by Bryony Kayn
Angel gazed at it blankly for a moment before he finally recognized that what Steve had pulled from his pocket was a torn pair of women’s panties. He shook his head, tossing them back to Steve. “Never fails,” he retorted, turning his head toward Jake, who stood at another table with her tray dangling from one hand as she took an order.
Steve lifted the cloth to his nose, sniffing the lace and satin, before tucking them back in his pocket. His silk shirt hung open, and he didn’t care if anyone noticed most of the buttons were missing.
“Hey Sly, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna take off a little early,” Jake said, sticking her head in the door of Sly’s office. The club was already closed, but people were still filing out of the building, and the employees were just beginning their clean up.
“Don say it’s okay for you to cut out before cleanup?” Sly asked.
“Yeah, I asked him first,” she replied, smiling when he shrugged. “Tomorrow’s my day off; see you on Monday.”
He waved, already back to his paperwork.
She went back along the hall and out into the club. The band was still tidying up the stage, and Jake made a point not to look at Swan. She’d been avoiding his gaze all night, since Steve had shown up. Swan had taken her back to the Palms every night, and they’d made out in his car every night, but she still hadn’t allowed him to go any further. She was ambivalent because she liked him, and yet as sweet and sexy as he was, she found it relatively easy to keep things from going any further. That hadn’t been an option with Steve.
All he’d had to do was touch her and breathe a few words into her ear, and she was ready for him. No coy put-offs, no excuses. She’d taken him into the backroom and given herself to him completely. And now all she wanted was to get him alone somewhere so she could spend the next few hours renewing her familiarity with his strong and seductive body.
She found Steve and Angel at the other end of the bar, closer to the front doors. Most of the customers had exited the building, and employees were cleaning up the tables so they could get out of here.
“Ready?” Steve asked when she approached, sliding his arm around her in a possessive way that she would take from no one else.
“Ready,” she agreed, reaching up to touch Angel’s chest. “Talk to you later,” she said, knowing he was more worried about her now than when she’d been spending her free time with Swan. Maybe she should be worried, too, but all she could do was look forward to the next few hours with the man beside her. She had loved him so much once, and hated and feared him, too. He could make her lose all control, physically and emotionally. That was alluring as well as terrifying.
Then they were out of the building, and he walked her to his car. It was a shiny black machine with tinted windows and black leather upholstery. He handed her into the car, then walked around the back and got in the driver’s side.
“This is nice,” she said, stroking the soft leather of her seat.
“One of the perks,” he replied, starting the car and throwing it into gear. He tossed black hair out of his face and put his hand on her thigh as he sped out of the parking lot.
A few minutes later he was driving at breakneck speed up a series of winding, narrow roads into the Hollywood Hills. By the time he’d turned into a private drive, Jake was unsure of where they were. She hadn’t spent much time in the hills in her youth, mostly hanging out in the cities of Hollywood and L.A. He lifted his hand from her leg long enough to push a button on the console. One of the garage doors slid up and the overhead light came on.
Steve pulled into the garage, parking beside another expensive black car. He turned off the engine and got out, walking around to open her door for her. She glanced at the second car as they walked between the vehicles, recognizing the Mercedes emblem on the hood, and raised one eyebrow. Blackstone was living the good life now that they’d all dreamed of back in the old days.
Steve led her into his house, stopping long enough to close the garage door and re-arm the security system. While he did this, Jake strolled across the large, open room the garage door let them into. The floor was hardwood with scattered colorful rugs covering part of it. A patterned rock fireplace took up most of one wall, a huge TV and stereo system most of a second. The third wall was only a half wall separating the living room from the kitchen. The fourth wall, directly across from her, was made of floor to ceiling glass, looking out over the patio and swimming pool, then farther to the distant lights of the city far below.
She walked to the windows, gazing out at the dark shoulders of hills lit here and there by the lights of other homes. A V-shaped cleft in the hills held the lights of L.A., glittering and cold at this distance.
“Want a drink?”
She shook her head, still struck by the view. Then he was behind her again, his arms around her, hands sliding up to cup her breasts, fingertips raising her nipples to hard points. She gasped as he pinched one nipple, his teeth grazing her neck with almost painful pressure. She raised her arms, reaching behind her to run her fingers through his hair. It was soft and thick, just like she remembered.
Steve pulled her tank top up, baring the black, lace-trimmed bra that matched the ruined panties. She kept her arms above her head so he could pull the tank top off, then turned in his arms, pushing his shirt back off his shoulders as her mouth found his. The kiss was slow and soulful, making her heart pound as his hands moved over her back, then down to her ass and back up again to tangle in her long hair. She drew her hands across his chest, then down his taut stomach and around to his back, reveling in the feel of him. The scent of his skin was like a drug to her senses, the taste of him even more tantalizing.
He unfastened her bra, pushing the straps off her shoulders, baring her breasts to his mouth and hands. She threw her head back, letting him support her weight as he nuzzled her breasts, teasing the nipples with teeth and tongue. Then he lifted her off her feet and carried her swiftly through the living room to a short hallway behind the wall that held the stone fireplace. He kicked open the doors to the master suite, carrying her across the threshold like a half-naked bride and to the immense king-sized bed. He set her down, letting his hands roam over her flesh again, seeming to be starved for her.
