by Mari Carr
“Is anyone sitting here?”
Josie looked up and felt a definite spark of hope as Mr. Gorgeous stood next her.
She shook her head.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.” She fought to restrain her grin, wondering how she could covertly take a picture of the guy with her phone and text it to Shelly. Holy hotness.
“I’m Greg.”
She pasted on what she hoped was a flirty smile and introduced herself. “Josie.”
Jake came over to take Greg’s order and she noticed the bartender had lost some of his charm. He was cool as he placed a Guinness in front of Greg. “That’ll be five-fifty.”
Greg handed over a ten. Josie wished he’d opened up a tab.
She took a sip of her drink, thrilled when Greg started chatting with her. He was an investment banker and ten years older than her. There wasn’t a ring on his finger. Maybe he was one of those men who was married to his work. She didn’t care. It wasn’t like she wanted anything more from him than tonight. He was charming and suave and she suspected he knew his way around a bedroom.
They chatted for nearly two hours as Greg drank three more beers. She was still laughing at a joke he’d told when he excused himself to go to the restroom.
Jake came over and pointed to her drink. “Do you want another bourbon?”
She’d been nursing the same drink all night, determined to remain clear-headed. “No. I think I’m okay.” Greg’s drink was empty too and she hoped she could convince him to move this party to his place.
Jake started to walk away, then he came back. “Listen, I don’t usually do this because it’s none of my business, but you don’t seem like the type of woman who’d…” He paused and she wondered what he was talking about.
“I don’t seem like the type who’d what?”
“That guy’s married. He comes in here all the time. Sometimes with his wife, sometimes without the ring. Maybe they’ve got an open marriage or something, but I just thought you should know.”
A loud buzzing started in her head, making it hard for her to hear exactly what Jake was saying after the word married. She thought of Tony. Of how he’d met his current girlfriend in a bar…when he was still married to Josie. Her first night out and she was suddenly playing the part of the home wrecker. What if Greg had kids? She imagined Tommy’s sweet little face and her temper spiked. How dare Greg put her in this position? What kind of asshole was he that he could cheat on his wife so easily?
She worked hard to regulate her breathing. God only knew what her face looked like because Jake’s forehead creased with concern. “Shit. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“No,” she said stiffly. “I’m glad you told me.”
Greg returned and took his seat, pushing the stool closer to her. Mercifully, Jake didn’t walk away. She wasn’t sure if he was offering her support or staying close to prevent a murder, but either way, she appreciated his presence.
“What do you say we get out of here? Find somewhere more private,” Greg whispered, his tone and his gaze telling her exactly where he wanted to go with her.
“To your place?” she asked, feigning interest.
She had to hand it to the sleazebag. He was smooth. “I’m afraid that won’t work. My apartment’s being renovated. I’m sleeping on my couch until the work is finished.”
“Really? Because if I was your wife, your ass wouldn’t be on the couch, it would be on the street.”
Greg blanched, struggling to recover from being busted. “Wife?”
She tilted her head. “Men like you should be castrated.”
Greg glanced around, nervously. She hadn’t bothered to lower her voice and several people had started to look their way.
“Go home to your wife. And remember to put your ring back on. We wouldn’t want her to figure out what a lying, two-timing piece of shit you are, would we?”
This time, her voice carried. A couple of women shook their head in disgust and Josie distinctly heard one of them call him a “bastard”.
Greg hastily took his leave, not bothering to justify his actions, apologize or even deny the truth.
“Damn,” Jake muttered.
She looked up, trying to calm down. Her hands were shaking. She was angry and depressed and miserable. “What?”
“He forgot to leave me a tip.”
Jake’s response caught her unaware and she laughed. She couldn’t hold back the onslaught of giggles as they grew louder and louder. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh my God. I needed that,” she said when she was finally able to catch her breath.
“What are you doing here, Josie?”
She hadn’t expected his question, but after he’d saved her from near-disaster, she felt as if she owed him the truth. “I was hoping to hook up with one of the men here tonight. An honest-to-God one-night stand with a stranger.”
Jake’s smile didn’t dim, but he shook his head. “I don’t know where the hell you came from, but I’m sure glad you came into my bar.”
“Why is that?”
He shrugged good-naturedly. “Let’s just say you’re a lot more entertaining than the regulars. So you really want a one-night stand?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because I’m horny. What do you mean why?”
Jake leaned forward, resting his elbows on the high counter in front of her. “You’re pretty, funny and smart. Why would you settle for a one-night stand when any guy would probably give his left nut to go out with you?”
“I’ve always preferred the right nut.”
He grinned, but didn’t let her dodge the question. Instead, he waited patiently for her answer.
“I’m not looking for forever. Just one night. But—” she glanced over her shoulder and sighed, “—it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen tonight.”
“Why not?”
“I’m afraid I’ve lost my steam. And my head start. Most of the other promising candidates have been claimed.” The crowd was thinning out and she didn’t have the energy to try again. Plus she was terrified of picking up another married man. Apparently her bullshit meter only worked in regards to Tony.
