of this soon, I’ll start babbling just to fill the silence.”
Jake smiled. “Nervous?”
“Terrified. I know it’s silly, we’ve already had dinner together. But it’s been a long time since I’ve dated.”
“Me, too.”
“Guess I’m a bit rusty.” She picked up the glass and took a gulp. “Better. So, tell me about your job. Apart from saving furry animals, what is it you do?”
Talk about direct. Jake knew it was his chance to lay it all out there. He thought about all the things he could say. How they’d lost a trooper last year in a stakeout gone bad. How his father had nearly died in a boating accident.
How his last girlfriend left because she couldn’t handle the not knowing. The worry. But then she’d do the sensible thing and walk out his front door.
Jake poured himself a glass of wine and shrugged. “Not much to tell, really. How about you? Why Pinetree, Alaska?”
Tabitha smiled. “It’s not Seattle.”
“Sick of the big city?”
She took another gulp of wine and nodded. “That and I’d had enough of liars, cheats, and scumbags. I wanted to go somewhere new where I could be on my own. Independent.”
Whoa. “I take it you didn’t have much luck in relationships?”
She drank some more. “I was engaged, if you can believe it. We’d set a date, I’d picked out a dress, the whole shebang.”
“What happened?”
She snorted. “I came home from a conference a day early and walked in on a naked redhead in my bed.”
“Your fiancée?”
“Oh, he was there too. In fact, his dick was shoved up her ass.”
Jake choked on his sip of wine and hacked up a series of coughs so strong he almost popped a button on his shirt. At last, the spasms subsided. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. That was my reaction, too.”
He had officially never met a woman like Tabitha. Brash and in-your-face, but vulnerable, too. Sexy as hell. “When was that?”
“About a year ago. I got sick of seeing him in town, hearing from friends what he was up to. All of it.”
Jake nodded. That explained why she moved away, but not why she’d moved to the middle of nowhere. “Why here?”
Tabitha smiled. “That’s easy. I saw an ad in the paper. The prior owner was selling the clinic at a steal. I’d always wanted to run my own practice. The only reason I’d stayed at the urban clinic I worked at so long was because of Will. Without him, I could do what I wanted.”
“And you wanted Alaska?”
“I wanted a challenge and a chance to start over.”
Jake finished his wine and motioned at the lasagna. “It’s cool enough to eat. We should dig in.”
After hearing about her ex and why she’d moved to Pinetree, Jake couldn’t say a single word about his job. How could he ask her to be anything more than a friend after she’d been burned so badly? If he got hurt or were killed…it’d be worse than her ex. She came to town to start over, not be heartbroken.
He served her a steaming slice of the lasagna and heaped a pile of salad next to it. They’d eat, he’d get his mind off the bedroom and he’d see her home. That’d be the end of it. It had to be.
Oh my God. “That has to be the best lasagna I’ve ever had.” Tabitha couldn’t get over it. “You sure you’re not related to Mabel?”
Jake held up his hands. “The Wilcoxes? Not a chance. My mom might have been a good cook, but she’d never think of running a restaurant. No, being a cop runs in my blood. My father retired from the force a few years ago. It’s what we do.”
She smiled. The more she got to know Jake, the more she liked him. As a friend, a date. More. As the evening wore on, Tabitha found all the reasons she’d had for not wanting a relationship to practically disappear.
If he weren’t interested, she could handle it. But it didn’t mean she was leaving his house before the sun came up. Not after he’d fixed those Caribbean eyes on her with a look that said he wanted her. She might have eaten a plate full of lasagna, but Tabitha was starved for what Jake’s body could provide.
With a smile, she drained the last of her wine glass. “Tell me Jake, what did you have in mind for dessert?”
He swallowed and scooted back his chair. “Tabitha, I should—”
“Invite me to stay the night? Yes, I think you should.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “There are things about me and my job that you need to understand.”
Tabitha stood up and made her way over to his chair. “What I need doesn’t have anything to do with your past or your job or what we mean to each other.” Before he could say a word, she swung her leg over his lap and sat down on his thighs.
“You should know what you’re getting into.”
She slid closer and the thick shaft of his erection rubbed against her sex. “I’m getting a pretty good idea right now.”
Tabitha didn’t know if it was the wine or the lack of sex for a year or the way he clenched his teeth to keep from kissing her, but she’d turned into a monster. A sex-starved, my way or the highway, monster.
She leaned forward and palmed his chest. “I don’t want to know anything else about you, Jake Travers, except what you’re like in bed.”
He reached out and took her by the waist, digging his fingers into her sides as he stared at her lower lip. “You might change your mind.”
“Not tonight.”
His hands rushed up, higher and higher until his thumbs raked across her breasts. Tabitha shuddered.
“I’ve wanted you since the minute I saw you.”
“I’m waiting.”
He groaned and stroked her again, teasing her nipples into hard rocks beneath the fabric of her dress. “I’m a possessive man, Tabitha. Once I’ve had you, I don’t know if I can let you go.”
She pressed against his hands and rocked against his thighs. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“What are you saying?” The words came out strained and gritty. He grabbed her by the ass and ground her body down against his.