Jake reached down and unhooked the clasp of her skirt, pulled down the zipper, and allowed the denim to fall to the floor. She stood nude before him, reaching for the button at the waist of his pants. He helped her to undo the fastenings, letting the last of his clothing fall to the floor beside her skirt.
She stepped close to him, pressing her bare flesh to his, the hardness of his muscles running a thrill through her. Her arms went around him again, and she kissed him, pulling his head down so he couldn’t deny her his mouth. His strong hands roamed over her body freely, and she moaned against his tongue.
After a long time she pulled away from him, gazing into his face as she noted every line and curve of his features. He was a genuinely handsome man, completely separate from his charisma, and just the sight of him was enough to inflame her desire.
“What?” he asked in a low voice, his hands still caressing her curves.
She shook her head, licking her lips unconsciously. “I don’t know what it is about you,” she whispered, “that you can look at me and I lose all self-control.”
“It’s love,” he replied, but she shook her head.
“We don’t know anything about love, Steve. We know about lust and passion and desire. We know about pain,” she said, putting her fingers over his mouth when he would have spoken again. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to argue with you. I just want to please you, like I used to.”
With that, she went down on her knees before him, taking him in her hands and mouth, loving the way his eyes narrowed and his breath caught in his throat. She moved her head slowly, lips and tongue teasing the length of him, using every trick she’d ever learned to bring him to the brink of release, and then holding him there.
Steve moaned, head thrown back as her mouth en
closed him, and he couldn’t help but tangle his fingers in her long hair, urging her on. He’d had his share of groupies, before and after the band had been signed, and had dated actresses and models after Blackstone became a headliner. But no woman he’d ever been with could match Jake’s talent in this department.
Finally, he could hold back no longer. “Stop,” he said, his hands on her head so he could pull away. She let him go reluctantly, flicking the tip of his engorged member with her tongue, and smiled as he gasped. He pulled her to her feet and pushed her toward the bed. “I can’t wait any longer,” he said, his voice rougher as he tried to control his libido.
Jake turned her back to him, kneeling on the bed and presenting her posterior to him invitingly. She exhaled sharply when he impaled her, throwing her head back with a cry as he thrust again. She bucked and shuddered, arching her back ecstatically, riding waves of pressure and release. Her hands clutched the sheets in spasms, and she cried out again and again as he plunged into her.
Finally he reached his climax and gripped her hips with both hands, holding her tight against him. She hung her head, panting for breath, and her internal muscles tightened and released around him in waves as her orgasm subsided. He pulled her up, still kneeling on the bed so he could enfold her in his arms and kiss her neck and shoulder tenderly.
“Some things never change,” he whispered softly to her, still cradling her against him.
She laughed, still breathless, turning her head to look at him. “Yeah, you’re still the best piece of ass I’ve ever had.”
“No doubt about it, you’re the best I’ve had, too.” Then he let her pull away from him, turning onto her back on the bed. He left the room, coming back with a couple of towels, and used one to clean her of his emissions.
“Now it’s my turn,” he said, lying down on the huge bed beside her. He started by kissing her mouth again, moving down her body, hands and mouth exploring every inch of her skin. When he reached the triangle of dark blond hair, she spread her legs for him, breathing in a quick pant as her ardor grew. He parted the delicate folds of skin and lazily probed the taut little point of flesh with his tongue.
She cried out wordlessly, the long muscles in her thighs beginning to shake. Now it was his turn to revel in the power he held over her, how he could make her moan and cry out to him with just the tiniest movement of his tongue or fingers. “Steve—oh, Steve, please!” she begged, turning her head to one side, then the other as he continued to torment her. “Please!”
At last he gave in, working the center of her pleasure with a knowledgeable tongue that quickly brought her to orgasm. He kissed the inside of her thigh, sucking a little on the soft skin there as he waited for her tremors to still. When she finally relaxed, he started again, reveling in her breathless cries as he brought her to climax again, and then a third time.
Finally, pleased with himself, he slid back up the bed, enjoying the way she immediately wrapped her legs around him. He was ready again and pushed into her slowly, loving the way her hands clutched at his hips, urging him into her more quickly.
Their first encounter earlier tonight at the Neon had been almost brutal, and although Jake hadn’t complained, he’d seen the shadows of bruises on her back from when he’d slammed her against the wall of the storage room. Now he was determined to be gentle, to bring her slowly and surely to the peak of gratification. He wanted her to forget completely that last night they’d spent together three years ago, the night that they’d fought almost to the death. He knew only too well how close he’d come to killing her, and the murderous rage of that long-ago night seemed alien to him now. He wanted to give her something else to remember. He wanted her to remember tonight, how gentle he could be, and how expertly he’d given her every physical pleasure she could crave.
With those thoughts in mind he made love to her, to his beautiful, dangerous woman. To his Jake, finally back where she belonged.