Jake didn’t bother looking around the bar to confirm her observation. “What about me?”
“You? Really?” Josie‘s heart began to race. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she’d questioned her success all evening. Now Jake was offering her exactly what she wanted.
He raised his eyebrow and she sensed she’d offended him. She raised her hand quickly. “I mean I just didn’t think you’d be interested.”
Meanwhile, lack of interest was certainly not her problem. She’d been attracted to him since the first moment she’d bellied up to the bar. Even so, could she really go through with this?
She licked her suddenly dry lips, studying his face. He had kind eyes. And full lips.
As her gaze descended, she added to her mental list of Oh my God, He’s Fucking Hot attributes. Jake had powerful hands and muscular arms. And he sure as hell knew how to fill out a pair of blue jeans.
Shit. She was seriously going to do this.
“A hot woman is sitting across from me looking for a hookup. There’s not a straight, single man on the planet who would turn that down.”
“Apparently it’s not just the single guys.”
“Good point.”
“And you qualify, do you? Single and straight?” She really needed to hear Jake say he wasn’t married. Though she was questioning her judgment after the Greg fiasco, something told her she could trust Jake’s word.
He nodded and once again she was taken in by his smile, his handsome face. Where Greg had been a pretty boy, Jake was all man. His jaw was covered with a five o’clock shadow that was pushing the borderline to full-blown beard. She spotted tattoos peeking out beneath his T-shirt on both arms. He was about a month overdue for a haircut, but the shaggy brown mess made her long to run her fingers through it.<
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“I qualify on all counts. I’d love to go home with you tonight. I’m not drunk, I don’t have any diseases, I’m relatively well-mannered and I don’t snore. Plus, none of my past girlfriends have blamed sex for our break-ups.”
“What do they blame?”
He laughed. “I’m trying to talk you into sleeping with me. Not out of it.”
Jake was the answer to a prayer. It would be no hardship having sex with him. None. At. All. “Fine. We’ll do it. Two conditions, though.”
“Lay ’em on me.”
“We go to your place. And I’m not going to stick around afterwards to find out if you’re lying about the snoring.”
“Deal. Should we leave now?”
She frowned. “Don’t you have to stay around until closing?”
He shook his head. “Nope. One of the perks of owning the place is you can come and go as you please.”
“You own the bar?”
“Yep.” He turned to talk to the other bartender. “Sam, this is Josie.”
Sam shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Josie.”
Jake took her empty glass and put it in the rack along with the other dirty dishes. “I’m going to take Josie home. You mind holding down the fort tonight?”
Sam shook his head. “No problem. I’ll lock up and take care of the deposit.”
“Thank, Sam.” Jake walked to the cash register for a moment, then handed Josie’s credit card back to her. “Here.”
“Don’t I need to sign a slip or something?”
“Drink is on me. Least I can do, considering.”
She slipped the card back in her purse as he grabbed some keys from a cabinet. He lifted the hinged part of the bar and walked over, grasping her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded. “So ready.”
When they got to the parking lot, Jake paused. “My apartment is a couple blocks that way, so I don’t drive to work. Your car will be fine here if you want to leave it.”
She nodded. “Any dark alleys between your place and here?”
He frowned. “You really don’t plan to spend the night?”
“I told you that.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I know. Dark alleys don’t matter. I’ll walk you back here afterwards. Come on.”
He led her home, neither of them speaking along the way. Josie noticed it wasn’t an awkward silence. In fact, she felt more at ease than she’d anticipated. She wasn’t suffering from the slightest bit of nervousness. If anything, she wished he’d walk faster.
“I haven’t had sex in over two years.” Where the fuck had that confession come from? She winced. “I mean—”
Jake squeezed her hand. “I think I understand that horniness now. Maybe we better hurry up.”
She laughed as he picked up the pace. Jake was funny and easygoing. As far as howling went, she couldn’t have chosen a better partner to help her check off the first item on her sex list.
Taking his keys out of his pocket, he opened the door to his second-floor apartment, flicking on the light switch as she entered.
Mercifully, Jake’s place wasn’t bachelor-pad gross. There were no soiled dishes piled up on every surface, no dirty-gym-sock odor in the air, and the furniture wasn’t stained, with stuffing coming out at the seams. Apart from some clothes and shoes scattered about, the place was actually quite clean.
“Nice,” she murmured as she looked around.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s okay. Rent’s cheap, the neighbors are quiet and I have my own washer and dryer. It’s not a bad place to lay my head at night.”
“Having your own washer and dryer is huge. I have to lug my laundry across the commons and drag it down into this humid basement laundry room my landlord set up for all the tenants. Costs a quarter a load, so I’m forever digging for change.”
She wasn’t sure where all that had come from. Now that she was in Jake’s apartment she couldn’t figure out how to move things to the next level. While she’d initiated the invitation, she was clueless when it came to seduction. She’d been with one man in her life—Tony—and he’d always been the instigator when it came to sex.
It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy the act. It was just that Tony’s libido seemed to run on high all the time. She never had a chance to be the pursuer.
