by Karen Foley
“I’m sorry to bother you, but you look so familiar to me.” He focused on Maggie. “Are you—are you Maggie Copeland?”
Maggie’s smile widened, but her expression was a little bemused. “Yes, I am. Do I know you?”
“I’m sure you don’t remember me. It’s been a long time. I actually feel like an ass even intruding on your evening, but I couldn’t believe it was really you.” He extended his hand to her. “I’m Nathan Stone. I used to be stationed at the air base.”
Jack watched as the color drained out of Maggie’s face. “Yes,” she said, her voice so low he almost didn’t hear her. “I remember you.”
Jack had seen and heard enough. He didn’t know who Nathan Stone was, but he could see his presence was upsetting to Maggie. He stepped forward. “I’m Jack Callahan. It’s great that you recognize Maggie, but we’re just trying to have a quiet dinner.” He looked meaningfully toward the man’s table, where his wife or girlfriend still sat, watching them curiously. “And I think your date is waiting for you.”
Looking back at his table, the man raised one finger to the woman, then returned his attention back to Maggie. “You look good—really good. I’m glad. I just wanted to say that I didn’t know anything about what was happening back then, okay? He was my best friend, but I never knew about—about that other thing. I just want you to know that.”
Maggie nodded and swallowed hard. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Okay, good.” The man shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your night. Sorry to disturb you.”
He returned to his table, and Jack watched as he took the woman’s hand across the table and leaned forward to talk softly to her. The woman’s expression turned to one of sympathy, and she glanced over at Maggie.
“Hey,” Jack said, stroking his fingers along the back of her hand. “Let’s just get out of here.”
She gave him a grateful smile, but Jack didn’t miss the sheen in her eyes, which she quickly blinked away. “That sounds good,” she said, nodding. “I’m not really that hungry, anyway.”
Jack pulled her chair back, and because she seemed so vulnerable at that moment, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his body as he led her out of the restaurant. He could feel her trembling, and his arm tightened protectively around her. When they reached his Land Rover, he handed her into the passenger seat and then leaned across her to buckle her in. But instead of closing the door, he braced one hand on the back of her seat and looked at her.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. He just— I wasn’t—” Breaking off abruptly, she made a groaning sound of frustration and rubbed her hands over her face before giving him a bright smile. “He was the last person I ever expected to see tonight.”
Jack waited expectantly, but when she didn’t say anything, he made an impatient gesture. “So who the hell was he?”
Maggie sighed. “He was supposed to be the best man at my wedding.”
12
EVEN KNOWING THAT Maggie had once been engaged, the information rattled Jack. But instead of letting her see how he felt, he bracketed her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. “Okay, big deal. You’re probably going to run into other people who knew you back then. I know seeing him threw you, but you handled yourself really well.”
Maggie smiled, and turned her cheek into his hand. “It helped that you were there.”
“Yeah, well, I’m glad I was.”
“What if it had been him? Phillip Woodman?”
Jack hadn’t known the name of her former fiancé, and it didn’t mean anything to him now, but he realized he disliked hearing the bastard’s name on her lips.
“You would have been fine. And I promise you, he would have taken one look at you and realized he made the biggest mistake in the world in letting you go.”
Maggie smiled, and Jack could see she was relaxing. “Thank you, Jack. You’re so sweet.”
“I’m not sweet, Maggie. Right now, I feel anything but sweet.” He glanced around the dark parking lot and back toward the entrance of the restaurant. “Are you still hungry?”
“Let’s just go home.”
She’d done it again, referring to Whidbey Island as home, and Jack felt a keen sense of satisfaction at her words. “Okay, sweetheart.” Dipping his head, he pressed a warm kiss against her mouth. “But just for the record, I think the guy is a complete moron.”
