His lips curved into the whisper of a smile. "For what?"
"I miss seeing you," I admitted.
"Oh yeah?" He grinned. "Too bad."
"What?" I laughed, even as a new thrill coursed straight through me.
With the scarf still in-hand, he moved toward me, looking so perfect that I felt like I could watch him forever.
But soon, I wouldn’t be watching him at all.
I had to say something, even if it meant repeating myself. "Wait."
An eyebrow lifted. "Again?"
Desperate now, I managed to say, "Yeah. At least, um…" I felt my tongue dart across my upper lip. "…until you take off your shirt?"
He paused, looking down at me with warm amusement written all over his face.
As for my own face, it was feeling a lot warmer now, too. But why be coy at this point? "If you want," I offered, "I could take it off for you." I smiled. A helpful smile? Probably not.
Probably, it was the same kind of smile that all those groupies gave him, just before flinging their undies, or hell, even themselves, straight at him.
Trying to be at least a little reasonable, I added, "But if you'd rather take it off yourself, um, while I watched, that would be really nice, too."
"Yeah?" He looked almost ready to laugh. "Good to know."
Was he making fun of me?
If he was, I couldn’t bring myself to care, because soon, he was standing near the bed, reaching his free hand toward the collar of his button-down shirt.
Never taking his gaze from mine, he deliberately unfastened the top button and then slowly went for the second.
Button by button, he progressed lower, until the shirt fell open, giving me a glorious view of his muscular pecs, his lean torso, and those spectacular washboard abs, firm and tight, visible just above the waistband of his dark, tailored slacks.
I felt myself smile. Yup. Pure perfection.
But then again. I'd known that already, hadn't I?
As I watched, he slid the shirt off his shoulders, and let it hang, as if momentarily forgotten, while he gazed down at me.
Mesmerized, I drank in the sight him – his eyes, his face, and his nearly naked torso, with all those finely chiseled muscles and exotic tattoos. Soon, the shirt was sliding to the floor, where it fell in a gray, rumpled heap.
Bare-chested now, Jake prowled forward, slowly and deliberately, until leaned over me and brushed my lips with a kiss so light, it only made me hungry for more.
But there was no more. He pulled back, unwound the scarf, and then, leaned over me again to fasten the it firmly over my eyes, making everything go surprisingly dark.
It was almost funny, because I hadn't realized the scarf was so opaque. Again, I couldn't help but wonder how much of this was planned, even inside that boutique, when he'd insisted on buying me that scarf, in spite of its outrageous price tag.
I recalled his smile as he'd draped it over my shoulders and whispered, "I'll be seeing you in that later."
And now, he was. But I couldn’t see him.
Still, through his motions, I could sense what he was doing – tugging the blindfold tighter, tying it with some sort of knot, and then, once more, brushing his lips softly against mine before pulling back, as if seeking a better view.
Desperately, I reached out with both hands, seeking, and finding, his chest. Hungry for the feel of him, I trailed my fingers over the lines and ridges of his torso, until he pulled slowly away, leaving my fingers brushing only air.
Missing him, I whispered, "Jake?"
Soon, I felt his fingers working the button of my jeans, and then my zipper, which he slid down with one leisurely motion. I then felt his hands on my hips, gripping the thick fabric of my jeans and tugging downward until the cool air kissed my pelvis, and then my thighs, followed by my calves.
Lastly, he tugged off my socks, one-by-one.
And then, he was gone.
I didn't know where to, until – obviously from somewhere beside the bed – he started working the buttons of my blouse, unfastening them slowly, as if we had all the time in the world.
At the thought, I felt myself smile. We did have all the time in the world. He was home, and the way it sounded, he wasn't going anywhere, at least not any time soon.
His voice, soft and seductive, drifted over me. "I love that smile."
"I love you." I paused. "Even if I can't see you."
His tone grew teasing. "Is that a complaint?"
"Uh, yes?"