“Shut up and kiss me.”
His lips hit hers as the last word hung in the air. Yes! This was what she’d been wanting. What she’d been desperate for ever since he’d walked into her vet clinic. Jake’s lips crushed against hers, his hands gasoline and her body a spark.
It didn’t matter if he woke up in the morning full of regret or if she slinked away, embarrassed in the night. They connected in a way she hadn’t felt in months. Maybe ever. She wouldn’t just forget the past and live in the moment. Jake would make her soar.
5
HOW HAD HE resisted this woman? Jake ran his hands over her body and every curve and swell had his cock throbbing in need. Tabitha straddled his legs and flicked her tongue against his and all he wanted was to rip that dress off her, push the plates to the floor and fuck her on his kitchen table.
But she deserved better. So much better than him.
Her fingers ran over his short hair and down his neck and Jake couldn’t take any more. He slid his hands down her body and around the globes of her ass. Huge and round and more than a handful, he plumped the soft flesh until she shimmied against him. Even through his jeans, her heat called to him, begging for his cock.
As he kissed her, deep and hard, Jake gripped her body and stood up.
Tabitha clutched at him with her hands and broke their kiss. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.” The words came out rough and edgy, but Jake didn’t care. It’d been too long and she was too much. He
slid his hands down her body and found her naked thighs.
Skin. Warm, smooth sexy skin. His hands melted into the creamy goodness and Jake had to remind himself to keep walking. They busted into his bedroom and it took all his self-control not to flip her over and take what he wanted.
He kicked the door shut with his heel and she slid to the floor. A thread of control held him in check.
“You’re staring at me like a starving man looks at a steak dinner.”
You have no idea. Jake ran a hand over his hair and tried to concentrate. He couldn’t hurt her. “I’ll hold back and try to be gentle, but—”
Tabitha took a step back. No! Don’t be scared! He reached out, but she pushed his hand away.
“Who said I wanted gentle?”
God, I’ve ruined—wait, what? He blinked and Tabitha’s face lit up in a sexy grin. She reached behind her to the zipper on her dress and in seconds, the fabric fell to the floor.
Holy hell. Red lace bra overflowing with tits. Matching thong that left nothing to the imagination. Jake licked his lips. “What are you saying?”
She kicked off her shoes and stepped closer. “I want you to fuck me, Officer Travers. Every way you want to.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Jake pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. His jeans came off in a rush and before he took another breath, he’d closed the distance between their bodies.
To hell with the thoughts about tomorrow and relationships and dating. She wanted him to fuck her? That’s exactly what he’d do. Jake brushed the hair off her face and bent to taste her lips. Mmm. So soft and sweet and willing.
Trailing kisses down her cheek and neck, he bent to unclasp her bra. It fell away and her breasts popped free. Glorious, full, get-lost-in-them breasts. His lips found a nipple like a plane on autopilot and he sucked the soft peak into his mouth.
Tabitha quivered and moaned and he sucked harder, flicking the bud again and again until it turned into a rock against his lips. That’s it. Show me you want me. She scrabbled at his head and shoulders, nails running over his hot skin as he switched to her other breast.
If his cock wasn’t about to explode, he’d take his time and work her until she begged him for it. Next time. As he licked and sucked and lapped at her tits, Jake slid his hands down to tug her thong to the floor it fell and the barriers between them were gone.
Finally.
He grabbed her by the ass and tugged her tight against him. His cock pressed into her belly and she reached for his shaft, stroking up and down and driving him to the edge.
Jake stopped her with a hand around her wrist. “I’ve got condoms in the bathroom. I’ll go get them.”
He pulled back, but she only stroked him harder. “I’m on the pill.” Tabitha’s hand worked up and down, her thumb raking over his sensitive tip and Jake groaned.
“Tell me what you want.”
“I want you bare. Come inside me, Jake. I need it.” She licked her lips and it was his undoing.
He carried her to the wall and pinned her there, her breasts heaving and bouncing as he crushed her against the drywall. Jake grabbed a breast and plumped it, rolling her nipple between his fingers. She arched against him, thrusting her breasts up into his face, begging for more.
“Please, Jake.”
He ground his hips against her, bending to slip his cock between her legs. He rubbed his rigid shaft through her folds, pushing them apart. Up and down, back and forth, Tabitha whimpered and hooked her leg around his hips, using her heel to pull him closer.
Over and over he stroked her with his solid shaft, coating himself in her juices, swelling her tender skin until she panted with need. He licked her earlobe and she cried out, digging her nails into his back and bucking against him.
“I can’t take it anymore, Jake. Please.” Gone was her usual confident tone. In its place? Raspy begging. “I need you.”
He grinned and flicked her ear. “How bad?”
She beat her fists on his shoulders. Wham, wham, wham. “Just fuck me already!”
“My pleasure.” He pulled back and sunk into her in a single thrust, cutting through her wet heat until he’d buried himself completely. Oh, God. Tight and slick and beyond amazing. Her body tensed and spasmed around him and Tabitha cried out as a sudden orgasm ripped through her. Damn.
