Her cheek rested on his shoulder and she never wanted to leave the circle of his arms. If only this moment could last forever.
“Well, Mrs. Danforth.” Jake sounded much too pleased with himself.
He idly stroked her back and the hair on his chest tickled her nipples. She didn’t want to want him again. She wanted him out of her system so she could move on with her life. A life that had been disrupted by him and the emotions he evoked in her.
“Well what?” she asked, lowering her head and nipping his pec. The muscle flexed under her mouth and she traced a random pattern with her tongue. He tasted good. Salty and masculine like only Jake did.
He cupped her jaw and tilted her face up to his. His nostrils flared with each breath he took and she knew he was reaching the point of no return. She was already there. Her center was dewy and her body ached to be taken by him again. To have him fill her until she couldn’t think of anything but the pleasure he gave her.
She licked her lips, tasting him on her. He leaned down and spoke directly into her ear. “That was a nice appetizer. But I’m hungry for more of you.”
Her heartbeat sped up and everything feminine in her melted. The night breeze was cool and she shivered as it brushed over her aroused body.
Her mind said to step away from him but her body ignored that advice. This was her wedding night and likely the only one she’d ever have. She’d face the consequences of this night tomorrow.
She rubbed her nipples against his chest and tugged his head down to hers. His pupils dilated and his breath came in short pants. His erection pressed urgently against her and she doubted they were going to make it off the rooftop tonight.
He thrust against her and groaned as he encountered layers of skirt. “Damn. I want you naked.”
“Me, too,” she said, bathing his chest with kisses. She slid off his lap and lowered herself to her knees in front of the chair. She took his hard length in her hands.
He held himself still. His hands in her hair moved in circles and his hips thrust toward her the slightest bit. She knew what he wanted. What she wanted. Taking his buttocks in her hands, she drew him forward until the tip of him brushed her lips. She breathed against him and heard him groan.
She tasted him with delicate licks, then took the tip into her mouth. He shuddered. She felt his hands tighten in her hair and he pulled her to her feet. He fastened his pants with quick, careful movements, then refastened her dress.
“We need a bed. Now.”
“Yes,” she said. Her voice was husky and barely recognizable to her own ears.
Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her across the rooftop to the elevator. “There’s a key car in my pants pocket.”
She fished around for it, deliberately fondling him before she found the key. He staggered back against the wall and she knew she was playing with fire. He took her mouth in a kiss that demonstrated his dominance. It was deep and carnal and left her quivering in his arms. The elevator car opened and he carried her inside.
“Push the button,” he ordered.
She did. The ride was mercifully short and soon they were in their suite. Jake carried her to the king-size bed and put her on her feet beside it.
His fingers made quick work of the zipper running down her back and her dress slid from her body, pooling at her feet in a sea of white satin. Jake stood there watching her. Her breasts were full and heavy, her nipples stood taut and ready for his touch. Her panties were long gone and her thigh-high hose were her only garments.
“Get on the bed,” he said.
She stepped delicately out of her dress and turned slowly to crawl up the bed. She heard him growl deep in his throat and then felt his warm hand on her ankle. He tugged her flat.
“Don’t move,” he said.
She heard the sounds of him disrobing and then felt his naked body pressed along her back. She was completely surrounded by him. He held her like that for long minutes. His hands sweeping down her sides, his fingers reaching under her body to tweak her nipples.
He turned her over and sat back on his haunches watching her. He ran his forefinger down the center of her body. Helplessly she watched her sensitized skin grow rosy under his touch and when he skirted the curls at the apex of her thighs, she moaned softly.
He gave her a wicked smile but continued his path toward her feet. He reached her ankles and chained each one in his loose grasp. Then he slowly pushed her legs back toward her body. She felt totally exposed and vulnerable. And more turned-on than she’d ever remembered being.
He slid up her body, lowering his head he tasted her hot center with his lips and tongue. His hands left her ankles and he reached up to fondle both breasts.
He rubbed and pinched her nipples until her breasts felt too heavy, too full. She needed him. His mouth on her most feminine flesh was driving her toward orgasm, but she wanted Jake’s body over hers. She wanted to watch his eyes as he took her and experienced a shared climax.
“Jake,” she said, pulling on his hair.
“Come for me, Rissa.”
“I want us to be together.”
“We will…later. Please.”
She couldn’t deny him or her body. She rubbed her hands against his scalp and waited for his intimate touch. His breath brushed her first and then his tongue. His slid his hands down her body, gripping her hips and maneuvering her so that he had greater access to her secrets. He thrust one blunt finger into her channel and she clenched around it. He teased her with that one long finger, reaching up and pressing on a spot beneath her pubic bone. He continued to tickle the nubbin between her legs with his tongue and the twin pressures on her forced her over the edge. Her climax was intense and powerful but still she wanted more. She needed Jake.
He moved up over and held her still. He entered her with one long deep thrust. “Ah, that’s it.”