"Uh-huh," he said, obviously unconvinced.
I almost laughed. "You are so cocky."
"Yeah?" I felt a finger lightly brush my bottom lip, and then drift lower, down my chin, past my throat, between my breasts, down my stomach, past my navel, and then lower.
It paused on the lacy waistband of my skimpy panties. Skimpy or not, I was wishing I hadn't worn any, because when his finger moved lower, brushing my clit, I was already dying for the feel of his skin on mine.
My hips rose, and I think I might've whimpered.
His voice, still low, drifted over me. "If you want, I'll show you cocky."
His meaning was obvious. And I did want that. Very, very much.
In fact, I wanted him so bad that I was finding it almost hard to breathe. He'd barely touched me, and yet, I was more than ready. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted him inside me, and the thought of waiting one more minute seemed impossible to bear.
"When?" I breathed. "Like soon?"
I heard a low chuckle as he pulled away, leaving my hips rising into nothingness. And then, I felt a hard yank, as my panties were pulled off and tossed away to wherever. Finally, I felt his finger, brushing the same spot as before, now, with nothing in the way.
When his motions quickened, I ground against him and whimpered for more. "Seriously," I breathed, "I don't wanna wait. I've been missing you like crazy."
His voice was low. "Me, too." And yet, he made no move to come closer.
Desperately, I reached out with both arms, wanting to pull him tight against me.
"Nice try," he said, moving his fingers slower now, as if teasing me with the wait.
But then, I felt one long finger slip inside of me, and my arms fell, loose at my side, as I lost the ability to protest anything, even as my thighs parted, and my hips rose.
His voice, filled with warmth, drifted over me. "You know what I missed?"
Barely coherent, I managed to say, "What?"
"Seeing you like this."
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized the sweet irony of his statement. I missed seeing him too, and I might've protested, except that speech had suddenly become impossible, as my stomach clenched, and my body shuddered.
I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him, teasing the orgasm out of me with his blissfully expert touch. I was so lost in the rolling, shuddering sensations that, at first, I almost didn't notice when the bed shifted, and I felt the weight of his hard body, poised above mine.
His lips brushed my ear. "So I’m cocky, huh?"
Unable to speak, I only nodded.
I was hot and slick, and dying to feel him inside me. With growing desperation, I reached down was thrilled to discover that he was now fully naked – naked and massively hard in my warm, soft hand.
With blind anticipation, I guided him to my opening and lifted my hips, wanting, with all my being, to have him inside me, at last. He paused, holding his own hips motionless for a long, intense moment before surging forward, filling me so completely that I cried out with the pure bliss of it.
And then, we were moving together, with our hips rising and falling against each other, providing the closeness that I'd been craving – and missing – for days.
I felt his hands wrap themselves around mine, and then move my wrists upward until they were captured just above my head.
When his lips found my ear, I heard his voice, low and intense, "I love you."
"I love you, too," I breathed, lost in everything except th
e feel of him so blissfully close.
His long fingers intertwined with mine, and I felt his teeth graze my earlobe, just before he said, "Luna?"
"Hmmm?"
"Marry me."
Chapter 57
His words felt like part of a dream. I was so lost, I could hardly think. "What'd you say?"
"You heard me." As if to drive the point home, his hips surged forward, claiming me as much with his body as with his next words, said with so much love, they burrowed deep into my soul. "Now, say yes."
My voice, when I found it, came out as a happy whisper. "Yes."
His body stilled for the briefest instant. And then, with words of love and promises of forever, he surged forward yet again.
I was soaring, as we rode together toward sweet oblivion, until, with another long series of shudders, we collapsed together into a warm, blissful heap.
His fingers, still intertwined with mine, gave a gentle squeeze. "Yes, huh? I'm gonna hold you to that."
I was so lost in contentment that it took me a moment to realize that I was still blindfolded. And for some reason, that struck me as incredibly funny. I started to giggle, and once I started, I couldn’t bring myself to stop.
