by Jo Leigh
Jenna squeezed her eyes shut. She knew what she had to do. Call off the wedding.
Not over the phone, though. She’d arrange to see him tomorrow or the day after, depending on how raw she still felt. How wicked the weather was.
When he asked again where she was, she assured him she was fine, physically at least. There was no need to tell him about Rick, except that he’d made sure she was safe. But it took a while for Payton to hear her. To believe her.
By the time she hung up, she was exhausted. And cold. Freezing, actually. The room’s temperature had dropped considerably. She looked around for a switch, a knob or a dial to turn the heat up. But she hadn’t found one when she’d searched earlier and she couldn’t find anything now.
She slipped back into bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Her teeth chattered. Was this a symptom of a broken heart? Because it was broken, no two ways about it. And it really was freezing. The stupid apartment must’ve short-circuited. Was Rick having the same trouble?
Every thought was bracketed by shivering and when that didn’t stop, she added cursing. Out loud. This wasn’t like her at all. But nothing helped her feet warm up. Or the rest of her, for that matter. How was she supposed to get any sleep?
She threw back the covers and got up so quickly she had to hold on to the padded headboard for a few dizzy seconds. Then she tugged down her borrowed T-shirt and headed across the living room. Lights in the floor tile showed her the way. Precisely. Every step lit up the second her cold foot touched the tile. The one she left went dark.
Rick had pointed them out earlier but she’d forgotten. She jumped two tiles, then three, then straddled two tiles, which both lit up. Evidently, the floor was a lot smarter than the heating system.
She didn’t stop until she was at Rick’s door. He probably wasn’t asleep yet. Besides, he’d told her that if she needed anything at all, she shouldn’t hesitate to ask for it.
She hesitated.
Until the goose bumps on her arms sprouted their own goose bumps. When her first gentle knock got no response, she knocked again. Harder. She didn’t want to walk in without permission. Too much potential for seeing yet another thing she couldn’t unsee. The third knock did the trick.
“Come on in.”
His voice sounded low and gravelly, and once she opened the door, he made quite a picture sitting up in his bed. Perfectly dimmed lights had switched on from the ceiling. The light was soft enough to sleep through, but bright enough that she could see the way his hair spiked, how he was trying to blink himself awake. And that he wasn’t wearing a stitch.
“Jenna. You all right?”
Her teeth still chattered. His room didn’t feel a whole lot warmer than hers. “Go back to sleep,” she said, regretting that last knock. She should’ve known better. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
“Don’t go. Please.”
With her back to him, she said, “The heat in my room doesn’t seem to be working.”
“The heat? Well, that should have been taken care of automatically.”
She glanced back at him, and then quickly turned away again. “You’d think so, but I’m freezing.”
“Why aren’t you looking at me?”
“You’re naked.”
He laughed. “I’ve got pajama bottoms on. If it’ll make you more comfortable, I’ll put the top on, too.”
“No, no. Of course not, just— All I need to know is where the controls are.”
“I’ll go have a look.”
“Really, you don’t need to get up...” She finally turned. Looking at him in that movie-star light quieted some of the louder warning signs in her head. He didn’t have six-pack abs, but his chest was lean and firm with just the right amount of dark hair. When he ran his hand through the mess on his head she saw his bicep bulge to perfection. Then she saw his face. His utterly bemused expression.
“You are,” she said, “a very nice man.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean it. You’ve been nothing but nice since the whole surreal incident began.”
“Great. You woke me up to tell me I’m nice. The ultimate death knell.” He covered a yawn and then rubbed his eyes. “I suppose you’re going to tell me I have a great personality, too.”
“Now that you mention it.” She shivered again, her extremities still Popsicles, and she guessed her nipples were extremities. Because damn, they were hard and cold. Good thing her arms were now across her chest with her hands tucked under her armpits. Although, the pose pulled up the T-shirt far enough that he could see the entire front of her scarlet bikini panties.
“Honestly, it’s not that cold. But I can see you’re shivering.” He patted the mattress next to him. “Come on. Get in. I won’t bite. I’m way too nice for that.”
This wasn’t what she’d come looking for, but she was in no mood to argue. Walking across the very large bedroom suite, this one as exquisitely decorated as her bedroom, only warmer, she started to relax. She could feel it in her jaw, her shoulders.
“I can’t sleep when my feet are cold,” she admitted. “You sure you don’t mind me stealing all the heat?”
“I don’t mind at all,” he said, holding up the covers for her.
She crawled in beside him. Shaking as much from adrenaline as cold. She was getting into a virtual stranger’s bed. Oh, who was she kidding? If he turned out to be Mr. Hyde instead of Dr. Jekyll, fine. At least she’d die in comfort.
The relief of the warm bed couldn’t be praised highly enough, though she had yet to stop shivering. When her thoughts flashed back to the phone call, another chill swept through her.
Her gaze connected with the man looking at her from his pillow. How could Rick seem safe and familiar after meeting him only hours ago? She managed a smile and inched closer, lured by the heat coming from his body. And by his eyes. Those damn hypnotic blue eyes of his could land her in real trouble if she didn’t pull herself together.