He penetrated her so deeply she felt they really were becoming one being. She lifted herself, tugged his head down to hers and took his mouth the way he took her body. He tore his mouth from hers as his thrusts increased. He lowered his head and suckled on one of her breasts and she felt a change come over him seconds before he flooded her with his release. Her own followed closely and she held him to her with a desperation she’d deny in the morning.
Jake ordered breakfast while Larissa showered the next morning. The night before had put to rest any doubts he had about making their marriage a real one. He wasn’t sure what had changed her mind about keeping their marriage platonic, and frankly didn’t care. He was starting to feel he and Larissa had a real chance at happiness, and that scared him.
But he was willing to do his duty this time. With a wry grin, he realized that duty had never felt so good. Slowly he was beginning to trust Larissa again. He understood now why she’d kept Peter a secret.
He picked up the phone and dialed Marcus’s office. It was time to stop his bid to win full custody of Peter. Marcus had handed the paternity suit off to Ted Larson, one of his co-workers who specialized in family law. Jake got Ted’s voice mail. He left his name and the number at the hotel for a return call.
The bathroom door opened and Larissa walked across the room to her suitcase. She wore a hotel bathrobe and a towel turbaned on her head. She looked cute and sexy at the same time.
“Come over here, woman,” he said.
She gave him a haughty look over her shoulder. “You gave enough orders last night.”
He had. And she’d responded to them beautifully. “I’m ready to take them,” he said.
“I’ll bet you are.”
She rummaged through her clothes, selecting a pretty sundress and undergarments. She headed back toward the bathroom with her clothes.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“In there to change.”
“You can change here. I’ll be a good boy and keep my hands to myself.”
“Well, that’s kind of why I was going back in the bathroom.”
“You don’t want me to
keep my hands to myself? No problem, Rissa.” He stood up and walked toward her.
“Stop, Jake. I need to talk to you.”
He didn’t like the sound of that.
“About what?”
“Our intimate relations.”
Sometimes you could tell Larissa was a librarian. “You mean our sex life.”
“Yes. I think I gave you the wrong impression last night.”
“No, you didn’t, sweetheart,” he said. Last night had been raw and earthy. He crossed to her and took her in his arms. “I still respect you.”
“Oh, Jake. Not about that. I…I want to stick by our original agreement.”
“Which one?” he asked.
She sighed and tilted her head to the side as she looked up at him. “The platonic one.”
He cursed under his breath and stepped away from her. The woman was trying to drive him insane. “Why?”
“Because sex makes things complicated. I’m sorry, I should have spoken up sooner, but I wanted a wedding night to remember.”
“Good. I did, too. But this doesn’t have to end.”
“Yes it does.”
“Explain it to me,” he said.
“This wasn’t real. The wedding, the setting, the dress. Everything was playacting.”
“It felt real to me when I took those vows that made you my wife.”
She blanched and looked away from him. “Me, too.”
“Baby, I’m not like your dad. I’m not going to do to Peter what he did to you.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist, holding herself so tightly that he knew he wasn’t saying the right thing. Hell, he had no idea what the right words were. It was like being in virgin territory; he knew how to seduce Larissa into his bed, but he had no clue how to keep her there.
“I’m waiting to hear you say you know I won’t hurt Peter.”
“Of course I know that, Jake. The first time I saw you with him, I knew I’d cheated both of you out of something.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Me,” she said, softly. “I’m the problem.”
“You know I won’t hurt you.”
“What if I hurt you?”
“I’m not that fragile,” he said. What kind of wimp did she think he was?
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“I’m not following.”
“I can’t hurt you because I’m nothing more than a make-believe wife to you. You don’t care for me.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. I care for you more than I do any other woman.”
“Right now.”
“Larissa, there are no guarantees in life. You know that and so do I. I’m not sure what you think you’re going to achieve by not sleeping with me.”
“I’m trying to keep from falling in love with you, idiot. I don’t want to be vulnerable to any man.”
“I’m not just any man, Larissa. I’m your husband.”
She shook her head and turned away. There was a knock on the door and Jake didn’t move to answer it. He wanted to hash this out to a conclusion, but Larissa was already retreating behind that wall of icy cool that she used to keep him out. “Room service,” they both heard from the door.
“This isn’t over,” he warned as he exited the bedroom.
Larissa was dressed by the time Jake returned. She’d clipped up her hair and was fastening her sandals when he walked back into the room.
“In a hurry?” he asked.
“No. I just didn’t want…”
“To appear weak,” he said. Cursing under his breath he stalked to his suitcase and removed his clothing for the day.
“Go eat, Larissa,” he said without looking at her.
She stood in the doorway. “Didn’t you want to finish our conversation?”
He gave a derisive snort. “No. I don’t think so. I’ve had enough of trying to convince you I’m respectable.” He walked away from her without a backward glance.
She shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms, feeling colder and more alone than ever. She’d expected Jake to say many things when she told him she wanted to stop sleeping with him. But she hadn’t anticipated the depth of his anger.
She picked at the breakfast he’d ordered for them, but could only manage drinking the coffee. The phone rang and she answered it.
“Jacob Danforth please,” a male voice said.
“One moment. Can I tell him who’s calling?”
“Ted Larson.”
Larissa set the handset on the table and crossed their suite to the bathroom door. The shower had stopped. She rapped on the door and Jake opened it, shaving cream on his face and a white towel slung low around his lean hips.
She swallowed. His hair was damp and a bead of moisture trailed down his neck to his chest. Unconsciously she lifted her hand to catch the drop. Jake caught her hand in his and held her captive. She glanced up into his eyes.
She could read nothing in his gaze. Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life by demanding a celibate marriage with this man?
“Change your mind already?” he asked.
Sometimes it was as if he could see straight to her soul. Had she changed her mind? It would be so easy to loose herself in the web of sensuality that Jake created, but in the end, she knew she’d have a tough time moving on when he was tired of her. And Jake had never stayed with one woman too long.
She shook herself. “You have a call.”
He rubbed her hand over his chest before letting it drop. She flexed her fingers, raking her nails over his skin. His towel stirred. She wanted to stay. What had she been thinking to put the brakes on this? “Take a message for me.”
Her hand tingled and her body said her mind was on the verge of insanity. She couldn’t live with Jake and not be his woman. “Okay.”
She pivoted on her heel, but her legs were weak and she didn’t know if she was going to be able to walk away from him.
“Rissa?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yes?”
“You never answered my question.”
“I’m afraid to,” she said, and walked away, firmly closing the bedroom door behind her. She needed to regain her perspective. She needed to talk to her son. She missed him. She’d talked to him right before the ceremony yesterday.
She took a message from Mr. Larson and left the note on Jake’s briefcase. She dialed the number to Jake’s parents’ house. The housekeeper answered on the third ring.
“This is Larissa Nielsen…Danforth. May I speak to Peter?”
“Just a moment, ma’am.”
“Hi, Mama.”
Tears burned the back of her eyes. God, she missed him. They’d never been apart before this. “Hey, baby. I miss you.”
“Me, too. I’m having so much fun here. I’m going to see some horses today.”
Peter’s happiness was palpable on the phone. Realizing she’d given her son something he never should have been denied made all the sacrifices worth it. She had to remember her marriage to Jake was for Peter. It wasn’t for her and it certainly wasn’t for Jake. “Good.”
“When will you be home?” he asked.
Larissa wasn’t sure of the exact time since Jake had their tickets but he’d said some time this evening. “Before bedtime.”
“I love you, Mama.”
“Love you too.”
They said their goodbyes and she talked to Miranda briefly about what time to expect them. It felt weird to be discussing her son with someone else. She hung up and sat on the edge of the coffee table where she’d taken the call.
“You okay?” Jake asked from the doorway. He wore a pair of chinos and a shirt in a flattering shade of blue.
She nodded.
“Who was on the phone?”
“Ted Larson. I took his number for you. I called to check on Peter.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Great. They’re going to see some horses today.”
“That would be t
he stables near the house. Does he ride?”
“Jake, he’s three.”
“So?”
“No, he doesn’t ride.”
“We’ll have to teach him,” Jake said.
“Is this going to work?” she asked without thinking.
“Yes, Rissa, it is. I’m angry right now, but I’ll get over it and we’re going to work things out,” he said, and there was a promise in his voice that she trusted.
“For Peter?”
Jake crossed the room to her side and tipped her head back with his knuckle under her chin. “For us.”
Then he slipped away to make his phone call. She cautioned herself not to believe him but she couldn’t help it. Hope had been born and she believed they had a chance at forever.
Eleven
“Oh, no,” Larissa said as they pulled to a stop in front of his town house a little before ten that night. Peter was sleeping fitfully in the back seat and Larissa had been in a quiet mood since they’d left Vegas.
“What’s the matter?”
“I recognize that car,” she said.
Jake waited.
“It’s Jasmine Carmody. What’s she doing here?”
Jake reached over and patted Larissa’s hand. “Probably checking up to see if our marriage is a real one.”
“Let’s go to my place. We can hide out until she leaves.”
“I’m not hiding from anyone. Especially a reporter.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Of course, I am.”
Jake pulled into the driveway and shut off the car. Larissa nervously twisted her fingers together. “Calm down. We’re in this together.”
He leaned across the seat and brushed his lips over hers. She sighed into his mouth and he hesitated, then deepened the kiss. He’d decided in the shower this morning to let Larissa set the pace for their marriage. She had too much sensuality in her to keep them apart for long. And once he’d gotten past his frustration, he’d realized she had a good point. Sex between the two of them was a convenient way to avoid talking.
Sin City Wedding (Dynasties: The Danforths Book 3) Page 10