“So,” she said at last, “where’s your bedroom?”
Jake stepped closer, his grin growing. He lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks. It was a sexy move. Josie’s stomach flip-flopped. “What’s the rush, brown eyes?”
“We both know why I’m here. I don’t see the need for chitchat. Seems sort of pointless.”
Jake studied her face. She could feel her cheeks flushing. Crap. She hadn’t blushed since she was fourteen. There was very little that rattled her, but Jake’s hungry gaze left her flustered.
“Who said anything about us talking? Sure. Sex is a given tonight. But I’m not skipping the foreplay just because we know how this is going to end. Getting there is half the fun.”
She sucked in a deep breath, but the air didn’t penetrate her lungs. “Oh.” She was in over her head. And loving every minute of it. “Okay.”
Jake led her to the couch. “When’s the last time you made out with a guy?”
She started to give him her standard two years answer, but she realized it had been longer than that. Toward the end of her marriage, she and Tony had stopped taking the time to kiss and touch. They’d adopted the wham, bam method of lovemaking, usually because they were too tired or because they were trying to finish quickly in case Tommy woke up.
Her silence lasted too long.
“What a waste,” Jake muttered. “A woman like you should be kissed every fucking day. For hours at a time.”
“Could you be any hotter?” The words slipped from her lips before she could think better of them. She was finding it difficult to play it cool with Jake. When she’d envisioned this night, she always saw herself as the aggressor. She imagined raw, hot, meaningless, quick sex. She didn’t expect to laugh, to have fun, to be wooed, seduced.
Jake chuckled, then grasped her hand and pressed it to the placket of his pants, letting her feel his erection. “If the temperature goes up any higher, I might be in danger of bursting into flames. I want you, Josie.”
She pressed his cock more firmly. “I’m here.”
“So you are.” He stepped closer and pressed her toward the couch. She was about to sit down when he stopped her, sank down on the cushions and pulled her onto his lap.
She laughed at his unexpected move. “Smooth.”
He didn’t bother to respond to her joke. Instead, he placed his hand at the nape of her neck and tugged her to him.
Josie’s heart began to race as she pressed her lips to his. Fear and arousal mingled together to notch up her desire. While she was the queen of spontaneity when it came to safe things, she’d never taken a chance like this. She was sitting on the lap of a man she’d known all of three hours with every intention of having sex with him.
Some rational part of her brain was yelling at her to think about this a little longer, but Jake’s kiss kicked her common sense to the curb.
His lips parted, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth. His kiss was warm, the perfect mix of gentle and demanding. Her body softened in his embrace as she tried to move closer.
Josie felt his erection against her hip and a wave of lightheadedness wafted through her. Had she ever wanted a man this much?
Jake maneuvered them again, laying her down on the couch. He never broke the contact of their lips as he shifted and climbed over her.
His large frame caged her beneath him—it was the most beautiful captivity of her life. He rested his weight on his forearms, as his fingers tangled in her brown hair. He deepened the kiss.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, determined to keep him close. Josie tried to recall the last time she’d made out like this. She and Tony had stopped kissing long before the marriage ended, and while she’d been on d
ates since the divorce, there’d been no spark, no chemistry, nothing.
Jake was pushing every hot button inside her with no more than his lips on hers, his hands in her hair and his rock-hard body pressing her deeper into the plush cushions. He didn’t seek to go further, to advance the play. Instead, he seemed perfectly content to spend the rest of the night holding her, just like this.
It was flattering. And frustrating. Her breasts ached to be touched. Her pussy clenched with need.
Finally, she turned her head slightly, gasping for breath. “Jake. More.”
Strong fingers on her jaw turned her face back to his. “Soon.”
When he started kissing her again, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Josie wrapped her legs around his hips, grinding her pussy against his denim-covered cock.
He groaned against her lips, but didn’t give way. Soon it became a test of wills as Jake continued to torment her—with slow, deep, leisurely, amazing kisses—while she tried to drive him out of his mind with touches on his back, his chest, his cock.
Unfortunately, the more Josie tried to tempt Jake to move to the next level, the more painful her own arousal became.
Any doubts she might have harbored about the wisdom of the adventure gave way to pure lust.
“Jake, please.”
He ran his fingers along her cheek. “Come on.”
He stood, reaching for her hand to help her rise. Her legs were wobbly, but his strong arms provided the support she needed as he led her to his bedroom.
His room, like the rest of his apartment, was tidy. His bed was even made. Josie wasn’t sure why, but the idea that he took the two minutes necessary to make his bed in the morning made her even more certain of her decision to come here. He wasn’t lazy and he took pride in his home.
He turned on the bedside lamp, so the bedroom wasn’t overwhelmed with light, but allowed them to see each other more clearly.
Jake reached for the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it over his head.
God bless America. The man was built. Mega-built. Jake’s six-pack chest would make Ryan Gosling weep with envy.
“Damn,” she muttered.
Jake grinned good-naturedly at her compliment, then pointed to her shirt. “Fair is fair.”