Chapter 2
Steve awoke the next morning when he reached for Jake and found her missing from his bed. He sat up, looking around the deserted bedroom, and listened, wondering if she was in the bathroom. He heard only silence.
He got out of bed and went to check the bathroom. It was empty. He stepped into the walk-in closet and grabbed a pair of shorts to pull on, then padded on bare feet out of the master suite and down the short hall, squinting against the bright sunlight that flooded the living room.
Jake was standing in the kitchen, smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee. A music magazine was open on the counter before her, and she was flipping through it. She’d apparently raided his closet and wore a pair of his shorts with the drawstring pulled tight and a T-shirt that she’d twisted and tied into a knot in front, baring her midriff.
“When did you get up?” he asked, stopping behind her to kiss her neck before he continued over to the coffee pot.
“About an hour ago,” she replied, returning to the magazine. “I took a shower. Hope you don’t mind that I borrowed some clothes.”
“No problem,” he answered, pouring himself a cup of steaming coffee, and came back to stand beside her. He reached out to smooth strands of pale hair away from her face. Her hair was still damp from the shower. “How’d you sleep?”
Her lips curved slowly, and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Great. You?”
“Fantastic,” he said, setting his cup on the counter, and reached out to pull her into his arms. She slipped one arm around his waist, her other hand held to the side with the still burning cigarette. They kissed, a slow and loving kiss that made Jake sigh. “Are you hungry? I can fix you breakfast.”
She shook her head, turning back to the counter when he crossed the kitchen to the refrigerator. “I don’t usually eat this early.”
“You should eat something. I’m starved,” he said, opening the fridge to see what might be available. “Do you like cantaloupe?” There was half a melon in the fridge, wrapped in plastic from the last time Debra had stayed over. She was a vegetarian, so Steve had taken to keeping food on hand for her.
“No, that belongs to Debra,” Jake said, and Steve turned to look at her. “That’s what it says on the plastic wrap. I wouldn’t want to take what belongs to her.”
He closed the fridge, setting the half a cantaloupe on the counter, and crossed the open floor to Jake. “Nothing in this house belongs to Debra,” he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She shrugged easily as though she didn’t care, but her eyes were shuttered and she didn’t meet his gaze. “Angel told me you had a girlfriend, so I was aware before you showed up last night. Guess that makes me the bitch.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Steve stated, leaning his hip against the counter. “Yeah, we’ve dated on and off for the last couple months, but it’s nothing serious.”
“Would she say the same thing?” Jake asked, raising an eyebrow. “Would she claim more of you if I asked?”
“It doesn’t matter. She was only passing time. Now that you’re back, I’m done with her.”
Jake sighed, gazing down at the counter. She stabbed out her cigarette without a final drag. “Last night was great, Steve. You obviously know how much I enjoyed it. But that doesn’t mean we’re back together. Just because we were always good in bed doesn’t mean we were ever good anywhere else.”
He shook his head, denying her words. He wasn’t going to lose her, no matter what it took to convince her. He reached out and gently lifted her chin so she would look at him. His thumb caressed her jaw. “You may not believe me, but I still love you, Jake. Now that you’re back, I’ll do whatever I have to to prove that to you. I don’t want to lose you again. You have to give me a chance. I know you still care for me.”
She closed her eyes, hiding whatever vulnerability they might reveal. “I don’t know, Steve—”
“Just a chance, Jae,” he said, stepping closer as he used the nickname only he had ever used. “Give us another chance…” He brushed her lips with hi
s own, kissing her tenderly, gently, wanting more than anything for her to trust him again.
“Yeah?” Angel said when he answered his phone on the third ring.
“What’s goin’ on?” Steve asked.
“Not much,” Angel replied, his voice noncommittal. “You?”
“Just wondering if you were gonna be home for a while.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. What’s up?”
Steve glanced at Jake, amazed at how good it was to have her there, so close he could touch. “We thought we’d stop by for a bit. Jake wants to see your house.”
“Sure, I’ll be here.”
“See you in a few.” Steve hung up, turning to Jake. “You ready?”
“Can we stop by the motel so I can change?” she asked, glancing down at her borrowed wardrobe.
“I don’t know, I think you look hot in my clothes,” he teased, reaching out to pull her against him.
“Hey, don’t get me wrong, they are comfortable,” she agreed, smiling up at him. “But if you start letting me wear your stuff, where will it ever end?”
“Do I need to hide my leathers?”
“Ooh—you have leathers?” she asked, her warm eyes sparkling. “Any that might fit me?”
He laughed, kissing her quickly. “Yep, I’m gonna have to hide them. Come on, we’ll stop by the motel.”
When Jake and Steve came in, Angel was sitting on the couch, feet kicked up on the coffee table with his guitar in his lap. He nodded at them, still playing, working on a somewhat complicated progression for what must be a new song, judging by the notes on the table.
Jake sat down on the floor cross-legged, resting her back against the other couch. Steve sat on the couch beside her, casually stroking her hair as they listened.
Angel missed his fingering, stopped and backed up to try the chord change again, and struck a wrong note a second time. “Shit,” he said, putting his palm flat against the strings to silence them.