With insane happiness, I squeezed his hands right back, only to pause and grow suddenly still.
Something was different.
There was something new on the ring finger of my left hand.
I rubbed at it with my thumb. Sure enough, there it was – a ring where there hadn't been one before.
And not just any ring. From the feel of it, it was a ring with an insanely huge stone.
Unable to resist, I moved my hands and yanked at the blindfold. A moment later, I was staring over Jake's bare shoulder at a gorgeous diamond engagement ring, glittering on my ring finger.
I felt my eyes widen and then grow suddenly misty. "Oh, my God."
I heard Jake's voice, warm in my ear. "See? You're not getting out of it now."
I gave another happy laugh. "As if I'd want to."
Shifting his body, he moved to the side, and then wrapped his strong arms around me, cradling me against his chest.
I placed my palm on his naked torso, admiring the ring, almost as much as I admired him. I heard myself say, "It's too much."
"What's too much?"
"This. I don't know. Everything." I pulled back to look into his eyes. "Is there such a thing as being too happy?"
"Nope." And then, his tone grew more serious. "Later on, we'll do this right, okay?"
I wasn't following. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, brushing his lips against mine, "that we'll go out, have dinner, flowers, whatever. And then, I'll get down on one knee and ask you the right way, in a room-full of strangers, the way I planned."
It was almost funny. For all his crazy ways, Jake had a traditional streak that was surprisingly appealing. But on this particular thing, he had no idea what he was talking about.
"No," I whispered. "That was absolutely perfect, just the way it was."
"Yeah? Well, just say the word, and I'll make it more perfect next time." He cracked a smile. "Even if this was my third try."
That made me pause. "I don't get it. Your third try?"
"You don't wanna know."
Didn't he know who he was dealing with? "I do, too," I insisted.
After a long, suspenseful pause, he said, "The first time was the day you thought you got fired."
I blinked. "Really?"
"Really. I had this big thing planned for after that meeting with Vince."
"What kind of thing?"
"Dinner, flowers." He gave a small laugh. "Some guy with a violin." His voice softened. "And, the ring. I'd just picked it up when I saw you with Trey in my office."
His story was so sweet that I felt my insides go even more warm and gooey, as if that were remotely possible.
"But wait," I said, recalling something Trey had told me that very same day. "I thought you were shopping for a car."
He grinned. "Engagement present."
"Wait. Do you mean, uh…"
"For you."
It wasn't the first time Jake had tried to buy me a car. And I had the flattering feeling that it might not be the last.
Still, I hear myself say, "Isn't that a little extravagant?"
"Yup."
I laughed. "Honestly, I'm not sure what to say to that."
"Good," he said, "because it's in your parking spot right now."
He looked so happy, and yeah, just a little bit smug, that I couldn’t bring myself to object.
Still, I did feel a little guilty. First there was the ring, and now the car, and then, the best thing of all – him.
What was I bringing to all this?
I had to say it. "But I didn't get you anything."
"Wrong," he said. "You got me you."
"But that's nothing, I mean, not in the gifty way."
"Wrong again." His voice grew softer. "It's everything."
I felt myself smile. "No. You're everything. Everything I ever wanted."
But then, I felt my smile fade as I recalled everything else that had happened on that horrible day – multiple fights, my stupid walk, and the tension afterward.
Had all of that caused Jake to have second thoughts? I didn't want to ask, but I didn't want to wonder, either.
I tried to make a joke of it. "So, you almost changed your mind, huh?" I forced a small laugh. "With all our fighting, I guess I can see why."
But Jake wasn't laughing. "Let's get one thing straight," he said. "The only thing that changed was the timing."
Relief washed over me. "Really?"
"Really." He gave me a playful squeeze. "After all, I wanted you to say 'yes.'"
Laughing now in earnest, I gave him a mock push to the chest. "As if there was any doubt." I paused. "So about that bet with my brothers, that's the reason you picked that day?"