He wasn’t sure who he referred to, her ex-fiancé for ditching her, or Nathan Stone for having the poor taste to come over and talk to her, knowing he would be dredging up bad feelings. He was biased against anyone who could make Maggie feel sad. Closing the passenger door, he walked around the vehicle, slid behind the wheel and thrust it into Drive, surprised when she reached over and put a hand on his thigh.
“Thank you.”
Jack gave her a wink. “You bet.”
They drove back to the house in silence, and Jack could see that Maggie was lost in her own thoughts, although she left her hand on his leg. Even through the denim of his jeans, he could feel the warmth of her fingers, and couldn’t prevent his body from responding. He felt like a dick for thinking about sex at a time like this, but Maggie had had that effect on him since the first night he’d met her. But she seemed oblivious to his reaction to her. Hell, if she weren’t actually touching him, he doubted she’d remember he was in the car with her. Even when they passed the spot where he had pulled over to kiss her, she didn’t appear to notice. It wasn’t until they reached the cottage that she roused herself and seemed to become aware of her surroundings.
“Would you rather be alone?” Jack asked quietly. He didn’t want to let her return to the big house by herself, but she seemed so preoccupied that he wondered if she might not need some time to herself to sort things out. To his relief, she shook her head.
“No. I’d rather be with you. Unless you’d rather be alone...”
“Not a chance,” he said quickly. “I don’t have to be back at the base until the day after tomorrow, so I am all yours, sweetheart.”
She let her gaze drift over him. “That sounds...promising.”
Jack laughed, relieved that she wasn’t going to let her encounter with Nathan Stone ruin her night. “Oh, yeah? What do you have in mind?”
“Why don’t I show you?” she said suggestively, and ran her hand along his thigh to his crotch, where he was already half-erect and quickly responding to the promise in her voice.
He was out of the vehicle and opening her door almost before she could finish her sentence. But instead of letting her step out of the Land Rover, he unbuckled her restraint and hauled her into his arms, lifting her against his chest as she gave a cry of surprise and clutched at his shoulders.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he kicked the door shut and took the steps to the cottage two at a time.
“Making sure you don’t change your mind,” he growled, pushing the door open and striding through the dark house to his bedroom.
Setting her on her feet, he didn’t give her time to step away, but dragged her up against his body and kissed her, hard and deep. He wanted to erase any thoughts of Phillip Woodman from her mind. He wanted to imprint himself on her so that she had no doubts about whom she was with. He’d make sure she never had any doubts about how completely desirable she was.
Maggie responded, winding her arms around his neck and pushing her fingers through his hair, rubbing her fingertips against his scalp. Jack slid his hands beneath the hem of her T-shirt, sliding his palms over the warm skin of her ribs and around to her back. His fingers explored the bumps of her spine and the gentle thrust of her shoulder blades, before he deftly unfastened the hooks on her bra, releasing the undergarment and freeing her breasts.
“Here,” she said, and pulled away just long enough
to drag the shirt over her head.
Jack pulled the bra free of her arms, then cupped both of her breasts in his hands, lifting them and pushing them together, admiring their plumpness. At the same time, Maggie’s hands were busy working the fastening on his belt. Loosening the buckle, she quickly undid the button and opened his jeans, sliding her hand inside his boxers to curl her fingers around his length. Jack nearly groaned at the exquisite sensation.
“You’re so hot,” she gasped. “Take these off.”
Releasing her luscious breasts, Jack bent and removed his shoes and then peeled his shirt off, dropping it onto the floor before he pushed both his jeans and his boxers down over his hips and kicked them free. Maggie was already removing her white pants, her eyes riveted on him in the darkness.
She started to reach for him, but Jack stepped quickly away before she could touch him, and switched on one of the bedside lamps, illuminating the room. He drew the shades over the windows, and then turned to look at Maggie.