He rocked her through her orgasm, massaging her clit with every gentle stroke until her quivers subsided.
“Don’t stop.” Tabitha clutched at Jake’s shoulders as her orgasm receded. “Please don’t stop.” She’d never come so fast in her life. And it wasn’t nearly enough. She needed him to wreck her—to drive her to exhaustion and beyond. To wring every last orgasm from her body until she collapsed.
Jake’s lips brushed her ear. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t.” He rocked her harder, thrusting into her as she moaned, cutting off her breath with the pump of his hips. Oh, yes! It’d been shock and pure pleasure when he’d taken her. But now? With his cock filling her up again and again? With his chest grazing her nipples and his lips searing a path across her collarbone? Unbelievable.
He dug his fingers into her thighs, picking up the pace as he fucked her and Tabitha rejoiced. It’d never been like this. Never with her ex, never with the handful of men she’d slept with before. Jake was feral and wild and everything she’d always wanted.
She’d never be the same.
He pummeled her into the wall. The paint chafed her skin, the drywall flexed with Jake’s force and Tabitha wanted to scream, yes! Harder!
As if in answer to her silent cries, he turned into a piston, jutting into her with a relentless beat again and again. All she could do was brace herself. Jake slammed a hand against the wall beside her head and she gripped him with her thighs, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding tight.
She reached up with her hands, searching for purchase from the wall as he bounced her against it. Again and again he pounded her, forcing himself deeper inside until the sound of their bodies slapping against each other filled her ears.
They were a violent crash of sex and frustration and pent-up longing. Everything she’d denied herself for the past year, everything she said she didn’t need again—he was right in front of her taking her places she’d never been.
Jake kissed her, nipping her collarbone, shoulder, and neck. When he reached her jaw, she turned, capturing his mouth with hers, lapping at his lips with her tongue. She’d never been more sure of herself. Never been more confident or free.
Jake tensed and groaned as he thrust hard and sharp. His cock throbbed inside her channel as he groaned through his orgasm, pumping his release over and over into her depths. Yes. She sagged against him as he staggered back, spinning her around to set her on the bed.
“That was amazing.”
Tabitha’s voice was scratched and hoarse and it made Jake smile.
“You’re amazing.”
He plumped her breasts, shoving her nipples up high as he kneeled on the floor. He took one in his mouth and sucked. Mmm. So sweet. He licked in a lazy loop, pulling her nipple farther into his mouth as she moaned above him. He’d never get enough of the miles of her smooth skin and ample curves. Her confidence. She owned what God gave her, and it was spectacular.
Letting her nipple go, he snaked down her stomach, kissing past her belly button to her mound. He nuzzled her skin, rubbing his face against her heat. With a gentle grip, he tugged her thighs, scooting her forward until her ass rested on the edge of the bed and her whole world was open to him. A mix of his release and hers coated her swollen folds, and her clit peeked out from its hood, begging to be licked.
Tabitha reached for his head and he stilled.
“Jake you don’t—I mean, I’m not—”
He ran his tongue over his lower lip. “Don’t get cold feet now, Dr. Boone. We’re just getting started.” Jake leaned in and licked, wide and slow across her sex. Delicious.
Tabitha cried out and arched above him, her body
quivering as he tasted her. Need had fogged his brain before, turned him into a machine on a mission. But now that he’d come inside her? Jake could take his time. Take her over the edge the way he wanted to—one lick at a time.
Pushing her thighs apart, he spread her wide, opening her body as he licked her harder. Tabitha slid her hands back on the mattress and closed her eyes and Jake ginned. That’s it. Give up. Surrender. Thrusting his tongue inside her slick channel, he lapped at the tender skin that had just gripped his cock. She trembled and shook and her muscles clenched around him. Damn. He could do this all night.
With slow, gentle strokes, he lapped, building into a steady rhythm that had Tabitha panting and rocking on the bed. She cried out in short tiny gasps as she bucked her hips, reaching forward with one hand to run her fingers through his hair. She gripped at the short strands, trying to pull him closer with every gasp from her lips.
He growled into her heat, drawing her clit into his mouth and sucking. The motion sent her over, spiraling into an orgasm that shook her whole body.
“Oh Jake, mmm…” she trailed off, taken over by the pleasure coursing through her. Her legs trembled against him and her fingers jumped across his head, but he didn’t stop. Over and over he licked her, prolonging her orgasm and until she cried out.
“I can’t! Jake, please. I can’t take anymore.” She swayed and fell against him, resting her head on his shoulder and forcing him away from her spasming sex.
She knew from the moment he’d first kissed her that this was more than a fling. Deny it to herself all she wanted, but Tabitha had already fallen. Hard. It didn’t matter that Jake was relationship-shy. Hell, she was too. But a connection like this?
He’d found a way to tap into that secret part of her—the place deep inside she hid from everyone, even herself. She’d always thought sex was good. Fun. Adventurous, even. Not earth shattering and raw.
Jake kissed her inner thigh and rose up on his knees. “Don’t think we’re done yet, Tabitha. I’ve got a king-sized bed and it’s still early.”