“I’m not drunk anymore,” she told him.
“Okay,” he said, looking slightly amused.
“So, I didn’t say you were nice because I was hammered. I’m not.”
“I believe you. Neither am I, even though I had the schnapps in my drink.”
“I probably should’ve had some in mine, too.”
“I can get you—”
“No.” She caught his arm before he could get up.
“How about more hot cocoa? To help get you warm.”
The way he was staring into her eyes, she’d bet anything he had just thought of a more personal approach to stop her shivering. A muscle running along his forearm tensed beneath her palm. The jitters had already started in her stomach, and she withdrew her hand. “I’m really glad we talked out there on the couch. I’m just sorry it was so one-sided.”
“I’m not. You have more at stake than I do.”
“Not really,” she said, somewhat confused. “We both had—it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about what happened anymore. For me, anyway. If you need to vent, I’m happy to listen.”
“No, I’ve done all the processing I need to do.” He seemed so sure, so...unaffected. “Unload all you want. Don’t worry about me.”
“Nope. I’m really done.” She smiled. “I realized today is the start of a whole new year for both of us. I think it’s safe to say, at least for me, a whole new life.”
“Huh,” he said, turning his body to face hers. “In all the drama I forgot about that. You’re right. We’re off to an interesting start, that’s for sure.”
“Yes, very interesting.” She realized something else—she wasn’t cold anymore. Not even a little. But she moved closer just the same. “Care to make it even more interesting?” she asked, equal parts thrilled and alarmed to see his eyes darken.
Rick grinned. “
I’m a storm chaser. I’m always game for more interesting,” he said and stroked her cheek. “Are you sure, though?”
“I am.”
“I don’t want to do anything you’d regret.”
“Oh, Rick...” Jenna smiled into his handsome face. “I’m going to regret a lot of things about this trip. But none of them are you.”
He shifted close enough that their pillows and legs touched.
And when she leaned in for one of his amazing kisses, he met her more than halfway.
* * *
RICK WASN’T one hundred percent sure he wasn’t dreaming. He’d signed off on all things carnal half an hour after they’d reached the apartment. To have her in his arms? In his bed?
His dreams were never this good.
He pictured her as she’d stood in his doorway, her hair tousled, her hands tucked under her arms. Her nipples so hard he thought he saw the big eye on the front of the T-shirt blink. He’d never be able to wear that one again. Not just that particular T-shirt, but all of its identical twins.
Now he could feel those puckered nipples against his chest while one long leg wrapped itself over his thigh. Damn, if he had to choose between a category-five tornado and being here? The tornado would just have to chase itself.
“I didn’t even ask,” she said, breathing hard, not taking her mouth too far away.
“About?”
“I don’t have a condom with me.”
He laughed. “I’ve got it covered.”
She kissed him again, and then started laughing herself. He was the one who had to pull away this time.
“What?”
“Pun,” she said.
“Pun? Uh, I have enough blood in my brain to do basic math and spell my name. You’re going to need to explain.”
“It’s nothing. Really.”
“What am I missing?” he asked. They were still in the kissing position. His erection was well on its way to full hardness. The back of her foot continued to brush against his thigh, almost reaching his butt. He had no idea what she’d meant.
“It’s so stupid now,” she said. “It won’t be funny anymore.”
He nodded, done with it, and proceeded to kiss her three ways to Sunday, but it occurred to him her laugh had sounded nervous, self-conscious. So he pulled back.
Jenna blinked. “Why did you stop?”
He could see her under the muted ceiling lights, and hoped the flush on her face was from arousal than embarrassment. Or from having second thoughts. “Tell me the pun.”
“Really? Now?”
“Come on.”
“I asked if you had a condom. You said you had it covered...” She trailed off with a sigh.
“Ah, now I get it.” Smiling, he brushed the hair away from her cheek, aching to do so much more. “You still okay with this? We could just cuddle for a while.”
“That’s a very nice offer and an appealing idea, but, um, you know how you were kissing me so hard it made my toes curl?”
“Yes, I remember that very vividly.”
“You thinking of picking up where you left off?”
“I am.”
Her cockeyed grin made him hum.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Mr.... Oh, my God. I don’t remember your last name and we’re having sex.”
“Well, we were close.”
“Did you tell me before? Because I don’t recall. What’s your last name?”
“Sinclair.”
“Oh,” she said, her voice dipping at least an octave. “Okay.”
“Are we good now?”
Before she could complete her nod he kissed her again—he couldn’t have held back if the world were coming to an end. And she kissed him in return. No hint of shyness, no reluctance. Her hands were on his back, on his sides, exploring. His free hand had immediately cupped her breast, and all was right with the world.
But...that breast was still covered. He needed to reach under that damn T-shirt and find out what she felt like in his palm.
He groaned as he gently squeezed her soft flesh, her puckered nub poking at him, begging him to do more than squeeze. He wasn’t about to argue. As hard as it was to leave her lips, he slid under the covers and pulled up her T-shirt as far as he could. Jenna did the rest.