She stood by the foot of the bed, and as soon as he turned on the light, flattened her hands over her breasts in a gesture of modesty. She looked so incredibly sexy, that for a moment Jack just stood and gaped. Her waist was slender, but her hips and ass were lusciously curved. His eyes lingered on the narrow strip of dark curls at the juncture of her thighs. Dark red curls, which he knew were soft and springy to the touch. She could have been a pin-up girl from the forties. Her skin was pale and completely unblemished, without so much as a freckle anywhere. Behind her hands, he knew her nipples were large and pink tipped. He couldn’t believe that she would hide them.
“Don’t.” Jack stepped around the bed and slowly pulled her hands away from her body. “You are so beautiful to me, Maggie. I don’t want you to hide yourself from me, ever.”
“Sorry.” She gave a self-conscious laugh and pressed herself against him until her breasts were squashed against his chest. “It’s just that I realized we’ve never had the lights on. Not once. We’ve always been in a dark bedroom—or in the darkroom. I didn’t think I’d feel so...so exposed.”
Jack slid his arms around her, his hands touching her everywhere, smoothing over her back and down over the silken curve of her buttocks. “Get used to it,” he said in a husky voice. “I like being able to see you. All of you. You have the most expressive face, and I love watching you when you come.”
“Oh,” she sighed, and pressed her face against his neck, her mouth opening on his skin and alternately kissing and licking at his flesh. He could feel her mouth curve into a smile against his neck, and her heat and scent invaded his senses. He was fully erect, pressed against her hip, and she rubbed against him as she hugged him.
“Maggie,” he groaned. “You’re killing me.”
“Oh, yeah?” Her voice was muffled. “What do you want me to do about it?”
“Put me out of my misery.” His hands cupped her rear and lifted her against his throbbing dick to emphasize his meaning. “Please.”
“Mmm, I’d be happy to,” she whispered into his ear, and swirled her tongue around the edge until he shuddered lightly with sensation. Before he realized her intent, she stepped back and pushed firmly against his chest, until he sat down on the end of the bed. “Oh, wow,” she murmured, her eyes dropping to where he was stiffly erect. Her playfulness abruptly ended, and she straddled his knees and reached down to curl her fingers around him.
“Oh, yeah,” he said hoarsely. “That feels so good. Come here.”
Grasping her hips, he drew her closer, until she had to bend one leg onto the mattress beside him or risk losing her balance. The movement opened her, and he slid a hand between her thighs to stroke her. She gasped softly and put a hand on his shoulder to steady herself. Her breathing quickened as he parted her slippery flesh and eased a finger inside her.
“Oh, man,” he groaned, and withdrew his finger to swirl her moisture around and over her clitoris, before easing back inside her. Her fingers tightened around his cock, and she slid her fist over him, matching his movements. “Ah, babe, I need to be inside you.”
Withdrawing his hand, he jerked her forward until she sat on his knees, with one foot on the floor, and one still bent on the bed. He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes drifting over her features until they lingered on her mouth. Then, burying one hand deep in her hair and fisting his fingers in the unruly mass, he pulled her face to his and covered her mouth with his lips. The kiss wasn’t soft or gentle; it was hard and deep, and Maggie responded by curling her arms around his head and holding him in place, even as she shifted closer on his lap. Then, raising herself up, she positioned herself over his straining cock, and slowly eased herself down until he was seated deep inside her.
Jack grasped her ass in his hands and helped her lever herself over him, even as she deepened the kiss, spearing her tongue against his and making small, needy sounds in her throat. She rode him like that for several blissful minutes, until she broke away with a soft gasp.
“I’m so close,” she panted.
“Here,” Jack said, and lifted her away from him. “Let’s try this.” Standing up, he turned her toward the bed. “Lie down on the bed. On your stomach.”
Maggie’s expression turned hot, and she did as he asked, climbing onto the bed and laying on her stomach with her legs slightly parted. “Like this?” she asked, peering at him.
She looked like a decadent offering. “Raise your hips,” he instructed, and grabbing a pillow, he bunched it beneath her. “Oh, yeah, just like that.”