"For you to leave your job? Maybe. A guy can hope, right?"
I just had to tease him. "So, you had inside information, huh? My brothers might call that cheating."
"You kidding? They'd call it smart."
"Well, there is that." Recalling him saying that this was his third attempt, I had to ask, "But what about the second time? When was that?"
His answer was one word. "Vegas."
"You mean that impromptu vacation?"
He nodded. "When I thought you were fired, I figured, 'Hey, I'll take her to Vegas, make it a night to remember.'"
My voice grew softer. "Jake?"
"Hmm?"
"Just so you know, this was a night to remember." I burrowed against him. "And I wouldn't have changed a thing."
"Yeah?"
"Definitely." I paused. "But I am curious."
"About what?"
Cautiously, I said, "You weren't hoping to get married in Vegas, were you?"
"That would've been up to you." He smiled. "In fact, it's still up to you. Say the word, and we'll catch the next flight out."
The idea was almost tempting, not because I wanted to get married in Vegas, but because I was so embarrassingly eager to make it official.
Still, Vegas wouldn't be my first choice. Apparently, I had a traditional streak too. Go figure.
Tentatively, I said, "And if that's not what I want?" Quickly, I added. "I mean, what if I want a big traditional wedding with family there."
His lips lifted at the corners. "Your family? Or mine?"
I knew what he was getting at. His family was a fragmented mess. Still, I wanted to be hopeful. I smiled with as much confidence as I could muster. "Both of our families."
His tone became teasing. "Yeah, good luck with that."
"Seriously," I said. "You wouldn’t mind, would you?"
His gaze met mine. "Luna, I'd marry you anywhere, any time and count myself lucky."
At this, I felt a big goofy smile spread across my cheeks. "Awwww."
After a long, quiet moment, I pulled back to ask, "Are yo
u really going to quit?"
"With the videos?" His voice grew quieter. "Yeah."
"So you'll be retired, huh?"
"Me?" he said. "Hell no."
More curious than ever, I asked, "So what are you gonna do?"
"I've got some ideas." He stroked my back, and his voice softened. "Does it matter?"
"Not to me," I said. "I'm just happy you're mine." And I meant it, too.
"Luna?"
"Hmm."
"It's a serious question. Let's say I was just a regular guy. Would you still feel the same way?"
I had to laugh. "Jake, I've loved you since I was twelve." I leaned my forehead against his. "And I'll let you in on a little secret."
"What?" he asked.
I gave him my brightest smile. "You'll never, ever be just a regular guy."
Chapter 58
A half-hour later, I was still smiling, cradled in Jake's arms, when the sound of the doorbell jolted me from my blissful state.
When it rang again, I made a move to sit up, only to feel Jake tighten his grip and ask, "Where do you think you're going?"
I had to laugh. "Don't you hear that?"
"Nope."
"Liar," I teased. "Are you expecting someone?"
"Nope."
"Well, don't you think we should get it?"
"Nope."
"Oh come on. Is that all you can say?"
He paused for a long moment before saying, in a tone of absolute sincerity, "I love you. How's that?"
With a happy sigh, I let my head fall back onto his bare chest. "Actually, that's pretty wonderful."
He ran a lingering hand across my bare hip. "And?"
"And, I love you, too."
"That's my girl."
I curled myself tighter against him, enjoying the feel of his body so close to mine. Yes. I was his girl. And I was going to stay his girl. Always.
I was still enjoying that happy thought when the pounding started. Whoever the visitor was, they'd obviously given up on the bell and were taking a more violent approach. The way it sounded, they were willing to bust the door down, if that's what it took.
At the sudden realization of who it might be, I bolted upright, and this time, Jake didn't stop me.
I said, "What if that's Joel?"
I mean, I knew they talked and everything. But with Jake back in town, maybe Joel was looking to confront Jake in person.
Jake Forever (Jaked Book 3) Page 26