He’d have to pace himself. First of all, he hadn’t shaved since before the party. Second of all, Jenna was perfect. She had the most perfect lips and the perfect breasts.
As his tongue swirled and teased, Jenna made sounds. She’d moaned before. In the taxi. Thirty seconds ago. But this was a whole new skill set. It wasn’t just sounds, but words. Kind of.
“Oh, gaaah,” she said, her voice still in that low range that made him crazy. “Do that a—hhh—there. Right...” Her hand went to the back of his head, making sure he didn’t move. Though he doubted she realized how tightly she was pressing.
When he finally sucked that pointy nip, he hit the jackpot. She thrust her hips forward and her pantie-covered crotch met his very hard cock.
He wasn’t quiet, either. The way he was thrusting and she was thrusting, he wasn’t going to need a condom. He’d come right in his pajama bottoms.
And that was not the plan.
“Too soon,” he said, trying to catch his breath and push back her surprisingly strong grip on his head.
“Too soon?” She moved her hand away. “Sorry, sorry.”
He looked up as she looked down. “Sorry? There’s nothing... I was too close to coming. Believe me, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
He smiled. He couldn’t help it. She just charmed the living daylights out of him. When he’d thought of doing this back in the taxi and when they’d first arrived, he’d imagined hot, sweaty, angry sex, not this. He wasn’t delusional. They both had a lot of things to go through, especially Jenna. But right now, she looked happy.
And now that he wasn’t as close to coming as before, he could give all his attention to her other nipple.
He was, after all, a hell of a nice guy.
7
THIS WASN’T WHAT she’d imagined when she’d set out from the second bedroom. All she’d wanted was warmth. It hadn’t occurred to her that the warmth needed to come from the inside.
Rick bent his head to kiss her between her breasts, but she didn’t want him so far away. Not yet.
Moving gently, she ran her hand over his head, and that got his attention. “Can you come up here for a minute?”
“Of course.” He didn’t ask her why, he just shimmied up until they were eye-to-eye, lip-to-lip.
“Just so you know, I loved what you were doing, but I wanted you...closer.” For some reason, she’d whispered. Probably for the same reason she’d asked him to come up.
“Believe me,” he whispered back, “if I could be in two places at once—”
She grinned. “We’d both be exhausted.”
“True. But it’d be worth it.”
“Seeing as how you’re here now, I was hoping for a kiss. Or two.”
He didn’t hesitate, but he also didn’t rush. First, his hand went to her hair, fingertips gliding through, brushing her scalp with perfect tingle-inducing pressure. “You’re very beautiful,” he said, his voice soft and his breath against her lips still sweet with chocolate and peppermint.
With his other hand, he brushed her cheek with one finger, and then did the same to her bottom lip. When he got to the middle, Jenna touched the tip with her tongue.
The way he inhaled and blinked, it was as if she’d given him something wonderful.
Then he kissed her. Softly. A brush of lips, a sigh. She felt his smile and she matched it with her own. The second kiss was a little harder, but instead of a third, he w
rapped her in his arms, rearranging them both in the nicest way.
She felt his erection against her thigh, while her head rested on his shoulder. Well, no, she was lower than that because she could hear his heartbeat. It was so close to perfect, she couldn’t help but close her eyes and feel safe. Warm and safe.
After a bit, his hand skimmed over her back. No rhythm or rhyme to it, just stroking her shoulder blades, skimming the back of her neck, moving down her spine all the way to her waist. It felt like heaven—he knew to apply just the right amount of pressure so she didn’t have to worry about feeling ticklish.
He did that for a few minutes, both hands wandering, lazy and comforting, until he touched the band of her panties.
Using his fingertips once again, he snuck underneath about an inch. But that inch changed the game. The air she breathed suddenly felt electrified. The fingers on her scalp made her moan. His cock against her thigh pulsed and her priorities shifted from one breath to the next.
She smiled on his chest, directly above his heart.
His soft chuckle was just loud enough to hear, and strong enough to jiggle her lips.
Body language. Only, not the regular kind.
She’d been remiss, not using her hands at all. One arm was trapped, but she held the other close, fisted under her chin.
Okay, that was the regular kind of body language. No wonder he was only using his fingertips.
Releasing the fist made her sigh, made him inhale and hold his breath. She ran her palm across the top of his chest, then stroked down, mapping his coordinates, getting a feel for the terrain.
The more she explored his trim body, the lower his fingers moved inside her panties.
God, she wanted him. He’d been so patient, making sure each step he took was preapproved. Safe.
Now, though, she was ready and aching for Danger Bond.
As she skimmed her fingers over his chest, his nipple raised for her, which was very sexy. Her scalp massage stopped as she took hold of the little nub between her thumb and index finger. There was only one thing to do, and it meant leaning on her trapped arm, which had gone to sleep ages ago. Worth it, though, because when she licked that tiny male nipple, he groaned so loud and so low, she’d have thought he was dying.