Standing behind her, he stroked her again and she moaned loudly and pushed back against his hand. “Oh,” she breathed, “that feels so good.”
Jack’s own breathing was heavy, as he inserted first one finger into her slick heat, and then a second, thrusting gently as she arched her back and tried to get closer. Finally, when he could sense that she was getting close, he withdrew his hand and positioned himself at her entrance, with one hand on her hip. Surging forward, he buried himself inside her, the sensation of her body tightening around him so intensely that for a moment, he thought he’d lose it right there. He had to stop in order to regain control, but Maggie would have none of it, pushing herself back against him.
“Oh, please,” she said, her voice breathless, “don’t stop.”
Knowing he was a complete goner, Jack bent forward until his chest brushed against her back, and his hips curved around her buttocks. He swept her hair over her shoulder and gently bit the curve her neck, scraping his teeth over her supple skin. Reaching beneath her, he stroked and fondled her breasts, before dipping lower, to where they were joined. Their position gave him unhindered access to her, and he stroked a finger hard across her swollen flesh, feeling her tighten around him as pleasure swept over her. Only when she cried out in release, and he felt her convulsing around him, did he finally let go, pouring himself into her with a hoarse shout of satisfaction. The force of his climax was so intense that his strength gave out, and he collapsed weakly on top of Maggie, crushing her feminine form into the mattress.
After a moment, Jack withdrew from her body and rolled to his back beside her, breathing heavily. Groping blindly with one hand, Maggie reached out and laced her fingers with his, squeezing tightly. Turning his head, he found her watching him through sleepy, satisfied eyes. Jack summoned enough energy to raise himself up on one elbow and stroke the damp hair back from her temple, before he turned her onto her side and curled his body around hers. She made a soft sound of approval and dragged his arm across her body. Jack sucked in a deep breath and tried to control his heart, which still pounded hard inside his chest. Reaching down, he grabbed a soft throw from the foot of the bed and pulled it over both of them, cocooning them in its warmth.
* * *
MAGGIE MUST HAVE fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes again, she was beneath the covers with Jack’s big body wrapped around he
r. Her head rested on his chest, and his hard thigh was wedged between hers. Through the drawn shades of his bedroom, she could just make out the pale glimmer of sunshine. She blinked slowly and stretched experimentally, aware that she was plastered against him from her chest to her ankles.
Jack mumbled something incoherent and shifted closer. Maggie might have tried to ease away, but her hair was caught beneath him, and there was no way she could disentangle herself without waking him. Instead, she lay still and listened to the steady thump of his heart beneath her ear, and slowly took stock of their positions. Her hand rested lightly on his ribs, and she became aware of the movement of his chest as he breathed, deeply and evenly. Heat poured off him, warming her, and his arm was a heavy weight across her waist.
The sheets smelled clean and crisp, but beneath that, she could smell the warm, musky scent of sex. She realized she had only to slide her hand lower to explore him. The knowledge caused a stirring low in her womb. Biting her lip, she glanced at Jack’s face, but he didn’t stir. His lashes were dark and lush against his chiseled cheekbones, and she found she missed the glittering caramel of his eyes when he was awake and watching her. Slowly, she eased her hand down over his abdomen, feeling the taut ridges of his muscles. When she encountered the light furring of hair that extended south from his navel, she followed it with her fingertips, feeling the springy curls around his penis.
His semi-erect penis.
Maggie’s eyes flew to Jack’s face, but he must have been having a nice dream, because he slept deeply, slack jawed and oblivious to her intimate explorations. She touched him, carefully stroking the soft flesh until it began to swell and harden beneath her hand. She was tempted to peek beneath the covers to see the impact she was having, but didn’t want the cool air to wake him. She imagined ducking beneath the blankets and taking him in her mouth, tasting him and licking along his length. She wanted to feel him against her tongue, to draw on him the way she would a Popsicle.
