He had to have her.
Her fingernails dug into his shoulders and he savored their erotic bite. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and her pussy clasped him tight. He was in heaven.
He started to move and she moaned, her head falling back to expose the long, slender column of her neck. He leaned forward and gently nipped at the tempting curve where her neck and shoulder met.
Her sweet cries of passion grew louder the more he nipped and sucked at her neck. Her hot sheath clamped down tight around his shaft. His balls grew impossibly tight and he knew he’d run out of time.
Jake gripped her hips and lifted her an inch or two before dropping her back onto his lap. His cock pulsed hard, loving the way her wet channel surrounded him.
“Jake.” His name was a whisper from her lips, but he heard it as loudly as if she’d roared it, felt the telltale tightening of her slick walls around him, experienced the ripples as she came yet again.
His balls tightened and his orgasm erupted, shooting up his shaft and spilling into the condom. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his heart. His cock continued to pulse as her sweet pussy wrung every last bit of juice from him.
When he was done, he dropped his head on her shoulder and inhaled her sweet scent mixed with the darker tang of sex. She nuzzled against his neck and sighed, resting against him, trusting him to hold her.
He never wanted to disappoint her again. That she’d given him another chance was nothing less than a miracle. He knew that and wasn’t about to fuck things up again. Sapphire was it for him. She might be younger and more innocent than he’d ever been, but somehow she was perfect. It was as though she’d been made specifically for him.
He’d pushed her even though he’d told himself to back off and give her time to adjust to him slowly. But she’d risen to every occasion, with little or no hesitation.
She squirmed on his lap and moaned. He needed to take care of her. Carefully, he lifted her off his chest. She shivered and he frowned. It was chilly here and the last thing he wanted was for her to get sick.
He had to take better care of her. He hitched up his jeans, ignoring the condom for now. Sapphire’s eyes fluttered open when he lifted her. “Where are we going?”
He started down the short hallway. “I’m putting you in the tub and then to bed.”
Her hand rested over his heart. “Are you staying?”
“Yeah, I’m staying.” He sat her gently in the edge of the vanity in the bathroom. “But no more sex for you tonight.”
She looked at him with a question in her eyes.
He cupped her cheek in his hand, marveling at the softness of her skin. “I want to hold you all night long.”
She sighed. “I’d like that.”
He didn’t just want to hold her, he needed to hold her through the long hours of the night. He needed to know she was safe and that she was his.
She shivered again and he turned away to start the water running into the tub.
Chapter Eleven
Sapphire glanced at the large picture window of a travel agency as she walked down the street. The woman reflected back at her looked happy and confident, but there was an underlying sense of unease hovering just beneath the surface.
It had been a week since she and Jake had last made love. Since that time, he’d been attentive and gentle, nothing like the commanding presence she’d come to know and love. It was as though he was forcing himself to be something he wasn’t, something he thought she needed. She didn’t like it.
She knew what it was like to try to be something you weren’t and it wasn’t fun. The consignment shop had been the first thing on her to-do list today. She’d taken all the new clothing she’d bought—all the short skirts, low-cut tops and spiky high heels—and dumped them there for resale. Two of the guys she’d dated during her “new Sapphire” phase had called in the past three days and were gently turned away. She was happy with herself, the way she dressed and the way she lived.
She just wished Jake would be himself too.
Oh, she loved snuggling up next to him watching movies and it was nice to go out to dinner, but when it was time to go to bed, Jake either went home or lay beside her in bed, not touching her. It was enough to drive her crazy. She was horny as hell and he wasn’t doing anything about it. And the one time she’d come on to him, he’d gently put her off.
What was he doing? What was he thinking?
She didn’t know, but tonight she was going to find out one way or another. She shifted the bags in her arms, wishing she’d shopped at a market closer to Jake’s place. Next time she’d know better. She planned to cook dinner at his apartment to surprise him and, once she had him fed and happy, she was going to make him talk to her.
He had no idea what her plans were, but she knew Topaz and John were home. She’d get John to let her into his brother’s apartment. She brushed aside the niggling sense of doubt and guilt that she was invading his space without his permission, but she shrugged it off. If a relationship was going to work between them he had to learn to open up and let her in. Other than the one visit they’d made to his home, they’d spent all their time at her place.
If she were a suspicious woman, she’d wonder why he wanted to keep their lives so separate. But she knew Jake and he was not the kind of man who cheated on a woman. On the other hand, he was the kind of man who was almost fanatical about protecting his privacy.
She turned a corner and sighed with relief when his building came into view. Her purse started to slide down her arm, but she managed to hitch it back up without dropping her grocery bags.
“Let me help you with those.” The voice startled her and she stopped, warily staring at the man who’d appeared in front of her, seemingly from out of nowhere.
“Ivan. What are you doing here?” The last person she’d expected to see was Ivan Gregor. She’d honestly be happy if she’d never laid eyes on him again. Now she’d have to be polite.
“I can take these.” He tugged on one of the bags, but she stubbornly held on.
“No, that’s fine. I can handle them.”
His lips pinched together in a thin line and his eyes narrowed. “I said, I’d take them.”
“And I said no thank you.” Her heart was racing and her palms were sweating. She assured herself there was nothing Ivan could do to her in the middle of a public street, but that didn’t stop her from wishing Jake would come strolling around the corner. The bruises from their last encounter were finally faded and she longed to forget all about Ivan.
She took a step to the right to move around him, but he moved with her, blocking her path. Sapphire swallowed hard and squared her shoulders. Don’t let him see you’re afraid. Bullies thrived on making other people afraid and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“I feel we didn’t end things on the right note the other night.” Ivan ran his hand absently over his red silk tie. Like the night of their date, he was dressed impeccably in a tailored suit and leather shoes, his hair styled and his nails manicured.
“Apology accepted.” The quicker this was done, the better.
The corners of his mouth turned down. “I have nothing to apologize for.” His face was turning a deep, mottled red. He was barely holding on to his temper. Her tension rose exponentially.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree.” She shifted to the side again, but again he blocked her. Sapphire was beginning to get extremely nervous. The street seemed suddenly empty. Where were all the people? They were virtually alone.
“I don’t think so.” Ivan stepped closer and she took a step back before she could stop herself. He smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant sight. “I think you should come for a drive with me so we can…talk.” As if by some prearranged signal, a dark sedan with tinted windows rolled up beside them.